11
Chapter 11
"Refreshing."
"Enchanting equipment on the fly... impressive."
I thought she was just using mana periodically to cool the armor, but she had actually engraved a cooling rune for automatic temperature control.
From my perspective, as someone who had wanted to learn magic and alchemy from Estella over the past month, she was a more talented student than I had realized.
"I'm not actually that impressive. Aside from the fact that it only lasts a few hours, the mana concentration in the air here is about 3.7 times higher than average. The environment is similar to the Demonic Realm, which allowed me to find suitable materials for the enchant. It's just a temporary engraving. As I mentioned, the high mana concentration prevents any issues, but in a normal environment, this wouldn't be enough. I'd have to make the engraving structure more unstable to increase the output, and if I did that, there's a slight chance it could explode..."
"It seems you've tinkered with something you shouldn't have."
"I agree."
"Now that I think about it, it might be better to modify it, even if the stability drops slightly. To be honest, it would only be about 3.7 percent less stable, and we are in an emergency..."
"There's a Magic Beast over there. There's no need to fight, so let's detour."
A Magic Beast appeared at the perfect moment to cut off her endless explanation.
"A... Magic Beast..."
The girl with light purple hair gasped and hid behind us.
"Oh, her energy and confidence just vanished again."
"I... I talked too much, didn't I...?"
"It's fine. It kept my ears entertained."
"Yeah, you did."
"Oh..."
"You're meaner than you look."
"There's no denying that. Still, I'm glad the person we met is an Alchemist."
Compared to when she first joined us, tearfully claiming she had brought nothing, she had proven to be quite helpful.
In fact, the mere fact that she could use magic might make her the most useful person here.
Higher combat power means less threat from Magic Beasts.
Knowing a definite way to escape helps prevent the anxiety that slowly creeps in over time.
However, neither of those guarantees survival in such an extreme environment. We have no way of knowing how long we'll be here.
Even with high combat power, it's less efficient than avoiding Magic Beasts altogether. It simply allows one to overcome situations where there is no other choice.
Knowing a definite way to escape means knowing the goal. A goal prevents one from giving up and succumbing to anxiety, but refusing to give up doesn't guarantee you'll actually reach it.
But her magic can solve most of our immediate problems.
This sweltering heat drains stamina even if you just stand still, and the lack of water combined with the heat creates an unbearable level of thirst.
She is using her magic to keep us from breaking down, both mentally and physically.
"W-what are you talking about...!"
She waved her hands frantically, denying my words.
"I may sound confident, but I'm probably the most useless one here."
Quixote's combat power is far superior to mine, and that girl can help us with things we can't do. Thanks to Estella, I've grown strong enough to fight Magic Beasts, but the fact that I'm still below average remains unchanged.
One could say that becoming this strong in just one month is a feat, but the situation won't wait for me to get stronger.
"What...? No, that's not true..."
"Self-deprecation is never good, even as a joke."
"Was it not funny?"
"You seem to lack a sense of humor. The Magic Beast doesn't seem to have spotted us; what's the plan?"
Quixote spoke while looking at me.
"Let's not fight if we don't have to. Our goal is survival, not hunting Magic Beasts. There's no need to engage in battles we can easily avoid."
"Understood."
We moved away from the Magic Beast, searching for other survivors.
"But... is this really the Demonic Realm? It's more... than I heard..."
"More bearable than I expected."
"Exactly... I don't see anything other than Pawn-class creatures..."
This isn't the Demonic Realm. It's an artificial environment created by the Order of Star Carving. Naturally, even the Magic Beasts are creatures they captured and released into the barrier.
The reason the Magic Beasts here are low-level is simple.
What they want to capture is the sight of us struggling and collapsing, not the sight of us simply sweeping through.
This space was artificially designed not to crush us instantly, but to grind us down slowly.
Since individual combat power in the Spirit Department and Alchemy Department tends to be low, they likely haven't released any truly dangerous Magic Beasts in this area yet.
That will change over time, but unlike here, where only Pawn-class creatures are visible, the areas where those with higher combat power are located are teeming with far more dangerous beasts.
"True, I haven't seen any Knight-class creatures so far."
Pawn, Knight, Rook, Bishop, Queen, King.
The threat grade system for Magic Beasts.
While each grade is further divided from lowest to highest, the gap between the grades themselves is incomparable.
A top-tier Pawn fighting a low-tier Knight might stand a chance, provided the compatibility is in their favor.
In terms of combat ability, the girl and I are Pawn-class, Quixote is Knight-class, Estella is Rook-class, and the professors would be Bishop-class even if they are entirely non-combatants.
