Chapter 94: Great Stone Mountain, Mogron (4)

The landscape of the Demonic Realm flashed past quickly.

[Krrr!]

[Kkeuruk! Kkeururuk…….]

Each time we headed deeper into the Demonic Realm, demonic beasts spewed bestial roars and blocked our path, but each time, Eldran’s hand flashed, and the halo of light that arose pushed the demonic beasts away.

Conlan, who was watching that sight, spoke as if he couldn’t believe it.

“I don’t know much about mages, but was magic always something you could use recklessly like that?”

“Why are you surprised all of a sudden? There’s someone even stranger than that right here.”

At Albino’s answer, Conlan glanced slightly at me.

“True.”

“But still, I know that magic isn’t something you can just use recklessly like that…… It seems the Baronet is pushing himself quite a bit.”

He was right.

No matter how high his understanding of the contract was and how much preparation he had made to offset the price, to spam magic like that, he had to endure a considerable price.

In other words, it showed just how serious Eldran was about this mission.

“Are you alright?”

At my question, Eldran’s eyes colored with small surprise, as if it was unexpected.

“……Haha, I don’t plan on dying before this mission is over, so please don’t worry.”

Eldran laughed weakly.

It meant that although he wasn’t showing it much, the price of the magic was slowly eating away at him.

Edric must have noticed that fact as well, as he approached.

“Please refrain from using magic from now on. We will handle the demonic beasts.”

“I can’t do that…… Ugh.”

“Don’t you need to save your strength to use magic on the King of the Demonic Realm?”

“But still……!”

“You don’t need to worry so much. My subordinates are competent.”

Edric boasted.

Of course, Edric’s opinion didn’t represent everyone’s opinion.

“Competent? Us?”

“I think you’ve mistaken us for someone else.”

“Agreed.”

“…….”

Edric’s sharp gaze glared at the special task force members, but there was no way the special task force members would budge.

“Just do as you’re told.”

In the end, Edric asserted his authority.

I’d wager that’s one of the worst ways to handle subordinates.

“Hmph. Didn’t I at least promise not to make you die in vain?”

“That’s a tyrant, plain and simple.”

“Bad person.”

“…….”

Amidst the continuing backlash, Eldran looked at Edric with a gaze that felt somewhat sympathetic, and Edric quietly closed his eyes.

At that moment.

[Krrreuk…….]

[Kak, Kahak.]

The presence of demonic beasts was felt from beyond the bushes.

These were guys that would have been easily driven away by Eldran’s magic before, but now we were in a situation where we could no longer rely on Eldran’s magic.

“Hmph, they’re here.”

“Let’s go.”

Although they had spoken like that earlier, no one among the special task force members postponed what needed to be done.

[Kyaaaaak!]

The demonic beasts inside the Demonic Realm began to rush toward us in earnest.

Edric, who cut down the demonic beast at the very front, shouted.

“Vell! Protect the Baronet!”

“You’re giving me the hardest job!”

Of course, it meant that Edric trusted me that much, but an escort mission was always the most difficult task in a chaotic battle like this.

“I will not be a burden.”

Eldran said, drawing the dagger that was at his waist.

“You’d better not.”

“Ha, just as I’d heard, you’re a peculiar person. That’s why I like you even more, Vell Blackwood.”

Baronet Eldran stood next to me, smiling fiercely.

It meant he wouldn’t just remain a protected entity.

‘Well, it’s not like I planned to let any demonic beasts get close anyway.’

The key to this mission, no matter what anyone said, was Baronet Eldran.

Although Edric had entrusted me with escorting Baronet Eldran, Baronet Eldran was personnel who had to be protected with the highest priority, even if I hadn’t been explicitly ordered.

[Kyaaaaak!]

A demonic beast rushed in.

“It’s coming!”

“I see it.”

【Lv.4】

【Red Jaw Warrior Ant】

The opponent was a level 4 Insect type.

They were guys with an extremely hard exoskeleton, so it was highly likely that general gunfire wouldn’t work.

Sssss……!

The Demonic energy flowing from my fingertips seeped into the bullets via the magazine.

This series of processes was now extremely familiar to me, so it was literally enough to be done in the blink of an eye.

Taang─!

