Ch.41Mina’s Courage

‘I stopped time…’

I almost blurted out that line with absolute conviction as I witnessed the Tyrant Worm, which had been charging at Jessica with its mouth wide open, suddenly freeze just 30 centimeters in front of her.

While Jessica’s dedication to maintaining her healing magic even when she was about to be devoured by the Tyrant Worm was impressive, personally, I’d like to give myself a slightly higher score for the self-control it took to swallow those words before they escaped my throat.

The fact that the Tyrant Worm’s charge had stopped was fortunate indeed. It almost seemed like a miracle born from Jessica’s love for me.

But miracles are called miracles precisely because they don’t happen. This massive creature’s sudden halt wasn’t due to a miracle or the power of love, but rather the result of clear cause and effect—one that was saving Jessica’s and my lives while simultaneously driving a new victim into the swamp of death.

“…Mina!?”

Jessica’s face turned pale as she witnessed the true nature of this miracle.

Thanks to Jessica’s healing magic, I was gradually regaining my physical condition and could finally manage to follow her gaze.

And following Jessica’s line of sight revealed another person—no, another creature.

As the Tyrant Worm, which had been prioritizing the magic-using Jessica as its primary target, slowly turned its head, there stood a small-framed dwarf girl backing away with a terrified expression, carrying a large machine emitting blue light on her back.

“Keeeeee-!!!”

The Tyrant Worm twisted its body violently and burrowed into the ground. Its magic-sensing organs no longer showed interest in the human mage’s trivial healing magic.

The massive creature was now targeting only the dwarf girl about 20 meters away at 8 o’clock, who was emitting more magical energy than anyone else here by opening the large magic tank she carried on her back.

“Waaaaaah~ It’s coming this way~!!”

The device emitting light behind the panic-stricken Mina was a magic tank—essentially a battery—used to supply magical power to the Seismic Cracker and Negatite sealing device.

With magical energy from inside the tank spewing in all directions, this situation was like presenting a feast before the Tyrant Worm’s eyes, giving it every reason to pursue.

No, it was something worth risking its life for.

“What are you doing, Mina!? Turn that thing off quickly!”

“Just focus on healing Will! Seti, help me out~”

“Got it.”

Mina was releasing magic from the tank to buy time for Jessica to heal me.

As long as that enormous magic tank was operating, the Tyrant Worm wouldn’t target Jessica. With Seti’s enhanced hearing helping them avoid the worm’s surprise attacks, they could stall for enough time to turn the unfavorable situation around.

“That girl…doing something so reckless…cough.”

“At this point, we have no choice but to trust Mina and Seti. Let me finish healing you quickly.”

“You’re just as reckless…if it weren’t for Mina, you’d be in the worm’s stomach by now.”

“…I know, I regret it. But I couldn’t bear the thought of you possibly dying…”

When I gently patted Jessica’s head as she responded with a sorrowful expression, she grabbed my hand with her left hand—the one not casting magic—and brought it to her cheek.

As if trying to confirm through my body heat that her lover was still alive, I slowly caressed her cheek and wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

If not for the urgent situation with our two companions facing life and death, I would have liked to share more intimate skinship, but unless we defeated the Tyrant Worm, such moments would never come again.

“Phew, I finally feel like I might live. Thanks, Jessica.”

“Any other pain? You seem completely recovered, but…”

“Hmm~ I think I’m fine.”

I tested various joints in my body, but found no discomfort or pain anywhere.

After confirming that the injuries from the Tyrant Worm’s rock-throwing attack had completely healed, I looked around for Mina and Seti. In the distance, I could see Mina desperately fleeing while practically hugging the lantern.

“We should regroup and tell her to turn off that magic tank. The worm will target Jessica again, which will be quite burdensome…”

“I don’t mind that, but I can only cast about 2-3 more Flame Lances. Heal Touch consumes more magical power the more serious the injury being treated.”

“Then we either need to end this quickly or consider retreating… Hey Mina! That’s enough, turn that equipment off now!”

As I ran toward Mina, shouting with all my might, she waved back in response while dodging the worm’s downward strikes with a terrified face.

To buy Mina time to shut down the magic tank, I fired six bullets at the worm’s face, and Jessica, following behind me, launched her most powerful Flame Lance.

With a bang and an explosion, the Tyrant Worm hesitated momentarily, allowing Mina to quickly stop and operate the control device at her waist, shutting down the magic tank on her back that had been emitting powerful magical energy.

“Phew~ Good thing you came in time.”

“Welcome back, Will. Are your injuries okay?”

“Yeah, I survived thanks to Mina and Seti buying us time. Thank you.”

After lightly patting Mina and Seti’s heads to express my gratitude as they approached me, I quickly reloaded my revolver with magic bullets.

The Tyrant Worm was writhing and looking around in confusion, unable to determine where the massive magical reaction it had been chasing had gone.

“Jessica, the spell on my spear just ended. Can you cast it again?”

“Wait, Seti. Jessica used too much magic healing me, so she can only use magic about two more times.”

“That’s a shame. I just found its weakness and thought we could focus our attacks there.”

“Really? Where’s the weakness?”

“Inside its body. When it opens its mouth, we can land effective hits.”

Seti had apparently been searching for the worm’s weakness by attempting attacks while helping Mina avoid the Tyrant Worm’s underground ambushes.

Still, attacking the inside of its mouth when it’s open? How did she discover that with a melee weapon rather than a gun or magic?

“If we know its weakness, we can use that knowledge next time we fight. Ideally, it would ignore us now and return to where the Negatite is…”

“…That wish won’t come true.”

“Yeah, this isn’t good.”

