Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Dragon of Myriad Phenomena
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We descended to the second peak among the three of Mount Muradin. The mystical wind that began from my body scattered in all directions, shaking the surroundings.
Saaah—
The rustling of trees and grass swaying in the wind added to the natural charm. Feeling the deep scent of grass filling my lungs, I slowly opened my mouth.
"We're here."
"Eek…"
Was that short flight so terrifying? Olbern, who had been squeezing her eyes shut, finally opened them. Her large eyes blinked as she looked around, and the corners of her mouth curved softly.
"Th-this is Gentle Wind…! Senior Durel told me about it. He said it's a great magic that only you, Master, can use. He was really bummed that he couldn't learn it himself… Something about having to harbor wind in your mind? With just this magic, we could go anywhere in the world with a glider! And if you can infinitely supply mana with the great mystery of the Mana Circle…! I'm so excited my heart might burst!"
She set down the glider and landed on the ground, speaking in an excited voice. Her words poured out energetically. I'd noticed it before, but this girl shifted moods and topics incredibly fast. While I took a moment to gather my thoughts, Olbern's small body was already moving again.
"As expected, it looks like no one's been here for quite a while. See this? Grass growing up to our waists means people haven't set foot here. Maybe we'll find a mystery no one else has discovered!"
I folded the glider's wings and casually surveyed the area. The waist-high grass rippled slowly in the wind. Mushrooms sprouted on broken trees, and vines rising from the ground wrapped around trees and rocks.
To properly explore this place, it seemed we'd need to clear the undergrowth first. With so much blocking the view, we wouldn't find anything otherwise.
"Don't move for a sec."
"Pardon?"
The moment Olbern turned at my call, wind spread out from me and her, creating an eerie noise.
Saak—!
Like a sharp blade slicing paper, the razor-sharp wind spread wide and severed everything blocking our view.
The natural wind that followed swept away the severed grass and vines gently.
Then, the hidden terrain revealed itself. A towering stone pillar and an altar half-buried in a mound of earth. The vivid runes etched above it captured our gaze. The mystery had flown away, but the inscription remained strikingly clear.
Olbern's eyes widened as she rushed over.
"Runes of sky and wind, passage and severance. Were they trying to create a path to the heavens? Maybe it's true that they communicated with colossal beasts using runes… But I don't know the central rune… It's a form I've never seen, and the midsection forming the Erkamon is missing."
Her explanation trailed into mutterings. Watching her immerse herself instantly, I approached the large stone pillar. The pillar, engraved with cardinal directions, connected to the central altar.
Etched into the ground were large strokes. Strokes linking rune to rune. Following the long trace of mystery led naturally to the altar buried in the earth mound. As I approached lightly and stirred the wind, the piled dirt flew away, fully revealing its hidden form.
I reached out toward the unfamiliar rune atop the altar directly above, on the protruding stone pillar. Though it held mystery and the Erkamon's midsection had vanished, it didn't matter. I'd already seen it with my own eyes. My gaze slowly traced the flow where the magic had activated.
Keeing—
Mana flowing from my heart followed the pillar. As it reached the rune and retraced the past traces, I naturally understood the mystery it held.
'Connection.'
Not just linking runes. A power to bind anything. Different from existing runes. It harbored a greater mystery.
The midsection of the Erkamon etched below naturally came to mind. But it wasn't perfect. I'd read the first part and devised my own solution. Thus, it was incomplete. An imperfect rune couldn't fully unleash its power.
Strictly one-time use. The moment it unleashed mystery, the inscribed rune would vanish. But for now, that was enough. I withdrew my hand and stepped back.
"M-Master? That just now…! Do you know this rune?"
"Not for sure."
"O-ohhh…! What is it? Tell me too!"
"Connection."
"Connection…? Like the stroke linking runes? But no…! The fundamental power of connection… Is my guess right?"
I nodded silently. I hadn't activated the rune yet, but through the subtly released mystery, I'd grasped its power.
