Chapter 218

Chapter 218

"Hello, Im Fox..."

"Im Rabbit..."

Two mages from the support troops greeted me nervously.

Both of them were dressed in the black uniforms of the Imperial Army, topped with the white robes unique to the mage corps, hoods and all.

Due to an impromptu party reshuffling, we were tasked with destroying the spinal nerve center of Jormungandr.

Come to think of it, this is the first time Ive actually used code names with these guys.

We had maintained a certain distance, so I was hearing their names for the first time.

"Fox? Rabbit? Those arent your real names, are they?"

"No. Uh, when our mage corps was transferred to the Imperial Central Army... we started receiving new code names for each operation."

Code names? What a shady practice.

"Under Captain Reina, our group of four received the code names Fox, Rabbit, Kitty, and Piggy for this mission."

"So, the two who fell out there must be Kitty and Piggy."

I looked at the scenery rushing below the serpents body and clicked my tongue.

"I wonder if theyll be alright."

"Ah, you dont have to worry about those two."

"They could survive even if dropped into hell..."

While I was concerned, Fox and Rabbit, their comrades, waved their hands and smiled reassuringly.

"Believe it or not, we are directly under the command of the Mage Corps Captain."

"I can take care of myself. Ive been through worse."

"Been through worse, you say?"

"Well, isnt this the life of a civil servant?"

"Low pay, tough work, and nothing but patriotism left..."

The two grumbling civil servants paused and gauged my reaction. Apparently, they felt awkward making such comments in front of a prince.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com

"Everblack, long live your majesty! Long live the empire!"

All of a sudden, they raised both hands and shouted.

Alright, got it, so stop... youre making me uncomfortable...

"Were short on time; lets focus on destroying the spinal nerve center."

"Yes!"

Fox and Rabbit were capable of using the Lightweight and Swift buffs.

As the two mages cast their buffs on Evangeline, she let out a sound like, "I feel so light!" and started pounding on the spinal nerve center at an alarming rate. At this pace, it seemed she would finish quickly.

"Hmmm."

Next to her, Kellibey was scrutinizing the spinal nerve center with a serious look. I decided to give the Dwarf craftsman a piece of my mind.

"Kellibey, youve been staring all this time, what are you doing?"

"Just wait a moment... I was thinking, why laboriously dig with a pickaxe?"

Kellibey glanced at the winch mechanism on his arm.

"If I can make a destruction device powered by magic..."

"Ah, hadnt thought of that."

I approached the contemplating Kellibey. He had already taken out some paper and was sketching plans.

"How about this design?"

To possibly aid him, I described the concept of drills from Earth.

I had plenty of magical cores that could serve as the power source, so if he could craft a spiral-shaped drill bit out of metal and assemble it properly, we might be able to destroy the spinal nerve center more easily than with a pickaxe.

Kellibey immediately began working on the metal fragments and Jormungandr scales he pulled from his bag after hearing my explanation.

When I inserted the magic core,

Whiiirr!

A decent drilling machine was born!

Kellibey looked at me with an impressed expression.

"Hey, kid. Does this device have a name?"

"Uh... its called a drill."

In our world, its a tool used to make holes.

"Whoa! Amazing, a drill! With this, we can bore through anything!"

Engaging in conversation that sounded like it came from a third-rate fantasy novel, Kellibey took the drill in hand and applied it directly to the nerve center.

Whiiirr!

As the device activated and the metal tip touched the nerve center,

Kzzz-Kzz-Kzz!

Sparks flew in all directions as the drill began to grind through the nerve center almost instantly.

"Um"

The scene uncomfortably resembled a dental treatment for extracting a cavity. It even made my molars feel sore.

The drill didnt work perfectly from the start.

Either the drill bit would bend, or the magic core would overheat, causing the device to stop working, and this cycle repeated.

Kellibey adjusted the rotation speed, reinforced the drills structure, and modified it to transfer the users magic power to the metal tip through the magic circuit.

"The equipment looks a bit heavy, so Ill cast a lightweight spell on it. It should last for a day."

"Then, Ill increase the rotation speed by applying a speed spell to the metal tip..."

