Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Dream On (1)
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Photon Cannon.
The mass contained in a photon was minuscule, but the impact delivered at the rapid speed of the photon output was beyond what a single monster could withstand.
The Ulk chieftain's eyes blazed. Having fought countless battles against humans, he knew just how dangerous a mage could be.
"It worked! I think he's scared! Shirone did it!"
Martin shouted. But Altor thought differently. They were facing monsters, not mere beasts. Though they possessed reason, their animalistic nature was not to be underestimated.
"It won't end like this. As strong as Shirone is, he's still human. Pack hunters never retreat after losing just one or two of their own."
Just as Altor analyzed, the Ulk chieftain had no intention of backing down. A mage's power was destructive, but the collective violence of the pack would not be intimidated by a single person.
"Krrrr, kill... him..."
"Kuaaaang!"
The erupting roars of the Ulks shook the heavens and the earth.
*I can do this. If I just keep my focus, I can win.*
Shirone teleported into the air and bombarded the ground with Photon Cannon. Flashes of light rained down like hail. Even those not directly hit by the Photon Cannon were struck by the shockwaves emanating from the ground.
Despite this, the Ulks' momentum didn't falter in the slightest. They were a warlike race so aggressive that even ogres, known as the kings of the forest, would yield when they formed a pack.
Ignoring the harm to their kin, the Ulks leaped up, swiping their claws at Shirone. He hastily landed on the ground. There, seven more were waiting for an opportunity.
Shirone transformed his Spirit Zone into an omnidirectional offensive form. The moment the spikes of the Spirit Zone touched the Ulks, a multi-shot Photon Cannon was fired. An intensely blinding flash erupted, and the Ulks struck by the photons were sent flying back the way they came.
"Whoa, that's incredible... Shirone."
The children stared with dumbfounded expressions. To think a human could fight on equal footing with dozens of Ulks. They had always thought the epic tales of heroes were just exaggerated stories. But watching Shirone fight, they felt they could believe any story was true.
"Hah, hah."
Shirone's breathing grew ragged. The moment he cast the multi-shot Photon Cannon, he felt like he might lose consciousness. Even with the mental fortitude to sustain a photon output for over ten minutes, it was difficult to endure. This was because Photon Cannon was a Fusion Magic, combining light and mass.
A mage has a single slot, like one for a battery. It's the same principle as humans being unable to focus on two things at once. Iruki, with his savant syndrome, could manage a double cast, but aside from such special cases, even the most high-ranking mage could only use one spell at a time.
Therefore, mages who specialized in single-attribute Pure Magic were rare in the professional world. Most combined two, or even three, attributes to maximize the effect of a single spell.
Shina's Ice Tornado, a combination of frost and wind, or Thadd's Fire Sun, combining light and flame, were prime examples.
Fusion Magic had the advantage of maximizing momentary efficiency, but it demanded a correspondingly high level of mental energy. It was only natural for Shirone to feel fatigued after casting such spells in succession.
*This is bad. I don't think I have many shots left. I don't think I can take them all down.*
Ulks weren't like alley thugs. A beast's sense of smell could read its prey's emotions with uncanny accuracy. If he showed even the slightest sign of fatigue, they would immediately try to tear him limb from limb.
Indeed, the Ulk chieftain still showed hostility, even after losing a third of his kin.
Realizing Shirone was tired, the second wave of Ulks charged. Their numbers were similar to the first wave, but the feeling was completely different compared to when he had been mentally fresh.
In his urgency, Shirone fired a Photon Cannon. A mass of photons buried itself in the stomach of the Ulk charging at the front.
"Kuaaaaaa!"
The massive body was pushed back, dragging along the ground. But unlike before, it didn't fall; it dug its two legs into the earth and held its ground. Shirone felt a dizzy spell. He hadn't expected the power to have dropped this much.
Convinced, the Ulk chieftain ordered an all-out attack.
"Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!"
The Ulks also sensed victory and swarmed forward.
*Since it's come to this...*
The only thing Shirone had left was the Immortal Function.
But could he withstand it?
This was on a different level from when he had cast photon output before. He had no idea what kind of backlash would follow if he cast a Fusion Magic with a high mental energy cost from the realm of infinity.
"Keeeeuh!"
The moment he activated the Immortal Function, pressure built up in Shirone's mind. He felt as if his head might explode.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Shirone steeled himself and opened his mind. Along with the sensation of his ego loosening, an immense power surged in.
The moment the Spirit Zone filled with light, it exploded violently. A wave of mass pushed the Ulks back, scattering golden fragments.
Floating a sphere of light on his palm, Shirone fired it forward with all his might. The Photon Cannon shot out as a white flash, devastating the area. As he fired a continuous barrage without reducing the output, the Ulks were swept away as if by a broom.
But he couldn't maintain this state forever. If infinity was the ocean, Shirone's mind was a stream. The Immortal Function was the barrier between them. He was drawing seawater by punching a hole in it, but if he continued, the barrier would eventually collapse.
Because the mental energy required varies by spell, mages choose the most cost-effective magic for the situation.
Spells with effects that far exceeded their cost were called "Overpowered" in the magical community. Prime examples included the time magic Stop, the invisibility magic Invisibility, the alchemy magic Injection, and the healing magic Heal of Almighty.
So what about Photon Cannon?
Shirone thought it was close to being overpowered.
