Chapter 74

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 22, 2025

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“Did those Abyss Worshippers just laugh at me?”

It seemed they thought it was a joke that I was ready to fight them.

“You think you can take us on?”

“What a hoot! Alright then, let’s play.”

With that, they wiggled their fingers as if inviting me to entertain them.

But in that very moment, I had already completed my incantation. It was one of the fastest spells I could cast, a powerful Stellar Magic called Meteor Strike.

Suddenly, the magic surged out like a bolt of lightning.

Boom! Bang!

The ground shook, and trees turned to ashes, but as the smoke cleared, there was no sign of the Abyss Worshippers.

“Did they dodge it?”

When did they evade my attack? I bit my lip in frustration and activated Meteor Strike again.

Bang! Boom!

Another strike launched, and another one after that.

But again, the outcome was the same.

Those two mages dodged like slippery eels, anticipating where my magic would strike.

Why won’t they get hit?!

As I stomped my feet in frustration,

“……!”

My golden eyes widened.

Abyss Worshipper was suddenly right in front of me, a mage missing his nose.

“Your casting speed is impressive, but that’s all you have.”

He grinned grotesquely and delivered a brutal punch to my solar plexus.

Thud!

Air rushed out of my lungs in an instant.

A wave of breathtaking pain crashed over me.

I was knocked sideways, crashing into the corner of the forest.

*Cough, cough! Ugh…*

I could barely stand, my body wracked with spluttering coughs.

This was the first time I’d ever experienced such pain. Yet, that was far from the end of my suffering.

“Ugh! Ack!”

Quint had grabbed my hair roughly, forcing me to look into his eyes, where an unsettling grin awaited.

“Even if you can use Stellar Magic, without experience, you’re no different from a child with a sword.”

Mocked, but I refused to give up. Despite being trapped, I continually worked on raising my magic power to unleash an even stronger spell.

But to no avail.

I managed to cast the spell, but the magic wouldn’t respond.

“W-why won’t my magic move…?”

“You mean it’s not moving?”

Quint interjected with a smirk.

“It’s simple. I’m watching you.”

All those countless eyes dangling from his neck were focused on me. The moment I locked eyes with them, my eyes widened in realization.

“D-don’t tell me, they’re all connected to you…!”

“Looks like you figured it out at last.”

Quint chuckled sinisterly.

“Yes, these are all my magic eyes. My proud creations made from the eyes of mages, altered in a special way.”

Magic Eyes signify eyes imbued with special abilities. Currently, Quint’s Magic Eyes had the power to suppress the flow of magic.

That’s why I couldn’t use my spells. This revelation made my gaze waver.

At that moment…

“……Huh?”

The expressions of the two Abyss Worshippers shifted abruptly.

As if they sensed something off.

Moments later, they shouted in panic.

“Q-Quint!”

“The forest has returned to normal!”

They felt the magic that twisted the space throughout the forest had completely vanished. This meant something was wrong with the caster who maintained the spell.

Quint’s expression hardened slightly.

“Nonus is down.”

“……!?”

“It’s not just him. Desem and Duode also seem to have fallen. Their presence is completely gone.”

“Those three went down all at once?”

“Who could have done this…?”

As the Abyss Worshippers trembled, I glittered with a spark of hope. The mention of someone I had in mind triggered my thoughts.

‘It must be Ulan.’

Only he has the power to pull off something like this.

Then I can’t give up either.

I bit my lips tightly, resolving myself. I forcefully drew my magic power to move it again.

This caused Quint’s eyes to twitch.

“It’s useless. As long as my Magic Eyes are here…”

As long as the flow of magic was suppressed, I wouldn’t be able to activate my spells. That’s how it should be.

But then, something incredible happened.

“……!”

Magic was being infused into my spell.

Quint’s expression changed. He realized I was drawing heavily on my magic power.

And moments later…

My spell was completed.

Shimmering light!

A defensive spell capable of blocking nearly any attack, the ‘Barrier of Stellar Constellations.’ Along with it came the backlash of hastily drawing magic power.

Fresh red blood flowed from my nose.

But I didn’t care.

‘I need a more assured strike.’

I understood that Stellar Magic was not enough to challenge my opponent.

So, I needed a single, devastating blow too powerful for the Abyss Worshipper to defend against.