"Well, a bit of luck is a good thing, right? Still, let's not get too complacent; we might just be lucky that we haven't run into a Knight yet."
Since time is ticking away, Knights might start appearing. I should at least give a warning.
Truthfully, we haven't suffered any major losses because of Quixote, but the environment is taxing his stamina significantly. Even if he doesn't show it, he must be exhausted. Given his current state, his odds of victory wouldn't be very high if he faced a Knight with an unfavorable compatibility.
"I hope we can find a place to rest for a bit."
I said this while scanning the surroundings.
"The flow of the lava is constantly shifting. It seems difficult to maintain a position in one spot."
"Tsk, I thought as much. Is there any other way?"
I looked toward the purple-haired girl, but she replied that there was no real solution.
"Quixote, are you sure you're okay wearing that heavy armor in this heat?"
"I am fine."
"How about you? Oh, come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Lee Seo-ha, though you've probably heard that from him already."
"I'm Aria...!"
She spoke and gave a deep bow.
"Right. Feel free to speak casually if you'd like."
"I'm more comfortable this way..."
"Fair enough."
With that, we continued our journey. Not long after, we found signs of other people.
"Footprints. They aren't ours."
"Judging by the blood and the depth of the prints, it looks like they were being chased."
"I agree. Let's pick up the pace."
"Right."
***
I wonder how long we walked after that.
In our sight was a person collapsed on the ground, barely clinging to life.
"Save... me..."
Their left leg had been torn off as if bitten by something, and thorns were embedded in their eyes. I frowned at the sight—'miserable' was the only word that fit.
"Are you all right? We've come to rescue you, so don't worry. Aria, can you provide first aid?"
"Yes!"
Quixote rushed forward as soon as he saw the man, with Aria and me following close behind.
"Save... me... they..."
Just as the man spoke, something leaped out from beneath the ground.
It resembled a dog, but sharp thorns protruded from all over its body. As the beast barked fiercely, the thorns glowed red, and it lunged straight at Quixote.
Screeech—
A loud noise echoed as Quixote blocked its claws with his lance.
"Damn, is it a Knight-class?"
"Seo-ha, Aria, I'll handle this one. Take the patient and get out of here."
"What are you talking about? You're exhausted, you can't block this thing alone. I'll back you up. It's a huge target, so it'll be easy to hit."
I spoke and gestured for Aria to evacuate.
Understanding my signal, she nodded and attempted to move the patient.
Wait.
'Save... me... they...'
'They.'
I leaped forward and shoved Aria aside just as she was crouching to lift the patient.
A spell fired from somewhere toward her head, instead creating a hole in my left arm.
"Holy crap."
It wasn't just one. There were two. Maybe even more.
Still, since it only left a hole in my arm, it was likely a Knight-class.
"Mr. Seo-ha!! Your arm!"
Aria, having fallen, screams in shock as she sees my arm.
There is a hole in my arm, but I feel no pain.
At this point, I think I understand why.
Until now, I thought it was just like those stories in novels or comics where adrenaline masks the pain, but with an injury like this, I'd be a fool not to realize something else is happening.
I thought I was given almost nothing when I came to this world, but it seems they gave me a few small perks after all.
"They could have given me something better."
It's likely an ability granted along with the Stigma. Considering how many people receive a Stigma without such a perk, this is just me complaining, but that's just human nature.
It seems I feel the pain from combat injuries later on.
At least I won't die without being able to fight back simply because I'm in too much pain.
If I had to name it, maybe 'Pain Delay' would fit?
I pulled an arrow from my quiver and handed it to Aria.
"I can't take it down alone. You said those things can explode if they're unstable; make one of those and give it back to me."
I recalled part of her earlier explanation. To take down a Knight-class, firepower is the most important thing.
"Yes...!"
Understanding my request, she found a nearby piece of cover and dragged the patient toward it.
I then approached Quixote.
"Quixote, did you see that spell just now?"
"I did."
"Can you block it?"
"I can."
"Then I'll handle that mongrel. You go take care of that other one."
"Very well. That one's hide is quite sturdy."
"I don't care."
That magic had been aimed precisely at Aria's head.
My accuracy in long-range combat still isn't that high.
It would be better for me to deal with the beast and have Quixote handle the spellcaster in the back, buying time until he can return.
What if there's another Knight-class?
I chose not to think about it. Not because it was a foolish thought, but because if even one more Knight-class appeared, we wouldn't be able to win regardless of what we did.