'Erect an altar of wind in the sky, open severed passages. And through this central altar, connect… perhaps to where the colossal beast dwells.'
A sudden inspiration foresaw what came after the magic's activation. Activating this altar now would be unwise. If a colossal beast appeared by mistake, our immediate safety couldn't be guaranteed.
Yet something was off. The inspiration, usually as clear as future sight, now yielded hazy results.
"Looks like something's really here."
"Huh? What do you mean? Did you find something else…!"
Ignoring Olbern's sparkling gaze, I unfolded the glider wings strapped to my back.
Clack—
As the wide wings spread and wind gathered, Olbern nimbly stuck to my side.
"We're crossing to the other side."
"Got it…!"
Just as we were about to head to the tallest peak opposite with Olbern, my expanded Gentle Wind sensing range caught an odd movement.
It cut through the wind domain, approaching powerfully. It carried substantial mana, and its body was enormous.
'Wyvern.'
Not one, but three. Straight toward our peak. I immediately veered direction. The glider, flying forward, banked and accelerated.
Hwaaak—!
"M-Master? We're going the wrong way…"
"Quiet. Wyverns are coming."
"Wyverns…!"
While gliding swiftly on the glider, I spotted small dots rapidly approaching from the horizon's end. Wyverns.
'They've spotted us…'
Back when we stayed in the Karadun Kingdom, Durel had excitedly rattled off wyvern traits. Their vision was exceptional, he'd said.
"Durel! Shimo! On the golem!"
I landed atop the turtle golem, slicing through the wind on the glider. At my sharp shout, Durel and Shimo moved without question. Olbern, landing next, quickly threw herself inside the golem.
Feeling the wyverns' approach, I steadied my breath slowly.
To escape unscathed, I needed to subdue all three wyverns at once. My heart's Mana Circle spun fiercely, releasing blue mana everywhere.
A ten-meter radius around me. The controlled mana dominated the space. Only then could I exhale in relief. All preparations were complete before they closed in. If they charged like this, the mana mastering the space would unleash mystery, manifesting another world here.
Whoooong—!
With the wind's roar, massive presences neared. That's when the three wyverns entered my domain.
Suddenly, their movements froze.
'What…'
Whoosh—
Fierce wingbeats whipped up a storm. Their huge bodies hovering blocked the sun, casting deep shadows. They halted at a distance, as if sensing my intent.
"These bastards…"
The moment I ordered the turtle golem down the mountain, the three wyverns hovering simultaneously opened their maws wide. Their chests swelled, mana gathering around. Precursors to breath attacks.
No escaping. To protect the turtle golem and my disciples inside, I had to confront them head-on.
My heart's Mana Circle spun wildly, channeling released mana into my right hand. Urgent situation. No time for dual spells. Single attribute, maximum firepower.
As blue mana took on mystery, lightning gathered above my right hand.
Pajijijik—!
Overcharged Mana Surge
Purple lightning crackles with excess power
Mana exceeding capacity sparked around, turning the blue lightning violet. Immense mystery spread, shaking the very space.
Right before the three wyverns could even open their mouths fully.
A massive flash erupted from my outstretched right hand.
Kwarung—!
'This is…'
After completing four Mana Circles, my first full-power attempt. I'd poured most of my mana into one strike. The spell's output surpassed imagination, and the resulting phenomenon far exceeded my expectations.
Beyond the powerless falling wyverns, atop the blue sky. Amid white clouds, an eerie rift opened.
Pajijik—!
'The mana density…?'
Ignoring the plummeting wyverns, I stared blankly beyond the rift. From the clouds' strange space, mana density poured out excessively. Like seawater of mana leaking outward.
That instant. Mana flowing from the rift bore subtle mystery. The wyvern corpses, charred by rock, earth, and lightning, defied gravity and rose. The turtle golem and I did the same.
Before I could react, everything afloat was sucked toward the narrow rift.
Shuuuaaaak—!