-Team Oudin
“What’s going on?”
I hurriedly turned to Yu Jaeseon and asked.
“For now, it seems the sandstorms have disappeared everywhere else as well. The sand dust is no longer flying around either, except for what’s piled up on the ground. The problem is the sandworms. They say those haven’t disappeared.”
“I see.”
Perhaps because so many mages had gathered at the Samseong Station intersection, only one sandworm had appeared at first, and no more had shown up afterward.
So I had thought the sandworms were disappearing along with the sandstorm, but apparently that was not the case.
“It seems the military and police were wrestling with sandworms all over the place through the night. They say the worms have been going even more berserk since the sandstorm vanished. They’re even smashing buildings and houses.”
“They must be angry because the environment they liked is gone.”
“And on top of that, the pigeons are a problem too. Once the sandstorm died down and the sand dust cleared, it seems the pigeons resumed activity. Fortunately, there still aren’t any civilians out and about, but police officers and soldiers are collapsing helplessly.”
Since most of the mages had gathered here, the remaining response to the terror attacks had fallen to the police and military.
In any case, with terror attacks taking place all across Seoul, they couldn’t be left out of even patrols and security, and it seemed the military and police had been moving through the city all night, fighting sandworms.
On top of that, the pigeons were stealing their life force.
No matter how trained soldiers and police officers were, ordinary people who were not mages had limits when it came to dealing with monstrous life-forms like sandworms and pigeons.
After all, ash-gray energy could not be suppressed with conventional weapons.
It was a situation where the mages had to step in. The raid was not over.
“We need the mages to hurry and take care of the sandworms and pigeons.”
“Yes. Morning is breaking now, so we have to move quickly. I did tell them to send out another emergency alert telling people not to go outside yet, but there will likely be people who move around anyway.”
“Let’s divide the mages and send them to each district. The communication network is set up, right? If we learn an effective strategy, we’ll need to let everyone know immediately.”
“Whether they’re from the Management Bureau or the Hall, they all have communications equipment, so don’t worry about that. But will the mages be able to go back into action right now?”
Yu Jaeseon looked around with concern.
Seeing the mages sprawled out haphazardly on the road, resting, it was impossible not to worry.
But some time had passed, so at least a little of their mana should have recovered. They could replenish more mana while moving.
As long as their limbs were intact and they could move, setting out to attack monstrous life-forms was the fate of mages.
That was what I thought, but whether the other mages would agree was another question.
Wasn’t this exactly when a hero was needed?
I, who had used up more mana than anyone else just moments ago, had to take the lead and encourage the exhausted mages.
I picked up the loudspeaker again and stood in the middle of the intersection.
“Mages, you have all worked hard.”
At that, cheers erupted here and there. Some people clapped as well. They were finally letting out the cheers they had put off because they had been too exhausted. In any case, seeing them do that, it seemed everyone was slowly regaining their strength.
“The raid was a success!”
“Everyone worked hard!”
“But Mage Oudin did everything, really.”
“That’s right. If not for your incredible spatial magic, the sandstorm would still be raging.”
“It was truly amazing!”
“I respect you!”
I had not stepped forward to receive praise all over again.
After confirming that everyone’s eyes were focused on me, I raised my hand to signal for silence.
The mages waited for the words that would come from my mouth.
“I did not accomplish this alone. It is an achievement all of us made together. However, the raid is not over yet. The sandstorms have all disappeared, but they say the sandworms remain and are rampaging. And the pigeons have also appeared again. We must set out for one more attack. Mages, please lend me your strength. I will take the lead.”
I wondered if a few words like this could really make strength appear where there was none, but unexpectedly, everyone immediately got up from their seats.
“We have to go. We’re mages.”
“Let’s finish the rest of the raid!”
“We need to end this. Let’s push through!”
“Let’s hurry up and take them down.”
The fact that they had all joined forces to eliminate the sandstorm terror that had blanketed the entire city in a haze seemed to have stirred a sense of victory in the mages.
Their bodies were all exhausted, but their spirits were alive.
Simply witnessing such tremendous spatial magic before their eyes had made all the mages proud and confident.
It was only natural. We were all on the same side. We had the same goal and had attacked together.
There was a certain emotion that came from a large-scale joint operation.
Seeing the mages like that stirred another feeling in me as well.
‘All of them are accepting my command and moving according to my will.’
They were people who had once believed rumors, suspected me, and even opposed me. Yet now, they were fully accepting me as their commander.
Even though they were merely setting out to do what mages ought to do, that was why I found them admirable all over again.
“Now, the potions are here!”
Just then, people suddenly stepped forward. Our eternal pack peddler, Cheon Danbi, along with Ren and the elves.
“You’re all exhausted, aren’t you? Drink down a potion each and regain your strength.”
“They’re special potions excellent for recovering mana.”
“They’re all free. We’re giving them all to our mages for free!”
“Please take one.”