Jessica and Seti’s assertions were understandable.

Anyone would think the same, seeing the ominous atmosphere of the Tyrant Worm slowly turning its head to stare intently at the four of us before I could even finish speaking.

And as if to prove that thought correct, the Tyrant Worm began to take a combat stance while making a growling sound.

Round two was beginning.

“For now, Jessica, save your magic. Let’s flee appropriately and counterattack when we get a chance, or retreat to the tunnel if necessary.”

“Will we even get such a chance…”

“KIEEEEEK-!!”

The game of tag with the Tyrant Worm began again.

Since we weren’t using magic or operating the magic tank, we probably didn’t look very appetizing—it wasn’t showing the same aggression as before. However, its position on not letting the intruders leave alive remained unchanged as it persistently pursued us, attacking with downward strikes of its hard head.

“If only we had dynamite, we could stuff it into the worm’s mouth and finish it with one Flame Lance… huh?”

As I muttered to myself, I noticed a familiar object hanging at Mina’s waist as she ran beside me.

The Seismic Cracker, which we had used to tunnel our way here from the mine shaft, was both a mining explosive and a magical tool capable of storing large amounts of sand. Thinking about this characteristic, a rather good idea came to mind that could improve our situation.

“Mina! How can we get the sand back out of that Seismic Cracker?”

“Huh~? You’re curious about that in this situation?”

“Just tell me!”

“You just need to inject magic and say the activation keyword. But you have to say it from a distance because it’s dangerous.”

“Would it work if the cracker was inside the worm’s stomach and we said the keyword?”

Hearing my words, Mina looked startled, thought for a moment, then broke into a wicked smile.

“Hee~ What a terrifying idea! Will, you’re quite the villain~”

“I told you to stop calling me ‘oppa.’ So, will it work?”

“As long as the parts with the magic formula aren’t damaged by being chewed on.”

“Great. Jessica, Seti, Mina! Listen carefully to what I’m about to say!”

While evading the worm’s pursuit, I explained the plan as concisely as possible. The three nodded silently and headed to their positions.

To begin the first phase, Jessica and I changed direction sharply toward the left wall, while Seti and Mina maintained their escape route. Then Jessica fired a Flame Lance at the Tyrant Worm.

“Flame Lance!”

‘BOOM!’

“Keeek-!?”

The Tyrant Worm’s massive body, which had been retreating into darkness as the lantern light moved away, hesitated for a moment.

Not because of the damage from the Flame Lance hitting its head, but because it was beginning to take interest again in the magical energy of the mage who had repeatedly hurled fireballs—a magical reaction it had temporarily set aside due to the feast before its eyes.

“Grrrrrr-!!”

Confident that the Tyrant Worm’s attention was now on us, I turned my back to it and faced Jessica.

Whether it burrowed underground for a surprise attack or swooped down in a great arc, I could accurately pinpoint the worm’s position through my Danger Detection skill even when it approached from beyond my line of sight.

My role was to protect Jessica while Seti and Mina prepared the next phase of the plan.

“KRAAAAA-!!”

The Tyrant Worm chose to attack from above.

From this distance, pulling Jessica away from the worm’s charge trajectory was easier than eating cold porridge.

The Tyrant Worm, having failed its attack, entered the ground through the spot where it had struck, and I grabbed Jessica’s hand, creating distance while preparing for the next attack.

“Will! We’re ready!”

“OK! Start after the worm emerges!”

Hearing Seti’s voice from a distance, I sensed the worm’s presence attacking from underground.

In the slowed time created by my Danger Detection skill, I gauged the distance to where Seti and Mina stood, recalled the Tyrant Worm’s movements so far, and pulled Jessica’s hand to narrowly avoid the worm’s attack as it emerged from the ground.

If an underground ambush is avoided and two prey remain nearby, the worm’s next move would likely be a wide-range attack by lying down and swinging its body.

But what if a factor emerged that completely overturned that possibility?

“!?!?”

The Tyrant Worm’s movement completely stopped for a moment. As if it had received a massive shock, or felt pleasure beyond what its brain could process.

And understandably so. The ultimate feast that had disappeared before its eyes had reappeared in the distance.

“Kk…kikikiki…”

The six protrusions resembling eyeballs convulsed incessantly as the Tyrant Worm’s head slowly turned toward Mina, or rather, toward the magic tank emitting enormous magical energy behind her.

And after confirming this wasn’t a dream, the action the Tyrant Worm took didn’t deviate one bit from all our expectations.

“KIEEEEEEEE-!!”

Leaping toward its prey with its mouth wide open—truly a starving beast. Even with the “Tyrant” modifier, it couldn’t escape its fundamental nature.

Even if a deadly trap awaited before that appetizing prey.

“Go, Seti!”

“YAAAAAAAH-!!”

On Seti’s spear, raised above her shoulder, was the Seismic Cracker, secured with something like box tape.

The spear tip aimed at the inside of the charging Tyrant Worm’s mouth. But this wasn’t the powerful thrust or swing she had shown until now.

With a side step, Seti’s left foot stomped the ground forcefully, and she threw the spear with all her might. The spear left her fingertips like a shooting star, sucked into the Tyrant Worm’s mouth.

As the two barely avoided the Tyrant Worm’s feeding attack that had approached right before them, Mina shouted the operation’s end signal after confirming the worm was closing its mouth to burrow into the ground.

“Release!”

‘BOOM!’

With a sound like a large balloon popping, the Tyrant Worm met its end before it could even realize what had happened to it.

All that remained was a tattered corpse with a greatly swollen body, spewing large amounts of sand through torn holes all over.