Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Cradle of the Demon (7)
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The words the demon had used to tempt Galen might have shaken any other mage.
Reaching Gold rank at Galen's age was virtually unheard of. It required being a true prodigy born into a prestigious family, receiving every possible support, and even a stroke of luck.
So a "normal" mage might have walked a smooth path their entire life, as the demon suggested, and grown vaguely anxious about the future precisely because things had come too easily.
But words like that fell on deaf ears with an "abnormal" mage like Galen.
No matter how impressive a real demon might be, this fake one clearly had no ability to read minds...
That was the moment Galen became convinced of it.
Which left one other question.
If the demon couldn't read minds, why had it singled out Galen for recruitment? How had it known he was one of the three strongest in the subjugation force? Weren't young mages usually weak?
It made sense if someone had tipped off the demon.
And the identity of the culprit was revealing itself in real time, right before his eyes.
Boom!
A wave crashed in once more, snuffing out the flames exploding right in front of Galen's nose. He bit his lip.
'I had a hunch.'
Moritz had said it himself. He'd already ventured into the fog of the abyss. He'd even bragged about nearly getting stranded.
Would the demon really have stayed silent then? The group that entered the fog had been much smaller, without a single priest, making it an ideal chance for easy conversation.
Of course, there was a slim chance the demon had just been capricious and said nothing. But if Moritz were innocent, why was he attacking Galen while leaving the demon untouched?
It fit perfectly if Moritz had made a pact with the demon back then, pretended ignorance, led the subjugation force inside, and now tried to offer them up as sacrifices.
Boom!
In the meantime, the explosion failed for the third time. Galen clicked his tongue.
"Time to admit it. You're really trying to play me for a fool."
"Phantasmal Realm...!"
Moritz's face twisted as he muttered darkly.
A mage who reached the Gold realm gained a special domain centered on themselves.
It was called the Phantasmal Realm. It started as small as the span of outstretched arms but expanded as one's realm advanced.
No one but the mage could perceive it, but it undeniably existed. Inside it, the mage received a sort of correction when casting their spells.
Especially, manifesting magic directly inside another mage's Phantasmal Realm required far more power.
Moritz had tried to detonate flames right up against Galen, but the resistance weakened the output, making it easy to block.
"Gold rank for real?"
"What, did you think it was just gold-plated? Even Lord Carne seemed to notice. Why didn't you say anything?"
"At your age... at that age! This is why damn geniuses are the worst!"
Moritz ground his teeth. His face was smeared with ugly jealousy and rage, utterly at odds with his reputation for intellect and composure.
"Don't think your realm makes you safe!"
"Never crossed my mind..."
The Phantasmal Realm wasn't an invincible shield that canceled all magic. If it were, battles between Gold-rank mages and above would end in eternal draws.
It wrecked efficiency, so equal opponents avoided wasting energy on it, but if you pushed through, you could still force spells inside another's realm.
And magic completed outside the realm before charging in lost some power from interference but still packed plenty of punch.
For example, like this.
Whoosh!
Galen lightly stomped his foot, and the overflowing water around them whipped up like a lash. Moritz's eyes widened.
Boom, boom, boom!
Chain explosions shattered the water whip.
The water whip relied on Water Flow Manipulation for its force, so entering Moritz's Phantasmal Realm weakened it and dulled its power.
But weakened or not, the water itself had hefty mass. No ordinary mage's body could withstand a direct hit.
That's why Moritz intercepted it early, ensuring no water touched him.
But there was water everywhere. Scattered droplets reformed into spears and flew at him.
"Pathetic!"
With Moritz's shout, a shield of flames blocked the water spears. It resembled the technique Carne had called "one moment." Though the numbers of spears and shields were incomparably greater now.
Boom, boom, boom!
Explosions rang out continuously, steam billowing everywhere.
In that moment of obscured vision, Galen sensed rapid evaporation of moisture a short distance away. This time, outside the Phantasmal Realm, he couldn't suppress it.
[Water Spirit Wall]
Galen thrust out his left hand. The spirit fired a Water Spirit Bullet.
With all five fingers spread, it maximized water volume but minimized speed.
The bullet spun in midair, unfolding like an umbrella into a perfect circular wall blocking Galen's front.
All that practice paid off. Naming and standardizing spells let him activate them without lengthy thought processes, shaving off precious instants.
Kaboom!
