Chapter 310: Stone Turtle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 310: Stone Turtle
Once Snow White had regained her composure, we shared a quiet look.
Without needing many words, we simply offered each other a silent cheer of encouragement.
—Senior Isaac, you can do it!
With White’s support echoing in my mind, I set off once more.
As I ran, I took in the scenery. The campus was a breathtaking fusion of natural beauty and grand architecture, punctuated by structures infused with ancient magic that added an ethereal charm to the landscape.
The rain fell, leaves drifted on the wind, snow blanketed the earth, and then the sun broke through the clouds once more. Watching the vast campus transform through the cycle of the seasons, I couldn't help but feel a deep, growing attachment to this place.
I glanced toward the central administrative building, Bartos Hall.
When the day comes for the Evil God to emerge from that rooftop, I wasn't sure if I would be able to protect this view. But my resolve didn't waver.
I was determined to defend it.
*
Michelle let out a weary sigh as she pulled back the hood of her crimson cloak.
She stood before an altar beneath the ink-black night sky. The corpses of wizards in pointed hats and dark robes lay scattered across the ground, their blood staining the stone. Every single one of them had been a dark magician.
With the casters dead, the eerie glow of the summoning circle etched into the earth began to flicker and fade.
A group of children, huddled and bound at the center of the circle, trembled as they looked up at Michelle.
"S-spare me..."
A whimpering voice broke the silence.
One dark magician, still clinging to life, groveled in the dirt and pleaded desperately. Michelle looked down at him with eyes of cold indifference.
"Please..."
"I’m a hunter."
Michelle shouldered her massive axe and crouched beside him. Her lifeless gaze pinned the man to the spot. She raised the weapon, the blade catching the moonlight in a menacing flash.
"So, die."
"A-ahh...!"
Thwack!
"Kugh!"
The axe buried itself in the dark magician’s neck.
Blood splattered across Michelle’s pale cheek. She calmly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped it away. The man convulsed, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as surges of blood soaked his black robes.
The light of the summoning circle died out completely, leaving only the flickering torches around the altar to illuminate the carnage.
Michelle walked to the center of the circle and used her axe to slice through the ropes binding the children.
The children burst into tears of relief.
"T-thank you...! Thank you so much...!"
"Thank the Incarnate."
"What...?"
Michelle looked at the child with a faint, chilly smile.
"The one who saved me. I am merely acting on her behalf. She would never want children like you to come to harm."
The children couldn't grasp the weight of her words.
"Well then..."
Michelle reached out toward them, closed her eyes, and whispered, "May the Incarnate’s blessing protect you."
*
Hiss.
Deep within a stone cavern, an eerie chill hung in the air, and dense mana clung to the jagged walls.
A massive beast, resembling a prehistoric snapping turtle armored in living stone, slowly opened its heavy eyelids. As it looked forward, it saw a familiar face.
It was a boy with silver-blue hair—the same boy who had fought its stone minions time and time again, rising to his feet no matter how many times he was broken. He approached now, a frigid energy radiating from his body.
[So, the time has finally come...]
It was Isaac, the man who had once vowed to defeat the Stone Turtle and bind it to a familiar’s contract.
Sensing the impending clash, the Stone Turtle Gormos slowly rose, channeling its immense earthen mana.
Gooooooo.
The mana was terrifying—a crushing, weighty pressure that naturally commanded fear. The Stone Turtle made a swift judgment: even if the Primordial Rock Sovereign were still alive, he would struggle to defeat this boy.
[It has been a long time, Gormos!]
The tiny white dragon, Frost Dragon Hilde, darted out from behind Isaac and waved a paw in greeting.
Isaac came to a halt, maintaining a measured distance from the beast.
"Gormos, I’ve come to finalize the contract."
[I can see that. Such unbelievable mana... Have you been deliberately suppressing your growth all this time, only to unleash it now?]
"Think what you will."
[...There is no point in delaying.]
Isaac held up his wrist toward Stone Turtle Gormos. The familiar contract mark on his skin began to pulse with light.
"Swear that should I emerge victorious, you will serve me as my familiar."
[I swear.]
"The contract is sealed."
Their wills aligned.
Kuuuuuu!
Massive boulders materialized around Gormos, and stone golems began to haul themselves out of the earth. A legion of giants, each towering tenfold over Isaac, armed themselves with stone weaponry and formed ranks.
Even the elite golem that had shattered Isaac’s ribs countless times in the past emerged. Now, there were ten of them, whereas just one used to be more than enough to overpower him.
[Come, Isaac. Defeat me and prove yourself worthy of being my master.]
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, it was only in the final stages of the game that a player could form a contract with the 8-star magic beast, Stone Turtle Gormos.
That moment had finally arrived.
Boom!
Isaac lunged forward.
Kagagagak!!
Sharp shards of rock shot toward him like bullets, but he conjured an ice wall, deflecting the barrage effortlessly. As the golems swung their massive clubs, Isaac stepped onto a descending blade and used the momentum to vault higher.
