We were called for help by Ruby, but following the saying “haste makes waste”, we opted to move around the mist rather than driving straight through it. The reason was clear: heading directly into the mist would likely lead to encounters with Mist Balls and Ashen Slimes, which would inevitably delay us.
“From here, we’ll be entering the mist. I’ll use my Magic Echo to detect monsters, but it’s likely we’ll miss something. Please be careful. Karl, I’m entrusting Eiji to you.”
With monsters everywhere that have adapted to the dense mist and ash beneath our feet, there is always the risk of a surprise attack. In addition, monsters that are adept at ambush often have exceptionally high levels of assassination skills. In this case, there is a possibility that my Magic Echo spell will not be able to detect them.
Normally, it would be the role of a scout to detect such threats, but Ruby, who would usually fulfill this role, was presumably engaged in combat. We had no choice but to make do with those of us who were present.
“I’m sorry for the trouble…”
“You’re not exactly cut out for stealth, are you?”
“It’d be easier if I could just cut them down with a single stroke, but it’s never that simple.”
Because of Eiji’s armor, he made a loud clanking noise every time he moved. Hence why Karl was tasked with carrying him. Karl chose to grasp him with his forelimbs rather than having him ride on his back. Apparently, he did that because Eiji was too big and too heavy.
We headed straight through the mist toward Ruby and the others. Remarkably, we didn’t encounter any combat on the way. Far from being ambushed, not even a shadow triggered my Magic Echo. This eerie absence of activity was unsettling throughout our journey.
“The reason for this…?”
Upon reaching Ruby and the others, the reason became clear. There were fourteen Mist Balls and a single huge tree. It wasn’t that we were lucky enough to avoid encounters; rather, these beings had all gathered here.
And there was no way that the large tree towering in the mist was just an object that could be felled. Its appearance was bizarre, with its bark featuring a marbled mix of gray and charred brown and standing roughly eight meters tall. Though its branches were well-spread, not a single leaf was to be found.
Instead, there were many hollow holes not only in the trunk but also in the branches, from which mist was dripping down. It was almost as if the mist itself served as foliage. What the heck is this big tree?
――――――――――
- Misting Ash Oak – Quality: Good, Rarity: S (Special)
An oak subspecies from the Luxresia continent that emits mist.
Characterized by gray streaks throughout due to the influence of death ash.
――――――――――
It turned out not to be a monster but a tree with the peculiar ability to release mist. This trait created an ideal environment for the Mist Balls.
“We’re saved! Reinforcements have arrived!”
“Thank you~~ssu!”
When we arrived, Ruby and the others burst into cheers. Her party consisted of six members: Ruby, Shio, Moth-san, Seventh Armor, Shishu, and Wool. Although they lacked defensive power, they were a party with high mobility. Had it not been for them, one of them would surely have been missing by now.
“Those of us who’ve just arrived will take the vanguard. The rest of you, fall back and heal!”
“Leave it to us!”
“Ah, we’re truly saved!”
It seemed that they had been on the defensive, with no time to recover, as their health was significantly depleted. Even Shio, who had taken the least damage, was receiving arrows from Ruby, indicating that they had been in an intense battle.
Since we came as reinforcements, this is where we hold our ground. Fortunately, we had already completed our enhancements through [Enchantment] sill. Instead of merely defending until the healing was complete, we aimed to reduce their numbers!
“Ahaha! It’s easy when you have resistance!”
“We can charge in without worry!”
On our way here, I had improved everyone’s agility, so those who originally focused on speed, like Usaji and Genjuro, could now keep up with the Mist Balls. In addition, with the Resistance Enchantment I learned just yesterday, we had increased our resistance to the mist element. Whether it was a normal mist or acid mist, we were barely affected. This scene clearly shows the importance of preparation.
“Grooooon!”
“Hmmph!”
While Genjuro and Usaji launched their attacks with their sharp blades, the pair of Eiji and Karl took a different approach and opted for sheer brute force. Both shared a dynamic style of crushing their opponents with powerful movements.
Karl would grab the Mist Balls in his claws and hurl them at Eiji with full force. The Mist Balls, desperate to avoid the collision, would instinctively spray mist to change their trajectory. However, what Eiji was holding wasn’t a bat; he wielded a spike shield that Iris had made especially for such battles.
The shield, tailored to Eiji’s size, was large with long, sharp spikes. The Mist Balls impaled on those spikes quickly lost their health. Even when they tried to spray mist to keep their distance, Karl’s tail would quickly strike. There were many who could not dodge and were cut down, and they were steadily being whittled down.
“Alright, that’s the last of the enhancements. As expected, I really need to restore my magic power now… Magic Array.”
“I’m also~ going to reapply the enhancements~. Mee~, mee~.”
I stepped back to apply enhancements to Ruby and her party while Wool also boosted their strength with his cries. The Resistance Enchantment was particularly draining on my magic power reserves, especially when applied to such a large group. It seemed I had no choice but to use the Magic Array spell, which I hadn’t employed amidst battle for a while, to replenish my magic power and continue providing support.
“It’s about time they will start deploying fakes!”
“It’s a little faster than I expected…but I have no choice but to do it. Grand Magic Circle, spell adjustment…”
The most troublesome aspect of the Mist Ball was its ability to create copies of our allies within the mist and start running around. Even when I tried to restrain them, their swift movements allowed them to escape, and even if I managed to tie them up, they would slip through the gaps due to the [Soft Body] sill. Once they started fleeing, the battle would become long and difficult.
I have come up with one method to prevent this. No matter how many there were or how many copies they produced, if this method worked, it could be a game-changer in the battles to come.
