Magic Is Learned For Nothing [EN]: Chapter 398

Magic is a Waste to Learn – 399

# 399

Kaiju Scholar Temptation (1)

Temptation was known as an eccentric scholar.

He had dedicated his entire life to researching monsters, kaiju, and demihumans. Whenever a new species surfaced, he felt compelled to travel to the farthest reaches of the earth to confirm its existence and satisfy his curiosity.

Within the kingdom, he was arguably the most knowledgeable person about kaiju.

He actively participated in Universe, an international relief organization. Universe was dedicated solely to the protection of kaiju, transcending national borders.

The Blood Desert, one of the kingdom’s three forbidden zones, bordered the Nex House Kingdom and the Stopby Kingdom.

Despite the shared border between the three kingdoms, the Blood Desert was so dangerous that no border guard units were stationed there. Instead, rangers from each country patrolled the border area. Even this simple patrol was a life-threatening endeavor.

On average, one squad per month disappeared due to kaiju attacks.

Nevertheless, patrols continued because, despite the known kaiju dominance, spies constantly infiltrated through the desert.

Temptation’s research team had been camping in this perilous location for half a year.

Temptation observed an injured ogre through his telescope. The ogre, typically known as the strongest monster on land, was now a shadow of its former self.

The ogre was injured and fleeing, constantly looking back. The murderous, ferocious glint in its eyes had vanished, replaced by fear and dread.

-Krrr릉.

It stumbled and fell while running.

The ogre let out a warning roar as it scanned its surroundings. But it couldn’t see anything in front of it.

The kaiju targeting the ogre wasn’t on the sand; it was moving as if swimming beneath the surface.

Pa-pa-pa-pাক!

Sand exploded everywhere as a giant sandworm emerged.

It was enormous, with at least 30 meters visible. Considering that less than half of its body was exposed, it was an incredibly massive sandworm.

Its appearance resembled that of a typical Sand Worm.

Normally, a fully grown adult reached about 15-20 meters in length.

Sand Worms occasionally engaged in skirmishes with Sand Ogres, but nine times out of ten, they were torn apart and killed. The Sand Worm’s blood contained potent toxins, but the Sand Ogre devoured them regardless.

But… this was different.

It was far too large to be considered a Sand Worm.

-Jjiririririk!

The Sand Worm’s unique sound, like metal scraping against metal, echoed as it lunged at the Sand Ogre.

The Sand Ogre struck the Sand Worm’s head repeatedly, but it didn’t even flinch.

The Sand Worm’s massive cylindrical body wrapped around the Sand Ogre.

With a sickening crack, the Sand Ogre’s bones broke.

The Sand Ogre slumped to the ground. The Sand Worm swallowed it whole.

That’s when it happened.

-Chi-chi-chi-chi.

A strange sound filled the air, similar to the chirping of a grasshopper in the height of summer.

The Sand Worm, which had just swallowed the Sand Ogre, seemed agitated.

It abandoned its plan to savor its meal.

It swallowed the Sand Ogre in one gulp and attempted to burrow back into the sand.

But the Sand Worm couldn’t escape. A giant pincer burst from the ground and severed the Sand Worm’s upper body.

“Sand Scorpion!” Temptation’s assistant, the Profiler, groaned softly. The Profiler was young, but Temptation had already identified him as his successor.

He believed that the Profiler’s brilliant mind, even superior to his own, would further advance kaiju studies.

If the Profiler had applied his intellect elsewhere, rulers would have clamored to hire him.

Unfortunately, the Profiler had no other interests. He was solely focused on researching kaiju.

“Is that really a Sand Scorpion?” Temptation felt a sense of dread.

He and his research team had been camped in the Blood Desert for six months, and too many strange things had been happening.

For example, what they were witnessing now.

First, the Sand Worm’s size was far beyond normal.

It was a mutant species.

Typically, only one or two of these creatures existed in the entire Blood Desert.

But recently, these mutant species had proliferated throughout the desert.

A 50-meter Sand Worm? Unbelievable.

If such a creature left the desert and attacked a human city, the casualties would be catastrophic.

And now, the kaiju Sand Scorpion that had severed the Sand Worm’s upper body was devouring its insides.

The Sand Scorpion was typically about 3-5 meters in size. As a crustacean, it possessed an incredibly thick shell. Its most dangerous feature was its tail.

Its tail produced a massive amount of potent venom. If released into a well, it could instantly kill 20,000 people.

However, if one was careful to avoid the venom, it wasn’t as dangerous as it seemed.

The thickness of its shell meant that the flesh inside was soft.

Attacking the joints of the shell made it relatively easy to capture. A knight wielding a Mana Blade or Aura Blade could defeat ten Sand Scorpions alone. Once the shell was breached, it was vulnerable.

But now, look at its size.

It was about 20-30 meters long.

It possessed ten times the weight and size of a normal Sand Scorpion.

Naturally, its shell had become unimaginably thick.

A Mana Blade couldn’t even scratch it. Even a mediocre Aura Blade would be ineffective.

It had become the apex predator of the desert in recent years.

The problem was that these creatures were everywhere.

The appearance of thousands of kaiju had changed drastically.

Even with natural environmental changes, this was impossible.