Fox and Rabbit, two magicians, also chipped in.

It was well past noon when Kellibey finally completed a functional drill.

Kellibey handed each of us one of the finished drills.

Kzzz-Kzz-Kzz!

The spectacle of four drill tips simultaneously attaching to the nerve center and causing sparks to fly everywhere was quite a sight.

"Isnt this much more convenient than pickaxing?!"

The next moment, a crack appeared in the air, as if a mirror had been shattered.

[Elemental Disassembly].

This was Juniors ultimate magic.

The magical defense of the neural center began to wane rapidly.

Seizing the moment, Reina unleashed her wind magic, ravaging the neural center.

Rooooar!

Reinas wind magic barrage continued until the duration of [Elemental Disassembly] expired.

Gazing at the neural center that endured despite being battered by countless wind blades, Junior let out a frustrated sigh.

"Just how high is its magical defense?"

Even after taking Juniors [Elemental Disassembly], Jormungandrs neural center did not experience a decrease in its magical defense to negative levels.

It wasnt even the main body but a mere extremity, yet its magic power level was absurdly high.

Creatures of the mythical era...

"We were still able to deal some effective blows," Reina said, flashing a grin.

"Its all thanks to you, Junior. That spell of yours is genuinely marvelous. Make sure to present it at the Magic Society."

"Haha..."

Junior smiled awkwardly.

Both Junior and Reina had executed their combo magic twice today.

Even after casting their ultimate skills twice in a day, they were still in relatively good condition.

It was thanks to Reinas incantation. Junior felt a noticeable improvement in her condition.

"Huh?"

Of course, she wasnt fully recovered.

Blood dribbled from Juniors nostrils, and she tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. It seemed that casting twice in a row had taken its toll.

"Maybe we should rest now. Its getting late," Reina mumbled casually as she pulled a blanket from her bag and headed toward the back of Jormungandrs head.

Behind the massive serpents head lay a shallow mound, relatively sheltered from the strong winds.

Reina spread the blanket and sat down. Waving her hand, the winds swirling around them seemed to divert their course.

The space suddenly became cozy.

"Lets catch some sleep."

Reina was the first to lie down, wrapped in the blanket.

The space was cramped, so Junior, covering himself with his blanket, hesitantly snuggled up beside Reina.

Seeming tired, Reina yawned, closed her eyes, and mumbled,

"Oh, by the way. Watching your magic today, I noticed two inefficient parts in your incantation."

"Really?"

"So, when you first start casting..."

Even with her sleepy voice, Reina detailed the aspects of Juniors [Elemental Disassembly] that needed improvement.

Wide awake now, Junior committed every word to memory.

"...Something like that. Make sure to refine it later. Huaaah."

Having finished her lecture, Reina pulled the blanket up over her head.

"See you tomorrow... Oh, just a heads-up, Im a terrible bed-sharer."

Soon enough, the sound of snoring could be heard. Reina had fallen asleep instantly.

"..."

Junior had never had a proper mentor. She had learned everything through self-study.

Thats why Reinas guidance felt both unfamiliar and, to be honest, gratifying.

She never knew guidance from someone else could feel so sweet.

If I had a magic mentor...

Junior stared at the profile of the sleeping non-magician.

...would it have felt like this?

Soon after, Junior also closed her eyes to sleep.

Tonight, she felt like she could sleep deeply.

***

Regardless of the tiny humans scurrying around on its body, the colossal serpent Jormungandr remained indifferent, steadfastly continuing its journey.

Northward. Ever northward. In a true north direction.

Ssssssss

The sun rose. Its harsh rays bleached the expansive plains that Jormungandr was crossing.

At the end of the tranquil plains, a river with violent rapids began to come into view.

Beyond that river was a dense forest, and crossing that forest would lead to

The stone walls built by humans would inevitably appear.

Ssssssss

The serpent simply slithered forward.

Following its given mission and instincts, from one end of the world to the other.

***

[STAGE 9]

[Jormungandr - Progress of Area Destruction]

- First Vertebra: 41%

- Second Vertebra: 18%

- Third Vertebra: 29%

- Time to Reach Crossroad: 2 days left