“Here come the fakes!”
“Not yet! Buy me some time!”
However, casting the Grand Magic Circle took time. It seemed to be a necessary cost for increasing its power, but its inability to activate instantly made it difficult to use.
Meanwhile, the copies of our vanguard fighters were beginning to appear in droves. Genjuro and the others were fighting desperately, but they couldn’t handle them all. Even with heightened resistance to mist, the sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm us.
“Just a bit more… Okay! Let’s go, Black Hole!”
I created a Black Hole that was enhanced to the maximum just above the Misting Ash Oak. A pitch-black sphere that looked like it had been painted over with ink appeared and began to suck in everything around it. The Misting Ash Oak below it flapped its branches as if caught in a typhoon.
“The Mist Balls are fleeing… But this is enough.”
“The mist is…!”
“Whoa~, it’s getting sucked in~!”
Although the Black Hole didn’t crush the Mist Balls completely, the mist they relied on was a different story. It was rapidly drawn into the Black Hole, causing the silhouettes of the fakes to disintegrate!
The fake which completely returned to mist disappeared into the Back Hole. Attempts to create new fakes were futile, as any emerging mist was swept away before it could take shape, preventing the appearance of new fakes.
“Now’s our chance!”
“Let’s press the attack!”
Leading a flock of crows summoned by Seventh Armor, Moth-san launched an attack. In terms of aerial agility, they had the upper hand. Moth-san could take on one by himself, while a few of Seventh Armor’s crows could overwhelm another, leaving the Mist Balls no chance for escape.
“Hoho! This is quite fun.”
“My hair fluttering is a bit of a nuisance, though.”
“It really shows how important it is to use magic wisely.”
“Time to slice you into pieces!”
After forcefully sucking the mist away, Genjuro and the others seemed rejuvenated and fought with renewed vigor. The main body of the Mist Balls wasn’t particularly strong in any aspect other than agility. What’s more, they all had resistance to [Mist Magic], which was the enemy’s main means of attack. As a result, once we dealt with the copies of our allies, the Mist Balls no longer posed much of a threat.
“Geh, the arrow’s veering off course~~ssu! Let me adjust that!”
“To hit like that~, that’s amazing~. Mee~, mee~.”
The arrows Shio released seemed to be thrown off course by the Black Hole, but she quickly corrected their trajectory. Wool who was standing next to me expressed his admiration in his usual monotone voice while providing support with his [Wind Magic] in between his cries. He might not be the flashy type, but he always does a great job in support.
“Ggogaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
“Boooooooooooo!!!”
――――――――――
You have won the battle.
――――――――――
And then, it was the raging dragon and the demon Eiji who dealt the final blow to the last two enemies. Even though they had the resistance of [Enchantment] and the continuous healing of [Spiritual Magic], both of them had been rampaging in the front, constantly attracting attention. The fact that their physical strength had dropped to nearly 30% was an indication of the intensity of the battle.
As the log indicated, it seemed like we were able to somehow overcome the situation. Though none of the skill levels reached a good number this time. Sometimes things like this happen.
“I was just taking a break from studying for the exam, but I’m so tired!”
“So~true~!”
“Students have it tough, huh. I’m beat too!”
“It brings back memories.”
Relieved from the critical situation, Shishu slumped down and let out her frustration. Seventh Armor and Moth-san smiled wryly as they sympathized with her.
“We’ve finished collecting the loot, but… what should we do with this tree?”
“Cut it down of course. Eiji, can I count on you?”
“Leave it to me.”
Ruby seemed to be pondering what to do next and sought my judgment. It was clear that this great tree was the source of the mist. It couldn’t possibly be left alone.
Eiji swung his beloved large axe with both hands, putting all of his mind and strength into his chops. The great tree which seemed to be some kind of oak tree was incredibly hard, but Eiji’s axe found its way deeper into the trunk with each blow. After dozens of strikes, the misting ash tree fell down with a cracking sound.
“Ah? This can be collected as an item.”
“It’ll make a fine souvenir for Iris. Please take it back with you.”
“Understood…!?”
As Eiji went to collect the fallen tree, the remaining stump turned into particles of light and vanished. With that, the mist that had shrouded the area began to thin.
This was likely the key to navigating the misty area. By cutting down the misting ash oaks and thinning the mist, the path to the dark wall beyond became clear. Ignoring it and pressing forward seemed possible, but venturing blindly into obscured visibility was far too risky. We then decided to carefully cut down the misting ash oaks.
“Um, Isam-san. When turned into an item, the tree split into two items, one large and one small…”
“Hoo? Pass it to me through trade.”
According to Eiji, two types of items had been derived from the felled giant tree. Lacking the [Appraisal] skill, Eiji could only distinguish them by size. This was my turn.
――――――――――
- Misting Ash Oak Log – Quality: Good, Rarity: S (Special)
A log from a Misting Ash Oak that emits a magical mist.
It is extremely hard and has resistance to water, fire, and mist elements.
Even after being cut down, it can still generate mist using magic power.
- Misting Ash Oak Sapling – Quality: Good, Rarity: S (Special)
A sapling from a Misting Ash Oak that emits a magical mist.
If grown, it is likely to become a splendid large tree.
It can only be grown in soil rich in death ash.
――――――――――
Logs and saplings, then. There were five saplings. By planting and nurturing them, it seemed like we could obtain the logs again. Although we have cut them down now, it might be worth considering planting them when we have some free time. Of course, negotiating with the local people is essential.
After surviving the fierce battle, even we, the reinforcements, were quite exhausted. It’s still early, but let’s call it a day. Together with Ruby’s party, we made our way back to Shiratsuki.
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