(EP-125.1) Hunting #5

125 – Monster Hunt #5

Aira explained.

“If you combine the Rank 1 illumination magic and Rank 3 magic manipulation, these things are possible.”

She plucked one more strand of hair.

Blowing on it, this time, Aira created a butterfly-shaped light that fluttered its wings and brightly illuminated the surroundings.

Applying Rank 1 and 3 magic, huh?

Well, I guessed as someone who had reached the 4th Rank, I should have enough qualifications to do the same. So, I also plucked a strand of my hair and blew on it.

Flutter-.

However, my hair simply fell to the ground. Seeing this, Aira explained to me in a somewhat gentle voice.

“Imagination is important. All magic is based on the image depicted in your mind.”

“Imagination….”

“Now, Theo, pick an animal that you’re most familiar with and visualize it in your mind. Then, infuse it with magic.”

“Um.”

I, once again, plucked a strand of hair and closed my eyes, following Aira’s words. If there was an animal that was easy for me to imagine, it would be the one I kept beside me.

“Hu-.”

Finally, as I blew on it, the strand of hair fluttered and started emitting light. Simultaneously, the cluster of light expanded and transformed into the shape of a small but agile creature.

A squirrel.

It looked adorable.

It was dimmer than Aira’s butterfly and spider, but it was definitely like a shining squirrel. However, it soon dispersed into numerous clusters of light, resembling a scattered dandelion.

“You’ve lost your concentration, Theo.”

“… It’s not as easy as I thought.”

“Anyway, let’s go inside.”

At Aira’s words, we moved deep into the cave.

However, our footsteps soon came to a halt. The surroundings were filled with spiderwebs, making it impossible to continue walking.

Why were there so many spiderwebs?

Were there more spiders waiting ahead?

As I frowned at the thought of a swarm of spiders, Aira grinned gracefully.

“It reminds me of the Witch Forest in the North. There were also plenty of white spiderwebs there. I’m sure there are still many.”

“By Witch Forest, are you referring to the territory of the Tarantera Family?”

“Yes.”

The Witch Forest, also called the Great Forest, was an area with an abundance of trees. A literal sea of trees. And I believed there was a massive barrier further up.

Since my only contact with it was in the original novel and in writing, and had never actually been there, I didn’t have a clear image of it in my mind.

But it seemed that Aira had been to the dense verdant woods — Witch Forest — before.

“Are there many spiderwebs in the Witch Forest?”

“Yes. There are many different types of spiders, such as the Rainbow Spider, Blueback Spider, Opal Spider, and so on. I still remember. During the hot summer days, I used to go to the Witch Forest mansion with my brothers and sisters to escape the heat.”

Aira seemed to be immersed in memories of the past. Then, something suddenly popped up in front of us.

━Jijeujeujeut…!!!

It was a multi-footed insect. What was especially surprising was its large size, which was the same as my torso.

Although I imagined there would be a giant insect since it was full of huge webs, this wasn’t the spider that I was thinking of.

It had wings on its back, its mandibles looked sturdy like a cutter, and above all, its yellow and black stripes were the warning lights of nature itself.

“A wasp…!?”

It was a wasp the size of my body.

━Jijeujeujiji-!!

Buuuuung-.

The giant bug began to flap its wings violently, producing a sound as majestic as a helicopter rotor, which sent shivers down my spine.

Meanwhile, amidst the intense sound of the wings, I heard Aira’s voice from behind me.

“It’s a Hercules Wasp. This is the first time I’ve seen it this size. Well, it’ll be the same.”

Aira laughed as if she had discovered an amusing insect. Of course, as someone who could treat even an ogre like a child, a giant wasp was of no concern to her.

“Ordinary magic wouldn’t even scratch its exoskeleton. What are you going to do, Theo?”

Aira seemed to be very excited about how I would fight this huge wasp.

“Hu-.”

Taking a deep breath, I aimed the Imp Tail Wand, which was always ready to unleash magic, and shouted.

─Paimon-!

Uuuung, paat-!

The accumulated magic power at the tip of the tail was released. It transformed into an invisible air projectile about the size of a volleyball and collided with the wasp’s massive body.

Kwajik-.

━Jeujeujeu…!

I could see its front legs falling off its body. If it was a human, that attack would have been fatal, but this was a wasp with tenacious vitality.

That was right. All these, coming from a wasp.

I suddenly remembered something back when I was on duty as a soldier in Gangwon-do.

There, I encountered a variety of wasps. Some of which, even with their bodies severed, didn’t die and attacked with scissor-like jaws. Such tenacious vitality.

─Ttak, ttak-.

Yeah, it was this exact threatening sound…

─Ttak, ttak-!

The wasp opened and closed its mouth as if in warning.

And then, without hesitation, it started charging ahead. It felt like a tank was coming at me, I even felt the pressure and chills running down my spine.

But I wasn’t standing still either.

As it twitched from the previous magic cannon, I quickly charged my next attack and aimed the tip of my wand.

“Hu-.”

According to Aira, magic was an image.

‘Image.’

Then, what about a magic powerful enough to shatter that giant wasp into pieces with just one shot?

If it was a Rank 4 physical destruction magic.

If it was the magic of the Demon King Angmar, it would not be impossible!

━Jeujeujeujijeu-!

Finally, just when the giant mandibles were right in front of my face, I forcefully unleashed my magic. For a moment, I felt something rushing out my body and was launched through my hand.

“Oop-!”

─Kwaaang-!

With a powerful explosion, my body was sent flying backward, like a compressed spring being released.

Kwadang, kwadangtang-.

Thanks to that, I rolled on the ground full of dirt, barely managing to regain my balance and stand up. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down, as I didn’t know when the wasp would attack me again.

But my worries were in vain.

━Jeu….

The giant Hercules Wasp, which was hit by my attack point blank, was smashed in pieces as it slowly lost vitality.

Soon after, a system prompt appeared in front of my eyes, which notified me of the experience gained on my ‘Mage’ job.

Was the power too strong?

I could feel my legs shaking from the energy drain. However, the sense of accomplishment of defeating a monster as strong as an armored car cooled my head with a refreshing feeling. It was worth it.

“It’s crude, but it’s impressive magic. Didn’t expect you to end it like this.”

Aira looked at the remains of the wasp and complimented me. Even for her, a seasoned Archmage, my magic seemed to have an unusual power.

“However, there is a lot of wasted magic. If the goal is to kill, it’s enough to focus on one point without the need to explode it exaggeratedly.”

Seuruek.

Aira pointed her finger forward, where I could see a swarm of giant wasps beginning to crawl out of the cave’s depths.

━Jeujeujeujeu.

━Jijeujeu.