Rumble―
Boom!
The ground burst open.
As a result, the gremlins’ bodies were thrown into the air.
Fragments of earth that scattered afterward mercilessly pounded their bodies.
Some were blocked by protective clothing, but others slipped through gaps, pierced skin and burrowed into organs.
In an instant, the battlefield became a scene of chaos.
– Kihiiiiiiii!
With a single spell, twenty gremlins were either killed or incapacitated.
A few who witnessed this screamed and tried to flee, but Aiden and Maya quickly chased them down and finished them off.
The gremlins that remained at the front soon collapsed onto the cold ground.
“Whoa…”
Amid the illusion of a cannon having landed right in front of him, Colton snapped back to his senses.
“This is crazy, Mr. Mage! When did you learn a spell like that?!”
“I had some insights recently.”
“Ha! That’s amazing!”
In response to Colton’s reaction, Jun swallowed a bitter laugh that almost escaped his lips.
He suddenly recalled his first meeting with Colton.
There are few techniques that dazzle the eyes as a mage’s magic. But still…
That didn’t mean he should fall into a sense of superiority.
The reason Jun could wield magic like this now was because of those who risked their lives on the front lines to hold back the enemy.
Besides, how should I put it these days…
It was peaceful.
He had tried to ignore the thought, fearing it might jinx them.
Isn’t it a bit too peaceful?
Since the end of the raid—
During the month he spent with Aiden, the two had not faced any major crises.
Of course, that time hadn’t been easy.
They spent most of it camping out without even stopping by a [Checkpoint].
When their combat rations ran out, they had to scavenge food locally, and there were many times when they couldn’t wash properly, which left them looking like beggars.
Was that all?
Aiden dedicated himself daily to training his skills alongside swordsmanship, while Jun honed his memories as a reincarnated character and refined his fourth-circle magic. He even sacrificed his sleep.
Yet despite all that, had there ever been a moment when their lives were truly at risk?
It’s not like there weren’t any, but they were just things we could easily overcome.
Whether it was facing the golem in the Black Forest, dealing with the irregular Goblin Lord, or during the raid, it hadn’t been all that difficult.
But by this point, he was starting to feel uneasy.
Is it really okay for my life to be this peaceful…?
And as the dungeon progressed, Jun found himself thinking about this more and more.
He had struggled through all sorts of hardships in the level 1 field, yet everything was going so smoothly from the very first mission of the level 2 field.
Noticing Jun’s perplexed expression, Aiden asked.
“Senior, you don’t look well.”
“Hmm… it’s just that, the dungeon is progressing too smoothly.”
When he heard that, Aiden looked at Jun with the kind of gaze reserved for someone pitiful.
How much hardship must one have endured to have such an attitude?
To feel anxious because there were no threats in the world…
It was like watching a political noble who was paranoid about assassination attempts after he seized power.
But only for a moment.
They say misfortune begets misfortune.
“Shit, it’s an Iron Larva!”
As if to respond to Jun’s worries, the dungeon bared its fangs once again without fail.
***
The Iron Larva was a monster commonly found in these ashen wastelands.
It was a giant worm that burrowed through the ground, feeding on minerals as it grew.
Normally, it had little interest in meat but it displayed extreme hostility toward anything that entered its territory.
For those unfamiliar with it, the creature was as good as a grim reaper.
If you felt a faint vibration, it meant the thing was right beneath your feet.
And now.
Normally, it was about the size of four grown adults combined…
But the Iron Larva that sprang up before them was three times larger than usual.
“It’s an irregular.”
“Kuhu…”
Colton wasn’t sure whether he should be pleased about this or not.
While irregulars did drop [Skill Books], having a boss monster as an irregular was undeniably dangerous.
Then.
Jun spoke up.
“According to the contract.”
“Huh?”
“It’s one-fifth.”
“……?”
“The distribution of its skill book, I mean.”
“Wooooo!! Did you hear that, you idiots?! The gods have blessed us with a bonus!!”
It was too much of a reward to just be afraid of.
Since it was a boss monster, there was a high chance it would drop a high-level [Skill Book].
“Oooooooh!!”
Colton’s team members, who had been momentarily stunned by the appearance of the giant lava monster, all cheered in unison.
“Let’s gooo!!”
“Don’t hold back your magical power!”
“Got it, Captain!”
“Hold out until the mage supports us from the rear!”
The mercenaries began forming ranks around Colton, with Aiden assisting them.
They’re fast!
In the blink of an eye, Colton and his mercenaries had taken their positions.
Now that he saw them, Colton and his men seemed incredibly well-coordinated, to the point where their teamwork was impressive.
This is different from the raid!
During the raid, nothing had been normal.
And with the Fairy Queen’s awakening, they had no choice but to feel scared.
But in an environment where they could take charge, Colton and his mercenaries moved with incredible intelligence.
They spent so much time together that they knew each other’s combat habits down to the smallest detail which made this possible.
Come to think of it, Colton always took good care of his team….
Was that why he often engaged in conversations with his comrades?
Aiden glanced at Maya, who was now emanating great killing intent, then shifted his gaze back to Colton and his companions.
Thanks to spending the past few days with them, he quickly understood the positions they had taken up.
They’re holding tight to keep the monster’s attention away from Senior.
Two or more members were attached to the front of the Iron Larva, while the rest targeted its rear.
They positioned themselves in such a way that the monster couldn’t even think of turning its gaze toward Jun.
But they weren’t hanging too far back, either.
If the creature attempted a reckless breakthrough, they were ready to leap forward and block it at any moment.
It’s meticulous.
Aiden took up a position at the front within that formation.
Likewise, he was the closest.
“Kuhaha, as expected, he’s impressive.”
