Burning Forest (1)
The shock froze us in place for only a moment.
Elpinire kicked off the ground and caught the falling Elspier in her arms.
“Elspier! Get a hold of yourself!”
I rushed to Elpinire's side as she landed.
……What a mess.
A mess.
Was there a simpler way to describe Elspier's condition?
His right arm was torn off like something had ripped it clean away, and his body was covered in wounds large and small.
Drenched in blood from head to toe, Elspier trembled beneath his closed eyelids and barely managed to open his eyes.
“F… fucked up.”
“Elspier! What the hell happened? Explain right now!”
“Run… you idiot.”
Heaving, gasping.
Elspier shouted through labored breaths.
“Mutant swarm… appeared. Run!”
“……What?”
Floor 8
Escape the mutant swarm without casualties
3/3
※ Failure if count decreases. Success upon reaching Elcid.
Crunch!
Elspier's shout was drowned out by the sound from behind us.
I twisted my stiff neck around and spotted the mutant swarm approaching from afar.
“Holy shit……”
One mutant Bloody Mantis had nearly killed me.
Now, there were over ten visible to the naked eye.
And that wasn't all—other mutant monsters were gathering too.
Could we really protect a wounded Elspier alongside an exhausted Elpinire and win against that horde?
“……Leave me.”
Grip.
Elspier looked not at Elpinire, but at me.
“Mir. Leave me and run with Elpinire.”
His eyes were resolute.
They spoke only the truth.
I smirked at him.
“Leave you?”
“Yeah! Please……”
“Why the hell would I?”
Yesterday, I couldn't say it out loud.
But now? No way in hell.
Why should I leave him behind?
The thought twisted my gut as I watched Elspier's pained face.
Black Dragon
Thank god.
It's not making me fight them.
I gritted my teeth and slammed my right fist into the ground.
“Elpinire! Run!”
Kraka-boom!
The earth cracked with a massive fissure, the shockwave toppling nearby trees.
“The—the trees!”
“Screw the trees—run!”
The falling trees blocked their line of sight.
I yelled at Elpinire and retreated fast.
She got the message, scooping up Elspier and bolting.
“Elpinire, can't you go faster?”
“I want to, but treating Elspier in this exhausted state? Impossible! And I'm no good at healing anyway!”
At full speed, she'd reach Elcid in seconds.
But this was my fault—she was worn out because of me.
Nothing for it.
She shouted at me as I ran in silence.
“Human! Where the hell are we even going? You got a plan!?”
I nodded curtly.
“Elcid!”
“What!? You're saying lead the mutants straight to Mother!?”
“Or die here?”
Too many mutants.
Who knew how long they'd last.
Fighting was suicide.
Running was the only smart play.
“Plus, it's the World Tree. It'll handle a few mutants.”
If her kid was in danger, would it sit idle?
Even if not, the other elves would back us up.
So we run.
That was the answer.
“Kieeeek—!”
They'd spotted us now—the roar echoed behind.
I winced at the ear-piercing screech, spinning toward a nearby boulder for cover.
“Hup!”
Bam!
My fist smashed the boulder's center.
The massive rock shattered under the Black Dragon's power, shards flying like shrapnel.
I clenched my fist tight, unleashing Smoke.
Black mist exploded outward from me, blanketing everything.
I grabbed Elpinire's arm—she'd frozen in the sudden fog—and dragged her through it.
“Elpinire! This the right way!?”
“Y-yeah!”
No more words.
I just ran.
Couldn't talk anyway—my overworked lungs were screaming.
No energy left even for that.
This is insane.
I ground my teeth and glanced back.
Every trick to buy time, and they were closing in.
No matter how hard we ran, their stride outpaced us.
I scanned for another rock to hurl.
Then—
“Kkung.”
Cheori poked its head from my pocket, staring up.
I pressed its head down firmly.
“Stay in there.”
“Kkung kkung.”
It gave me a Why? look.
Who'd it learn that from?
No breath to explain—I clamped my mouth shut.
Cheori slithered out anyway, climbing my back to peer behind.
“Kkung kkung kkung.”
They're coming.
Plain cry, but I read the meaning clear.
Staring back, it—
“Blek.”
Suddenly spat out something black.
What the—?
I rolled my eyes to my shoulder in panic.
After hacking up the black gunk for a while, it rubbed its face on my clothes.
Black smear on my shirt.
Vomiting and wiping it off?
Then—
“Ptoo.”
It spat a tiny spark at the glob on the ground.
The flame hit true.
“Holy shit……”
A massive inferno engulfed our rear.
I skidded to a halt, staring dumbly at the blaze.
