Chapter 18: Ant Cave (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: Ant Cave (3)
“T-that’s amazing…”
I heard Kaya’s voice filled with awe from beside me.
With the [Hunter] trait active, my current level was 136. Combined with S-rank proficiency in every skill, I was in a league Kaya couldn’t even fathom.
I deactivated the [Ice Barrier] that had been shielding her.
“You’re incredible, Sir Isaac…!”
“Let’s go.”
I began walking forward, my expression indifferent. At that moment, the unique trait [Hunter] deactivated. My body immediately felt heavy as I reverted to my original state.
Up close, the frozen Disaster Ants looked even more menacing. Honestly, they were revolting.
Kaya followed close behind. Even on the slick, icy floor, her steps were graceful.
I could have thawed the Disaster Ants I’d already passed to kill them, but since the ones further ahead remained frozen, there was no immediate need to defrost the cave.
“Haaa…”
I turned toward Kaya the moment I heard her heavy breathing.
She was hugging her arms, pretending to be fine, but she was clearly shivering.
The biting chill pervading the underground labyrinth was a byproduct of my magic. As the caster, I was barely affected by my own spells, so I hadn't felt the cold.
I should have been more attentive.
I had only been thinking about myself.
I reached into one of the magic pouches in my bag and pulled out a piece of outerwear. Stopping in my tracks, I handed it to her. It was my school cardigan.
“Take it.”
“No, I’m fine…”
You’re clearly freezing, so why refuse?
I loosely draped the cardigan over Kaya’s shoulders and started walking again. She clutched the fabric tightly and followed me, her head bowed low.
“…Thank you.”
[Kaya Astrea]
Psychology: [Feels burdened yet deeply grateful that you gave her your clothes.]
As we navigated the labyrinth, we passed countless Disaster Ants that had been turned into ice statues. It was a grim fate for demons caught unprepared by a sudden localized ice age.
There were no traps to be found. Even if there had been, they were likely frozen solid and rendered useless.
Our progress was unimpeded.
Thump—
“…?”
It was faint, but unmistakable—the sound of a beating heart.
Thump, thump, thump—
We were nearing the end of the labyrinth. From the far side of the tunnels, the rhythmic pulsing grew louder.
Kaya’s eyes narrowed, her posture tensing with wariness. Her reaction alone told me everything I needed to know.
“I can feel it… this foul mana. Is there a demon up ahead?”
My mana perception was too low to feel the unpleasant energy, but I nodded anyway. There was no point in exhausting myself trying to sense it.
However, just hearing that heartbeat gave me the sensation that something terrifying was waiting for us.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump…
Finally, as we emerged from the tunnels, a massive chamber with a soaring ceiling opened up before us.
Thanks to my magic, the area had been transformed into a cavern of ice. An entire legion of ants, standing in perfect formation, had been frozen where they stood.
At the end of the path, flanked by rows of frozen soldiers like trees lining an avenue, sat a colossal golden heart. It pulsed at steady intervals.
A pitch-black, rubbery membrane moved in sync with the heartbeat, and blood vessels stretching from the heart to the cave walls radiated a harmonious glow of gold and black.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump—
“W-what is that…?”
Kaya stood stunned by the macabre, magnificent sight.
“A demon,” I answered simply.
Inside the massive golden heart, the silhouette of a hideous creature glowed. It wasn't hard to guess its true form just by looking at the shadow within.
[Garzia the Hermit]
Lv: 110
Race: Demon
Elements: Dark, Rock
Danger: High
Psychology: [Wants to kill you, the intruder.]
In Act 2, Chapter 4 of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Garzia was level 140. She was currently in the process of raising her level to that point.
Despite the entire cave being flash-frozen by [Frost Wave], she looked unharmed. She clearly possessed high elemental resistance. It was likely because I had cast the spell from a distance.
Is that Zephrim?
Garzia’s mana remnants had crystallized into magic stones called Zephrim, which were nestled in every corner of the cave. My magic had coated them in frost, but the pale yellow light unique to the stones was still visible.
Perfect.
Now, all that was left was to kill Garzia in one fell swoop.
Dre-re-re-re-re-re-rek──!
As expected, she wasn't going to just sit there.
Around the golden heart, a massive wall of rock erupted from the ground, sealing it off. The rock was a shimmering, pearly black.
「Rock Wall (Rock Element, ★4)」 + 「Black Rock (Rock Element, ★5)」
= 「Indestructible Iron Body (Rock Element)」
The black, iron-like rock encased the heart and its connecting vessels. It was as solid and impenetrable as a fortress wall.
