Chapter 96

While casting magic made of physics and chemistry, let me add that this isn’t what the supplies were originally meant for.

The oil is stored in a huge jar that’s hard to carry, and the water containers are made of a material that’s pretty tough to break even when thrown.

So, they usually end up being used as obstacles or traps. You sprinkle the oil beforehand, and when a person comes, you light it up.

In the Soul World, this is the most common method too. Not many wander around like me, tossing makeshift firebombs everywhere.

But that’s only because it’s a ‘game’; here, it’s reality. In reality, you can use any method you want.

The water containers are tough, huh? With my Red Magic, they could shatter the moment they hit the ground.

As soon as I met one condition, I’ve created an environment to make a firebomb.

“Magic!”

Crash!

“Fire Magic!”

Whoosh!

Just like I did with Luna, I was enthusiastically committing arson (?).

Since the flames contained oil, they wouldn’t easily go out, and they shot up high.

Using magic to extinguish the fire? By now, my magic power must be nearly depleted.

“Why won’t it go out?! I poured water on it!”

“It’s spreading! What the heck?!”

Above all, a fire spread by oil won’t be easily extinguished by water. Once you pour water, the fire just spreads more; it’s tough to put it out.

To do that, you have to either sprinkle sand or completely cut off the air supply. Or, just wait until the oil runs out.

There are many people on Earth who don’t know this, so you can imagine how clueless people might be in this world. Unless you have hands-on experience like Kara, most folks probably wouldn’t have a clue.

“Damn it! That guy is messing up the exam!”

“It’s not weird. That’s called strategy.”

“I know! But why go through all that trouble to just eliminate us?!”

While tossing firebombs across the rooftops, everyone seems thrilled. By now, even the professors must be enjoying this.

Of course, I’m not throwing them randomly. I’m just buying time until Grace finds the artifact.

[Faith is rising!]

Look at that. Isn’t Chaos just loving what I’m doing?

I couldn’t help but smirk at the message, indicating my faith was rising again after the bomb vest.

Until now, I’ve just been doing things physically since it’s been a hassle, but using my brain feels refreshing in many ways.

“How the heck is that even made?! Is it even allowed?!”

“The containers are made of tough material! That guy’s the weird one!”

“Whoever taught him did a great job! Only bad stuff!”

Sorry, but everything was my own ideas. The world I lived in was full of all kinds of craziness.

Calling someone like me insane for just this level of craziness is honestly adorable. Though, the bomb vest definitely makes me a bit loony.

“Now that it’s come to this, I’ll charge right in! Aaaah!!”

“Hey! Where are you going?!”

There are even crazy students among them. One of them charged through the fire I had blocked off and broke through.

Then, they stealthily snuck into the building, getting out of my sight. I didn’t waste any firebombs here.

Most of the structures, aside from the collectibles, are kind of like 3D prints. So they don’t burn easily.

But they break apart easily. I pointed my index finger at the building where one student had hidden.

“Death Beam.”

Boom!!

A red magic laser shot from the tip of my index finger. I controlled the output just enough to make the building collapse.

They might not be seriously hurt but probably fainted. With the attack privilege, I could do this worry-free.

Is my Red Magic not noticeable? You don’t have to worry about that. Even with a lower output, it’s so fast, it’s hard to catch with the eye.

That’s the result of secretly training my Death Beam. I’ve gotten caught a few times and got scolded, but it was worth it.

Swish—

The building crumbled under the Death Beam. Inside, the student who had just ducked through the fire was lying unconscious.

I could see a barrier slowly surrounding them, which means my guess was right—they passed out.

“How are we supposed to break through that?!”

“We don’t need to! Let’s just run back! It’s better to avoid that crazy guy!”

As I repeated this several times, they looked drained and began using alternate tactics.

As long as they stayed away from the house Grace was investigating, that was enough; I left the fleeing opponents alone.

While I wanted to throw firebombs or shoot Death Beams, I barely held myself back.

It’s vital to find fun in the situation itself; getting pleasure from toying with others feels off.

‘By the way, have they still not found it?’

I took a break on the rooftop and looked back. Grace and Lee Yeon-joo must be fervently searching for the artifact.

My job is to prevent other teams from approaching until they’re done. I let the fleeing opponents be for that reason.

‘If there’s someone clever, they might have noticed by now.’

If there are sharp folks, they’ve probably caught on to something odd by now.

Why am I just tossing firebombs in circles at a specific point? And why am I not directly eliminating anyone?

They’ll strongly feel it’s about stopping something. So they’d figure out it’s connected to the artifact.

‘If they come back, it’ll be because they caught on.’

At that point, firebombs will be useless. They’ll probably barge in recklessly, just like that previous student.

If that happens, Grace and Lee Yeon-joo will be in danger, so I’d better throw everything and return.

‘Really? There’s an artifact behind that person?’

‘Not completely sure. But the likelihood is high.’

As I rested on the highest rooftop, voices reached my ears.

I turned my head toward the sound and spotted a very familiar face.

‘Wow, her skin tone is so noticeable from far away.’

While everyone else had a peachy hue, Kara stood out with her brown skin. Plus, her red hair made her even more eye-catching.

It was one thing to see her, but at this distance, you’d think she wouldn’t hear a thing. If I concentrate my magic in my ears, even the smallest sounds come through.

