Come to the Land of Fantasy from the Science-Dominated Era
In an era dominated by science, the mysticism of magic had been thoroughly dissected and explained away, losing most of its essence.
Magic that could be rationalized was downgraded to mere phenomena backed by scientific principles. Magic that defied universal truths was dismissed as fabrications or lies spun by ignorant ancestors.
Thus, for modern people, the word "magic" served as a metaphor for unlikely scenarios or as overpowered fodder in fictional works.
「I can't hold them much longer! Hurry, escape through this gap!」
"Uh, well..."
「Come on!」
"Hmm..."
But in this world, it seemed magic was thriving in its original, unadulterated form.
Like a Geography Channel timelapse of plants growing at hyper speed, dozens of sunflowers blooming in mere seconds was nothing short of magical.
However.
"Grrrrr..."
Instead of fleeing as Veronica suggested, I gained a bit of altitude to survey the sunflower field. Regrettably, this wasn't a world where a snap of magic could solve everything.
No matter how fast or numerous the sunflowers grew.
Krunch— Crunch. Krack—
Plants had their limits, after all. The wolf pack, initially flustered, soon regained their composure and began gnawing through the sunflower stems with their sharp teeth.
Still, with so many sunflowers sprouting.
"Nngh..."
And new ones continuously replacing the fallen ones, it didn't look like the wolves could break free from their floral prison anytime soon.
Snap. Drip. Snap.
The real problem lay not with the wolves, but with the sunflowers themselves.
"Yip! Yip!"
Perhaps because they grew too quickly. As the saying goes, flowers that bloom fast fade fast.
Excessive growth led to fleeting death. The magically bloomed sunflowers began wilting, heads drooping, less than a minute after full bloom.
They were withering faster than new ones could replace them.
"...Tch."
Veronica quickly grasped the situation and stopped spinning her pendant furiously. She turned her back on the still-trapped wolves and started running.
Snap—. Drip. Squeee— "Kyah! Yip!"
With the supply of restraining flowers cut off and the wolves thrashing wildly, the floral prison crumbled all too easily.
At this rate, Veronica couldn't secure a safe distance before the wolves escaped.
That said, if she bloomed a fresh batch of sunflowers, repeating it a few times, she might escape somehow.
【Veronica lv.11】
【Status】 Fear, Fatigue, {Mana Exhaustion}
Unfortunately, another sunflower colony blooming seemed unlikely.
Hm.
I turned to look at the wolf pack, then at the fork in my hand.
...Come to think of it, isn't this an EXP burning event right now?
Before the sunflowers fully betrayed us, if I targeted the immobilized wolves' eyes, even I might retire a few.
From what I'd verified so far, the EXP I gained from hunts was proportional to the prey's strength.
Maybe I could evolve right away?
Of course, unlocking a proper evolution route required skill level growth too, and evolutions took time, so chaining them would be tough.
Still, catching wolves here for massive EXP was clearly a huge win for me. It also fulfilled my personal goal of screwing over those mutts.
However.
...What about Veronica?
Sure, taking out a few wolves would ease her burden.
But that was nowhere near enough. This wasn't a situation solved by a handful of wolves vanishing.
...What did that have to do with me?
Even if I helped her escape here, no guarantee she wouldn't turn on me later.
I'd dealt with plenty of ungrateful humans who didn't appreciate favors. Hell, she might even be the one who trapped me in that jar.
So, there was no reason for me to save Veronica—
...
"—or so I thought."
Magic. Veronica was someone who could wield the magic I'd only vaguely suspected existed.
And for reasons I couldn't quite pin down, she'd shown enough goodwill to buy me time to escape.
She was half-capable of real communication, at least.
In other words.
Veronica could become my magic teacher.
I can't pass up magic.
With magic, I might harness fire—the greatest innovation in human history. Conjure water from thin air to solve drinking and hygiene issues. Intervene in plant growth like she did to mass-produce food.
With magic, one-shot wolves, unchecked growth—
...Healing might be iffy.
No guarantee I could bloom sunflower colonies like her.
Whatever. It gave me a way to fight predators that a single fork had failed against.
That was reason enough to act.
Of course, that only works if I can actually save her.
Fortunately, it wasn't impossible.
— Using [Analysis lv.3] to interpret [Guide].
… … …
* Successfully interpreted [Guide]!
* Reward for successful interpretation of trait [Guide]: Skill [Dimension Corridor] unlocked!
While pondering ways to turn the tide, I analyzed the trait [Guide] that popped up in my status window, earning a 'new skill' and 'additional effect.' A small smile tugged at my lips.
Regrettably, this newfound ability wouldn't let me personally school those damn wolves.