At that, cheers erupted again. They were even louder than the cheers of joy at the raid’s success. Laughter could be heard too, and everyone’s expressions brightened.
Of course they did.
In truth, far from being able to attack anything, they barely had enough strength left to go home, yet they were being asked to go out and hunt monstrous life-forms again.
They were proud and confident, but their legs were trembling.
And then potions like the water of life had appeared before their eyes.
Everyone rushed forward to receive potions and drink them. Thus they filled their bodies with life force and mana and renewed their resolve.
“I can feel strength surging back. Thank you, elves!”
“You’ll need plenty of mana if you’re going to hunt those terrifying sandworms.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll wipe out every last sandworm.”
Soon, Yu Jaeseon and the Management Bureau staff divided the districts and assigned the mages. Then Freyja approached and said,
“Ah, we elves and dwarves will capture the pigeons. The pigeons are less like monstrous life-forms made with black magic and more like test subjects created in Vanaheim’s laboratory. We can capture them too.”
“Would you do that? Thank you. Then the mages can focus on attacking the sandworms.”
“Let’s move together.”
First, I decided to look around the area near Samseong Station.
Since this place was near the Magic Tower, it seemed there were no sandworms here, if anything, but I had a feeling Samir might be plotting something else.
It seemed necessary to keep watch on the Magic Tower from nearby. Once my mana returned, I also wanted to pierce through it with my golden sight.
Just as the division of roles was finished and the mages and other races were about to set off...
No one could leave that place.
Sandworms were swarming in from every direction.
“Ah! Sandworms!”
“They’re coming this way too!”
“Damn it! They’ve gotten huge!”
“They’re smashing the buildings. At this rate, the buildings will collapse!”
“Get away from there!”
The mages and other races stirred noisily.
By now, the day had fully brightened, and all the sand dust had disappeared, so visibility reached far into the distance.
Sandworms were surging in from all four directions of the Samseong Station intersection.
They had all grown so enormous that the sandworm I had first seen in Itaewon seemed like it might have only been a larva.
Some of the ones standing upright reached about the tenth floor of a building. Their bodies, once grayish-brown, had now turned dark red, and they were so hard that when they slammed into buildings, windows shattered with a crash and exterior walls broke away.
The ones battering buildings near the lower floors were even more dangerous. As the lower portions of the buildings cracked and were gouged out from the impact, the buildings lost their balance and began to tilt.
They were destroying buildings at random as they approached, but their target was us. That was clear.
I shouted into the loudspeaker.
“Elves and dwarves, retreat to the center! Mages, each of you take one of the four directions, defend, and attack the sandworms! Form ranks!”
Even with the sudden order, the mages moved quickly.
The mages belonging to the Hall, led by Han Dosu, took two directions. The Management Bureau mages took another direction, and the remaining freelance mages stood behind me.
“Form groups of four and attack! Three people fire flame magic, and once it is engulfed in flames, one person drives lightning into the sandworm’s mouth!”
Han Dosu, who had experience attacking sandworms, relayed the strategy to the mages.
It was an attack method centered on the magic that mages of average skill could use most easily. His advice to form groups of four was also useful.
Immediately, flames began to rise here and there from the mages. Then lightning struck down, and sandworms thrashing in agony could be seen.
But there were too many sandworms. They would not wait for us to take them down one by one.
“Gil! Come forward and command the mages on this side!”
When I shouted, Gil quickly ran forward, but at the words telling him to command, he looked utterly dumbfounded.
“What? You want me to command?”
“Yes. Have them attack in groups of four using Han Dosu’s method, watch to make sure no point gets breached, and defend. I need to make a round.”
I had gathered the freelance mages into one team so I could take responsibility for them, but this was not a situation where I could stand here and attack one by one.
If we failed to reduce the number of sandworms, we might end up trapped in the center of the intersection.
I intended to move outside alone and attack the sandworms’ weak points from behind.
That was why I had no choice but to leave one side of the intersection to Gil.
But I was not worried. Gil was a skilled mage who knew how to use magic with precision and certainty.
And just because they were freelance mages did not mean they were necessarily weaker than the mages from the Hall or the Management Bureau.
“Gil will command here. Take responsibility for your assigned positions in groups of four. Everyone, stay strong!”
Even as I spoke, the mages were extending flame magic without even looking back.
“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best!”
“I have plenty of mana since I drank the potion... Huh! That building over there is going to collapse!”
The moment a nearby building shook from a sandworm’s impact, Gil quickly sent concentric waves of mana in that direction. Then he activated restoration magic.
It was one of the magics Gil performed far better than others.
When the swaying building straightened back into its original form, the mages exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow! That’s impressive skill.”
“As expected of Oudin’s team!”
Since it seemed I could trust the combination of Gil and the freelance mages, I quickly left the area.
I activated kinetic magic and rose into the air, heading toward the rear, when I heard a scream from somewhere.