‘W-Will this be okay? This feels like too much of a gamble…’

‘It’s times like this you need to make a decision. The artifact is definitely in the house behind Sivar.’

Another familiar voice reached me. I turned to see Luna’s team.

Kara and Luna. Both of them seem sharp as nails and likely came back right after gearing up.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Antonio’s team shows up soon as well. He might even ambush when Luna and Kara are at their weakest.

It feels like they’re getting suspicious; it’s time to make my grand move. I stood up and rummaged through my bag.

I still have a good amount left even after tossing firebombs all this time. I managed to refill it here and there.

Glug, glug, glug—

I poured tons of bottled oil into my bag. It practically soaked the entire thing.

In the meantime, Kara and Luna’s team stealthily approached my direction. They still seemed unaware of what I was about to do.

Fwoosh!

Then I set my backpack on fire. Once it ignited, flames surged violently.

‘Good thing those containers are made of tough material.’

I tossed my trusty lighter far away, then got into position.

First, I gripped the straps of my backpack and lowered my posture slightly. Then, I started spinning in place.

Using centrifugal force similar to an Olympic event for tossing things, I pulled it as high as I could. My hands felt a bit hot, but it was bearable.

Whoosh!

Finally, I threw the backpack hard above my head. With the centrifugal force, the backpack shot high into the sky.

A flaming backpack would be highly visible. Others must be wondering what that thing is.

Of course, this isn’t where it ends. I just stood quietly, waiting for the flaming backpack to fall.

Soon, it started descending after losing steam. There was a good chance the flames spread inside already.

“…Run!”

“What?!”

“Just jump inside!”

Kara seemed to have figured something out. Or maybe she instinctively sensed the danger.

Her team started moving their legs to follow Kara. But they were a bit late.

I pointed my index finger at the falling backpack. My finger was aimed precisely at it.

Zap!

My red magic launched from my fingertip. The thin long beam of magic sped towards the backpack.

Soon, the magic hit the backpack. Normally, it should pass through, but I lowered the output from earlier.

Ka-boom!

The backpack hit by the Death Beam produced a huge explosion. What we need to think about now is the primary explosion.

The secondary explosion, of course, would come from the tons of firebombs stuffed inside.

Ka-boom! Ka-boom!

The firebombs inside the backpack triggered a chain reaction, creating a massive explosion.

From a distance, this scene would be absolutely stunning, but what unfolded next was far from ‘beauty.’

“Uh, uh?!”

“It’s… falling?! What the heck is that?!”

All kinds of sparks began to rain down. It looked just like a ‘meteor.’

A makeshift meteor crafted solely from physics and chemistry. It won’t have the destructive power of a real meteor.

But it’d definitely create a visually striking effect. Fireballs raining down above my head.

“Ahhh!”

“Hey! Where are you all going?! Damn it!”

Kara’s team panicked as fireballs fell from above and scattered.

Kara tried to gather her team in a hurry, but she was just as much in danger and rushed to move her feet.

“L-Luna!”

“Survive on your own! I can’t do anything about this! See you later!”

Luna was no different. Dodging the falling fireballs, she found her way inside.

I watched them enter before dropping down from the rooftop. Time to head back to Grace.

[Ahhh! What the heck is this?! Did someone shoot a meteor?!]

[Shut up and put out the fire! It’s all oil!]

[Ahhh! My head! Fire’s lit on my head!]

[Everyone, get inside! A house is our safe zone!]

Screams echoed around me. The effect was fantastic.

For the time being, other teams would be busy trying to calm the situation.

‘What beauty?’

They’re probably too preoccupied, like actors in a disaster film. I dashed towards the house where Grace was investigating, avoiding the fireballs.

I could sense where she was with ease. I was so familiar with her presence.

Crash!

“Grace. I’m here…”

“Ah!”

I guess I surprised her by showing up unannounced. As soon as I opened the door, there she was.

It was fine that she was shocked. Given the circumstances, I had approached silently.

“…Uh?”

This part was all fine, but why did she throw something strange into my mouth? Did I just instinctively jump back in surprise?

Gulp!

And why on earth did I swallow that instinctively?

It wasn’t incredibly small, but it wasn’t big either; I gulped it down like it was nothing.

“…”

“U-uh…?”

Grace looked at me in shock. Her purple eyes trembled like there was an earthquake.

I was just as bewildered and couldn’t say anything else. I just tried to comprehend what had gone into my stomach.

Beep-beep-

In the meantime, some noise spread between us. I could distinctly hear it inside my belly.

Both Grace and I looked down in a daze. Things seemed very ominous.

Beep!

[The artifact has activated.]

This time, it was a broadcast. A sound echoed between us.

[The effect of the artifact is the Magic Barrier.]

[The Magic Barrier moves according to the artifact’s position.]

[If the artifact is destroyed, the owner will be automatically eliminated.]

Yeah. I thought this was a pretty sweet deal.

[The artifact has been damaged.]

[The artifact has been damaged.]

[The artifact has been damaged.]

Until the artifact inside my belly started screaming for mercy.

‘Come to think of it, what was my digestion ability level…?’

I might not know anything else, but this I know for sure.

I’m seriously screwed.

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