53 – Fissure (5)
Keek!
One octopus-human, with tentacles wriggling on its body, charged forward.
Clang!
She was cut by a sharp sword.
“Thank you!”
Thanking I, who protected her by wielding the sword, Mary hurriedly prepared for the next spell.
Since the battle began, she cast spells non-stop, tirelessly.
Quite literally, there was no time to rest.
She moved with such vigor, pouring her soul into it, but the number of monsters in front of her showed no signs of decreasing.
Even the usually optimistic Mary felt a hint of negativity.
However, the situation was not entirely desperate.
She wasn’t alone.
Alexis, who poured out spells tirelessly based on vast magical energy, Rachel, who displayed a rapid casting speed, precise judgment, and great power, Cedric, who wielded his sword wildly against the monsters, and Ira, who protected the spellcasters vulnerable in close combat with precise and swift movements.
Everyone, in their positions, was giving their all and striving to do their best.
And among them, the most noticeable was.
Whoosh!
Kieek!
Kieek…!
“It’s endless.”
With an annoyed gaze, he waved his hand.
Instantly, flames surged, engulfing what seemed like dozens of monsters.
Estelle consistently controlled such fierce power of flames.
She knew the potency of Rainberg’s vision magic and that Estelle was adept at it.
But she didn’t expect this level of power.
…No, could that really be magic?
Mary, who could be considered quite familiar with magic, felt a slight doubt about the flames.
It seemed as though there was no casting involved, no sense of magic within the flames.
Of course, there were spells that concealed traces of magic, but… even so, it felt unfamiliar.
…No.
Now was not the time to question such details.
Such thoughts could be pondered later at any time.
If there was room to think about that, it was better to cast one more spell.
Mary shook her head lightly to dispel her doubts and refocused on the situation in front of her.
Perhaps it was thanks to everyone’s efforts. The situation was still far from good, but not entirely hopeless.
There was a crisis in the middle, but thanks to the masked individuals who appeared just in time, they overcame the crisis, and since then, they were able to more stably fend off the monsters.
And leisure often breeds thoughts.
Mary’s gaze shifted beyond the monsters in front of her.
Beyond the endless, wriggling monsters, on the completely frozen lake.
There stood a man facing a wolf-like monster with a massive build, which was distinctly visible even from a distance, and against it, a man who looked small from this distance.
Or rather, the man’s figure was not clearly visible.
There were times when it was visible, but most of the time, it appeared blurry like a lingering image, occasionally disappearing entirely from sight.
Mary noticed that it was because of Wade, who was moving at a speed invisible to the eye.
Wade was moving at such a terrifying speed, battling against calamity-level monsters.
“Wade….”
Mary had also noticed that Wade was hiding his true strength.
For quite some time now.
However, she did not know that his strength would be at a level where he could face calamity-level monsters single-handedly.
Facing calamity-level monsters alone.
That was something only a very limited few among the people of many continents, commonly known as the Ten-Sword Grade Warriors, could do.
Yet Wade was achieving that.
Now, Wade, who was merely eighteen.
That, from the perspective of common sense, was shocking.
No, some would deem it an impossible feat.
If this fact were to be revealed, all eyes of the continent would be on him.
And a storm would arise around him.
While that fact was worrisome, Mary’s worries were focused on the near future.
If Wade were to get injured in that fight, or worse, if something went terribly wrong?
To Mary, Wade was a childhood friend who had been by her side since she could remember, a family, and at the same time… an incredibly precious person.
For Wade to go wrong was something Mary didn’t even want to imagine.
If only her heart’s desire could make her rush to help Wade immediately.
But the situation didn’t allow for that, and even if she did, it was unlikely to be of much help.
It would be fortunate if she didn’t end up hindering instead.
Knowing that well, Mary could only watch with an anxious heart.
When the monster attacked, her eyes trembled, and when Wade counterattacked, she unconsciously clenched her fists.
Yet neither side managed to inflict any significant damage on each other, and the battle continued in a rather precarious manner.
Then, amidst this, the tide turned.
It was too far to accurately determine what triggered it, but something changed, and from that moment on, Wade began to overwhelm the monster.
