Leap

,”An Academy freshman kills a Master of Magic Tower…. Is it arrogance, or confidence?”

Tarantara glared at me with a sneer. My skin stung from the magic-filled gaze.

,”There’s no way your spear will ever reach me.”

Magic surged through my veins like an explosion. No matter what Tarantara was babbling about, I had already recognized the spatial coordinates.

As the magic amplified, did the speed of the magic’s manifestation also increase? I created the entrance and exit of the dimension almost simultaneously, or so it felt, and immediately thrust my spear.

Kwaaaang–!

The Spear of Destruction, aimed at Tarantara’s back, was pushed back out through the entrance with a roar by an invisible, intangible force.

At the same time, I felt an intense surge of magic from behind me.

As I turned my head, I instantly created a new entrance in front of me for the magic that was flying at me unexpectedly, attacking Tarantara in reverse.

While Tarantara disappeared amidst the shockwave and dust, mercenaries, it seemed, appeared from all over the village and began to surround me.

The bloodstains on the mercenaries’ clothes and swords, and the screams I had heard, suggested that all the people living in the village had been murdered to silence them.

,”Kill him.”

At Tarantara’s voice echoing from somewhere, someone ambushed me.

I immediately used dimension magic to pierce the back of the head of the guy who was rushing at me. The mercenary fell forward as he was, without a scream.

,”He’s a mage! Everyone, charge!”

At the shout of who seemed to be the leader, I looked around.

There were easily twenty of them. Among them, a few were holding crossbows.

A guy with a greatsword charged at me with a fierce momentum.

But I didn’t allow him to approach. Just standing there and thrusting my spear forward, the guy’s head exploded, and thick blood splattered.

Shwiik-!

An arrow flew, aiming for my defenseless back, but I had anticipated the attack from behind.

The arrow that was aiming for my back passed through the dimensional exit and came out in front of me, piercing the neck of another guy who was charging.

Even so, the number of those rushing towards me didn’t decrease. Rather, as if they thought their comrade’s death was an opportunity, they cornered me like a pack hunting.

It was the first time I had killed someone, and those aiming for me were drawing their weapons and charging, but my reason was not dominated by any emotion.

If the Courage of the Indomitable is activated, I can’t lose rational judgment in any situation.

In a fleeting moment, I recognized all the spatial coordinates within 50 meters.

With a barrage of attacks erupting from unexpected angles in conjunction with space magic, the heads of the approaching mercenaries exploded one by one.

,”Uwaaaagh!”

,”Keuaaack!!!”

As I ground down the approaching guys like a mixer, blowing their heads off, the mercenary leader shouted in a hurry.

,”Shibal…! Retreat!!!”

At the leader’s words, the mercenaries, who had stopped rushing at me like moths to a flame, wore expressions of relief. This time, I charged at them.

As if knocking down a scarecrow standing still with a spear, the Spear of Destruction was instantly created with space magic and pierced the back of their heads, their skulls exploding and brains flowing out.

,”What can we do to stop this crazy magic….”

Even though they were far away, I could attack wherever I wanted-neck, chest, back-without being restricted by distance.

The mercenaries couldn’t figure out the changes in the attacks, and their heads exploded, or their vital points were pierced, and they died as they were.

,”Tarantara!!! Help us, we can’t do it alone…!”

Despite the leader’s desperate cry, Tarantara had disappeared somewhere and was nowhere to be seen.

As I blew the head off the guy who was shooting a crossbow, the guy who suddenly appeared from the side and swung his sword had his attack reflected, and his neck was cut by the sword he had swung himself.

,”Tarantara!!!”

I slammed the Spear of Destruction into the forehead of the mercenary leader, who was screaming in fear.

,”Hiiik… Run away! He’s a demon. That guy is a demon…!”

,”Uwaaa…!”

With screams, some dropped their weapons and began to desert the battlefield.

While I was wary of the hidden Tarantara without chasing the fleeing mercenaries, trees that had grown from under the feet of the fleeing mercenaries pierced their bodies.

,”Eugeueok….”

One of the mercenaries, his body pierced, let out a small groan and dropped his head.

,”Impressive. They were just trash to be cleaned up after the job was done anyway, but I thought it wouldn’t be easy for you.”

Tarantara, who had revealed himself between the trees, smiled.

,”It’s a very unique magic. I’ve never heard of magic that uses dimensions….”

With a greedy expression, Tarantara pointed his staff at me.

,”You should thank Rotten. To think he’d prepare such an unexpected gift.”

Kwaaaang–!

No sooner had he finished speaking than the ground around me rose high and covered me. With a roar, dust and shockwaves poured over the spot where I had been standing, but I had already used space magic to get out of the way and was charging at Tarantara.

A green ring that appeared with a green light tried to bind my body, but I swung my spear to extinguish the magic and quickly closed the distance.

Huge tree roots tried to restrict my movements, but I jumped into the air and swung my spear at Tarantara.

Pyushyuuuut―!

A flower that had grown larger than a person grew instantly, blocking the attack and spewing out suspicious pink powder.

Holding my breath and stepping back, an enormous amount of magic rose from under the ground.

Rolling forward and using space magic to get out of the way, a withered giant tree pierced the floor where I had been standing and grew with a fierce momentum.

I had increased my magic power through magic amplification, but I had to start managing my magic power because I had moved my body several times.

,”Huu.”

As soon as I sighed, as if not giving me time to rest, tree roots rushed towards me.

While I was fending them off, a green flash fired by Tarantara struck the withered tree directly.

Kugugugung――!

The ground vibrated, and a sound echoed from deep within the floor.

The withered gray tree gradually regained its vitality, and instantly bore fruit, spitting out round seeds.

,”Get crushed to death.”

Tarantara’s voice was filled with magic, giving me the illusion that it was echoing in my head.