Temptation suspected that someone had artificially manipulated them.

But who?

Who would artificially manipulate such dangerous kaiju?

Temptation had been here for six months trying to find out, but he hadn’t found any clues.

“Let’s go back. If we’re discovered by those things, it’ll be a disaster,” the Profiler urged.

“Agreed,” Temptation nodded. The research team, consisting of thirty people, had not yet suffered any casualties, thanks to the twenty veteran mercenaries escorting them.

But he couldn’t guarantee how long their luck would last.

The research team members were under extreme stress, constantly fearing being eaten. Some were already grabbing Temptation’s pant legs and begging him to return.

However, Temptation couldn’t leave without discovering the reason for the kaiju’s transformation.

They belonged to Universe, but their funding came from Baserababab.

Returning without any results could jeopardize Baserababab’s donations.

Baserababab was a Great Sage, a man with a generous spirit who handled most situations with a smile.

However, he wasn’t infinitely wealthy.

He invested because he was a friend first and a sponsor second. Even for a friend, Temptation needed to return with at least some findings.

Temptation and the Profiler placed their telescopes in their bags and retreated.

It would be disastrous if any one-eyed meerkats were nearby. They looked cute, but they had also changed. Their size, once only 30 centimeters, had grown to 3 meters.

Their single eye, once used to avoid predators, was now used for hunting.

They possessed such keen eyesight that they could clearly see a needle 3 kilometers away.

Even if humans didn’t spot them, they would spot the humans.

Once discovered…

Humans couldn’t outrun them.

Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any around.

Instead…

-Krrr릉.

Temptation and the Profiler’s faces paled. The heavy atmosphere in front of them indicated the presence of a Sand Mantis.

These creatures were slightly different from ordinary mantises. Their eyes and wings had degenerated.

Without wings, they couldn’t fly. Their eyes had also deteriorated, hindering their ability to visually identify prey. Instead, they tracked prey by sound or vibration.

Perhaps that was why they moved so stealthily.

They were typically around 10 centimeters in size. Their danger stemmed from their pack hunting behavior.

They could devour a camel, a desert specialty, in under a minute.

These Sand Mantises had grown to about 1 meter in size. Now, they could dismantle a camel in under 10 seconds. There were at least 30 of them in front of them.

This was a mistake.

They should have taken at least minimal safety precautions.

But after living in the desert for so long, supplies were scarce.

Reconnaissance items were particularly limited.

Using them every time they went out to investigate would deplete their supplies in less than half a month.

They needed to stay here for at least 2 months to complete the investigation.

That decision had become a fatal blow for Temptation and the Profiler.

Thirty Sand Mantises stood directly in their path.

Lacking combat abilities, they couldn’t fight them.

They had a few attack magic scrolls, but they wouldn’t be enough to defeat thirty Sand Mantises.

“Run, Doctor,” the Profiler said with resolve.

“Forget it.”

“I’ll lure them away. Hurry back to the camp. Get the mercenaries and save me.”

It would take at least an hour to reach the camp, or 30 minutes if they hurried. Would the Profiler still be alive by then?

Impossible.

He would become food for those things in less than 10 minutes after they parted ways.

“You go.”

“Yes?”

“How far would I get with this body? Even if you lure them away, there’s a high probability I’ll be caught due to my slow pace. I’d rather lure them away. You go.”

“I understand.”

“…….”

This bastard…

I thought he would insist I run away one more time. Then I was going to reluctantly grab his hand and say, ‘Please stay alive.’

But he’s making it easy for me to leave.

“Are you going?” I ask just in case.

“It seems like what the Doctor said is right. I have to live, at least. That’s the only way I can publish the Doctor’s research to the world, isn’t it? If we both die, the Doctor’s research will be buried. I can’t stand to see that. I will definitely let the people of the world know that the Doctor was a great scholar.”

Thank you.

Thank you, but…

This bastard is already treating me like a dead man.

Hey! Hey! Don’t cry!

I’m not dead yet.

“Those things track prey by sound.”

“I know.”

“Wear this.”

The Profiler hung a bell around Temptation’s waist. It would ring loudly if he ran.

This bastard…

He’s determined to send me off.

Did I do something to offend you?

Why are you doing this to me?

“I will definitely send the remains to your family.”

Hey, hey, do you have to say that in front of my face? Don’t say that while crying.

The Profiler hugged Temptation tightly, squeezing out tears and snot. Goodbye. He would definitely survive for the Doctor.

Wow! I’m going crazy.

‘You bad bastard,’ Temptation thought to himself.

“I’ll run on three.”

“Wait, wait a minute…….”

“There’s no time. If those things move, you won’t be able to escape even if you want to. Okay, three, two, one.”

The Profiler ran backwards.

“Hey, hey! If you run backwards, what about me?”

I can’t run forward where the Sand Mantises are.

So Temptation ran in the same direction as the Profiler.

Surprisingly…

Temptation, who was almost ninety years old, was faster than the Profiler. He quickly passed the Profiler.

“D, Doctor!”

The Profiler shouted urgently, but…

Whatever.

Legion, who was leisurely crossing the desert on a ghost camel summoned by the Shuttle, luckily discovered them.