Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 195
>Chapter Title: If There's No Path, Make One
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If a person and a golem raced, which one would tire out first?
It wasn’t hard to come up with the answer.
‘The person would.’
Why was I suddenly thinking this? Because right now, I was in a footrace with a golem.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Infernal was chasing us with heavy footsteps. Damn, it was massive. No, terrifying.
It barreled down the massive Baharmut corridors like a ravenous ogre, wild and ferocious, while I scurried ahead like a mere rat pup.
But was I just any rat pup?
‘No.’
Damian was on my left, Chenbi on my right, and old Mysern senior was running behind me, watching my back.
Up ahead, a terrified spirit was chattering nonsense like “Danger! Scary!” as it bounced around. I was the brave lead rat pup, protecting the pack and keeping everyone alive.
“Mysern senior, you okay?”
“F-Fine…”
Good.
As the pack leader, I checked on my charges, then focused forward and pumped my legs harder.
To be honest, Mysern senior didn’t look fine at all.
His face was pale as a ghost, his head drooping like overripe wheat. He huffed and puffed with labored breaths, and it was pitiful just to watch.
Getting old is rough.
Anyway, I needed to end this chase for Mysern senior’s sake, but that brought up a dilemma.
‘What to do?’
The original plan was to move Damian and the other two to the outskirts, then come back alone to smash the barrier stones.
But the Infernal had recovered faster than expected, making everything messy.
Of course, someone might say:
‘Just carry the three and run till you shake it off, then proceed as planned.’
I’d reply:
A brave lead rat pup doesn’t abandon its pack… nah, that’s not it. It’s just not that simple.
Think about it.
I didn’t have enough hands to carry Damian, Chenbi, and Mysern senior all at once. Sure, magic could make it work somehow, but then what about the path?
‘Right, we need a route to the outskirts.’
Damn spirits had looped the outer paths in a circle, so there was no way out from the center to the outskirts—the passages we’d wandered at first.
The paths from the outer loop to the center were long behind us now, lost in our escape.
So.
“Can’t you make a path? Like how you twisted them at the start?”
I’d asked.
[Uh… too hard. Sorry.]
Just that.
I didn’t know why it was hard.
They’d explained something about not being able to change the structure arbitrarily, but the spirit’s short replies—two words at best, three or four at most—were hard to follow.
That left me to carve a path to the outer loop myself, and that wasn’t easy either.
Yesterday, I’d tested it: the Baharmut center walls were way tougher than the bedrock between the outer paths and center.
Okay, suppose I somehow broke through.
I’d move the three safely through that new tunnel.
Then what?
I’d have to go back through it, and that’s when I’d run into the Infernal.
Beating it in a fight wasn’t the issue.
The flames were.
When the Infernal recovered after damage, it spewed intense flames to protect itself…
‘Perfect temperature for a roast.’
If those flames roared through the tunnel—whoosh—the nearby Damian, Chenbi, and Mysern senior would end their happy lives.
Sure, if they were far enough, maybe they’d survive, but who knows how far those flames could reach?
There were other minor issues too, and as I pondered them, a thought hit me.
‘Being the lead rat pup isn’t all great.’
I hadn’t realized it as a lone Troubleshooter rat.
Back then, it was just survive alone.
Companions were nice to have alive, but when death came, everyone fended for themselves. Survival of the fittest.
Fewer worries in the same situation.
But now?
‘No, can’t do that.’
Unless I was some devil in a hood, would I abandon the young rats who’d risked their lives for my revenge?
No way.
Yeah, no way.
So, what then?
Plenty of ideas came to mind. But finding one where everyone escaped happily without variables? Tough.
Mysern senior couldn’t use his power due to bad matchup.
Telling him to use spirit power like yesterday? Elder abuse.
Chenbi went without saying, and pushing Damian, the least worn out? Child abuse.
Dilemma: abuse either way. All I could do was abuse my brain.
Still, running like this wasn’t bad.
I’d slacked on exercise lately. Might as well call this cardio.
Why’s cardio important? Lung capacity.
Higher heart rate boosts lung capacity, which lets you take in more oxygen per breath, building stamina long-term.
…Though Mysern senior might be at risk, whatever.
My thoughts drifted from lead rat woes to cardio benefits, and that’s when Damian spoke.