The seeds falling from the sky began to germinate instantly, and stretched out their roots in the air even though there was no soil. The roots grabbed onto the tree’s trunk and began to fall to the ground like meteorites.

There was nowhere to escape from the trees filling the sky. Therefore, I charged towards Tarantara instead.

Tree roots sprouted from the ground to block my approach, but I annihilated them all with the power of destruction.

Immediately giving strength to my left foot and rotating my body, I swung my spear towards Tarantara.

The trees that had grown from under the ground tried to block the spear, but the spear blade imbued with the power of destruction cut them all down in one blow, neatly severing Tarantara’s head.

At the same time, the trees that had fallen to the ground caused a shockwave with a huge roar. I tried to hold out by raising my spear, but I was blown away as I was.

,”Kulkeok-!”

With a cough, a lump of blood spurted from my mouth. Wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth, I struggled to prop myself up with the Spear of Destruction.

Just as I was about to smile at the thought that I had succeeded in Rotten’s revenge, something pierced one of my thighs.

,”……Kkeueueuk!”

Enduring the sudden pain that almost made me fall, I checked the branch stuck in my thigh.

At the same time, I created a dimensional entrance in front of me for the branches rushing at me like arrows, sending them all somewhere else.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my thigh, I avoided the tree roots that were rising from the floor again. Attacks with exquisite timing that disrupted my breathing.

,’I definitely cut off his head….’

The possibility of Tarantara withstanding an attack that even used the power of destruction was low. If so, what I had cut down was not the real body, but a fake.

I continued to extinguish Tarantara’s magic with the power of destruction, but I was slowly being pushed back.

My lack of stamina and the magic power I had recklessly used had reached their limits.

Therefore, Tarantara was attacking skillfully without giving me a chance to rest. He was forcibly controlling my movements and forcing me to consume magic power.

Tarantara, having seen how I fought through the death of the mercenaries, was hiding in the darkness, waiting with a spider web until his prey ran out of strength.

,”I told you. There’s no way your spear will ever reach me.”

I gritted my teeth at those words. If I continued to be dragged around like this, it would only end up in the situation Tarantara wanted.

I no longer consciously controlled my regular breathing. Taking a deep breath, I rushed towards the place where the magic was rising.

I gathered all the magic power left in my body and focused on attacking. Magic power surged through the blood vessels all over my body.

Slipping and dodging the tree roots that were rushing to burst my head, I ran towards the withered gray tree.

Although it wasn’t visible to the naked eye, the center of the rising magic power was there.

Kwakwakwang―!

The ground I was stepping on rose up, and I lost my balance for a moment.

Peoeok! A giant tree root struck my back in the air with the momentum to break my spine.

Blood gushed out. A giant tree root was slammed down to burst my body towards me, who was bouncing off from the impact.

Kwaaaang―!

I got out of the attack’s trajectory with space magic, twisted my body, and avoided the continuing attack.

,’The difference is too great.’

I already knew that the difference between an Academy freshman and a Master of Magic Tower was vast. But I had space magic and the Spear of Destruction, so I had hoped that if even one attack succeeded, I could kill even a Master of Magic Tower.

But Tarantara, as if reading my thoughts, hid his appearance and confronted me with magic.

He had read my one-hit-kill combat style and was draining my strength from a place where my one hit couldn’t reach.

A tree branch was stuck in my thigh, and I had no feeling in my leg. Every time I moved, my back, which had been hit by the tree roots, caused unbearable pain every moment. It really felt like my spine had been broken.

My lungs felt like they were about to burst from my rough breathing. My forehead was torn from an unavoidable attack, and my vision became blurry with red.

But my mind became even clearer. My stamina and magic power were running out, but it was a winning fight if I could just succeed in one attack.

Even though I knew the difference was great, I didn’t give up. Even if I didn’t have the Courage of the Indomitable, I wouldn’t have given up.

Because I couldn’t forgive the monster that had destroyed Rotten’s life.

Extinguishing the green magic flying towards me, I spewed out the magic power that had been revealed on the floor.

There was now only one way to solve this difficulty. Something I had only practiced in theory several times because of my lack of magic power.

The next stage of [Basic Space Magic], and the principle of teleportation magic used by mages.

[Space Movement Magic – Dimension Leap]

That was the only way to approach Tarantara, who was hiding in that withered tree, and deliver a single blow.

It was magic I had never practiced, but I could do it. No, I had to do it.

To turn the tables, I had to bet my life.

At the same time as the tree roots were approaching me with fierce momentum, the surrounding ground was overturned and covered me.

In the fleeting moment before they touched my body, I gathered my magic power and created a dimensional passage.

There was no need to recognize spatial coordinates.

I just had to shoot forward like an arrow.

The rough breathing and the pain felt all over my body disappeared in an instant.

In that fleeting moment that briefly held eternity.

I felt a strange sensation on my skin.

A sense of floating as if flying in the sky, and a sense of pressure as if crushing my whole body. At the same time, I felt an uncontrollable force pushing my back.

My body was sucked into the dimensional passage. Becoming a single flash as I passed through the dimensional passage as if being shot out with tremendous speed.

The moment everything around me stopped. The space distorted, and a flash of red light flickered.

The withered gray tree was shattered by the Spear of Destruction as it was, piercing the heart of Tarantara, who had been hiding in the space inside the tree.

Tarantara, who was just looking ahead with an expression that didn’t understand what had happened to him, widened his eyes and opened his mouth before his body exploded and shattered.

At the same time, time, which had been flowing very slowly, found its place.

As thunder belatedly arrives after lightning strikes. A roar was heard in my ears.

Kukwakwakwang―――!

At the same time, having exhausted all my strength, I lost consciousness as I was with a satisfied smile.