That’s why I envisioned the strongest offensive spell I knew and could currently use.

The six-star-level Stellar Magic. A tactical spell at that.

It required a massive amount of magic power.

But as I forcibly raised my magic power, I felt an impending overload.

“Ha, ha!”

Veins swelling like they might burst.

With labored breathing, blood spurted from my mouth. My whole body felt like it would shatter, but I didn’t stop casting.

“Wait, what? No…!”

Just then, the two Abyss Worshippers realized what kind of magic I was casting. But it was already too late. My spell was already complete.

“Meteor Shower”

In an instant, the area lit up brightly.

And shortly after…

Boom, boom, boom!

Fragments of starlight rained down, piercing through the dark clouds.

It may have seemed like merely a single fragment, but its power surpassed thirty times that of the previous spell.

‘With this…’

The Abyss Worshippers would not escape unharmed.

I was confident of that.

But my confidence shattered almost instantly.

Bang!

A meteor exploded in mid-air.

Fragments of starlight scattered everywhere. Someone interfered with my magic, breaking the spell itself.

As I blankly stared at the scene,

“It’s pointless.”

Quint abruptly reached out his hand.

He effortlessly shattered the Barrier of Stellar Constellations, leaning in close with his silver glinting eyes while whispering,

“This Magic Eye is undoubtedly my finest creation. It can see five seconds into the future.”

“……!”

“In other words, I can see what magic you’re casting and what thoughts you’re having.”

Ridiculous.

Five seconds into the future? That means in a battle with a mage of similar skill, he would be virtually invincible.

Just by knowing what kind of magic I was using before it was complete, he could intervene and shatter the spell.

Exactly like what was happening right now.

“W-what the…?”

As the last bits of hope crumbled away, despair settled into my eyes.

Suddenly, something flew toward me.

It was Quint’s foot.

Thud!

A shattering pain screamed through me.

Being kicked while defenseless sent me flying like a broken doll into the corner. As I hit the ground, Quint turned away.

“Kerta. Start!”

“Mhm, got it.”

A man whose arms were sprouting roots approached me.

He suddenly pulled a dark object out from the shadows. It resembled a tadpole but was the size of a cat.

And there were dozens of them.

Swimming through the air with wriggling tails, they quickly surrounded me.

“This is called ‘Rakus,’ a creature from the Abyss. They feast on magic at a horrifying speed.”

“……”

“From now on, they’ll drain all your magic. It would be unfortunate if you tried to resist while I take you away.”

No response came back.

Perhaps she lacked the strength to respond.

Which was just as well.

Kerta couldn’t help but smile.

“If you’re sleepy, just fall asleep comfortably. You won’t ever wake up again anyway.”

He silently glanced at me as if waiting for my magic to drain away.

Meanwhile, in that moment…

I stared blankly at the emptiness.

‘……I can’t move at all.’

I couldn’t even lift a finger.

A shock hit me from overexerting my magic under the influence of the Magic Eyes.

All I could do was watch as this unknown creature drained away my magic power.

‘No, my magic…’

Magic was steadily running low.

The shadow of death was drawing closer.

Did I sense my end approaching?

My empty eyes clouded with dew.

‘……I don’t want this.’

I didn’t want to end like this.

I wanted to do so much more with Ulan.

I still wasn’t sure what my true feelings for him were. Regret and longing tightened their grip on my body.

But that didn’t last long.

The desire to live turned to resignation.

I had realized something from an early age.

Miracles rarely happen when you wish for them. And wanting to live in a situation like this was almost a miracle itself.

So, little by little, I let go of my regrets.

‘If I had known it would end like this…’

I should have tried to spend more time with him.

If I let go of my pride, I should have approached him more proactively, had more diverse conversations, and made countless more memories together.

If I had done that, perhaps my resignation would have come sooner.

With late regrets as my last thought.

The world around me darkened.

My eyes began to close slowly. Just then, something caught my eye.

Bright!

A talisman glowing blue.

It was a bright light like starlight, but unfortunately, I couldn’t recognize what it was, as my vision was already clouded over.

Like a thick fog had descended.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“What kind of fog is this all of a sudden?”

The voices of the Abyss Worshippers reached my ears.

It wasn’t that my sight was foggy; the forest had genuinely filled with mist.

Of course, that didn’t change anything.

As my consciousness faded and I released everything, a profound sound struck my ears.