“Friend.”
“Yeah.”
“Can I eat fish food?”
He meant he felt like puking.
“You can run? I’ll set you down.”
“Thanks.”
I let go, and he rolled neatly onto the ground, lagged a few steps, then caught up quick.
Then Damian spoke again.
“Friend, I’ll hold it off.”
“…?”
“I can hold it.”
I kept my pace, eyes forward.
But his words echoed clear in my head.
If I were really a lead rat pup, I’d have swelled with pride at that.
‘…Got another worker.’
Yeah, one more brave warrior to dash on fast legs and raid human tables.
But why couldn’t I feel that?
Probably because, unlike ruthless rat pups following survival of the fittest, I had feelings.
Did he think I didn’t hear? Damian’s voice rang again.
“Friend, I’ll hold it. You smash the barrier stones meanwhile.”
“…”
Now I had to look at him.
Glancing while running was risky, but I snuck a peek…
And realized.
‘…Yeah.’
I’d been wrong.
Obviously, I wasn’t a lead rat pup, and Damian wasn’t a young rat.
I’d subconsciously thought I had to protect these three, but locking eyes with him changed that.
Clear, firm gaze.
Deep and sharp.
His baby-fat face looked childish, but those eyes were anything but young.
After meeting them, I glanced at Mysern senior and Chenbi in turn.
“Being a burden forever would be shameless. Go do your job. Can’t run forever, right?”
“Aster, don’t worry.”
None of these three needed protecting. Not just Mysern senior.
* * *
In the end, I left Damian, Chenbi, and Mysern senior behind and moved on.
We parted in a cavern as wide as the Infernal’s chamber, and as I walked, it hit me again.
No one needed my protection.
How far had I gone, leaving the proper mages Damian and Chenbi behind?
Now it was time to seriously plan ‘barrier stone destruction.’
‘…How long can Damian hold?’
No clue.
Chenbi yesterday didn’t last five minutes, they said.
Damian should do better—ten minutes? Maybe more? Worst case, less.
Damian’s unexpected help left me alone, but things weren’t smooth.
Time was key.
‘…Barrier stones are in four directions around the central grand hall, right?’
With good paths, I could handle it quick. But Baharmut was huge.
And the paths were a damn maze.
No way to finish in ten minutes…
But not impossible.
Doesn’t an old saying go:
Paths are forged.
Not sure if it’s real, but it stuck in my head. By that logic:
‘No path?’
Make one.
‘Paths too twisty?’
Blast through.
Zzzzt—
I triggered Collision Formula and pressed my hand to the wall. It crumbled with a crunch, denting deep. Sweat beaded on my forehead, but I smiled.
‘It works.’
Just a pain.
Collision Formula was for instant strikes, not sustained contact.
So I added the persistence from my barrier technique.
Teleportation couldn’t dream of it, but my transcendent cognition made it possible.
I didn’t stop—wrapped Collision Formula around my whole body.
First time trying, took focus, but I adapted quick.
And then…
Wrapped it in Crimson Flame secret art flames.
Done, my body was a grotesque mass of Collision Formula and fire. I glanced at my hand, then pressed the wall again.
Zzzzt…
Crackle, crackle!
The wall turned to dust, crumbling and burning.
I knew.
‘This’ll do.’
Finally, I recalled Baharmut’s map, gauging the nearest barrier stone.
‘…This way?’
Direction set.
Was it odd? The spirit piped up.
[Savior? What’re you doing?]
I eyed the spirit—don’t know when it followed—then gauged direction and spoke.
“Gonna run.”
[…? No path there.]
Right.
I agreed, inhaled deep, crouched into stance. Stared at the solid wall. Collision Formula and flames surged.
Before leaping, I told the spirit.
“Listen up.”
[…?]
“If there’s no path, make one.”
The spirit crackled curiously.
Yeah, it wouldn’t get it.
But that’s fine. Seeing beats hearing.
Anyway, countdown in my head: three, two, one—BAM! My body slammed into the wall.
And…
Krakaboomgrrr!
The wall shredded like pudding, opening a path.
[…!]
The spirit was shocked.
Me too.
‘It actually works.’
Would’ve been trouble if not. Lucky.
Anyway.
…Ten-minute limit.
Four barrier stones left.
The spirit rescue project truly began.