The Wisdom of the Arcane

Although it was certain that the loud noise would draw other groups, the protagonist decided to wait for a moment. The reason was simple: it was "too dangerous." The cliff, struck by the magic, was sporadically spitting out piles of rocks and boulders. If luck were on their side, the intervals might be safe enough to pass, but they chose not to take the risk. Both the protagonist and Meredith were that type of person. While waiting for the collapse to cease, Hazel thought about magic. The advice to become the wisest person, and the flexibility of the magic Meredith had just displayed—she finally grasped what the "true magic" Meredith pursued really was.

Even knowing that the structure of magic was different, the magic Hazel understood hadn't been much different from the skills in a game. In most games, magic was fundamentally no different from martial arts like swordsmanship or archery; instead of swinging a sword, one simply fired a projectile. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Ice Spear—these spells, commonly used as offensive magic, were just "strong slashes" with different names. In more advanced games, the only difference was whether the damage was physical or magical, or perhaps it was subdivided by element to add depth. The essence was always "a stronger attack." The same went for area-of-effect attacks with fancy names like Inferno, Earthquake, or Blizzard. Since games required balance, warrior-class characters inevitably had area-of-effect skills as well.

Hazel’s attitude toward magic had been the same. If I fire a magic arrow, one enemy will get hit. That was the extent of her perception. She had only thought of the ability to imbue elements as, "Wow! Try piercing the gaps in elemental resistance with a 5x3 variety of elements." Perhaps using a scroll during the dungeon trial had been the reason for developing such bad habits. Maybe that was when the exchange rate of "one spell for one enemy" had been cemented in her mind. Those thoughts were blown away by Meredith’s single spell.

She had imbued the magic arrow with ice and destruction attributes. Fire or lightning had no physical force, and to break a rock, one needed destruction, not slashing or piercing. The goal wasn't to attack the gnolls, but to collapse the edge of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cliff. The gnoll pack had simply been wiped out as a result. For a mage, magic should not be the result itself. Magic was a means, a tool, and a process. Her heart raced. A pleasure she didn't know how to resolve was coursing through her body, carried by her heartbeat. It felt as if her eyes had finally opened a little.

Once the rockfall stopped, they hurried their pace. Judging that it was important not to delay, they agreed to use one Level 0 spell per battle. In one instance, they fought a group consisting of two scouts and one warrior. Meredith used telekinesis to move nearby pebbles, drawing the gnolls' attention. She exquisitely mimicked the presence of a small animal using the movement and sounds of the surrounding environment. The protagonist instantly stabbed and killed the two scouts who approached to investigate the source of the sound. The remaining warrior was also dealt with easily by utilizing their numerical advantage. A single Level 0 spell had made hunting a whole group effortless.

Just as Hazel was admiring the party members' abilities, they were ambushed by gnolls. It wasn't anyone's fault; the enemy had suddenly popped out from a bend in the path right after they finished the previous fight. It was a group consisting of two warriors and one shaman. Looking at the composition, it seemed to be the same pack as the ones they had just defeated. The two warriors rushed at the protagonist. He dodged the blades that were thrust at him with hair-breadth precision.

"Jiun!" Meredith shouted.

"I'm fine!" After confirming he was safe, he quickly reorganized the front line. The protagonist took on one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠warrior, while Hazel and Meredith kept the other in check. Unlike before, these ones carried only cleavers, no shields. The battle situation was not in their favor. The protagonist had lost the initiative and was busy dodging, and they couldn't land any decent attacks either. The only consolation was that the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lack of shields made their containment effective. Meanwhile, the shaman was muttering something. If left alone, it was certain they wouldn't see a good outcome. On the other hand, Meredith was completely tied up by the warrior. Although she was containing it in cooperation with Hazel, it seemed the gnoll was focused on Meredith because she was taller.

Hazel was the only one who could create a variable. The flow of the fight depended on her. "You must become the wisest person." Meredith's words seemed to ring in her ears. The situation was disadvantageous, but it could be overturned. She just needed to shift the momentum on the protagonist's side. They had only lost the initiative because of the ambush; otherwise, the protagonist was someone who could easily handle a single gnoll. She moved her arm slightly to check her pocket. It was there. She observed the actions of the gnoll she was facing. She poked it once with her staff, and the gnoll flinched. Then, the gnoll's gaze naturally shifted toward Meredith, as they had been alternating their containment.