With the pull of the trigger, the 9x33mmR 357 Magnum standard round fired from the Colt garrison B-09 instantly blew the Red Jaw Warrior Ant’s head apart.

Chwaak!

Amidst the bodily fluids of the Red Jaw Warrior Ant scattering in all directions, other Red Jaw Warrior Ants rushed in.

[Gigigit!]

[Gigik!]

Whether they were enraged at losing their compatriot or just trying to catch and kill the prey in front of them, I didn’t know, but their hostility was clear.

‘Five rounds left in the magazine.’

There were enough bullets to kill all of them.

Tang─!

Tatatang!!

Each time the trigger was pulled and fire spewed from the muzzle, the heads of the level 4 Red Jaw Warrior Ant individuals burst open all too easily.

“That’s the Magic of Thunder……!”

It was around then that Baronet Eldran’s astonished voice reached my ears.

If it had been just that, I wouldn’t have paid much attention, but the problem was that Baronet Eldran’s words didn’t end there.

“Unbelievable power. But compared to the power, the area of effect seems extremely limited, so did he increase the power by reducing the magic’s effective range? No, he might have reduced the price.”

“It’s not ordinary magic. Among the demons I know, there isn’t one that possesses such magic…… Did he perhaps make a contract with a spirit? It’s rare, but I’ve heard such cases aren’t nonexistent.”

“By the way, he’s already used magic of that much power several times, so how is he handling the price? No…… In that case, rather than paying the price in full, it would be right to see it as him reducing the price by using other constraints and offsets. Is the unique medium for that? If so…….”

Eldran, who was following behind, kept muttering something, but I lightly ignored it.

I had not the slightest intention of resolving those questions, and besides, it seemed closer to a monologue than a question directed at me in the first place.

‘Anyway, there’s no normal one among mages.’

Recalling the old maxim of the Lagna Continent, I holstered the Colt garrison B-09 that was in my hand.

Not only had I exhausted all the bullets in the magazine, but the guy coming now required especially strong firepower.

[Kieeee──!]

【Lv.5】

【Pointed Jaw Captain Ant】

In front of me, an individual outstandingly larger than the other ants rushed toward me.

‘A chieftain individual, is it.’

If so, if I take care of it here, the other ants will be no different from a disorderly mob.

I stretched out my right hand just like that.

[Activating ‘Weapon Summon(??)’.]

[A ‘Lv.2’ weapon is being summoned.]

[Summoning weapon, ‘B686 Double Barrel Shotgun’.]

The heavy sensation grasped in my right hand, along with a blue halo of light.

It’s a sensation I quite like.

[Kieeeeeee──!]

Before I knew it, the shadow of the Pointed Jaw Captain Ant was cast right in front of me.

“Shut your maw.”

The trigger was pulled, and the B686 Double Barrel Shotgun spewed flames.

Peo-eong!

The close-range destructive power of the 70mm 12 gauge shotgun shell, imbued with Demonic energy, was just as I already knew well; it blew the level 5 chieftain demonic beast’s head apart in a single shot.

“How can a chieftain individual of a demonic beast of that level, in just one shot……!”

Baronet Eldran’s gaping mouth couldn’t seem to close.

“A fly might get in like that.”

“A fly? There are no flies in the Demonic Realm. It’s because it’s a domain where ordinary creatures cannot live. A mage of your caliber, Vell, couldn’t possibly be unaware of such common sense, could you?”

“…….”

I roughly understood.

What kind of person Baronet Eldran was.

In any case, once the chieftain demonic beast was taken care of, the ant demonic beasts that had attacked us quickly fell into disarray and scattered.

“Is everyone alright, any injuries?”

At Edric’s words, Albino pointed to Conlan.

“This moron seems to be a bit injured.”

“Why are you mentioning something like that? I’m fine, so let’s keep going.”

“Hmm, for now, let’s apply temporary measures while moving, and get proper treatment back at Winter Castle. We’re pressed for time right now.”

Now, the distance to the King of the Demonic Realm was not that far.

Although everyone had minor wounds, fortunately, no one was injured badly enough to delay our movement.

The journey toward the King of the Demonic Realm continued.

Shooting, cutting, and burning demonic beasts.