Strictly speaking, even though his form wasn’t clearly visible, it could be inferred from the significant damage the monster suffered. Wade was pressing the monster.
First the legs, then the neck, and finally the head.
The monster was helplessly taking Wade’s attacks.
And the finishing move of that fight was Wade’s sword swinging down while standing still.
“….!”
Mary gasped.
Unlike the swordsmanship she had seen from Wade until then, the final strike, she could clearly see, was slow enough for anyone to evade as if unable to harm anyone. Even a child could easily dodge it.
Yet that sword cleaved the lake, the monster.
It was literally a shocking sight akin to a miracle.
And it seemed like this was not a story limited to just her.
“What on earth….”
At the voice coming from beside her, Mary’s head turned naturally.
There, Rachel was standing, absentmindedly staring in the other direction.
“…This is unbelievable.”
Alexis’s reaction was no different.
Like someone witnessing a miracle, she blinked her eyes open and murmured.
“……”
“……”
From Cedric to Ayla, they were all speechless, staring blankly in Wade’s direction.
Perhaps, being outsiders, they could delve deeper into that strange sword.
Of course, Mary was also greatly surprised.
But more than that, she felt a sense of relief that Wade was unharmed.
She then let go of the weight that had been on her chest.
Now that Wade’s fight was over, they would gain momentum in sorting out other matters.
Knowing Wade’s nature, he would soon come to help here.
That way, they could tidy up the surroundings faster and conclude the situation sooner.
With those thoughts in mind, she glanced towards Wade.
Indeed, shortly after, Wade began to walk in her direction.
However.
That stride did not last long.
Before long, Wade stopped walking, turned back around.
Towards the center of the lake, where the island was.
And then.
Gradually, Wade began to move towards the island.
Soon, the lush trees on the island concealed Wade’s figure, making him disappear from view.
“…Wade.”
Why did Wade head towards the island?
What could be happening there?
Only unanswered questions swirled in her mind.
***
Entering the island by pushing through the dense trees.
Suppressing the growing unease as I moved further in, I continued to walk, until finally, I could see the center of the island.
There…
“…A person?”
A figure in robes lay on the ground at the center of the island.
Upon closer inspection, they were not dead.
Clearly, alive.
However.
I felt an indescribable strangeness emanating from them.
Although they were alive and in human form, there was something so odd about them that made me hesitant to approach.
“Whatever the case.”
There was nothing else noticeable on this island but that.
Moreover, this was the epicenter where a crack had formed, spewing forth monsters from another dimension.
The fact that there were people living there unharmed was extraordinary.
Therefore, I remained vigilant.
However, apart from that vigilance, one cannot uncover the truth without verification.
In the end, I made up my mind to investigate Inyeong, despite the risks.
That was the moment I started to take steps.
Twist─
Inyeong moved.
It was a subtle movement, but undoubtedly, she moved.
Before I could react.
Twist─
Again, Inyeong moved.
And as time passed, her movements became more pronounced.
The slight twisting spread, and soon her whole body trembled.
Then, a while later, the body encased in a robe began to contort like dough, protruding in all directions.
“…….”
Witnessing that eerie sight, I felt a shiver.
It wasn’t merely the sight that was eerie.
It was the sudden surge of chilling unease, the persistent intuition that began to run wild.
Thus, I immediately scattered a mix of determination-infused energy towards Inyeong.
Boom!
Though hastily conjured, the power behind it was far from feeble.
It had the force to easily cleave and crush rocks.
Indeed, it disturbed the ground of the island, raising clouds of dust.
Suppressing the tumultuous unease, I waited for the dust to settle.
Hoping for the effectiveness of my energy.
However, my hope was shattered.
“Whoever you are, you lack manners.”
Harshly interrupted by the voice that emerged.
It was like a voice distorted by noise, abnormal.
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Soon, a gust of wind swept in, swiftly dispersing the dust my energy had raised.
And the revealed sight was grotesque and alien.
“But… this works out well.”
A human draped in torn shreds, covered in tentacles, eyes gleaming, stared at me.
“It’s just perfect for testing your strength.”
The monster chuckled.