He raised the wall just in time, but Moritz must have been furious. The Illusory Flame Burst, infused with monstrous mana, unleashed devastating power.
The Water Spirit Wall shattered completely. The unresolved shockwave slammed into Galen behind it.
"Urk!"
Galen staggered back several large steps from the heavy impact.
Ignoring the ache wracking his body, he swung Water Flow Manipulation. Instinct told him that whining in pain would lead to one hit turning into endless beatings, like the demon's plight.
Thanks to that, Moritz couldn't follow up and had to switch back to defense. He waited for Galen's focus to scatter again.
'He blocked it, and it's still this strong? That destructive power is insane.'
Now that the Illusory Flame Burst was Galen's too, it'd be a boon in the future. But not right now. This was tightrope walking where even one hit was unacceptable.
Still, the Phantasmal Realm helped. Any closer, and it'd have been disastrous. Galen couldn't block Moritz's breathing with water due to the realm either, but he could hold his breath for minutes—unlike instant-death explosions. Advantage: Galen.
"Ngh."
Galen glanced at the demon while groaning.
"Huff... huff..."
The demon, staggering to its feet, healed visibly before his eyes. Regeneration beyond even a troll's.
The chains kept it from melee range, but if it recovered and harassed from afar, it'd be trouble.
The initial ambush had let him press relentlessly, but demons weren't weak by nature. If it were pathetic, the bishop wouldn't have come himself—they'd have sent a mere priest.
He had to avoid letting this turn into a one-vs-two fight.
'Bit blatant, but no choice. Gotta make excuses later.'
The thought transmitted instantly. The spirit slipped from Galen's hand, hit the floor, and swelled in size.
A spirit could store vast water internally and expand its body using it. Not infinitely as it drank, but substantially.
Until now, he'd only tested this during Spirit Creation practice.
The larger water body grew too heavy for mobility, and he'd never faced foes requiring full spirit power.
But this wasn't some debut where mistakes mattered.
Sloooosh!
The ballooning spirit morphed into a hollow hemisphere, enveloping Galen. Thick walls with minimal gaps, like a fortress of water blocking every direction.
'Don't skimp on water. Target only the demon. Its range is limited anyway.'
Galen commanded. Thrilled by free action, the spirit unleashed a torrent.
Gush!
Water erupted from the wall facing the demon like a dam gate opening. The deluge engulfed it.
"Gah!"
The demon, not fully recovered, was blasted away by the grand water cannon.
Spirit Creation hadn't hit level 41 yet—Silver mid-to-high realm.
But dumping in all the water he'd crammed into it swept the space clean. Chained in the abyss, the demon had no counter.
"W-what is this?!"
Moritz gaped at Galen suddenly barricaded inside a water fortress.
"Do you have infinite water creation or something?!"
Inside the Phantasmal Realm, flames faltered. Outside, everything was flooded.
No matter mana-fueled magic flames, they couldn't ignite underwater.
Detonating against the outer wall? Doubtful it'd penetrate that thickness to reach Galen.
Moritz knew mages handled water in myriad ways, but this all-purpose water magic was new.
Wielding it as a weapon freely while conjuring pool-filling volumes?
Unaware of the spirit, Moritz trembled at the absurdity.
"Fine, play defense and stall? Let's see how you like it when I blow it all away!"
Making that much water, sheltering inside while minding the demon? Maintaining the fortress alone would strain him.
Couldn't ignite inside the walls, but hugging them tight and maximizing blasts could dismantle it. Tedious, but necessary.
Moritz steeled himself to launch his assault.
Swish!
Suddenly, a water spear sliced in diagonally from pooled water on the side.
Startled, Moritz whipped his head to intercept.
But the attacks didn't stop. Magic assailed him from all directions, no different from before the fortress rose.
Well, not quite. No clear way to damage Galen with flames meant pure defense.
No need to hold back for counters freed up mana management, but Moritz's mind was chaos.
"W-what the hell?!"
"Never said I'd stick to defense."
Galen grinned.
He wasn't manipulating water for a barrier; he was just inside a spirit shaped like one.
Giantizing the spirit cost Spirit Creation mana; maintaining the form cost none. Spare mana checked the demon.
Water Flow Manipulation mana? Idle. No need to defend, so it struck Moritz.
"Oh, but I am stalling."
"What?"
Galen jerked his chin instead of answering. Moritz glanced over instinctively, face hardening.
Holy lights were emerging one by one from the fog.