Chapter 245
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 245
Chapter Title: Rockwind Plains (2)
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The creature in the darkness revealed itself.
“A wolf...?”
“It’s blurry. It looks like it’s made of wind.”
Maya, Eleanor’s companion, tilted her head.
A wolf not much larger than the Outer Wolves from the Black Forest growled in their direction. Its form was nearly identical.
Aiden let out a low groan at the sight of the beast crouching low, ready to lunge at any moment.
“Hm... Senior, that thing...”
“Yeah. It’s a wind spirit. It’s lost its mind and turned into a monster now.”
“Should we take it out?”
“Like I said, it’s just a monster right now.”
“Got it.”
What circumstances in the dungeon had turned a spirit into a monster?
Pushing that question aside, Aiden drew his sword.
Grrrrowl...
The wind-formed beast bared its fangs and kicked off the ground.
Aiden’s eyes instantly read its movements.
His sword, cloaked in blood-red aura, moved precisely along the creature’s path.
Kyahng-!
But it wasn’t that easy an opponent. A gust of wind blew, and the beast shifted direction mid-air, diving deeper toward the rear guard instead of Aiden.
“Not on my watch!”
Aiden immediately pivoted and activated [Charge], catching up to it from behind.
His tightly gripped sword sliced into its flank without hesitation.
Kyaaang-!
A harsh wind-like screech erupted as the beast’s body scattered into the air and vanished.
“Whoa, Captain. Was this the reason you told us to move so fast?”
It was nimble enough, but nothing Aiden couldn’t handle alone.
Was this why Jun had urged them to hurry so much?
“Yeah, this guy.”
“What... Do they come in packs later? That could be dangerous for sure.”
“No, this one revives. Stronger each time.”
“Huh?”
“Think back. When its body dispersed, where did its soul go?”
“Its soul...?”
Eleanor didn’t always perceive souls, but hearing Jun’s words, she replayed the scene in her mind.
“Come to think of it, as its body scattered, some kind of energy floated up toward the ceiling.”
“Exactly. It revives endlessly. Until the hurricane on the surface fully dissipates.”
Then Maya spoke up.
“Leader. Didn’t you say it comes back even stronger?”
“Yeah. It’ll keep reviving. Getting stronger each time, until it kills us for good.”
A monster that grew without limit and revived no matter how many times it was slain.
The party had become its target.
“Now you get why we have to hurry.”
“Fenril takes about a week to revive.”
“Fenril—that’s the wolf’s name, right?”
“Yeah.”
As they wrapped up the day’s schedule and prepared camp, the party listened intently to Jun’s explanation after finishing their meal.
“At our current level, we can probably handle it four times at most. Five if we push ourselves.”
“Push how hard?”
“To the point where one of us has to be ready to die.”
“...We can’t drag it out that long, then.”
No one there wanted to experience losing a comrade.
“So we’ve got about a month max. Any longer, and Fenril will be beyond us.”
“Um, Captain. Did we really have to pick such a dangerous field?”
“Hm... Guess I need to explain that too.”
Jun had chosen this perilous field for several reasons.
First, to fully awaken the wind spirit dormant within Aiden.
Second, it was Third Prince Javier’s request.
But even with those justifications, wasn’t it too soon?
Even if war between the Empire and the Heavenly Church loomed, it might look reckless to outsiders.
Unfortunately, this schedule wasn’t reckless at all.
“There’s no safe spot in the 7th layer.”
“...”
“Up to the 6th, it’s manageable. You can stake out near the layer gate, pick off monsters one or two at a time, and grow.”
But not in the 7th.
The enemies were simply too strong at a fundamental level.
And fleeing could lead to a full party wipe.
“Cold truth: this is normal exploration. Risking your life to conquer the layer.”
If that scared you, you’d stay on the same layer forever.
A prime example was Colton’s Blade Eagle Mercenary Corps.
They knew their limits and gave up advancing further.
That wasn’t wrong, but none of them wanted the life Colton had chosen.
“To grow, you have to risk your life. That’s what Blackout is.”
“Ugh... Fair point. Sorry, I sounded weak.”