A showdown between the unstoppable spear and the impenetrable shield. I had no choice but to accept the challenge.
“Isaac?”
I marched toward Garzia’s heart.
[A demon has been recognized as an enemy.]
[The unique trait [Hunter] has activated!]
[For a limited time, your level and stats have been greatly enhanced!]
[For a limited time, your skill tree has been increased by +10!]
「Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ★1)」
To maximize my magic output, I began circulating a hazy, freezing mist through my body. The cold air seeped out of my pores like a phantom shroud.
It felt like opening a window in a stifling room; my ice mana began to flow with newfound fluidity and power.
[Garzia the Hermit]
Psychology: [Wants to crush you with [Rock Burial].]
Kududududududududu—–!!
Shattering the ice that covered the floor, massive pillars of rock erupted from both sides.
「Rock Burial (Rock Element, ★4)」
The towering stone pillars loomed over me, threatening to crush me into paste.
“Sir Isaac!”
I heard Kaya’s worried cry. It was fine; I could handle this.
The moment I heard the [Rock Burial] activate, I gave a slight flick of my index finger, which was already wreathed in mana.
Thick walls of ice surged from the ground to the ceiling on both sides—
「Ice Wall (Ice Element, ★4)」
Kuwuwuwoong—–!!!
Rock and ice collided with a deafening roar.
The boulders summoned by [Rock Burial] couldn't even scratch the [Ice Wall] I had raised. I strode down the narrow path created by my spell until I stood directly before the heart.
Thump—thump—thump—thump—thump—thump—thump—!
The massive heart floated high in the air. It was a truly imposing sight; my neck began to ache just looking up at it.
Garzia’s heartbeat grew more violent, perhaps fueled by her rage. The sheer volume made my ears ring.
I extended my right hand toward the heart, which was now encased in the formidable [Indestructible Iron Body]. In this situation, I needed my most powerful short-range magic.
I condensed mana into my palm, visualizing the spells [Frost Explosion] and [Black Ice].
A pale blue magic circle manifested in front of my hand, while a black circle appeared behind it, overlapping the first. Together, they formed a dark blue [Frost Explosion] array.
Then, the hyper-condensed mana exploded from my palm.
「Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ★5)」 + 「Black Ice (Ice Element, ★5)」
= 「Black Frost Explosion (Ice Element)」
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa───────!!!
The black ice erupted, surging toward the massive heart. A tempest of blackish-blue frost raged, the dark ice crystals and my white hair whipping in the violent wind.
It was a direct hit. In an instant, the heart was swallowed by an explosion of ice that seemed ready to devour the entire world.
However—
Thump—thump—thump—thump—thump—thump—thump—
Inside the mass of black ice… the heart was still beating. The [Indestructible Iron Body] hadn't broken.
Drrrrrrrrrrrrr—
I heard the sound of shifting stone within the ice. Mana was already flowing to repair the damage to the [Indestructible Iron Body].
The [Frost Explosion] had unleashed tremendous force, further amplified by [Black Ice]. That attack was the peak of my current power.
In other words, my spear had failed to pierce her shield.
The level difference is in my favor, but that means…
Garzia, while gathering strength in her heart form, possessed defensive magic proficiency and elemental resistance far beyond her level. It was as if the world itself wouldn't allow her to be killed so easily.
I felt the weight of something like Providence.
What now…
Should I use [Black Frost Explosion] again? No, that would be reckless. Even with [Hunter] active, combining [Black Ice] and [Frost Explosion] drains a massive amount of mana.
Furthermore, Garzia repaired her [Indestructible Iron Body] almost instantly. The sound alone was enough to tell me that. If I kept firing [Black Frost Explosion] while she kept repairing, I would eventually run dry.
But if I could just push the power a little further, I could reach her.
And the way to deliver that ultimate blow…
“That ice…?”
…was standing right here.
“Kaya.”
“Huh?”
I turned to look at her.
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, there was a joint attack system. A combined strike could trigger [Elemental Synergy].
When [Elemental Synergy] activated, the effects of overlapping elements would amplify exponentially. I could pour far more devastating magic into Garzia that way.
“How about it? Don’t you want to join the fun?”
I recalled Kaya’s psychology from earlier. She aspired to be a champion of justice, fighting the evils that threatened the academy. I phrased it casually, as if I were doing her a favor.
