“Alright… I’ll take care of you soon enough.”
Chief Pemalt seems to be out cold from that last hit; there’s barely a peep from her.
Now I can finally focus properly.
“First, I need to weaken him a bit.”
Frankly, facing that dragon, Klenil or whatever, during the demonic ritual was easier than dealing with this guy one-on-one.
You can never underestimate a high-grade spirit.
“Sprite, let’s blast him with everything we’ve got.”
As soon as I summoned her, Sprite looked back at me, tilting her head as if unsure.
Are you telling me to fight a high-grade spirit?
That’s what she seems to be asking.
“Unleash a lightning strike with all your power! I’ll handle the rest!”
Normally, I’d leave all the attacking to the spirit and just give cool commands from behind, but this is different.
The lightning Sprite generated shines intensely.
I reached out my hand towards that condensed mass of high-voltage current and cast Atom Metamorphose [a spell to alter the fundamental structure of matter].
“Go!”
Interfering with the fundamental essence of Sprite’s lightning.
Though I can’t cause drastic changes.
But I can still pull off tricks like this.
Pajijijijijit!
Intense flashes and currents raged as the lightning’s form changed.
Instead of being fired, a massive amount of current remained in the air, its shape shifting.
Like a claw.
A giant claw of lightning, 12 meters in size, was completed.
‘The knack of interfering with the power of elemental magic and manipulating it according to my will…’
Instead of simply manipulating it with elemental magic, I applied magic to maximize its controllability.
That is this lightning claw.
More than anything, it’s not just about increasing controllability.
“Go!”
As I extended my arm, the lightning claw followed suit, swinging down.
A light upward sweep, a clawing motion.
That strike directly hit the lower part of the ice spirit.
Kagagagagagang!
The high-voltage current claw struck the ice that made up the materialized body, scraping it roughly.
A middle-grade spirit’s lightning was gnawing away at the surface of a high-grade spirit.
“One more hit!”
This time, the flames Salamander created exploded violently, flipping the spirit’s massive body over.
Well, it’s a turtle, so once it’s flipped, it shouldn’t be able to get up easily.
This is the chance while it’s struggling.
“Next is suppression…”
I pulled out the chain sword from the subspace pocket [a pocket dimension for storage] and unfolded a magic circle with my other hand, chanting the spell Hold Person.
“And you help too.”
I summoned a spirit specialized in binding.
Fluorite, once summoned, sits on my head.
“Bind!”
I launched the three types of restraints I often use simultaneously.
Mana chains, cords of light, and materialized shadows were emitted like countless threads, sticking to the ice spirit’s entire body.
It might resist, but it won’t be able to move for dozens of seconds.
Now’s the chance!
I immediately teleported onto its belly and climbed on.
“Uwaaaat?! Chagat!”
As expected of a spirit made of ice, the cold I felt as I got closer was no joke.
It’s a good thing I have some resistance to elemental magic; if an ordinary human approached, they would have frozen to the bone.
“…I should have brought gloves.”
Muttering, I brought my empty hand close to its body and activated magic once more.
‘Since it’s interfering with and changing the smallest unit of mana… I should be able to interfere with the summoning ritual that’s tormenting this guy.’
With my knowledge, reconstructing magic is impossible, but ruining it is possible.
Since all I have to do is break it.
If I do it well, I can use the ability to break magic.
First, I checked the magic formula that bound the spirit.
‘…This is going to be tough.’
As expected of a method constructed by a chief-level figure, it’s quite an elaborate summoning circle.
“I’ll destroy it in one go…”
I activated the magic, and the pure white light gathered in my hand penetrated the ice spirit.
Soon, it began to interfere with the summoning formula… the two formulas interfered with each other.
As if biting each other and desperately fighting.
And I boldly cut it off.
Pajijijit!
Sparks flew across the spirit’s body, and the rampaging spirit soon calmed down.
The formula was broken.
As a result, its summoning was immediately canceled, and it began to disappear.
Before disappearing, it made eye contact with me.
