Episode 100. An ominous omen
Spirit.
Like mana and divine power, it is a concept that does not exist in the original world, but since it clearly has will, it may have to be classified as a race like demons.
I felt that such thoughts became stronger just by seeing the group of spirits materialized in front of me, acting like a person.
“Elder, this kid is imitating me, right?”
“Yes, to the extent that it imitates the being that led it from its form, it also imitates its actions. “The more you continue to do that, the clearer your ego and personality become.”
-Oooooh.
A group of spirits staring at me while quietly crying as if responding to my words.
I could understand what was being said, but I decided not to pay much attention to it.
The important thing is that these kids also recognize my existence, and because of that, their growth has accelerated.
“And the mana control ability of the being who awakened her ego reaches a level that is unrivaled by hers. “No matter how much humans cooperate, they can only exert the will of ten to twenty, or at most a hundred people, but a spirit colony is made up of countless individuals each controlling mana in their own way.”
In other words, if she can obtain the cooperation of her spirit, her ability to precisely control Mana will go far beyond human limits.
As he spoke and held the cane straight in front of me, he took a deep breath and began to focus on his hand holding the cane.
“However, even if we are guided by humans and copy their form and way of thinking, in the end it is nothing more than a temporary phenomenon. “If the concentration required to lead the spirits is disturbed, the group will also be disturbed, which can lead to the disappearance of personality and ego.”
“Disappearing. Do you mean dying?”
If we were to use a metaphor, it would be like a human being being assembled at the cell level and then being split again.
Of course, if that happens, people will die.
If the same cells come together again, the same personality as before can emerge, but how can a being created in that way be considered to be in the same state as before?
“That’s what it means to communicate with spirits. Every time I repeat an attempt, I endlessly face the birth and death of a being that reflects me…”
-Wow.
A group of spirits still crying next to me.
Does he understand what Jean is saying now?
Or is it that the concept of death itself is not recognized in the first place?
“Then, isn’t it meaningless to communicate like this now?”
I felt a little bitter, but more than that, I began to have doubts about the meaning of the practice of dealing with spirits.
No matter how much a spirit can manipulate mana more precisely than a human, I thought that it would not be possible to ask for cooperation from a being that was no different from a newborn every time it formed a form.
“It’s not completely meaningless. Even if it dies and disappears and disintegrates, only a small amount of remnants remain with the caster.”
“Remnants?”
“This means that each time a personality created by a spirit is born and disappears, their traces are engraved little by little on the caster himself.”
-Wow.
An aura is formed on the raised staff, and it begins to stabilize.
It’s the same as when we cut down the undead before.
A phenomenon in which even a small vibration is not felt in the hand that uses the mana, even when dealing with the power to generate physical force in response to will.
When I looked at his hands closely because of that strange feeling, I soon became aware that something had changed there.
“So, if you repeatedly practice communicating with the spirit and accumulating those remnants… Before you know it, the remnants that have learned the practice will reach a point where they need to refine their mana to suit the caster or demonstrate their full potential. “You can reach the level of fluency in an instant.”
What was created in that hand was different from the ring created by the dense flow of power.
A translucent shape without vibration or light distortion, which is a unique phenomenon that occurs when mana is concentrated, is overlaid on the hand.
For a moment, I thought it was covered with a glove made of mana, but… No, that’s not a glove, it’s a hand.
I succeeded in temporarily embodying in my hands only a fragment of an entity that was more distinct than the unstable group that formed next to me.
“This is the state that is achieved at the end.”
-Wow!!
A chunk of rock that can be split in half and slaughtered by a swing of a staff.
If an auror emphasizes the nature of a blunt weapon, the destructive power should increase, but what happened where the staff was swung was a clean line that looked like it had been cut by a sword.
Even that force seems to be focused solely on cutting, and the rock that needs to be split is not pushed to the side, but is rooted straight in place.
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“I remember when I used a sword to control an Auror, so I can now handle that level with a staff like this.”
Yes, that is the result of borrowing the power of an entity capable of precise control of mana.
Furthermore, by leaving and remembering the remnants of such existence in my body, I reached a state through constant training.
“What do you think? Do you think you can do it?”
“…Not at all.”
Such a state seemed so distant to me.
At least among the warriors I know, there was no one who could do something like that with pure mana.
How could I, who was branded a foreigner, dare to reach a level that is impossible even for warriors?
“Yes, as you expected, dealing with spirits is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Normally, the goal of clearly manifesting at least a part of the body would take at least 30 years.”
“…Huh, 30 years.”
Yes, it is not something that can be accomplished overnight.
The moment I realized once again why the empire is so interested in summoning heroes.
Nevertheless, Jean still smiled and spoke to me in a soft voice.
“You don’t have to be so scared. In your case, didn’t you catch up with five years’ worth of growth from the beginning?”
5 Years.
Does it usually take that much time to realize such an imperfect form?
Just because I realized something like that right away, does that mean I have talents and blessings that I wasn’t aware of until now?
“I understand you’re anxious, but don’t worry too much. If you don’t give up, I won’t give up and will help you until the end.”
The moment I heard such sincere encouragement, the confidence that gradually rose from within my heart began to lead to confidence.
Yes, this person would not have prepared this situation without any basis.
So, no matter what happens, let’s go to the end.
“…… Please take care of me in the future. “Elderly.”
“hehehe, okay, I hope you follow along.”
The practice to deal with the spirits started like that.
Under his guidance, I spent time focusing on that one thing and continuing to train.
Until one month has passed since I entered this land.
Devoting myself to developing my strength more than ever.