Kaya’s face instantly brightened.
[Kaya Astrea]
Psychology: [Delighted by the thought that she can play an active role.]
“Yes!”
Kaya flew toward me, her body wrapped in light green wind, and landed gracefully at my side.
I extended my right arm toward the heart encased in black ice. Beside me, Kaya mirrored the gesture, pointing her wand at the target.
Whooooo——!
「Wind Generation (Wind Element, ★1)」
A gale began to swirl around Kaya. The wild, chaotic wind whipped our hair and clothes, carrying the biting chill emanating from my body.
The wind element was unique; it required continuous generation to build momentum for subsequent spells. She was priming her power for the coming strike.
“Thank you for the opportunity, Sir Isaac! I’ve been dying to hit that demon with my magic!”
“I see.”
Kaya seemed to think I could have defeated Garzia easily on my own. She likely thought my previous attack was just a way to test the demon's defenses.
“Tell me your most powerful attack spell.”
“It’s [Gale Fang].”
“Good.”
[Gale Fang] was a 5-star wind spell. If I could combine my ice magic with it…
…[Frostfire].
I visualized the spells [Frostfire] and [Black Ice]. A dark blue magic circle manifested before my right hand, stretching toward the heart.
Beside me, a green magic circle formed and began to rotate slowly in front of Kaya’s wand.
I released the ice block covering the heart. It disintegrated into glowing dark blue powder, revealing the [Indestructible Iron Body] still perfectly intact.
“On my mark. Fire.”
“Yes!”
In my [Hunter] state, my [Elemental Synergy] was S-class. The joint attack I was about to unleash with Kaya would be at least twice as powerful as my previous combination.
Frost, freezing air, pale blue ice mana, and black dark mana swirled together in a violent vortex. A cold, dark blue flame ignited in front of my hand.
「Frostfire (Ice Element, ★4)」 + 「Black Ice (Ice Element, ★5)」
= 「Winter Hellfire (Ice Element)」
I unleashed the freezing flames.
“Now!”
At my command, Kaya and I fired simultaneously. The dark blue icy flames were instantly enveloped by a sharp, light green gale. The wind spiraled from both sides, surging toward the heart.
Whiiiiiieeee────!!
A firestorm of absolute zero erupted. The heart was swallowed by a vicious whirlwind that refused to let its prey escape.
Like a pack of wolves tearing into a carcass, the gale surrounding the [Frostfire] struck the heart with a relentless barrage of blows.
「Winter Hellfire (Ice Element)」 + 「Gale Fang (Wind Element, ★5)」
= 「Glacial Tempest of the Endless Night (Ice+Wind Element)」
Chaaaaaaak─────!!!
Chaaaaaaak─────!!!
Hwarrrrr─────!
Kwaaaak─────!!
Rock debris rained down everywhere.
Amidst the billowing frost and raging gusts, the [Indestructible Iron Body] shattered into pieces. A viscous, pale yellow liquid gushed out like a waterfall.
The blood vessels that had been protected by the stone were severed by the [Glacial Tempest of the Endless Night]. The golden heart, consumed by freezing flames, collapsed powerlessly before us.
Kuwuwuwong—!!
[Kkiueueueu…]
A strange, pained whimpering echoed from the wreckage. Kaya and I looked down at the source—a humanoid ant with massive horns and razor-sharp pincers.
Her body was covered in sharp claws and pale white skin, armored in black chitin that mimicked a female form. Like an ant, she had a large, bulbous abdomen protruding from her back.
Garzia the Hermit.
Her golden eyes gleamed with malice as she lay on the floor, glaring at us. She was slightly smaller than her in-game model, but she still stood well over four meters tall. Our magic had clearly shredded her defenses and ravaged her body, judging by the green blood pooling around her.
It was a gruesome sight.
“So this is the demon…”
Kaya furrowed her brows in disgust.
[Garzia the Hermit]
Psychology: [I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you I want to kill you. I want to kill you.]
In her fully formed state, Garzia would have led her Disaster Ants in a massacre during the academy’s practical training. She was a killing machine designed to slaughter students, including Ian.
I stepped toward her and extended my right hand.
“It’s a pity you couldn’t fulfill your ambitions.”
I condensed mana into my palm. A pale blue magic circle formed.
[Kkiueueueueueueueue…!!!]
The condensed freezing mana exploded instantly.
「Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ★5)」
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa───!!!
A torrent of absolute cold rushed toward Garzia.
It was the finishing blow.