“Oh… it has some decent power. But it doesn’t quite match the hammer’s firepower, huh?”
Yuma repeatedly clenched and opened his left hand, testing his senses. He wanted to try various things with Fire Magic, but it seemed he could only wrap it around his fists or weapons and cause explosions.
“Well, can’t be helped.”
Yuma gripped the hammer again and swung it down at the regenerating “Itsuki” Monster. After a full-force explosion and conflagration, the flames rose high, continuing to burn as a pillar of fire. It took about a minute for the “Itsuki” Monster to turn into sand. It was a reasonably strong monster, but not unbeatable. As he thought this and looked towards the mountains, Yuma was taken aback.
“Eh!? Are all of those… ‘Itsuki’ Monsters?”
It was hard to tell because they were blending in with the surrounding forest, but there were many trees moving. Even by a conservative estimate, there were over a hundred of them. If you included the other Insectoid Monsters, there were easily over a thousand.
“This is… I can’t take them down bit by bit.”
It would be good if he could buy time for the Indian Seekers to escape, but having this many Monsters around the Dungeon was troublesome. It would hinder the exploration. Yuma considered defeating the enemies within sight, but fighting them normally would be endless.
“Should I give it a try…?”
Yuma switched the hammer back to the Pickel he had and put it on his back. After securing the Pickel to his back with Liquid Metal, he looked at the back of his left hand. There were the five Jewels of the Chimera.
“This is a live test, but please work out!”
One of the Jewels emitted a dazzling light, and Yuma’s body gradually changed. Muscles bulged, his hands stretched out, and wing membranes spread. The color of his body changed from black to red, and at the end of his elongated neck, a ferocious maw appeared.
–Ancient Dragon!
Yuma, transformed into a Dragon with a massive frame, glared at the horde of Monsters climbing the slope. He took in air through his mouth, put it in his lungs, and converted it into “Scorching Magical Power.”
–Take this!!
The [Flame Breath] that was unleashed raced across the ground for over three hundred meters. The Monsters caught in it were incinerated in an instant, dying without even having a chance to escape. The strongest “Itsuki” Monster was no exception. Engulfed in the scorching inferno, it thrashed its branches and roots as it died. From above, many winged insects dove down, but they couldn’t break through the “Flame Barrier” surrounding the Ancient Dragon. The winged insects that collided with the Barrier were all burned to ashes.
–Alright, alright, it worked out. Now, the rest…
Yuma swung his arms wide and tried to fly by flapping his wings repeatedly. When he transformed into a crow before, he didn’t float at all…
–Oh!?
His body floated lightly. The giant frame, far from a crow, soared into the sky.
–Amazing! I’m really flying!!
Yuma was even moved, but this wasn’t the time to enjoy flying. Looking down at the ground, countless Insectoid Monsters were rampant.
–I have to burn them all to the ground.
He unleashed “Flame Breath” from the sky. The Monsters on the ground were helplessly engulfed in flames. While flying, he scattered flames over a wide area, sinking the insects and Itsuki Monsters into a sea of fire.
–This is incredible. It doesn’t matter how many there are!
Yuma was flying around in high spirits, but suddenly his body stopped moving.
–W-What!?
Turning his long neck to look at his legs, he saw several root-like things wrapped around them. They were burning and crackling, but still firmly entangled in his legs. Looking at the ground, the “Itsuki” Monsters had formed a group and were extending their roots. The power to break through the “Flame Barrier.” As expected, they were on the same level as the Ancient Dragon. The roots were being burned, but they were pulling his legs with terrifying force. Yuma unleashed “Flame Breath” in the sky, incinerating two of the “Itsuki” Monsters. However, three new “Itsuki” Monsters extended their roots and wrapped them around his legs and tail.
–Damn it! This is endless.
Yuma focused his mind on the five Jewels on the Dragon’s left hand. His body flashed, sparks scattered, and the Dragon’s form disappeared. Suddenly losing their prey, the “Itsuki” Monsters looked around in confusion. A red Hell Garm ran through the trees.
–Yeeeeehaaaaaaa!!
Yuma, transformed into a Hell Garm, happily dashed through the Monsters. He circled behind an “Itsuki” Monster, inhaled, and released a Fireball from his mouth. The Fireball struck the “Itsuki” directly, exploding and setting it ablaze. The “Itsuki” engulfed in flames writhed in agony.
–Oh! The real Hell Garm couldn’t use Explosion Magic, but I can… this is great!
Yuma was in high spirits as he ran around, launching Fireballs one after another. The “Itsuki” and Insectoid Monsters exploded and burst into flames. The Hell Garm was highly agile and couldn’t be caught by vines or roots. But perhaps the firepower was lacking. The Fireballs that the Hell Garm spat out weren’t enough to completely defeat the “Itsuki” Monsters.
–I need a Monster with more firepower…
Yuma focused on the five Jewels. One of the Jewels glowed, and the red Hell Garm disappeared into the swirling flames. The still numerous Monsters gathered. Yuma reappeared before them. What came into view was a muscular frame, two horns extending from his forehead, and flames rising from his shoulders and back.
“Red Ogre”
Yuma had defeated this powerful Monster, which possessed terrifying firepower and Regeneration. Although he had copied it, he didn’t know how well he could reproduce its abilities. He was somewhat uneasy, but he decided to try using “Fire Magic” for now. First, he would deal with the centipede that was approaching… Yuma inhaled sharply and exhaled in one breath. Tremendous Flames spread around him. He couldn’t burn as far as the Ancient Dragon, but he incinerated all the centipedes within twenty meters. Satisfied with the power of the fire, he now poured Magical Power into his fist. He pulled his right fist back to his waist and unleashed a Flame “Seiken Zuki.” It was a technique that the Red Ogre often used when they fought. He tried it, wondering if he could do it himself, and the effect was tremendous. A massive amount of fire erupted in a straight line from his fist, engulfing the “Itsuki” Monster. The momentum of the flames didn’t stop, and they crawled along the ground in the shape of a Great Serpent. The Monsters that touched the Fire Serpent all burst into flames without exception, burning to ashes and losing their shape. The Great Serpent further increased its speed, opened its large mouth, and bit into the “Itsuki” Monster. At that moment, an explosion occurred that was so dazzling it made his eyes blur. From the force of the impact, Yuma took two, three steps back. When the billowing smoke cleared, he saw the “Itsuki” with everything above its roots blown away. It showed no signs of movement and turned to sand.
“Oh… amazing. Isn’t this [Third Tier Fire Magic]!?”
He was surprised that he had defeated the “Itsuki” in one blow, but he was even more surprised that the fire freely changed shape and moved like a Great Serpent. Yuma stared intently at his hands. This “Red Ogre” might not have the physical abilities of the “Metal Armor,” but it was very skilled at using Fire Magic.
“Could it be that I’ve surpassed Rui’s ‘Fire Magic’…”