——Advanced Magic: Second Stage is something multiple skilled mages should wield together. Don’t even think about doing it alone.
The instructors who taught Shizuku magic, though they all fawned over her charm, never budged on this point. It was proof they were excellent mages themselves, and even they couldn’t imagine performing such magic alone or in small numbers.
Advanced Magic: Second Stage wasn’t about praying to spirits—it was the technique of those who dared to challenge them. Thus, no properly trained mage would treat it lightly.
“Glacial Spirit’s Shattering Spear“
Shizuku cast it.
With a shivering cold, a silvery-blue spear of ice was unleashed.
Its aftershock froze the surrounding undead, but the icy spearhead flew straight and true toward the Starving Skull.
Aimed at the black-purple heart pulsating deep within the skull formed by countless undead soldiers——
[GAAAAAAAAAAAAA]
——It struck. And in that moment, the fearsome undead giant was instantly transformed into an ice giant.
The powerful ice-freezing spell imbued within the spear ignored the countless shields of the undead soldiers, freezing everything in its path.
And the spear, upon impact, did more than just freeze the Starving Skull. The embedded spear emitted light, and as it exploded, cracks formed across the entire ice statue.
Contrary to its beautiful appearance, the Advanced Magic: Second Stage was an extremely aggressive spell designed primarily to destroy its enemies. In an instant, its effect shattered the Starving Skull into pieces.
“We… we did it!! That’s… amazing!!”
Laura instinctively raised both hands and shouted in joy. Having split the magical energy with Shizuku, her mana was severely depleted, leaving her body weak, but the fatigue was overshadowed by her elation. With a confident expression of victory, Laura turned to look at Shizuku. However,
“…No.”
Shizuku, who seemed to have borne an even greater burden than Laura, shook her head while drenched in sweat.
“It… escaped.”
“…Huh?”
Shizuku remained calm. She had been closely observing the enemy’s condition. Just before her magic could pierce the black-purple [Core Magic Stone], she had seen the stone hidden within the skull leap out and escape.
Immediately after, a rumbling shook the entire fortress.
“Wha!? Wha-wha-wha-wha…!?”
It shook. It shook. The already unstable tower of the fortress began to sway.
Laura screamed but managed to support Shizuku, who looked like she was about to collapse, enduring the shaking.
The tremors soon subsided. However, Laura understood that this did not mean the situation was resolved.
This time, instead of the intense shaking that made the tower sway, an unpleasant grinding sound could be heard. And then,
“Huh!?”
Something emerged from the ground. Laura thought the Starving Skull had revived, but it wasn’t that. Something rugged and rock-like rose from the depths of the earth like a pillar.
Laura realized it was a plant. A plant, a dark-colored giant tree, was growing upwards.
“[Evil Spirit Tree Treant]…!?”
But its size was on a completely different scale. And it wasn’t just large—multiple Evil Spirit Tree Treants had merged together, forcibly taking shape. Just like the Starving Skull.
There was only one thing this meant.
The black-purple light spilling from the center of the [Evil Spirit Tree Treant] made Laura understand.
[ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!]
The black-purple Core Magic Stone, the remnants of the necromancer, had transferred its body to the [Gigant-Treant of the Great Evil Spirit].
“Th-th-that’s… impossible!”
Just defeating the Starving Skull had been a desperate struggle. They had used everything they had, exhausted all their resources, and somehow managed to defeat it.
And now, it had transferred its body?
They had to start all over again to defeat that monster?
There’s no way… no way they could do that!!
“—Laura-sama, we’ll do it again. Please help me.”
“Huh!?”
But the other girl didn’t seem to think that way at all.
She downed two mana-replenishing potions in one go and handed the remaining one over.
“I don’t think a monster of that caliber is still lurking. There must be limitations to the transfer… We’ll press the attack.”
“B-but but! How are we supposed to do that again!?”
While frantically drinking the mana-replenishing potion she had been handed, Laura shook her head. Drinking the potion would restore some of her mana, but it wouldn’t restore her depleted focus. The Advanced Magic: Second Stage from earlier was something they had managed to pull off when both of them had some leeway. Moreover,
[ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!]
“Eek!?”