He swatted away the remaining debris with a wave of elemental magic.
Rumble.
Isaac’s legs were suddenly encased in [Rock Armor], a power granted by his familiar, Eden. With a mana-reinforced limb, he delivered a devastating kick to the nearest golem.
Boom!!
The shockwave rippled through the air, shattering the giant’s head into dust.
The remaining golems swarmed him, but Isaac tore through them one by one. His fists, hardened by [Rock Armor], pulverized everything in his path as he charged straight for Gormos.
Crashhhhh!!
In an instant, the front line was annihilated. The golems that followed met the same fate.
Isaac remained hyper-focused, without a hint of complacency. His fighting style, though now backed by overwhelming strength, was still rooted in the desperate precision he had learned when he was weak.
Defeating this man is impossible, the Stone Turtle concluded.
Before long, Isaac reached the beast itself. He leaped into the air, gathering frost mana in his right hand. The mana swirled violently as the magic circle for the 5-star spell, [Frost Explosion], manifested above his palm.
[Perfect! This is the first time I have ever been so utterly overwhelmed...!]
"Is that so?"
Isaac was exhilarated.
Stone Turtle Gormos let out a booming laugh, summoning a hail of stone spears that launched toward the boy.
"Thanks for sparring with me all this time."
Isaac unleashed the frost mana directly at the Stone Turtle’s head, triggering [Frost Explosion].
Boom!!
A radiant wave of pale blue light erupted. The freezing shockwave shattered the incoming spears and sent them flying. A massive deluge of ice engulfed the Stone Turtle, causing the rocky peaks on its shell to collapse and scatter.
The rushing cold air eventually settled within the cave.
The Stone Turtle grimaced as its entire body was encased in ice. As the pale blue frost began to recede, Isaac stood atop a pillar of ice, looking down at the beast with eyes as cold as the spell he had just cast.
"Haa."
Isaac’s breath misted in the freezing air. Then, with a flick of his will, the ice binding the Stone Turtle disintegrated into mana dust.
[Ugh...]
The Stone Turtle groaned, staggering before collapsing to the ground. It panted heavily, bleeding from several cracks in its hide. Beneath the shattered stone skin, raw red flesh was visible. The beast felt the biting cold and sharp pain deep within its core.
"Gormos."
Isaac hopped down from the ice and walked through the mist, stopping right in front of the beast’s head.
"It’s time to come with me. I need you."
[...]
A low hiss escaped the Stone Turtle’s shut mouth. As it closed its eyes, a memory from a thousand years ago flickered in its mind.
It saw the back of the Primordial Rock Sovereign, a man who had always fought boldly against any foe. He would often thrust a fist forward and shout with infectious energy:
"Gormos, a new adventure awaits! Follow me!"
That passionate voice echoed in the turtle's ears. An involuntary smile tugged at the corner of the Stone Turtle’s mouth.
[...You need not ask. I concede. This is my defeat. From this moment on, I recognize you as my new master, Isaac.]
Hwaaaaa!
A new, light-brown sigil etched itself onto the Stone Turtle’s forehead. In resonance, the contract circle on Isaac’s wrist began to glow with the same earthy hue.
The contract was established. Stone Turtle Gormos had become Isaac’s third familiar.
A gleam of triumph lit up Isaac’s eyes.
[...Hmm?]
Suddenly, Isaac leaned in and embraced the Stone Turtle’s massive head. He pressed his face against the rough, stony surface, tenderly caressing it like a cherished treasure. Hilde quietly flew over and hugged the back of Isaac’s head.
Gormos didn't quite understand the gesture, but sensing the warmth in Isaac’s heart, the beast soon smiled.
[You rascals...]
It was a heartwarming moment.
*
It was midday, and I was walking through the hallways of Orphin Hall.
Ever since yesterday, I had become incredibly conscious of my wrists.
I finally formed a contract with the Stone Turtle...
With a different 8-star familiar contract circle on each wrist, I felt a profound sense of satisfaction.
"Hmm?"
As I opened my locker to grab a textbook, I noticed a note I hadn't seen before. Someone must have slipped it through the gap in the door.
I picked it up and read the contents.
Meet me at the hideout after school.
• Dorodorodorothy
Next to the name "Dorodorodorothy," there was a crude but cute drawing of a character in a witch’s hat, smiling brightly.
Setting aside the ridiculous alias, the messy scrawl made it obvious that Dorothy was the sender.
We haven't had a serious talk since we got back from Aldreque, have we?
It had been weighing on me. I hadn't brought up what Rachnil said on purpose, wanting to be considerate of her feelings.
So, she’s finally ready to talk.
I carefully slipped the note into a clear protector, placed it inside a glass display case, and set it prominently in my locker. After all, it was a precious keepsake from Dorothy.
I grabbed my book and continued down the hallway.
I doubted Dorothy had found any comfort in the idea that her very existence might become a catastrophe. Yet, regardless of the conclusion she had reached, my answer would remain the same.