The magic I knew now was quite numerous.
Electricity, earth, water, air, and temperature-control magic including heat and ice.
If I counted the various applications, the number only grew.
Of course, without Sopeu’s help, I couldn’t use it from afar, and its power fell short, but the casting speed was faster than any mage.
This time, I intended to take down the scout monster alone.
To defeat the scout monster without Sopeu’s help, I had to use my own method.
So, the first magic I used was the simplest magic.
It was magic that created light.
When I reached out my hand and cast the spell, an enormous light burst from my palm.
Flash.
Even though I covered the front with my hand and closed my eyes, it was a light strong enough to dye my vision white.
Keeeeck!
The monster charging toward me screamed and pulled back the two tentacles attached to its head.
Those tentacles served the role of antennae.
Tentacles that sensed sound and light.
Since I had burst a powerful light right in front of such tentacles, there was no way it would be fine.
Of course, I couldn’t see for a moment either, but I had extrasensory perception.
Approaching the monster flailing its tentacles was entirely possible even without sight.
Swish!
The tentacle struck down beside me and passed over my head, but I kept moving forward.
I didn’t even touch the spear on my back.
Actually, if I used the spear—or rather, if I had Sopeu’s help—I wouldn’t even need to approach the monster.
But this time, I had to defeat the monster without the spear.
Thanks to the gloves I had obtained not long ago, I could cast magic as I envisioned.
However, my magic wouldn’t activate if it moved away from my hands.
It was a major drawback, but it hadn’t been a problem because Sopeu had helped me until now.
But this time, I had to use a different method.
A combat method of my own, different from other ordinary mages.
In the past, when close-range attacks had been impossible, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of it, but now that the seal was undone, things were different.
“Please, call me a close-quarter mage. A combat mage.”
As I spoke while pressing my fist against the monster’s body, Sopeu let out a sigh.
[A mage throwing punches… This is the apocalypse, the apocalypse.]
The apocalypse had already passed, but I couldn’t bring myself to say that.
Instead, I poured energy into my fist pressed against the monster’s body.
I recalled the magic in my head and cast it on the monster’s body.
I detected the blood flowing through the monster’s body with water magic and raised the temperature of the blood with temperature-control magic.
“Burn!”
I poured in energy with maximum firepower, enough to make its blood boil.
Having fought the scout monster several times, I had a firm grasp of its structure.
The hardest part about fighting the scout monster had been piercing that tough hide.
Until now, I had done all sorts of things to pierce the hide, but there was no need for that anymore.
If the hide was tough, I just had to attack beyond the hide.
Splat!
The monster’s hide burst, and white blood spewed out.
It was boiling blood emitting white steam.
Screech!
The monster screamed and tore at the ground.
Its tentacles rampaged in every direction.
The antennae tentacles and the tentacles that acted as legs all transformed into blade-tipped spears and tore everywhere.
Ice was cut away, and crushed ice grains shot up.
I had dodged beforehand when the blood poured out, but the tentacles persistently followed me.
Seeing all the tentacles following me, it seemed all of them had become both weapons and antennae.
It was an incredible attack, but it didn’t feel frightening.
I had already dodged the scout’s tentacle attacks several times.
Because I had extrasensory perception, I could dodge even with my eyes closed.
Moreover, I could attack now, too.
There was no need to use the spear.
I touched the tentacle passing by my head and cast magic.
“Freeze.”
Crack.
The spot I touched froze solid.
When I moved again, the frozen tentacle followed me before shattering in the middle.
Snap!
The tentacle cut in half sprawled on the ground.
The other tentacles were the same.
After dodging the flying tentacles and freezing them, no tentacles remained.
Having subdued the tentacles attacking me, the monster’s body was fully exposed.
I approached again and placed my hand on the monster’s body.
The startled monster twisted its body, but it was too late.
Splurt!
Blood burst out again.
The monster rampaged, spraying boiling blood.
The severed tentacles disappeared, and other tentacles sprouted out to find me again.
But now, even the tentacles had trouble finding me.
It couldn’t be helped.
The surroundings were filled with steam created by the melting ice and blood.
The steam didn’t leave the monster’s vicinity.
Because I held the steam in place with wind magic—or rather, air magic.
Besides, though I wasn’t on Sopeu’s level, I could hide my body with magic, too.
The monster writhing in agony couldn’t find me in the steam-filled area.
Splurt!
Within the steam where nothing was visible, the monster’s body kept bursting.
Over time, the blood that had been fountain-like subsided to a trickle.
Gurgle. Gurgle.
The tentacles’ movements gradually weakened.
Instead, I saw several tentacles gather to form a giant tentacle, but it was meaningless.
Now that that tentacle had been caught, the monster had no way to fight anymore.
I placed my hand on the panting monster’s body and cast magic.
“Freeze.”
Rumble.
The water from the monster’s spilled blood and melted ice began to freeze.
The frozen blood and ice covered the monster’s body.
Covering the monster’s hide, and after the growing tentacles were also covered in ice, the last tentacle collapsed.
The monster was covered in ice.
Looking at the monster turned into an ice sculpture, I curled up the corner of my lips.
This was a work I had created alone.
Without targeting the weakness that was the blackstone, I had won through a contest of strength.
“What do you think? This combat method isn’t bad, right?”
Hearing my words, Sopeu grumbled.
[No matter how I look at it, it’s an unsightly battle.]
Now, even hearing Sopeu’s words, I didn’t feel bothered at all.
That was how much confidence I had gained.
While looking at the frozen monster and regretting that I couldn’t take a photo, a spirit appeared before my eyes.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t appeared to praise me.