Its excellent attack speed, the ability to switch between single shots and rapid-fire, and even its capacity to form a beam meant it had all the necessary conditions for an offensive spell.
But that was only in terms of its high efficiency relative to its cost. Fundamentally, Photon Cannon was an expensive spell. Casting it indiscriminately like this could lead to a terrible outcome.
*No more! I'll die first!*
Shirone stopped casting Photon Cannon. The barrage had lasted only about three seconds, but dust rose from all directions, obscuring his vision.
As a gust of wind swept the dust away, the children trembled at the sight before them. The area swept by the Photon Cannon had been completely decimated.
Ulks were buried in the ground as if chewed up by the earth, and those that had fled were trembling in fear, with no time to mourn their dead kin.
Shirone truly felt the power of the Photon Cannon. In the path the flash had taken, absolutely nothing remained.
If even the caster was in awe, one could only imagine how the receiving end felt. The Ulk chieftain, his face filled with terror, had no choice but to accept reality.
That mage could not be defeated.
"Krrr, we... go... Let... us... go..."
Shirone was currently so exhausted that he couldn't cast any magic. But he forced strength into his legs and held on until the end.
"Don't ever come here again. If you set foot on this mountain one more time, it won't end like this."
The Ulk chieftain conveyed his servile feelings in broken human speech.
"Won't... come. Strong... mage..."
"Go."
As Shirone waved his hand, the Ulk chieftain was the first to leave. The other Ulks followed their chieftain into the forest without a second thought.
Only after the Ulks had disappeared did the tension leave Shirone. He staggered, closed his eyes, and collapsed.
"Shirone! Shirone!"
"Shh! Be quiet. They might come back."
At Altor's warning, the children covered their mouths.
Altor checked on Shirone again. A wry smile escaped him at the sight of Shirone sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world.
The children of the slash-and-burn village had grown up over time, but Shirone alone seemed to have remained the same as in his younger days.
*They say mages don't age.*
At first, he'd thought Shirone was just the son of a common mountain man. An adopted son, at that. Shirone didn't resemble Mr. Vincent in the slightest, which might have been why he'd looked down on him even more.
But he had been mistaken. Perhaps Shirone was the ugly duckling from the fairy tale?
A human whose origins were different from a mountain man's from the very beginning.
Altor lifted Shirone with ease. Compared to his own strength, Shirone was as light as a feather, but he felt no sense of pride.
He now knew that he could never lift the weight of the intellect contained within that light body.
"Let's go down. The hunting game is over."
* * *
"Hah!"
Waking from his sleep, Shirone shot up.
He was in someone's house.
Placing a hand on the back of the sofa, he looked around and saw a cozy living room.
Warmth radiated from the hearth where a fire crackled, and the sounds of cooking came from the L-shaped kitchen.
"Oh? Shirone's awake. Lumina, Shirone's up!"
As Martin shouted, a loud clatter came from the kitchen. A moment later, Lumina peeked out from behind the wall, her face flushed.
"Where am I?"
Shirone finally remembered. This was Lumina's house, where he had often stayed with his father when he was young.
The children came rushing down from upstairs. They were still in the same clothes they'd worn for the hunt, suggesting they had stayed by Shirone's side instead of going home.
"Shirone, are you okay?"
Altor asked worriedly. He had checked Shirone's body as soon as they got to the house, but there was nothing wrong. Still, being ignorant of magic, he couldn't be sure if some strange symptoms might appear.
Shirone ran a few mental checks to see if anything was wrong with his head. His memory was intact, and his mind seemed fine.
"I'm okay. I think I just passed out from exhaustion."
"Phew, that's a relief. We thought something bad had happened to you."
Shirone felt quite sorry for having made them worry unnecessarily. Of course, the children felt the exact opposite.
"I feel so refreshed after such a deep sleep. It feels like my fatigue is finally gone."
He had slept for a long time at his lodgings, but in truth, his fatigue hadn't really subsided. But now, he felt genuinely good. The dreadful hyper-awareness was gone.
He had been confident he would overcome it. But now that it was gone, he realized just how difficult a state he had been enduring all this time.
*Armin was right. As soon as I mastered Photon Cannon, my senses returned. I didn't have any nightmares, either.*
His stomach rumbled. It was the first time he'd felt hunger in a long while. The savory smell wafting from the kitchen also helped stimulate his appetite.
Shirone licked his lips and asked Lumina.
"So, what are you making?"
"Pork stew. Mom bought some meat."
Lumina's mother came out of the kitchen holding a ladle.
"Shirone, hello. It's been a while."
"Hello, ma'am. I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"Haha, don't say that, it makes me sad. You have no idea how long my daughter has been waiting for you."
Lumina's face turned bright red. But then her eyes suddenly turned sad, and she hung her head low.
Altor understood how she felt. He felt the same way, and he was sure all the other children realized it too.
Shirone could not be their leader. He wasn't a child of the slash-and-burn village, nor was he the son of a mountain man.
Shirone was a mage.
As the mood sank, Altor shouted in a hearty voice.
"Alright, alright! I'm starving. Let's eat first."
"Waaah! We get to eat meat for the first time in ages! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat!"
Lumina's mother placed a large pot on the table. The pork stew was filled past the brim, sloshing about.
Lumina's family only had four members, but in the slash-and-burn village, it was common for people to gather and eat in one house, so there were plenty of dishes.