95 - rolling rocky wilderness

"...... another rock."

The silver-haired beauty had already begun chanting, smiling bitterly at Thor's disgusted words.

"Avenge and bloom..."

Fast.

The spherical rocks, carried by a tailwind, are rapidly approaching.

At this rate, Yuril's magic will not be able to reach the rock in time.

A mass of that size is coming at us with great force.

Even Thor will not be able to meet it head-on.

But in the first place, there is no need to take it seriously.　

Gripping his sword and leaning back slightly, Thor exhaled deeply.

He then calls out to his trusty companion behind him.

"You're up, Sora."

"Yes, sir."

With a confident look on her face, the girl lifts her staff and lets the magic flow out of it.

.

The rock, which had been kicking up a cloud of dust, stops at that moment.

It was not just a rock after all, but a monster.

"Ranbun yo--."

Then the prayer ends, and the invoked magic creates an invisible trap between Thor and the rocks.

After five seconds, the rock regained its freedom.

However, it has already lost all of its speed.

While Thor and the others watch on, the rock starts to move slowly, perhaps pushed by the wind.

The monster rolls slowly and reaches the dangerous ice lurking on the ground.

A white blizzard of icicles lifts the block, instantly enveloping its surface in a blanket of cold air.

Sola applauds the beautifully blooming frost crystals.

"Wow, Moo, it's beautiful, look at it!

"No, I'll see ...... a little later. ......"

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, get up or you'll melt!"

"Mwah. I already said I'll look at it later.

Sola shakes Moo's limp body with her eyes closed and a troubled half-smile on her face.

It seems that he is having a reaction to waking up too early.

"Let him sleep. From the looks of things, I don't think we'll be needing the probe for a while.

Since their approach is clearly visible even from a distance, there is little need to know about them ahead of time.

Thor approached the monster, which had been stopped again, with caution.

"...... this one looks like an insect too."

Thor, who had gone around the frost columns, looked at the frozen monster and muttered to himself.

The body looked round, but perhaps because of the cold, a part of it had opened to reveal its contents.

It appeared to be an insect that curled its back into a spherical shape, with six legs protruding from a slit in its shell.

After a short wait, the wind-driven ice begins to melt, and the huge bug rolls onto the ground.

Judging from the fact that it did not return to the spherical shape, it seems to have stopped breathing.

Taking precautions, I kick it with my foot and turn it over.

Inside were two spiral antennae, a thick jaw, and a familiar shape.

"This can't be..."

"Yes, this is another rock beetle. ......"

Thor's suspicions were answered by his guide, Saralisa, who had been silent the entire time.

"Hmmm. So there are migratory types."

"...... Are you sure it's a juvenile?"

When Ulir's words came into the conversation, Saralisa gave a small nod to him.

According to her, the larvae of rock beetles gradually grow larger as they roll around in this empty wilderness.

When they reach a certain size, they roll into yesterday's Thousand Edge Field and take root.

"I didn't get that part of the explanation. Thank you, that was very helpful.

"No, you're welcome. ......"

It is typical of the Adventurers Bureau to withhold such information as usual.

If your party doesn't have any magic skill to stop them, you will surely have a hard time with them.

If they are the same species as rock beetles, they are sure to attack at range with their antennae when they get close.

"We're lucky to have you and Sora at our side," he said.

"Heh heh. I'm a little nervous when you say I'd like to have you as my wife.

"Oh, me too?　I know I'm a bit of a loose cannon, but I'm looking forward to working with you."

Yes, yes, it's my pleasure. As for countermeasures, I think the ice sheet will accelerate the process, and the most effective ones are cold sleep and cryo-crystal.

"In a curled-up state, will be tough. And it's too windy here. ......"

Since is a magic technique that affects the air around the target, it is not effective unless the target is in a state of breathing.

Moreover, with this gust of wind, it is more likely to be blown away.

In fact, Thor and the others downwind would be in danger of being exposed to it.　

"And is not very useful to put them to sleep in that state. ......"

Certainly, putting down a monster that is rolling at a high rate of speed will not slow it down that much.

"In that case, the only decisive factor is . If it runs out, we will have to make do with and ."

"Yeah, wait for me, Thor!"

"Yeah, I'm counting on you."

The girl nodded her head with a big smile at his usual words.

However, despite the girl's enthusiasm, the rolling rock beetles ended up attacking about three or four times an hour.

The sun was just about to break into the mid-sky, but there was still no change in the landscape.

Nothing but an empty wilderness as far as the eye can see, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Thor wonders if he should take a lunch break, when a voice reaches him from behind against the wind.

"May I have a moment? ......"

The voice belonged to Saralisa, who had been holding a strange tool in her hand for some time.

The guide caught up with Thor at a trot and continued her story with a serious look in her eyes.

"I'm warning you, are you willing to accept ......?"

"Let me hear it."

Without hesitation, Thor agrees.

The guide's warnings are valuable advice to avoid danger, but too much of it is considered help, and the search is terminated.　

If we want to proceed, we must do the bare minimum, but it would be reckless to continue our search without more information.

Shaking her head lightly, Saralisa unfolds a map from her backpack.

"This is where we are now. It's about 30%. ......"

"How did you figure that out?"

"I can tell the approximate distance with this balance board. ......"

I see. Go on.

The Soukei woman, with her eyes slightly downcast, stated her conclusion in an indifferent manner.

"At this rate, we will certainly not be able to leave this place today. At night, you will probably die. ......"