If it wasn’t my imagination, it seemed to nod its head once.
I faintly felt a chill brush against my chest.
Is it saying goodbye?
Leaving behind the ice spirit that disappeared without regret.
“Now, what’s left is…”
I quickly scanned the surroundings.
“Found it.”
I exerted a strong gravitational field towards the place I found, crushing it entirely.
“Come out. I know you’re not dead.”
I could see Chief Pemalt barely enduring the gravitational field I unleashed, spitting blood.
She’s stubbornly holding on. Chief-level is scary. I didn’t think she’d be alive.
“…Hmph, you have no consideration for an old person.”
“Respect for elders? That elder has to act like one first. And.”
The small staff she was about to take out from her chest was hit by a thin lightning bolt I shot out and bounced away.
“…Futile actions are useless.”
It’s meaningless.
Judging from this, the attack from before was enough to inflict a fatal wound.
Whatever she does is just a desperate struggle.
“I don’t know what you’re hiding, but don’t even think about it.”
“…Hehehe. Don’t worry, I don’t have anything anymore. It’s frustrating, but I really don’t.”
A tone as if she had half given up.
“Indeed… you obtained it? No wonder… then it’s understandable that I couldn’t handle it.”
A strange tone.
It’s not a big deal that she’s sure I obtained the grimoire, but…
“What do you know?”
“…Well, I only heard it from that person. And I have no intention of telling you.”
“That person…”
She’s probably referring to the head of the Continental Integration Conference.
Does that mean his secret order was to instruct her to recover the grimoire?
‘Like before, what is that big, old geezer up to?’
I know what he did in the original story.
But I don’t know anything else.
More than anything, one question arose after acquiring the grimoire.
Is this related to that guy’s goal?
“Well, that’s a problem I’ll have to think about later.”
Let’s focus on the enemy in front of me for now.
I gathered the spirit’s lightning and fired it decisively.
The head and heart.
I aimed for and pierced the two places that must be destroyed to kill a magician, finishing her off.
Confirming that I had definitely taken her down this time, I released the tension in my body.
“Hoo… I’ll get past one hurdle for now.”
I’ll leave a little bit of vigilance.
But there’s no feeling that an additional enemy will pop out right away.
‘Still, it’s better to leave quickly.’
As I returned to the city, the non-human warriors, including Dires, greeted me as soon as they saw me, running up to me in an instant, as if the cleanup was already finished.
“Eilon-nim!”
“You did it.”
“We were worried when we saw even a powerful spirit rampaging.”
They seemed to have been quite anxious.
I don’t know how the situation is going.
There was an explosion, and a spirit hundreds of meters tall appeared and rampaged, so how could they not be?
“Don’t worry. This time, I have definitely finished off the one who was tormenting you.”
As I said as if guaranteeing it, everyone carefully gasped in admiration.
“But over there… are the city residents okay?”
I asked, shifting my gaze slightly.
The sight of numerous citizens lying neatly on the side of the road was somewhat unsettling.
It’s a relief they’re not corpses, though.
“We only suppressed them and knocked them unconscious as instructed.”
“Then they’ll wake up on their own.”
In addition, the citizens who had their mana extracted to summon the high-grade spirit had no life-threatening problems other than being a little weakened.
Then there’s nothing to worry about.
“Then let’s get out of here too.”
It’s a chance to escape this territory as planned.
There’s no lord, and there’s no mastermind using him.
In addition, thanks to laying hands on the city residents, attention will be focused on this side for the time being when they open their eyes.
There’s no better opportunity to leave unnoticed.
“…I have no objections. But where are you planning to move to?”
“It’s obvious.”
I smiled and said to reassure them.
“I have someone I know well. Let’s stay with that friend for a while.”
I’m going to bother a friend I know a little.
How much have they gained thanks to me usually, so it’s okay to visit them at times like this.
“Our destination is Pelpuk.”
To be honest, that’s the only place I can go.
“Let’s hide there first and then discuss future plans.”