[Awooo―!]

It was the howl of a wolf.

And not just one.

[Awooo! Awooo!]

Countless howls echoed through the forest.

As if calling out to lost kin.

In this sudden twist, it wasn’t just me who took notice. The Abyss Worshippers, including Quint, scanned their surroundings with sharpened eyes.

“What? Is it a wolf?”

“But we’ve never seen any here.”

Since arriving in the forest, the only beasts the Abyss Worshippers had encountered were monsters rated at level two or lower.

Moreover, wolves were clever creatures.

They wouldn’t inhabit a forest teeming with monsters.

So what in the world was that sound? Just as the two Abyss Worshippers furrowed their brows.

“Step back! Something’s coming!”

Quint urgently shouted.

His silver eyes flared, indicating he had likely seen something five seconds ahead.

And then, ‘something’ leaped out.

[Graaah!]

Charging with its mouth wide open.

It was a snow-white wolf, like a mist. The first one arrived and bit down on the creature, Rakus, that had been consuming my magic.

And as a signal,

[Grrr! Growl!]

[Graaah!]

A horde of wolves poured forth from every direction.

Ten, twenty, thirty…

The number of wolves kept rising until they amassed over a hundred. They then tore Rakus to shreds.

The Abyss Worshippers were taken by surprise, unable to comprehend the situation.

“Wha, what’s with all these?!”

“Damn it, Quint! We should retreat!”

As the number of wolves surged, it became clear they were no ordinary wolves. The magic emanating from them was unusual.

Quint yelled in agreement.

“Kerta! Grab the target. We’re pulling out!”

“Understood!”

Kerta answered and stretched his root-like arms, wrapping them around me completely.

Smack! Slap!

The wolves attacked furiously like crazy, almost as if they were trying to prevent Kerta from taking me away. Kerta laughed disdainfully at the sight.

“No point in attacking all day.”

The materials for my root-like arms are very special.

So they can’t be sliced through by normal means. Unless you’re using eight-star-level magic or a powerful aura.

After mocking them, he pulled his arms back.

Zooming back!

Along with the retracting arms, my body was pulled away at high speed. As I was being dragged away helplessly,

Suddenly, something sliced through.

Swish!

The grip around me loosened.

Next, my body floated into the air.

What just happened?

As I blinked in confusion…

“……Ah.”

Suddenly, the scenery shifted.

The first thing I saw was the pitch-black night sky.

A cool breeze grazed my cheek, causing my crimson hair to flutter.

Then came a familiar voice.

The voice I had been yearning to hear.

“Sorry I’m late.”

My foggy sight began to clear up gradually.

And soon emerged those familiar scarlet eyes.

The moment I laid eyes on that face I had longed to see, my eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m here.”

“……!”

It was Ulan. Ulan! Not an illusion, but the real Ulan.

As I confirmed this, strangely, my vision clouded again.

I tried to say something, but my voice wouldn’t come out. A flood of feelings choked me, blocking every word.

After some time,

this indescribable emotion spilled out as tears.

“Wah, wahhh…”

But one thing was certain.

All I felt was a sense of relief.

As I realized that a miracle had occurred, I smiled, my tears blending with laughter.

Meanwhile, at that moment,

Ulan’s expression turned deadly serious.

Having just noticed something.

The blood smeared around my mouth and the signs of someone having beaten me up.

At that moment of realization, his scarlet eyes filled with a cold fury.

“Q-Quint! Kerta has fallen!”

Just then, a frantic shout cut through the air.

An Abyss Worshipper with no nose.

As he spoke, the mage who had tried to drag me away was now headless, his body severed in half.

It was undoubtedly the work of Ulan.

He had eliminated that mage while rescuing me. At that moment, however, the defeated Abyss Worshipper suddenly opened his eyes wide. It seemed he had realized something.

“Could it be that the one who killed Nonus was…!”

But he couldn’t finish his sentence.

Thud! Swoosh!

A nearby axe struck, severing his head before he could speak another word.

It was an extremely swift strike, like a flash of light.

The mage did not even realize his head had been cut off before he died.

Now, there was only one left.

Just as Ulan was about to turn away.

“……Be careful.”

I heard my weak voice from afar.

It felt like my voice was about to fade away.

But I still had to convey my message, so I managed to get the words out.