Hot.
Real fire.
Why the—
“Kyaaak! Fire—in the forest!”
“……”
Well.
I glanced around, then quietly tucked Cheori back in my pocket.
It went willingly, no fuss.
We saw nothing.
Tell witnesses to step up.
With Cheori secured, I peered through the flames.
……They stopped?
Even Ma Gi-corrupted mutants couldn't easily escape a burning forest.
Now's our chance.
I tapped Elpinire's rigid shoulder.
“Elpinire. Elpinire.”
“The… trees……”
“Snap out of it and run.”
Yeah.
She's gonna take a while.
Fine.
“Sigh.”
No choice.
I wafted Smoke over her.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Wrapped Elpinire and Elspier in the mist, I dragged the trailing fog away from the blaze.
The fire? Eh.
“It'll burn itself out.”
Not my problem anyway.
Once far enough from the fire, Elpinire finally snapped out of it.
I dispersed the Smoke and ducked into a nearby cave.
“Elspier gonna be okay?”
“……Probably.”
Sweat dripped from her brow.
Elpinire focused every nerve on treating him, eyes wide.
Elspier, who'd begged to be left behind earlier, had passed out cold.
“He shouldn't be this corrupted normally—too much Ma Gi. Must've been ambushed.”
She bit her lip, steadying her breath and wiping sweat from her forehead.
“Purged what I could, but no telling. Gotta get him to the elder.”
“Elder—Elumia?”
“Yeah. Her blessing's for healing.”
I nodded, peering outside.
Chasing Elpinire had eaten up time already.
It was pitch black out.
“Gotta move now.”
“Right. Reattach that arm? We need Elcid by tonight at latest.”
I nodded, eyeing the World Tree—closer than I'd thought.
One hour, tops.
“Let's go.”
No time to waste.
Elpinire nodded, gathering Elspier and his severed arm, standing.
Then—
“Uh.”
“Ah.”
From the World Tree.
A massive explosion erupted.
Billowing smoke.
Leaping flames.
Familiar.
Too familiar—a sight that shouldn't be.
My hands trembled as I stared at the igniting forest.
“……A dream.”
That hyper-real nightmare.
It matched.
Color drained from my face.
No.
It can't be.
I swallowed dryly, forcing my leaden legs forward with a shout.
“Elpinire!”
She was right beside me instantly.
Forest fire? Forgotten.
Her face was ghostly pale.
The World Tree under attack—that shock hit her hard.
Running, running, we halted at a silhouette standing against the blaze.
Firelight obscured clothes.
But the flickering shadow's ears were round, not pointed.
Outsider?
Human like me?
I narrowed my eyes at the face.
Then widened them.
“……Ma Gi.”
Faint purple haze around the man.
Undeniable Ma Gi.
No way.
I trembled, glancing sideways.
Elpinire stood frozen, face ashen, staring at the man backlit by flames.
“You……”
The Ma Gi-possessed man.
One of the five humans who'd come to Elcid ten years ago.
Hearing her voice, he jerked his head back with a grotesque smile.
Reverse-glowing eyes curved in delight.
Elpinire retched, staggering back.
Identical.
To the smile from ten years ago.
The one haunting her nightmares.
Exact match.
Her body went limp.
Facing the hated face again, no strength to resist.
The Ma Gi man approached her slowly.
Slowly.
Slowly.
Ma Gi pulsing, closing in.
Up close, he reached for the rigid Elpinire.
She squeezed her eyes shut, no resistance.
“Hey, mister. That's far enough.”
Black-scaled right hand blocked his.
Elpinire cracked her eyes open, staring at the black-haired human shielding her.
His gaze fixed forward, unwavering.
“If you're dead, stay dead. What're you doing haunting the living?”
Got a dragon buddy in the afterlife—no worries.
I'll take good care of you.
Maybe.
I smirked, swinging my fist at the man swelling with Ma Gi.
“……”
Hit before it fully swelled—his left arm flew off.
He stared at the stump, then me, alternating.
Then knelt.
“What're you doing?”
Fight? He'd need more Ma Gi.
Instead, he dispersed it.
Ma Gi gone, he slowly straightened, looking at Elpinire.
“El… pi… nire.”
“……!”
Her name from his lips—her eyes bulged.
Calling her name, he grinned grotesquely again.
“Don't… cry, don't cry. We'll see… see… see… see… see—.”
Glitching repeat.
Head drooped, he bolted somewhere.
I watched his retreating back.
No chase.
Not the priority.
“……To Elcid, fast.”
Elpinire nodded silently.
Head bowed, she ran with me toward the raging inferno.