“Nah, it was a talk we needed sooner or later.”
They hadn’t felt much threat from fields so far.
Except for the sudden drop into the alchemists’ city, ‘Head Dravan’—Jun usually shared info ahead to head off problems.
But the 7th layer ahead wouldn’t be kind enough to survive on prior knowledge alone.
“That’s the 7th layer. That’s why those pushing to higher layers earn everyone’s respect.”
The party nodded solemnly at Jun’s heavy tone, feeling the weight of the 7th layer themselves.
As comrades drifted off to sleep one by one, Jun, still awake on watch, opened his book.
Now it was his time alone.
‘Spirit magic, huh...’
He’d gained plenty of knowledge during those two weeks with Ranes.
He couldn’t fully assimilate it yet, but with steady effort, he’d find a way soon enough.
‘And the Mage Association...’
That frozen group needed to start moving in earnest.
At least make it happen within the year.
What would it take?
Ranes.
He had to refine her magic theory so even average mages could follow it.
Announcing her 8th circle attainment beforehand wouldn’t sway them—they’d dismiss it.
They’d see her as an irregular, a fluke of special bloodline.
Even if Ranes tried leading with charisma, they wouldn’t follow.
‘That’s probably why she took in Javier to teach him directly.’
But Jun doubted that would work either.
Javier had imperial blood too.
So only one way remained.
Jun would prove it himself.
The problem was time—way too little.
Theories weren’t whipped up on a whim.
Encounter phenomena, understand, break them down, rebuild.
But Jun had scant info on spirits.
Even including his past life memories.
‘Connections to the spirit realm are severed. No wonder even regressors struggled to get spirit info.’
No use dwelling on the unavoidable.
Better to maximize what he had.
Flip.
He sorted his thoughts and jotted notes in his notepad.
As he finished organizing his magic insights, his mind replayed the day’s events.
‘Combat pace is on target. Question is how long we can keep it up.’
Aiden and Maya could still handle monsters solo, but Fenril would return stronger over time—no way it stayed this easy.
Eleanor’s worried words surfaced.
—Um, Captain. Did we really have to pick such a dangerous field?
‘She’s not wrong.’
He’d told them no safe spots in the 7th, but there were safer ways—like maxing growth in the 6th first, as in the game.
But Jun rejected that.
No time.
‘So the best option now is...’
Accept some risk and push.
“Frustrating...”
His grip tightened on the pen.
The fragile shaft snapped, and Jun sighed softly.
‘This rushed schedule isn’t my style.’
He preferred slow, steady progress minimizing errors over quick gains.
But his arrival had accelerated the Heavenly Church unnaturally... and they’d likely be at the storm’s eye.
No other choices to survive it.
‘...Gotta work harder.’
As mercenary captain and one man.
Protecting his comrades was all that mattered.
He pulled a fresh pen and organized his thoughts.
Time passed until Maya stirred for her watch.
“Alright, she’s yours.”
“No worries.”
Even lying down, his mind raced, sorting ideas.
His idle fingers twitched without a pen.
They stilled only...
Crackle...
After the campfire’s sparks and comrades’ breaths lulled him into deep sleep.
The next morning.
Aiden, on final watch, roused the others.
“Alright, let’s move again.”
“Before that, Captain. You know the layout here?”
“Nah. I know the burrow spots, but the exact map’s random every season.”
“Ohhh?”
Eleanor crossed her arms smugly and pointed one way.
“Yesterday was our first fight and lots to handle, so I held off. But I’ve felt energy from that direction.”
“Energy?”
“Probably the curse you mentioned.”
“Hmm...”
Indeed. Her [Divine Sight] let her see what others couldn’t.
‘Thought I’d sense the curse too. Different from sorcery?’
It felt unlike goblin shamans’ or foul crones’ power.
“So, where’s it lead?”
“That way. Been watching since yesterday. Other energies shifted, but that one’s fixed. Strongest too.”
“Likely the curse source.”
“Bingo.”
Great progress.
Jun’s biggest worry was time lost navigating.
“Good landmark.”
Burrows twisted like mazes—could be a dead end—but a direction was good news.
“Then let’s head out.”