Binding the pack's feet like Veronica did was out too.
But hey, the best survival strategy in the wild was never winning fights outright.
* * *
The moment the mana depletion alarm blared from her magical aid device, Veronica halted her spell and fled desperately from the wolves.
Snap-snap—. Driiiip—. "Yip!"
But the Great Forest's wolf pack wasn't something a exhausted child could shake off with a few minutes of running.
The wolves escaping the sunflower colony leisurely caught up to Veronica's steps. Their leader, the Dire Wolf, even overtook her, blocking her path entirely.
"Grrrr... Yip!" "Yip! Yip!"
Mindful of their prior magic mishap, the pack encircled her without rushing in recklessly.
If their caution made them retreat here, that'd be ideal.
"Awoooo—!" "Yip!"
At the Dire Wolf's command, one wolf cautiously lowered its stance. As it approached, Veronica bit her lower lip hard.
...Is this the end?
Her royal guard escorts were annihilated. Her sole weapon, magic, needed at least several dozen minutes to recharge mana.
It was a dire crisis, yet Veronica's expression facing the pack was surprisingly serene.
...At least here, I can avoid the worst outcome.
A greedy merchant caravan trespassed the elves' Sanctuary and got wiped out without resistance. A foolish young princess sneaked out alone for flower-viewing and got mauled by wolves.
Even if suspicions arose, it could pass as an unrelated tale.
Whoever trapped Veronica seemed hellbent on sparking war.
But kingdom or elves, both would avoid war at all costs.
So if the incident could end without escalation, either side would gladly look the other way.
This would prevent war between kingdom and elves. Though she'd die, her sharp uncle the guard captain would uncover the truth and suppress the worst.
Maybe even leverage this to obtain Awakening Herb from the elves to rouse her father.
And not just that.
Because I saved a life...
Though brief, the being who'd approached her first amid total loss and spoken to her.
She'd protected the fairy.
So her struggles to the end might hold some meaning.
"Grrrr..."
A single tear traced down Veronica's cheek.
Of course, the wolves couldn't care less about the girl's noble resolve.
Stealthily.
The approaching wolf, vigilance unbroken, realized she could no longer produce 'weird phenomena.'
Grin. "Grrrrr..."
No reason to hesitate.
Leap! "Yip—!"
The wolf lunged, jaws wide, aiming to rip out her throat in one go.
...Will it hurt a lot? Yeah, probably.
Veronica, frozen, had no strength left to dodge.
Sorry, guards. I promised I'd survive...
She stared blankly at the charging wolf, calmly accepting death.
Shiiiing—!
From the sky.
Pfsh!
A tiny silver flash plunged down. A half-beat later.
"Kyaaak?! Kyaag—!"
The wolf, eyeball pierced by the sharp fork, thrashed to dislodge it. But the green glow at the fork's tip effortlessly evaded its paws.
Pfsh. Pfsplurt—! "Kyaak—."
It drove deeper into the wolf.
Thud. "Hoo."
The fork-impaled wolf collapsed, lifeless.
With a body the size of Veronica's palm, the fairy had slain a wolf in an instant, beaming brightly as she approached.
But.
"Wh-why...?"
Veronica couldn't welcome her joyfully.
"Grrrrr..." "Yip! Yip yip!" "Awoooo—!"
The pack bristled at their comrade's sudden death. At the Dire Wolf leader's howl, they surrounded Veronica and the fairy from all sides.
Veronica wouldn't survive this anyway. So she'd resolved herself.
Like the guards for her, this was a life she'd tried to save at her own expense.
But her returning like this.
"Why did you come back?! This way—"
It'd just double the pointless deaths.
Despair, exhaustion, a flicker of anger, sorrow overwhelming her. As Veronica hardened her face to sharply rebuke the fairy.
"nanun ‘bad ending’un byeollo an joahagodon."
"...Pardon?"
Unintelligible fairy tongue.
Though the words were lost on her, that bright smile conveyed warm concern for Veronica.
"gulonika Veronica nolul annehalge. Yojanghyang uro."
Her own name faintly overheard left Veronica puzzled.
"Um, I don't really understa—"
As she tried to say she didn't understand.
Screeeeech—.
A grating metallic scrape assaulted her ears. Irritating, yet somehow familiar.
...A door?
Like the creak of a garden gate neglected for years.
"Grrr..." "Yip! Yip!"
Cracks spiderwebbed across empty air, like shattered glass.
Recalling Veronica's rapid-growth magic, the wolves hastily retreated. Meanwhile, the rift widened until.
Crack—.
"...!"
It burst open. A door to sub-space swung wide.