Ch.1515. Graduation (2)

Nature Magic. This magic, the most well-known among druid spells, is often mistakenly thought of as magic that grows and controls plants.

According to my master, the most convenient way to utilize nature magic is indeed through plant manipulation, and in this world filled with all sorts of fantastical flora, it’s true that simply controlling plants can handle most situations.

Physical attacks or bindings using vines and branches. Various magical attacks using fantasy plants. Defending against enemy attacks by forming plant barriers and crowd control abilities using pollen and other plant materials.

Since it can be used in so many diverse situations, it seems natural that the vast majority of nature magic cast by druids is related to plants.

But nature magic isn’t simply about manipulating plants. As its name suggests, nature magic is about harmonizing with the mysteries of the great outdoors to control all natural elements. In a broader sense, even magic that manipulates the earth is part of nature magic…

—KUGUUUGUGUGUGUNG!!!

The moment I use the “ultimate technique” of nature magic to create a localized earthquake within this narrow space, the ground beneath the goblin village twists completely out of shape.

The earthquake leaves scars that split the earth, destroying the entire village. The crudely built palisades collapse entirely, and the shabby huts crumble in an instant, their debris falling upon the goblins.

The effects of the fractured ground didn’t end there. As the ground collapsed and twisted, fragments of earth struck the goblins’ fragile bodies. Blade-like formations of earth rose from the ground.

Most of the goblins died instantly, without even time to scream. Some suffered severe injuries, though not immediately fatal. Even the goblins in better condition had at least one limb broken or twisted.

Among the many secret techniques of nature magic, “Earth Collapse” is particularly excellent for wide-area suppression. It was sufficient to bury the entire goblin village underground in just a moment.

[…! That one’s still alive, Gregory!]

‘Thanks, Astra!’

Unfortunately, the goblin shaman, who could be considered the true target of this graduation test, still appears to be alive.

Though his black robe of unknown origin is now covered in dust, and the strange ornaments that had dangled all over his body are shattered… the goblin shaman was perfectly alive, glaring at me as the source of the magical power.

[■■ ■■! ■■■■!]

The creature opens its mouth and begins to gather magical power while chanting an incomprehensible goblin incantation.

Its magic was fundamentally rooted in evil mysteries, and its effects were equally malevolent.

The goblin corpses buried in the ground that my magic had overturned vanish as they’re consumed as sacrifices for the spell.

Before I can even react, the sacrifices are offered, and the horrific result of the spell materializes.

[■■■■■■■───!!!!]

The monster summoned by the goblin shaman had an appearance that defied precise description. If I had to put it into words, it was like hundreds of eyeballs attached to tentacles hanging from a massive egg-shaped mass of flesh.

‘Is that an outer god contractor?’

From its appearance, which could hardly be considered a creature of this world, I suspected this goblin shaman belonged to the type of cultist my master had told me about—an outer god contractor.

A cultist who manipulates magic affecting the minds of intelligent beings and draws power from entities called outer gods. While I was recalling this fact… a golden lightning bolt shot by Corin flies from behind me.

—PAZIZIZIZIZIZIZIK!!!!!

But the lightning bolt that was undoubtedly heading toward the shaman suddenly changes direction sharply and strikes the alien creature on the side.

Judging from Corin’s surprise transmitted through our mental connection, this was definitely not what she had intended.

So at this point, with my analysis roughly complete, I—who had been gathering magical power to cast a spell at any moment—concentrated that power at the tip of my staff… and cast a spell with shortened incantation using the condensed magical power as a catalyst.

The three major components of spellcasting are typically magical power, incantation, and gestures. Magical power is the material, while incantation and gestures are means to control the material (magical power) and imbue it with will.

Therefore, among these three elements, the only truly necessary one is magical power. Even with shortened incantation, the power and precision are only slightly reduced, so there’s no real problem in using magic—

[—Come forth, beast!]

Immediately after my brief incantation in Druidic (Elvish) language leaves my mouth, the magical power takes on the mysteries of nature according to my request and becomes a beast—a giant but translucent brown bear.

And the translucent brown bear moved quickly. It suddenly lunged forward as if to charge, then continuously swung its two front paws, creating a barrier of slashing attacks before it.

Pieces of the alien creature fall to the ground as purple bodily fluids burst forth from its finely minced flesh. Fragments of severed earth scatter in all directions.

The corpse of the alien creature evaporates, proving it wasn’t of this world. The goblin shaman, who barely avoided the wall of slashes, throws away his broken staff and extends his hands forward, but…

—KWAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAANG!!!

A step ahead, Corin’s golden lightning strikes the goblin shaman.

This must be what the priests call divine punishment. Even to me, who has studied the mysteries for nearly nine years, the lightning looked majestic and undoubtedly struck the goblin shaman.

[……..Huh? G-Gregory?]

[Master! Why is that thing still alive!?]

However… the fact that the goblin shaman remained unharmed after being hit by such a majestic manifestation of mystery was something completely outside the range of possibilities I had considered.

Even I wouldn’t have survived that lightning bolt without any protection, so how could a mere goblin shaman still be alive?

While I was puzzling over this question… by chance, my eyes caught a change in the goblin shaman.

‘That is…?’

One of the crude dolls that had been hanging intact at his waist until just moments ago was turning to charcoal and slowly crumbling.

As if it had been struck by lightning…?

‘…That’s it!’

I was certain. That doll had taken the attack in the shaman’s place. Considering the specialties of those who use primitive magic, it wouldn’t be strange for them to have prepared means to deflect magical attacks like this.

Therefore, with no time to waste thinking, I transmitted my conjecture to my two animal friends as mental information and counted the number of dolls hanging at the goblin shaman’s waist.

The total was 6. This means he can deflect attacks 6 times, which is an enormous advantage in magical combat where each attack could be decisive and the number of attacks is relatively limited.

To explain it in simpler terms, it’s like having the ability to nullify 6 attacks in a turn-based game.

So in this rather difficult situation, the goblin shaman, just as he did before, extends his hand toward me, and from that hand, he shoots a sinister purple light—

[—Gregory!]

The magical power that was trying to seize my mind is driven away by the healing power transmitted along with Astra’s voice.

Thanks to this, I quickly escape from his mental attack… and immediately don the wild mystery drawn through my staff.

[—KUOOOOOOOOO!!!]

A giant polar bear with bulging muscles hidden beneath its strangely cute appearance. The very polar bear that was the largest of all bears even on Earth in my previous life, famous for tearing humans apart—I transform into it and charge forward, surrounded by cold air.

In this world, a fantasy world’s polar bear is a bear monster that has mutated due to the influence of the extreme cold at the poles. Like other extreme monsters, this intermediate monster has gained the power to manipulate cold, and its form was powerful.

—WUUUNG—!!

He desperately deploys a barrier made of purple, aurora-like waves to block my charge. But before the large and ferocious polar bear, it’s no more than a sheet of paper.

—JJANGGEULANG!!

With a clear sound like breaking glass, purple fragments scatter, and I throw myself through those purple fragments and flatten the goblin shaman.

Of course, proving himself to be an intermediate magician, the goblin shaman doesn’t die instantly, probably because he reinforced his body with magical power… but then I’ll just have to make sure he’s dead.

—KWADEUDEUK—!!

The goblin shaman’s skull is crushed under my front paw, and as the components of his head distort, brain matter leaks through the gaps.

With injuries severe enough to crush his brain, there’s no way for him to survive.

So, after staring at the crushed corpse of this shaman for a moment in my polar bear form, I shed the polar bear’s shape and thought:

With this… the end of my childhood has drawn right up to me.