—Right now, three more monsters are coming.
It had appeared to warn me that monsters were approaching.
“Again?”
As I wondered at the monsters appearing in succession, Sopeu spoke.
[It must be because a person appeared nearby.]
“Because of me?”
[Is there any other reason?]
“……I suppose not.”
This time, I had no choice but to agree with Sopeu’s words.
Three scout monsters. It was a completely different story from fighting one.
As I scratched my head, the spirit Shamilla spoke.
—Shall I take care of it this time? Completing the city will be delayed, but I can handle them all.
Her words made me feel uneasy as well.
I was about to answer with a sigh.
Sopeu stepped forward first.
[I’ll show off my skills this time. Watch how a proper mage fights.]
Since a mage was offering to step in, there was no reason to refuse.
I picked up the spear.
Before long, the monsters appeared.
The monsters running across the frozen sheet, kicking up clouds of snow, were coming straight toward me.
Sopeu’s words were right.
The monsters’ tentacles were pointed exactly at me. If I left my spot, the monsters would likely follow me.
If I had to fight alone, I would have run around dealing with them one by one, but now I waited here for the monsters to approach.
Unlike before, I was holding a spear in one hand.
As the monsters drew closer, I heard Sopeu’s voice.
[A mage is not a warrior who fights with brute force, but one who prepares first.]
It seemed I would have to listen to Sopeu’s nagging this time, too.
Without a word of complaint, I raised the spear and aimed at the targets.
Then, I pushed energy into the spear.
[Split asunder. Crumble. Dig. Ice Break.]
Along with Sopeu’s chant, magic circles formed beneath the monsters’ feet.
They were magic circles that Sopeu had prepared moments ago.
A trap made of magic.
Crackle!
The ice shattered around the magic circles.
It wasn’t just the surface. Several meters—no, dozens of meters—of ice deep broke apart.
Kuaaaak!
The monsters tumbled beneath the ice floor.
The monsters plunging into the ice pit.
Squelch.
Tentacles shot up and drove their tips into the ice outside the pit.
The tentacles wriggled, and the monsters’ bodies tried to climb out of the pit following them.
Up to here, it was similar to the sight the spirit had shown last time.
But the scene that followed was different from then.
Hundreds, thousands of ice fragments poured down from the sky toward the pit along with the wind.
All of them were ice fragments created when the pit shattered moments ago.
Crash!
The monsters’ hide was tough, but there were too many fragments.
Tentacles were severed, and blood spurted from the monsters’ bodies.
The monsters trying to pull themselves out were slammed back into the pit.
Despite the incredible amount raining down, the ice fragments didn’t decrease.
Ice pieces kept surging up from the pit riding the wind.
Updrafts and downdrafts clashed wildly, and sparks flew as countless ice fragments danced in midair.
[A mage is also a researcher who studies dark energy and creates new magic through that research.]
Sopeu’s voice was heard again.
Energy was sucked into the spear.
The ice bombardment grew faster, and the sparks intensified.
Though there were no clouds, it seemed like lightning was striking from the sky.
I could see electric current flowing through the falling ice fragments.
As current flowed, the ice fragments decomposed.
The blood-soaked tentacles tried to shoot out again.
Sopeu’s magic activated.
Light burst forth from above the pit.
It seemed the world was filled with light.
That light turned into flames in an instant.
BOOOOM!
It was an enormous explosion.
An incredible explosion that seemed capable of blowing away an entire area.
It was like the explosion of a bunker buster dropped to destroy a bunker.
The ice fragments flying in the sky vanished in an instant.
The tentacles coming out of the pit left no trace behind.
The monsters’ sounds couldn’t be heard either.
Fwoooooosh.
A wind full of heat rushed toward me, even from far away.
I listened to Sopeu’s words while feeling a wind that would have burned an ordinary person.
[When sufficient charge, oxygen, and hydrogen gather, one can unfold magnificent magic.]
To me, it looked more terrifying than magnificent.
I thought I understood why Sopeu had been unimpressed by modern weapons.
Even now, without having fully recovered his memories, he could produce power greater than that with magic.
[How about it? A mage is one who uncovers the laws of the universe and breaks them.]
Against the backdrop of a mushroom cloud, Sopeu showed off to his heart’s content.
Instead of talking back, I grimaced.
“How about it? …I feel like I’m going to die.”
Thanks to Sopeu draining so much energy, I didn’t have any strength left.
[So that was roughly your limit.]
“Did you do that on purpose?”
[I was testing your limit. Your energy capacity has increased more than I thought. I thought you would be depleted…]
I hadn’t stopped the energy flow for fear the magic would be interrupted, but there had been no need.
“I’m on the verge of depletion.”
[Even if you were depleted, it wouldn’t have been a problem. I was planning to use the blackstone if that happened.]
Hearing Sopeu’s words, a vein bulged on my forehead.
It seemed this old man had been offended by what I said earlier.
Instead of getting angry, I pointed at the ice pit wreathed in smoke.
“If it’s like this, we can only get one blackstone.”
[……]
Sopeu didn’t say anything at my words.
With that firepower, the scout monsters—and of course the blackstones—must have all burned up.
Then, the only remaining blackstone was in the monster I had frozen.
Satisfied that Sopeu was silent, I moved my feet.
After taking the blackstone from the frozen monster’s body, I headed to the underground of the ruins with the spirit.
The destination was the underground city.
It was the reason I had come to this star.
I intended to keep developing this underground city.
I planned to plant trees and grow crops, making it habitable for people.
So that no matter what situation came, I and the people around me could survive.
This underground city was my final shelter.
Relic Crafting (1)