****
Commonly known as Dragon’s Tomb.
An excavation area formed under the leadership of an empire called humanity’s last hope.
However, even though it was an excavated site, it was safe to say that it was in fact a military garrison since the corps, the core troops of the empire, were stationed there.
In other words, it is safe to say that Marcus Cradle, who led the corps under orders from the imperial family, is in fact the chief person and commander of this place.
“Commander, we have received news from scouts that a large number of undead have gathered at the entrance to the canyon.”
For him, the person in charge, what should be considered more important than excavation is keeping everyone involved in the excavation safe and eliminating risk factors that threaten him.
Of course, as the internal undead subjugation work was almost finished, a new danger coming from outside was something to be wary of.
“… As expected, the Corpse Lord is also targeting this place.”
“Yes, it will be certain if we move collectively.”
Marcus’s expression quickly hardened as he agreed with the soldier who came to deliver the report.
There was nothing very surprising.
In fact, there were undead wandering around this mountain even before they were stationed, and some of them were even seen searching or digging as if they were looking for something.
As most of the undead that were dispatched in advance died, it would be reasonable to infer that the undead army, feeling wary, began stationing troops nearby.
“What is the number of troops? “Have you seen any traces of the Four Knights?”
“The troops immediately confirmed are in battalion units, and according to the scout, it can be confirmed that the one leading them is Rich. “They probably dispatched an advance team ahead of time to explore or keep in check to attack this place.”
“Never neglect surveillance. While I continue to inspect the defense line, instruct the scouts not to leave their positions until the next order is given.”
A soldier salutes and leaves his position following Marcus’ instructions.
Afterwards, he crossed his garrison area with his adjutant and quickly moved his feet towards the barrier being installed on the outskirts of the excavation site.
“Commander, is it really okay?”
In the meantime, the adjutant’s question continued.
It is still only a sign, but since the undead army is directly targeting it, there is a high possibility that an all-out war will break out here soon.
Of course, there have been reports that the Corpse Lord himself is waging a power war with the Demon King’s army, but since even he is not accompanied by the entire army, we cannot be at ease.
Even if only one of the four knights comes here, something called a disaster will definitely come to this land.
“Don’t be anxious. All we have to do is represent the imperial family and protect humanity… No matter what happens, all we have to do is do our best without breaking morale.”
But no matter who the opponent is, what the imperial army must do remains the same.
Marcus was well aware of his mission to protect humanity, and as such, he was trying to focus on strengthening his army and managing its morale.
No matter what happens in the subsequent fight, at least they will be able to demonstrate the maximum power they can.
“..And for that purpose, many warriors were also brought.”
Yes, if warriors join in with such an army, there is nothing to be afraid of.
-Cow!
After being so confident, we arrived at the place where the defense line was being built based on the valley area.
There, workers were in full swing building a defense line, and the pace was more than three times faster than planned in advance.
By a warrior who is exerting his power right among them.
“Hyaaap!”
A man in a helmet hitting the ground with a shovel while making a loud cheering sound.
The moment the ground accepted that force and reversed as if defying gravity, the soil moved in accordance with the trajectory of the shovel held in the hand and began to pile up in a wall-like shape.
For now, it is only temporarily hardened by magical power, but if workers use it as a framework to work, it will be a great help in building a solid defense line.
“Whoa~! Good! “This side is over, so let’s go straight to the next location!”
“Hero! Thank you! “Thanks to you, my work became easier!”
“How can I say thank you for this? “I also work hard while receiving money, so I have to work for the amount I get.”
Hero masculinity.
He is a warrior with a history of growing a small religious order without any other sponsors, and even among warriors who are intoxicated with their power and achievements, he is a special type of a special type who prefers simple labor.
However, his ability in large-scale warfare was extremely effective in shortening the construction work that required numerous workers to dig up and handle.
Without empty words, it would not be an exaggeration to say that after he participated in the construction, the speed of construction increased nearly 10 times.
‘In addition, he has the leadership and tolerance to be followed by working-class people who have a strong aversion to warriors… …. When forming a corps in the future, you may want to consider appointing him as the leader.’
Marcus watches this from afar and evaluates it.
Overall, I came to the conclusion that he was a necessary talent for this garrison area, but even so, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was disappointing.
No matter how powerful a warrior is, his efficiency surpasses that of hundreds of workers, but it would be difficult for him alone to build a defense line capable of protecting this entire mountain range.
If only one more hero came here and helped.
-Patter, patter!
Just as I was thinking that, bricks flew in from afar and started covering the earthen wall.
Even though they were thrown without human hands, the bricks were properly balanced and formed a convincing frame as a wall.
It was in the blink of an eye that a barrier with a balanced structure, mass, and durability was created.
If this kind of work is repeated and the workers focus only on finishing work, a defensive line comparable to the strong castle walls surrounding the empire will be built in this canyon.
“Can we just stack the bricks here on the wall over there?”
A girl with pigtails bursts into the scene as if she came to help with the process.
When Marcus realized that she was also a warrior, the man who had previously been working on building a defense line began to look back at the girl and express his joy.
“Oh, little one! Are you trying to help too!?”
“It’s not a kid, it’s Garam!”
I got angry and screamed, but that lasted only for a moment.
The girl, who soon let go of her anger, smiled, lifted the floating bricks with her own strength, and spoke confidently.
“Well, I’m free right now, so if you need help, I can help you as much as I want.”
Hero Lee Garam.
A unique warrior who uses his masculinity to strengthen the garrison, and a super rookie who eliminated several corrupted warriors immediately after being appointed as a warrior.