Moreover, if the Order of Star Carving raised the level of the beasts that quickly, the outcome would differ from what they intended. It was more reasonable to assume we were just unlucky enough to stumble upon two Knights together.
"Hold on."
"I have no intention of dying yet."
My chances of winning against a Knight-class are quite low.
But low doesn't mean zero.
I drew my bowstring to draw the beast's attention, and as I released the tension, the arrow flew swiftly.
Thump—
"Dammit."
Right, the hide deflected the arrow. I had invested some of my saved mana into the shot, but it seemed to only leave a superficial scratch. If it were a human, it would be like a paper cut on a finger.
"This is driving me crazy."
So my normal firepower can't even leave a mark.
Its defense is higher than I thought.
Growl—
The beast frowned at me, appearing enraged after being hit by my arrow.
"Care for a truce?"
Ignoring my request for a truce, it lunged at me.
The beast swung its front paw violently, but I avoided the attack with a light step and immediately fired another arrow.
The beast's attacks were instinctive and linear, as one would expect from an animal.
They were faster than Estella's sword strikes, which adapted to my speed, but unlike her calculated attacks—where the posture collapses and the escape route is cut off—these were crude, impulsive strikes meant to crush my limbs, stomach, or head.
Because these attacks didn't consider the next move, there were many openings, allowing me to plan my counterattacks and anticipate its next strike.
"I'm glad I didn't skip training just to whine."
The beast's jaws narrowly missed my ear.
Despite my continuous counterattacks, I could only cause superficial scratches, failing to deal any meaningful damage.
And I could feel my stamina gradually hitting rock bottom due to this horrific environment.
The beast's sharp thorns forced me to move even more to dodge, and occasionally, they left wounds on my body.
On my legs, my flanks, my arms, and my belly.
As the fight dragged on, the number of injuries grew. Fortunately, the thorns were red-hot, which cauterized the wounds and limited the bleeding.
Even so, I continued to draw my bow without pause. I couldn't deal any meaningful damage, but I figured not every part of its body would be the same.
I just had to find a slightly weaker spot.
I needed to find the area where my arrows had the highest chance of piercing through.
How should I shoot? Where should I hit? Which part is the weakest?
A voice cut through my thoughts.
"Seo-ha! I'm finished!"
It was Aria's voice.
I then pulled every scrap of mana from my body. Now was not the time to conserve what I had saved.
The arrowheads, which had grown dull from repeated use, were now coated in mana, becoming as sharp as brand-new ones.
I notched the arrow and pulled the string taut.
Mana flowed through my left arm and was injected into the bow all at once.
I knew instinctively that my right hand would be unable to withstand the tension and would let go of the bowstring.
Where is the skin thinnest?
I organized and analyzed the information I had gathered as quickly as possible.
The belly, specifically the right side.
My mind had reached a decision.
I threw my body to the right to dodge the beast lunging at me.
It was a movement made without a second thought about the next attack.
Because of the immense tension in the bow, the arrow tore through the skin of my fingers as it was released.
The launch was a bit unstable, but the distance between the beast and me was very short. It was much easier to hit than in a normal environment.
As if rewarding my faith, the arrow flew accurately toward a scratch on the beast's belly.
The arrow then ripped through its hide, spraying fresh blood.
The Magic Beast struggled, clearly in agony.
Its cries echoed in every direction.
"Throw it!"
But it wasn't over yet.
Hearing my voice, Aria threw me something that looked like an arrow with engravings all over it.
"I've put all my mana into it! If you press the purple engraving, it will forcibly absorb mana from the surroundings and explode in three seconds."
I caught the thrown arrow.
And then, back to the bowstring...
Crunch—
The beast, having regained its senses, bit down on my left hand along with the bow.
Immediately, the smell of burning meat stung my nostrils.
Aria's scream of horror echoed from behind.
"Right, perfect timing."
Did she say the mana concentration in the air here was high?
I gathered the mana I had lost during the previous shot.
I jammed that mana, along with the mana drifting in the air, into my right arm and the arrow I held.
I pressed the purple engraving on the arrow in my right hand and gripped it in a reverse hold.
I slammed the reverse-held arrow straight into the beast's belly where the previous arrow was lodged.
A disgusting, sticky sensation traveled up the arrow.
Blood, whether mine or the beast's, splashed onto my face.
Not enough.
I slammed the arrow down again with my right hand.
More, more, and more.
Each time I struck, chunks of flesh were torn from my right hand, while the arrow greedily devoured the mana in the air and began to glow like an exit at the end of an endless tunnel.
"Just die already."
And then.
It exploded, blowing the Magic Beast in front of me to pieces.