Colton also read Aiden’s movements.
If the Iron Larva turned around to target the rear, Aiden would be the first to strike.
Meanwhile, Maya stood by Jun’s side and was guarding him with a sword in each hand.
Jun watched Maya’s expression closely.
It’s hard to tell because she’s so expressionless…
Still, maybe it was because they had been together for the past few days.
Jun noticed one of Maya’s eyebrows twitch slightly.
Is there something bothering her?
Even in the game, Maya had a keen sense.
Though it wasn’t as powerful as the authority of the Goddess of Adventure, Hermes, [Dawn of the Pilgrim], she had an exceptional ability to sense danger.
So Jun kept his guard up and kept his eyes on the Iron Larva.
Since it was covered in metal all over its body, lightning attribute magic would be the most effective.
However, this whole area was scattered with metal debris.
Using lightning magic here would risk harming his allies as well.
Then what I can do is…
Support his teammates so they could deal with the Iron Larva.
[Enchantment: Elemental Armory]
[Attribute Enchantment: Gold]
An enchantment spell was cast on his teammates’ weapons.
Typically, enchanting a weapon with magic was twice as hard and consumed more magical power than enhancing one’s own body.
Jun resolved this issue with enchantment-type magic.
And on top of that…
Sensing the threat, the Iron Larva tried to crawl toward more favorable terrain.
[Rock Hold]
Earth-binding magic unfolded.
It happened just as the creature slammed its head into the ground.
Caught off guard by the unfamiliar magic, it thrashed its tail wildly around in a frenzy.
Boom! Bang!
“This creature’s strength is no joke!”
“Don’t rush in recklessly, take it slow!”
“We move in once it’s worn down!”
Of course, Jun’s [Rock Hold] couldn’t keep restraining it indefinitely.
The creature’s teeth were harder than steel and it tore up the surrounding ground.
As a result, Jun’s spell pattern was also disrupted, which allowed the creature to crawl back into the earth.
But Jun’s magic was ready once more.
[Scan]
[Detecting Target]
[Rock Hold]
He pinpointed its location with Scan, aimed using targeting magic, and cast Rock Hold once again.
Jun repeated this tactic several times.
Thud! Thud!
Amid the rumbling sounds of the creature struggling underground, the Iron Larva was ultimately the one that lost.
Realizing the ground was no longer its ally, it pulled its body back out.
Grrroooo―!
The Iron Larva tracked the magic that was attacking it. It was trying to figure out the source.
The moment Jun met its eyes.
“Block it!!”
At Colton’s shout, his comrades rushed forward all at once.
The Iron Larva responded by thrusting its huge fangs menacingly.
Its sudden charge alone was a deadly weapon.
Even though Jun’s magic reinforced their weapons, they would shatter the moment they met its fangs.
Instead, Aiden circled around to its side and slashed at its flank.
Its skin was as tough as steel, but not enough to withstand Aiden’s [Meteorite Sword].
Along the blade’s path, its skin split open and green fluid burst out.
―――!!
Its scream echoed like an ultrasonic wave.
The Iron Larva was not a fully matured monster. True to its name, it was a mere larva and easily frightened.
As a result, the anger that had been directed at Jun quickly turned toward Aiden.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It thrashed wildly and attacked recklessly as if fighting for its life.
By this point, the team who had been observing the battle was starting to get used to its movements.
“Target one spot relentlessly!”
“Hey, pretty boy! You keep making the wounds! We’ll do the digging!”
“Yes! And I’m not a pretty boy!”
It was much faster for Aiden and Maya to step in than for the mercenaries to create wounds themselves.
Over the past few days of battles, they had realized that the two of them were stronger than the rest of their forces.
Bang! Bang!
The Iron Larva tried desperately to shake off the mercenaries, but the more it struggled, the wider its wounds became.
Then, perhaps it had been too focused on Aiden and the mercenaries.
It failed to notice the shadow moving stealthily.
“Die.”
Maya leaped out from the shadows of nature and swung her twin swords with killing intent.
Her swords, charged with even more killing intent than usual, stabbed deep into the monster’s wounds.
By this point, the battle was as good as over.
When the Iron Larva was exhausted and came to a stop, Aiden moved in for the finishing blow.
[Charge] [Bash]
Aiden’s body shot forward like the wind, his sword following the flow of the air as it struck the Iron Larva.
I see it!
The paths of countless wounds created by his teammates converged as if forming a single line, to guide Aiden’s sword.
By the time Aiden reached the other side, a long diagonal slash marked the creature’s body.
Thud!
The Iron Larva collapsed helplessly to the ground.
“It’s over!!”
Just as Colton was about to cheer—
“…Wait.”
Jun who had been staring at the Iron Larva’s corpse muttered quietly, causing those who had been celebrating their victory to tense up.
“The corpse, it’s not disappearing.”
The body of the Iron Larva, which should have disintegrated into particles upon death, was still intact.
They all knew what that meant.
“…..!”
Maya was the first to flare up.
Unlike anything seen before, this was the fierce aura of someone who had clearly identified an enemy.
Crack—
A disturbing noise emanated from the Iron Larva’s body.
At the same time, a sinister red aura began to flow from the creature.
Jun shouted urgently.
“It’s an erosion phenomenon! Everyone, ready your weapons!!”
Even without Jun’s command, the team had already drawn their weapons, and Aiden once again gripped his sword.
Maya crouched low, ready to spring forward at any moment.
Knowing the grudge she held against the erosion phenomenon, Jun muttered to himself.
Of course, nothing ever goes easy for me…
If it’s smooth sailing, it’s not <Blackout>.
After he recalled a saying that had been popular among the players for a long time, Jun once again began chanting his magic.
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