Chapter 106: Sniping the Monsters
Time rewinds slightly.
After parting ways with the rescue team leader, Yugroot, Rest was engaged in sniping the monsters that roamed the Plain.
“Stone Bullet!”
The spell Rest unleashed soared through the air with great force, piercing a monster several hundred meters away. A creature that had been about five hundred meters distant fell to the ground, struck in the head, lifeless.
Normally, this spell wouldn’t possess such power or range. However, Rest had utilized the magic of Compression to harden the stone even further, shaping it into a slender, conical form. By launching it with the magic of Acceleration, he was able to achieve a level of power and distance far beyond what was typical.
Though there was no telescopic sight, he compensated with the magic of Life Search. The more magical power he infused into it, the wider the detection range became. With Rest’s infinite magical power, he could extend the detection range to ten kilometers or even a hundred if he wished. However, if he expanded it too much, the influx of information could overwhelm his mind, potentially frying his brain circuits. Thus, Rest deliberately limited the search radius to about one kilometer, sacrificing some precision to prevent mental overload.
(Life Search can detect not only the presence of humans and monsters but also insects, small animals, and even plants. If he wanted, he could discern whether the presence belonged to an acquaintance, their gender, age, and even their magical power. But this time, he chose to narrow his focus solely to humans and monsters, limiting the information he gathered to their positions and sizes. This way, he could manage to endure even if he expanded the detection range beyond one kilometer…)
Once he grasped the positions of the humans and monsters, all that remained was to cast his spells. He skillfully avoided hitting any humans while picking off the monsters, reducing the tide of creatures surging from the depths of the Plain. Naturally, his priority was to eliminate the monsters attacking the students. He sniped down ten, twenty… over a hundred monsters.
“Alright… that should wrap up the first wave,” Rest sighed, letting his shoulders slump. His magical power remained untouched, but the delicate task had drained his mental stamina, and his brain was beginning to protest.
Rest pulled out some Honey Candy he had brought as rations and popped it into his mouth, replenishing his brain with sugar.
(The cause of the stampede is unknown, but… the second wave will surely come. What could have triggered their emergence in the first place?)
Monsters that typically resided deep within the Plain had ventured out to the outskirts. This was an unprecedented situation. Something significant must have occurred.
(If I extend the search range further… perhaps I can catch a hint of the cause…?)
With a sense of desperation, Rest decided to give it a try. Currently, he could probe a radius of one kilometer centered around himself. Beyond that, even if he narrowed the information, the burden on his brain would become too great.
(But… finding a solution is what creativity is all about.)
Rest slowly exhaled, raising his right hand in front of him. Then… he began to narrow the range of Life Search that expanded from his center. Normally, the search area would spread out in a circular shape around him. However, Rest contracted it while elongating it forward. He maintained the same search area but stretched it out ahead of him.
(With this method, I should be able to investigate the depths of the Plain without overloading my brain. Now, what will I find…!?)
As he ventured forth, using his extended magical power to probe the depths of the Plain, Rest was suddenly confronted by an unexpected, massive presence that made his eyes widen. About five kilometers from his position, there was an overwhelming aura of a powerful monster. Even with the reduced precision of Life Search, the intense pressure was palpable. Driven by this force, the monsters from the depths were fleeing toward him.
“Could that be… the Master of the Demon Realm!?”
In the Demon Realm, known for its monster nests, there exists a ‘Master’ that accumulates power over the years. Typically, the Master remains stationary at the center of the realm, but perhaps someone had provoked that entity, luring it out.
(If something like that emerges, I can’t even begin to imagine the devastation it could cause…!)
At the entrance of the Plain stood the operational tent. There were faculty members, rescue team staff, and guards for the guests, but even so, it was uncertain whether they could stop such a creature.
(I won’t let a monster like that near Viola and Primula…!)
Though he thought it reckless, he had no choice. He could not allow those he had finally come to call family to be put in danger. Fear gripped him; the opponent was undoubtedly a foe of overwhelming superiority that Rest had never faced before. Yet… the fear of losing someone dear to him outweighed all else.
“…I’ll fight.”
Rest steeled himself. Aware of the danger, he kicked off the ground, racing toward the depths of the Plain to confront the presence he believed to be the Master of the Demon Realm… Subnock.