Chapter 208: The Hunt for the Magic Worms
Rest soared through the night sky, arriving at the wetlands in the eastern part of the Subnock Plain. The chilled night breeze caressed his body, but perhaps due to the heat simmering within him, he felt no chill at all.
“Well then… let’s get to it.”
As he gazed down at the ground from above, Rest realized he was unusually exhilarated. Despite it being the dead of night, his senses were sharp, and his body burned with an intense heat.
(Is this what they mean by blood boiling and flesh dancing? I never imagined such a fighting spirit lay dormant within me!)
It felt more like a different emotion than mere fighting spirit, but that was beside the point. Rest enhanced his vision with magic and surveyed the wetlands below.
“Hmph…”
Even with his night vision enhanced, he couldn’t see the monsters lurking in the mud. If he was to hunt worms, he would have to lure them out from the depths of the swamp.
“No problem. This is a piece of cake.”
Feeling high on adrenaline, Rest activated his magic. This was a method he would never have considered if Yuri and Ula were with him.
“【Magic Attractant】”
A line of light traced above Rest’s head, forming a geometric pattern. The magic circle, based on a circular design, served as a ward against magic—specifically, it had the effect of attracting monsters. The man once dubbed the Foolish Prince, Rodel Aiwood, had also used a magic item for this purpose, triggering the Subnock Stampede. Ironically, it was Rest, who had defeated Rodel, now employing the same method.
“I remember Master Meitis saying that the magic to summon monsters is forbidden… something about using it as little as possible?”
If misused, magic that summoned monsters could lead to the destruction of villages, towns, or even small nations. That was why it was designated as forbidden magic, not to be used or taught without permission. Yet, it was Jalana Meitis, the oldest court magician, who had taught Rest this forbidden art. She merely said, “Use it as little as possible,” so with his reason slipping away, Rest thought, well, it should be fine to use it just this once.
“Oh, here they come.”
Not long after Rest cast the spell, changes began to occur. The magic of Life Search responded, revealing multiple presences.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The first creature burst forth. As expected, it was a larval worm. The worm, brimming with excitement, lunged at Rest.
“【Star Eater】”
Rest manipulated the wind to evade the worm’s jaws and slammed a pitch-black sphere into its body. In an instant, a portion of the worm was gouged out and swallowed into the darkness. The Dark Star—a black hole capable of consuming any chosen target.
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“Annoying.”
Rest muttered curtly as he continued to maneuver through the air, grinding away at the worm’s body while drawing it into the Dark Star.
“GYA…OOO…”
Having its massive form devoured, the worm collapsed into the swamp. It sank deeper into the mud, never to resurface again.
“Hahaha! Looks like I just devoured another worm!”
To think he would consume a worm for a late-night snack after dinner—what a predicament. At this rate, he couldn’t deny it might be considered a favorite dish.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
One after another, the second, third, and fourth worms sprang forth. Whether they knew their comrades had fallen or not, they immediately recognized Rest as an enemy and charged at him. Even for Rest, facing three worms alone was no small feat.
“【Flash】!”
However, Rest unleashed another spell. Just moments ago, he had used dark magic, and now he switched to its opposite—light magic. A dazzling flash erupted into the dark night, blinding the worms.
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”
The worms were dragons dwelling underground. Their eyes seemed to have degenerated, but they were not completely absent. If suddenly confronted with blinding light in the darkness, they would be momentarily immobilized.
“【Wind Manipulation】”
Naturally, Rest kept his eyes shut. Relying on Life Search, he flew blind and struck the worms with the Dark Star.
“Second one down.”
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“Third and fourth.”
“GYAAA…!”
Rest skillfully utilized his magic to evade the enemies’ attacks, taking down worm after worm. Drawing from his experiences fighting during the day, he understood how to eliminate them. He had no intention of being a burden; in fact, he found it easier to fight freely without worrying about Yuri and the others.
“This is getting intense… I’m actually starting to enjoy this…!”
Rest realized he didn’t dislike fighting as much as he thought. When he battled Rodel, there had been a connection forged in the heat of combat. He had never considered himself a battle maniac, but the exhilaration from dinner had only heightened his excitement.
“I feel like I can keep going… more and more…!”
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
At that moment, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the earth. Simultaneously, a massive monster was detected by his Life Search magic.
“Finally, it’s making its appearance… keeping me in suspense.”
With a strange, longing feeling, Rest awaited the arrival of “it.”
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Then, with an explosive burst, the mud erupted, revealing “it.”
Emerging from the ground was a colossal worm, clearly larger than the larval forms he had faced before. With a gaping maw and closed eyes, the gigantic worm loomed before Rest, as if it could swallow an entire town whole.