Pride cast a wary glance back at the monstrosity. It writhed and roared in anger, pouring all its power into the grotesque regeneration of its severed limb.
"Where's Daniel?" she asked, her gaze flicking to Ragnar at her side.
Old man Ragnar, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes, replied with a touch of sarcasm, "Lass, after that little escapade out of that blasted tunnel with you, I haven't gone anywhere else."
Pride, her lips pursed in a pout, ignored Ragnar's teasing. Her focus returned to the monstrosity, its regeneration progressing at an alarming rate. She glanced at Penthesilea, still being treated by the medics. No one else here could truly stop that creature.
A spark ignited in Pride's eyes. Except for her, of course!
"Alright," she declared, her voice firm. Ragnar raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you planning?"
A confident smile spread across Pride's face, momentarily inflating her non-existent chest. "I'll take care of that giant monster! Consider yourselves lucky!"
Ragnar's southern drawl rumbled with amusement. "Well, alright there, lass. Thanks in advance."
"As you should!" Pride nodded curtly. Without further delay, she began channeling her mana. A complex web of enchantments wove through her body, pushing her physical prowess far beyond human limitations.
Usually, she couldn't muster this much spell power because her mana reserve was small. She had slightly more mana reserve than Greed, the weakest of the witches. That's why she often resorted to blood magic, converting her blood into mana. If not overused, this method allowed her to replenish her blood without significant drawbacks.
But this time was different. She had a supplement that completely negated all the drawbacks!
A box of Chromatic Philosopher's Stone!
She had snatched it from that yellow iguana when little Sylvana visited her. She had seen the fat yellow iguana munching on the Chromatic Philosopher's Stone, and it had pained her deeply. She felt not just jealousy but profound sorrow at the loss. This was a Philosopher's Stone, a Chromatic one with a higher mana output than the average red philosopher's stone!
Thinking of the future of the Curtained World, the mage community, and the world itself, she couldn't let that fat yellow iguana devour such a precious magical ingredient. So, she took it from that fat yellow iguana when Sylvana was about to leave.
Now, she was putting all of the Chromatic Philosopher's Stone to good use. One of her prized magical researches was a spell that temporarily expanded her mana reserves.
However, it only increased her maximum mana reserves, not her current mana. This limitation made it less useful unless she had another mana source besides her natural regeneration capabilities.
Pride utilized a quarter of the Chromatic Philosopher's Stone from the box to fill her temporary mana reserves to the brim. Then, she tapped into a spell she couldn't usually use without proper preparation and ritual to supplement her mana reserves.
For Pride, the process unfolded smoothly and almost automatically as each spell executed its intended purpose, systematically slashing and destroying the giant monster's vital organs: heart obliterated, arteries severed, blood veins mangled, liver demolished, lungs ruptured, bones cracked, and chest split open.
The unmistakable scent of burnt flesh, searing hot as the monster's body charred to a crisp, filled the air as it burst open, revealing burns along each of Pride's cuts on its body.
To Pride, it felt like a controlled, deliberate dance, unhurried and precise. But to everyone else, it was a blur—a flash of light blue streaking past the monster from varied angles.
In an instant, the monster's upper torso erupted, slashed, mangled, and void of all vital organs. This entire sequence unfolded so rapidly that onlookers couldn't comprehend what had occurred.
Despite reaching speeds of 0.01% of light, Pride experienced none of the expected drawbacks. No sonic boom, no scorching heat generated by air resistance, no crushing G-forces. Her Space Magic acted as a buffer, separating her from the harsh realities of high-velocity movement.
In layman's terms, she wasn't moving through space; but space itself that was warping around her and moving instead of her.
Essentially, the environment didn't register Pride's presence as she moved within a separate space created by her magic.
Only her space blade materialized in real space, igniting the atmosphere instantaneously as it cut through flesh and destroyed vital organs.
This explained why the monster's chest burst open and why its flesh cooked and charred at the site of each cut.
Though Pride could potentially accelerate to the speed of light or beyond, the immense mana energy required was prohibitive. Even with her current speed, she felt a twinge of regret for depleting the reserves of the chromatic Philosopher's stone.
The monster let out a final thundering roar as its upper torso engulfed in flames collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Pride descended gracefully, dematerializing her armor as she savored her perfect victory over the giant beast.
"Hmph! How'd you like that, gramps?" Pride boasted with a smug grin, basking in Ragnar applause.
"Well done, lass!" Ragnar boomed, his applause echoing across the battlefield. A moment later, his booming voice softened with concern. "But are you certain you're alright? That was a potent cocktail of enhancement spells you used. Body enhancement magic is a powerful tool, but relying solely on it without building your base physical strength can be detrimental in the long run."
Pride, still basking in the afterglow of victory, brushed off his concerns with a confident wave. "Don't fret, old man. I can handle it."
A mocking voice sliced through the air. "Oh, isn't that rich coming from you? The very reason your chest remains flat!" Pride whipped around, her gaze landing on Lust. Greed trailed close behind her friend, acting as Lust's reluctant guardian, yes, she's here to prevent Lust from doing something stupid.
"Wha... What did you just say, you cow?!" Pride sputtered, her anger sparked by Lust's nonchalant jab. Lust, despite the insult she took, couldn't help but take a sliver of pride in Lust's words, considering them a compliment – a validation of her alluring figure.
Lust met her gaze with an unbothered smirk. "Thankyou for your compliment, Pride. Are you jealous?" she teased.