The Gigant-Treant of the Great Evil Spirit reached out towards the tower’s rooftop. Its arm, now resembling a massive iron hammer, missed its direct target but violently shook the tower once again.
The Gigant-Treant was clearly targeting them. It was wary of their power, recognizing them as a threat. It would no longer scatter its hostility aimlessly.
They had to escape immediately. Yet, Shizuku didn’t waver in the slightest.
“We’ll skip the firing process and just complete the spear. Hurry.”
“But even if we make it…!!!?”
Another tremor shook the tower, causing it to collapse. Laura, seeing the external staircase leading up the tower crumble from the impact, grimaced and cried. And then,
“I’ll do it!!”
There was no other choice. To survive, they had to do it.
Laura poured all her focus, surpassing her limits, into assisting Shizuku.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
Around the time Shizuku and the others began their preparations again, Ur and his group, who had finally reached the vicinity of the tower, also witnessed the transfer.
“Wh-what the…!?”
Naturally, Ur and his group were also faced with the appearance of the Gigant-Treant of the Great Evil Spirit. The entire fortress, transformed into a labyrinth, trembled as giant trees burst forth from the ground, creating a hellish scene. Ur and his group were barely able to keep their footing.
[Ngh, ugh!?]
Simultaneously, the black-purple light glowing from within the giant tree pierced the body of the Death Knight. His body convulsed violently, and the tip of the great sword he held slowly turned towards Ur and Nina.
“Old man!?”
[Gah!!]
But before he could attack them, the Death Knight forcibly redirected the sword’s tip towards himself and stabbed it through his own body. Though his abdomen was full of gaps, the blade still shattered several bones as it pierced through. Whether it was this that brought him back to his senses or not, the Death Knight vigorously shook his head and nodded.
[Don’t worry! Now’s the perfect opportunity, kid!!]
“You serious…!?”
The Gigant-Treant of the Great Evil Spirit that had appeared let out a roar and began rampaging. Watching as it continuously absorbed the monsters emerging from the labyrinth, growing even more massive, it was hard to believe this was a perfect opportunity.
But the Death Knight (though it was hard to tell) wore an expression of certainty as he continued.
[No proper commands have been coming through since earlier!! That tree monster can’t even control itself properly, it’s stumbling around!! An attack like that won’t hit anything!!]
“Th-that’s right, the ‘pulsing’ has stopped…?”
Nina added. Indeed, the black-purple pulsing that had been persistently expanding the labyrinth had ceased since the monster appeared.
All it was doing was controlling and devouring the surrounding monsters.
[It’s panicking and flailing around because it’s about to die!! We can kill it!!]
The necromancer was an exceptional mage, but when it came to combat experience, he was a complete amateur.
An exceptional mage isn’t necessarily skilled in battle.
His clearly panicked actions were an opportunity. His observation was correct. The problem was,
“But how are we supposed to attack!?”
As Nina said, they had already used up most of their resources. They had consumed too many strength potions, and their bodies were aching. The [Howl] of the Dragon Fang Spear had been used sparingly, but they likely only had one shot left.
They had no means left to defeat that thing. That was the truth.
“No…”
But Ur didn’t kneel. Even amidst the intense shaking, he spread his legs to keep from falling, aimed the Dragon Fang Spear at the Gigant-Treant, and opened his mouth. To divert the monster’s attention away from Shizuku and the others on the tower.
“I believe in Shizuku.”
Ur was certain. No matter the situation, she would surely—
“That girl will definitely do something!!”
“You believe in her for that!?”
That’s right.
The relationship they had built since becoming adventurers was short but intensely close. She had dragged him through both incredible highs and lows. That’s why he was certain. She would act. She wouldn’t bow her head in the face of adversity. She would look in an unexpected direction and do something outrageous.
“[Magical Core Activation Drive].”
Then, he would buy her time.
But the moment he activated the magical core, Ur noticed something strange.
“Again…!?”
The same odd pulsing as when they first encountered the Starving Skull. The activation sound of the magical core was intense. The magical light just before firing was growing fiercer. It was as if a beast was growling in the presence of its prey.
—If we use the labyrinth’s Core Magic Stone as the magical core, we can make something incredible!
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
