Chapter 45: Pathetic
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: Pathetic
"Roar!"
The Lake Lord let out another thunderous cry.
The deafening roar kicked up waves several meters high. Nearby, Eluka clutched her ears, but she could still barely withstand the agonizing pain brought on by the sonic vibrations.
"Is this your final death rattle?"
An, however, seemed completely unaffected. She held her scythe high like a descending reaper, ready to harvest the soul before her.
The Lake Lord saw its own reflection in An’s cold, indifferent eyes, and a flash of human-like terror flickered within them. It had never encountered a human this powerful.
But that fear quickly curdled into the madness of a cornered beast.
If I die, I’m taking you with me!
Lightning flickered as white bolts of electricity coiled around the Lake Lord.
However, the single horn it used as a conductor had already been severed. How could merely gathering this electricity hope to harm An?
Was it simply a desperate, suicidal gamble to delay the inevitable?
An frowned slightly, her hand holding the scythe pausing for a moment. She was waiting for the Lake Lord to lose its strength and for the lightning to dissipate.
But the lightning showed no signs of fading. Though the Lake Lord was clearly exhausted, the bolts grew even more blinding and brilliant.
"Something’s wrong. Something is very wrong."
Not far away, Eluka noticed a terrifying detail.
She heard a heartbeat.
A rapid, frantic heartbeat.
A heartbeat that sounded as if it were about to explode!
There was only one possibility for a sound like that.
"Get away! It’s going to self-detonate!"
Realizing the Lake Lord’s intent, Eluka screamed at An in a panic.
Self-detonate?
An’s gaze sharpened as she looked at the Lake Lord. Only now did she see the glint of madness and mockery in the magical beast’s eyes.
"Heh. Did I underestimate you?"
In that instant, the lightning gathered around the Lake Lord’s body erupted.
BOOM!
Accompanied by a world-shaking explosion, the brilliant flash of lightning illuminated half the sky.
*
"Are... are you okay?"
Relying on her last bit of strength to maintain a Levitation Spell, Eluka hid over the lake’s surface a short distance away. She watched as the lightning, as radiant as a miniature sun, flared and then vanished in an instant.
Charred chunks of flesh scattered from the center of the blast like a macabre meteor shower.
The Lake Lord had clearly condensed the range of the explosion, so Eluka hadn't been caught in the shockwave at her distance. But this only made her more worried.
A smaller radius meant a far more concentrated, lethal force!
The Lake Lord had done this specifically to ensure it took its opponent down with it.
"Please be okay, Miss..."
Eluka prayed silently as she stared intently at the center of the explosion.
The residual heat had created a massive cloud of steam, making it difficult to see what was happening at the epicenter. Fortunately, the heavy rain continued to fall.
The steam was quickly washed away by the downpour, and the scene at the center of the blast gradually came into focus.
Because the explosion had occurred over the water, there wasn't a particularly gruesome crater. However, the Steel Thorn Forest that had been used to bind the beast had partially melted under the extreme heat. Having been instantly cooled by the lake water, the jagged ends of the metal structures still bore white-hot traces of the melt.
The Lake Lord was gone, its remains likely scattered into the lake during the "meteor shower."
And above the Steel Thorn Forest, a massive, conspicuous metal sphere floated quietly, exuding an eerie, cold beauty.
"That’s..."
Seeing the metal sphere, Eluka’s heart leaped into her throat.
"Um... Miss? Are you alright?" she called out cautiously.
Clack.
A circular opening suddenly appeared in the metal sphere.
An stepped out. She turned to look at Eluka, her expression as dignified and serene as ever, seemingly entirely unaffected by the brush with death.
"I am fine."
"Ha... oh, thank goodness."
The weight on Eluka’s heart finally lifted, and she let out a long sigh of relief. The sudden release of tension made her realize just how much exhaustion was threatening to drown her.
"Ah, right, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Eluka. Thank you for saving me just now!" Eluka forced her body to bow.
"An. And you don't need to thank me," An replied.
"I only killed that magical beast because it was in my way."
"Even so, I’m still very grateful, Miss An!"
Eluka puffed out her cheeks and said seriously, "I’ll bring my companions later to give you a proper thank-you gift. Please, Miss An, you mustn't refuse!"
"..."
An fell silent, her cool gaze sweeping over Eluka’s face.
"Wait, did I say something wrong?"
"No. I was just wondering... aren't you worried about your companions?"
"Ah! Right! My companions!"
Only then did Eluka remember that her two companions were still missing.
"They fell in that direction."
An pointed toward the shore.
"Thank you!"
Eluka hurriedly shouted her thanks and, forcing herself to focus, used her Levitation Spell to fly quickly toward the shore.
Once Eluka was gone, An retracted her gaze. She looked down at the vast lake and rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache coming on.
"Fine. The nuisance has been dealt with, but... how am I supposed to catch the fish?"
*
"Rhode! Diya! Are you guys okay?"
Following the direction An had pointed, Eluka searched along the bank until she finally found Rhode and Diya.
The moment Rhode saw Eluka, his face lit up with frantic excitement. "Eluka! You’re just in time! Hurry, use healing magic! Diya, she—"
"What?"
Only then did Eluka notice that Diya wasn't mocking her pathetic appearance like usual. Instead, she was lying on the ground, her face deathly pale and twisted in pain, with blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
"The shockwave must have damaged her internal organs. Eluka, hurry and use healing magic on her!"
"But... but I’m out of mana..."
"Out of mana?"
Rhode froze, then suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Eluka by the collar and shaking her violently. "What do you mean you're out of mana? Not even a drop? What about a Recovery Potion?"
"Rhode, you’re hurting me..."
Eluka wrenched herself free from Rhode’s grip. Gasping for air, she said with difficulty, "I really don't have any mana left. And weren't the Recovery Potions always Diya’s responsibility?"
"I already checked her bag! There aren't any!"
"If she forgot to bring them, there’s nothing I can do."
"Dammit!"
Rhode slammed his fist into the ground. "You’re a mage! Why wouldn't you carry your own potions?"
"..."
Didn't I just say Diya was the one managing the potions?
And I’m not like Diya; I don't waste mana recklessly. If it hadn't been for all these accidents, I never would have run out.
In the end, isn't this the fault of the person who forgot the potions?
"There’s no other way. I’m taking Diya to the Association right now."
Rhode hoisted Diya onto his back.
"I’ll go with you," Eluka said.
"Don't bother. Just stay here and rest."
Rhode didn't even look back.
"Right now, you’d just be dead weight!"
"..."
Eluka watched as Rhode disappeared into the distance with Diya.
The rain grew heavier, making her eyes sting. Unconsciously, Eluka’s fingers dug deep into the mud, leaving jagged furrows in the earth that were quickly swallowed by the rising water.
...
She’s such an eyesore.