A moment of opening appeared.

"Eat this!" Hazel shouted loudly, pulled a piece of chalk from her pocket, and threw it. The gnoll she was facing dodged. The other gnoll, a bit further away, also dodged after hearing her shout and shifting its gaze. However, there was someone who didn't miss that momentary gap. The protagonist lunged with his stiletto. Even in a state of broken balance, the gnoll twisted its body somehow, but it couldn't avoid the dagger in his other hand. The blade sank into its thigh. That fight would soon be over. Meredith also hooked her staff onto the leg of the gnoll that had lost its balance dodging the chalk.

That was when it happened. The gnoll in front of her literally became "giant." The staff got stuck tight in the gnoll's ankle. Meredith, who had been pulling the staff with all her might, fell backward due to the sudden change. The giant gnoll swung its cleaver down toward Meredith. Hazel hurriedly extended her staff. If she could deflect it, that would be best; at least, if she could just make it miss. Is it too close? Please, let it hit. She gritted her teeth. Time seemed to stretch out. It won't reach. At this rate, it won't reach.

Just as she reached that conclusion, she heard the sound of dice rolling. As if someone were pushing her from behind, her body extended just a tiny bit further. Her staff struck the gnoll's arm. It made contact! The giant gnoll didn't budge much from that, but the trajectory was definitely altered. The cleaver struck the ground right next to Meredith's head.

"Well done!" Meredith shouted, throwing a reagent over the gnoll's shoulder.

At that moment, the gnoll in front of them shrank back down. Perhaps unable to withstand the recoil of the sudden shrinkage, it staggered. Hazel kicked the staff caught in its foot. The ankle twisted, and the gnoll fell flat. As she struck the gnoll's head with her staff, she saw the shaman covering its eyes and flailing about. Meredith had used light generation to interrupt the shaman's spell. So there are techniques like channeling skills, too. Thinking that, she diligently swung her staff. It didn't take long to finish off all the neutralized enemies. Without even a moment to tidy up, they left the area immediately. She declined any further consecutive battles. As she hurried her steps, she looked quietly at her hands. The strange sensation she had felt earlier was still vivid. Should she ask the protagonist? Ask him what she had just done? She clenched her hands tightly. It didn't feel like the right time yet.

Finally, the end was in sight. On top of a gently rising hill stood the gnoll chieftain. Compared to the others, it looked twice as tall. Indeed. If I could trim those massive fangs, I could probably make a blade the length of a dagger. Excluding the chieftain, there were three warriors and two shamans. A total of five. Their strength consisted of one rogue, one mage, and one apprentice mage. The available spells were Level 1 spells: Invisibility and Magic Arrow, and the Level 0 spell: Light Generation. If they saved one spell for the return trip, the limit was two Level 1 spells, excluding Light Generation. The balance was off. Since their original goal wasn't making money, they decided to turn back at this point. Meredith said that she had given Hazel plenty of dungeon experience and shown her enough combat using magic. Above all, they were too exhausted. The protagonist agreed with that opinion.

That was the moment. From far away, a low, long, mournful cry rang out. Meredith's face turned pale. The gnolls near the chieftain moved toward the direction of the sound. Along the only narrow path, toward where they were standing.

"Invisibility," the protagonist said urgently.

"W-who?"

"Me!" Meredith hurriedly grabbed the protagonist's wrist and rummaged through her bag. "Hazel. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠You must remember this clearly and pass it on. When I stab the shaman, Meredith must deal with the remaining shaman. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"I trust you." Strong determination could be felt in the protagonist's gaze.

As Meredith, holding the reagent, whispered softly, the surroundings seemed to distort starting from the wrist she was holding, and before long, the protagonist completely vanished from sight. It was right after that when two gnoll warriors discovered the rock behind which they were hiding. They were creatures armed with cleavers and shields. The gnoll let out a low, rasping growl.