We mobilized truly every method we could to kill and kill demonic beasts as we advanced.

“Haak, haak……!”

“Really, going to die, it seems.”

“Vell, are you okay?”

“……For now.”

Around the time the healing power of the Orb of Water reached its limit.

We were finally able to face the King of the Demonic Realm, who filled our vision.

The Walking Rock.

He Who Shakes the Heavens and Earth with a Single Step.

Bizarre Rock Giant Stone.

The King of the Demonic Realm.

Great Stone Mountain, Mogron.

Conlan, Albino, and even Alicia couldn’t say a single word after seeing that being.

“Dodge!”

As soon as Edric’s shout was heard, a massive energy wave struck us.

Kuuuuung!!!

“Keol-leok! Keol-leok!”

“What is this nonsense……”

Even the simple footsteps taken by the King of the Demonic Realm were threatening enough to make us feel a threat to our lives.

“Move!”

Even Edric, who wouldn’t back down easily, had nothing else he could do in this situation but throw his body to dodge.

“Captain! What do we do now!”

“For now, dodge!”

“We’re already doing that!”

In the urgent situation, the special task force members screamed and threw their bodies.

“Ugh…… How the hell are we supposed to eliminate something like that?”

“It was an impossible mission from the start. No matter if we have the Mage of Illusion……”

The moment despair spread among the special task force members.

Wooooong──

Suddenly, an overwhelming halo of light erupted from both of Eldran’s hands and instantly covered Mogron.

Along with that, the movements of Great Stone Mountain, Mogron, which had been scattering an absurd energy wave in all directions and devastating the surroundings, stopped.

“From now on, I will take over.”

With Eldran’s declaration, the halo of light erupting from his hands grew even stronger.

“I-Is it stopped?”

“Did he really stop that thing?”

Not only Conlan, but even Albino couldn’t hide their astonishment, as if they couldn’t believe it.

However, all magic had a price.

“Kkeuk, kkeueuk……!”

Tears of blood began to flow from the eyes of Eldran, who was scattering the halo of light.

No, it wasn’t just his eyes.

Fresh blood was streaming from Baronet Eldran’s ears, nose, and even his mouth.

“What’s with all the blood……!”

“Captain, is that alright?”

“For now, we can only watch. We have to trust Baronet Eldran.”

As it was magic used against none other than the King of the Demonic Realm, it meant that even Eldran, with his high understanding of the contract, had no choice but to pay a considerable price.

If Eldran couldn’t handle the price and collapsed, this mission would be a failure.

And failure would mean the fall of Winter Castle.

“Kkeuaaa!”

Eldran was a noble.

A noble who had a duty to his responsibilities.

Whether it was because of that, I didn’t know, but Eldran let out a scream and raised the magic’s output even more.

As if prioritizing the mission even more than his own well-being.

Along with that, the halo of light intensified, tightening around Mogron even more strongly.

“Uaaaaa!”

Was it Eldran’s price paying off?

-Goooooooooooo……!

Mogron’s body, which had stopped its steps, slowly began to turn.

As if to return to where it had come from, toward the inside of the Demonic Realm, not Winter Castle.

A moment of silence flowed.

Because the sight that had just occurred was too unrealistic to react to immediately.

“My goodness……”

“Did he really turn the King of the Demonic Realm’s steps! What absurd magic! He deserves to be praised as the Mage of Illusion!”

“Amazing.”

The sight Eldran had created was nothing short of a miracle, to the point that Conlan, Albino, and even Alicia couldn’t hide their admiration.

-Geuuuuuuu…….

And, the King of the Demonic Realm finally turned its heavy steps.

Kung!

Kuung!

The ground trembled with each one of those steps, but what was clear was that our mission had finally succeeded.

“Is it, over?”

“……Seems like it, though we can’t let our guard down yet.”

Although he said that, it was clear that everyone, including Edric, had let their guard down.

Even me.

“Hmm, something annoying has interfered?”

A strange voice that pierced through that gap in our consciousness.

“Dodge!”

And Edric’s ensuing shout.

Swaeek!

A single streak of a flash of light that flew in.

When all those things had passed in a landscape where time seemed to have stopped.

“……Ah.”

Eldran’s chest was empty.

Even the place where his heart should have been.

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