Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: El Carsum
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I'm not here to fight. I planned to find Renila and head straight back, so I hadn't brought Durel along. It was easier to slip away safely on my own if things went south.
Shwoooosh—!
The airboard, pieced together from gliders, sliced coolly through the harsh winds over the crimson desert.
‘Head southeast, and you'll hit a massive canyon. That's their base.’
The brief exchange with the elf before slipping out of that enormous platinum palace lingered in my mind. Her assumption that I'd naturally head there grated on me. It felt like she was steering my actions.
‘Not that I won't go...’
Maybe it hit harder because my Insight had revealed the elf wasn't some ordinary being.
Shwooooosh—!
The airboard crested a huge dune and soared on the wind. My max mana had more than doubled since my first time riding one. With the wind's output boosted too, my speed matched the gale itself.
‘Am I even going the right way...’
I'd been riding for quite a while. The pitch-black dawn had receded, and the sun was rising over the horizon. Even after pushing the faster airboard hard, not a glimpse of the canyon the elf mentioned.
Then, as I flew on, a wind blew from the opposite direction carrying the clash of steel and the metallic tang of blood. I banked immediately, heading for a large dune.
Shwooooosh—!
The airboard glided to a smooth stop, revealing the hidden vista below the dune. It wasn't a natural canyon. This was an artificial gorge, carved deep into the desert floor by untold labor.
I'd reached my destination. The massive lizards tethered nearby left no doubt. Their saddles bore the stark emblem of Hayar.
"Urgh..."
Following the faint groan, I spotted a man writhing on the ground. A sword sheath hung at his waist. No trace of mana lingered in his body.
That wasn't all. From the canyon rim down the path, signs of battle littered the way—big and small skirmishes stretching far.
Shamshir corpses dusted in sand, and among them, the bodies of mages.
Step—
As I approached a still-breathing Shamshir, he laboriously lifted his head, gazing up at me through hazy eyes.
"Y-You..."
"Are the mages down below?"
"Heh... heh... El... El Carsum's seal is nearly complete... This desert is... safe now..."
Before I could press further, his head drooped. His ragged breaths cut off. He'd breathed his last.
"Damn..."
Leaving the body, I peered into the deep chasm leading underground. Corpses stretched downward in a grim trail. Small mercy: no sign of a little girl among them.
‘She's gone down...’
I frowned, scanning the depths. Strange vibrations rising from below interfered with Arcana's detection. Through my rippling blue gaze, the mages' traces shimmered like heat haze.
Accuracy was shot. In this state, I couldn't discern individuals—just rough positions.
‘What's down there messing with it...’
Either way, to find Renila, I'd have to descend. After a moment's hesitation, I sighed and leaped into the canyon's depths.
Whoosh—!
Enveloped in wind, I descended slowly, scanning left and right. A few survivors caught my eye, but not my target. Renila, my first friend in this desert—where was she hiding?
That's when it happened.
Ssssh—!
Something heavy hurtled toward my wide Gentle Wind barrier. No light blade or arrow—this packed serious mass. As I turned, a man in a pitch-black coat swung his sword into view.
Fast. Linear. A brutally efficient style designed to kill. His silent approach slithered like a striking serpent.
Even in peril, Arcana's eyes read his body's inner workings. Mana swelled in his core like a whirl, contracting his muscles. That explosive speed fueled his blade.
I twisted midair, unleashing a fierce gust that hurled his body back.
Bam—!
My body dropped onto the wooden stairs stretching right and left. I landed lightly; he tumbled further down several times.
He could mana-reinforce his body. I couldn't let something that pierced Gentle Wind's barrier escape. Killing intent surged, mana reacting to form a Magic Missile that I fired instantly.
Kaboom—!
The beam of light shattered stairs and ladders in a straight line, pounding the fragile canyon walls. I winced. More shots risked collapsing the walls, burying those below.
Plus, his movements were eerie and swift. He leaped from the missile's path in an instant, then dove into a large cave mouth pocking the outer wall.
He moved like he lived to hunt mages.
"Give it up, foul mage! El Carsum's sealing is in its final stages! It's too late for your kind—begone!"
"What are you even talking about..."
Rumble— His booming voice echoed hugely from within the canyon walls. I couldn't pinpoint its source. The massive holes riddling the inner walls interconnected too deeply.
Their schemes meant nothing to me. I was just here for Renila. After a brief think, I pressed a hand to the wall. If he hid inside without showing, I'd seal the entrances.
Vrrr—!
My three Mana Circles thrummed in my heart. Vast mana poured from my hand into the wall, shaking the entire canyon.
‘Sunken Vein...’
A book flew from the grand library within me and opened.
Flipflipflip— The pages blurred, a spell etching itself vividly through my hand.
Sunken Vein. A school of magic reshaping buried rock and earth. I hadn't mastered advanced techniques—no massive landslides or ground splits—but with this mana dump, I could seal every cave mouth here.
Rumblecrack—!
"Wh-What...!"
Caves collapsed and sealed in seconds. A panicked shout leaked from one fading entrance, but it shut before he could react.
‘Good...’
Bang! Bang! Impacts hammered from inside, but the boulder plugs held. Focused pounding might crack them eventually, but not anytime soon.
I caught my breath, then leaped downward once more.
Whoosh—!
Unlike the quiet upper levels, fierce Hayar-Shamshir clashes raged in the sunless depths. Amid the chaos, I spotted Renila.
Hiding behind a large crate, peering below—she was wide open. I dashed toward her.
Thud—
"Gasp...!"
She yelped, yanking out her Warden Stick as I landed with the wind. Then she recognized me, mouth agape in shock.
"Lu-Lumia...?"
"Renila. Why are you all the way down here."
"Th-That's my line... Why are you..."
"Came to get you. Let's go."
Shamshir and Hayar tangled in a frenzy. With attention scattered, now was prime escape time.
"No...!"
But Renila didn't take my hand. She shook her head, staring below—like unfinished business held her.
"I have to save Dad...!"
Glancing down at her words, an indescribable dread hit me. Not from the golden fur sprouting from the earth, binding mages atop a bizarre magic circle.
Deeper still—that exposed body was just a fraction. Through Arcana, the thing underground loomed enormous, its structure defying any normal lifeform.
Dizziness struck; I clutched my head.
‘What the hell is that...’
Vibrations disrupting Arcana poured from it.