Ch.56Perpetual Motion Machine

“It’s, it’s collapsing!”

“Mr. Shave! Do, do something!”

Ignoring the two panicking mages, Seo-rin surveyed her surroundings. Through the collapsing ceiling, a faint light flickered momentarily. The air had changed too. It wasn’t the stale air inside the dungeon, but fresh air coming from outside.

Though faint, there was a chance of survival. And she was the only one who could increase that probability. Seo-rin grabbed the two mages by their collars and dashed forward.

“Gack! S-Sir Knight! Where on earth are you going?”

“W-Wait! Let me run on my own!”

Their frail bodies, accustomed to a lifetime of magical research, couldn’t keep up with her movements. Seo-rin ignored Envy’s protests and kicked off the ground. The faint mana remaining in her body enhanced her physique, giving the small girl tremendous leaping power.

Whoosh-!

Even in that moment, Seo-rin’s gaze moved ceaselessly. She searched for a path through the falling debris. Right now, what moved her small body was the animal instinct honed in the snow-white plains.

Jumping between piles of rubble created a precarious situation. The two mages finally realized Seo-rin’s intention.

‘My mana is depleted…’

‘Maybe once or twice in crucial moments…’

Shave and Envy frowned as they checked their remaining mana. They wanted to help Seo-rin, who was saving their lives, but they had very little mana left. It meant they couldn’t use proper magic.

However, they could still create one or two small mana platforms.

Seo-rin and the two mages surged through the endlessly collapsing rubble. Carrying two adults while running consumed considerable stamina. Seo-rin’s movements noticeably slowed.

Perhaps because of this, Seo-rin’s figure, which had been moving in a straight line, stopped abruptly in front of a large pile of rubble. The distance was insufficient. Her outstretched leg fell short of the large pile of stones.

That’s when it happened. Seo-rin sensed a faint movement of mana beneath her feet. It was a familiar spell—the platform magic the two mages used to assist her movements.

Seo-rin planted her foot on it.

Woong-!

Seo-rin took a moment to scan her surroundings. The timing was off, and her pre-selected route had disappeared. She needed to find a new path. As her gaze moved restlessly in search of a way forward…

She felt a strange sensation. The flow of mana extending beneath her feet became as visible as a clear line. Was it coincidence? Or perhaps the doing of one of the two mages? The mana platform had come under Seo-rin’s control.

Seo-rin followed her instincts. She manipulated the connected mana, changing the properties of the mana platform. Simultaneously, a small explosion occurred.

Bang-!

“Oh…!”

Ignoring Shave’s bewilderment, Seo-rin’s figure shot upward. But such speed was bound to diminish quickly. Seo-rin used her airtime to select her next route.

Whoosh- Whoosh-!

As they got closer to the ground, the falling structures changed. The solid stone structures and dark metal pieces were no longer visible, replaced by naturally formed rocks, soil, and trees.

Tap-

The girl’s figure, which had risen high into the sky, gently descended to the ground. Despite having jumped dozens of meters high, Seo-rin’s face remained calm.

“Hoo, hooaah…!”

“We’re alive…!”

Unlike Seo-rin, who was catching her breath while checking her equipment, the two mages sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily. The small girl’s gaze passed over the mages to look at the steel giant soaring high in the sky.

Perhaps because it had achieved its purpose, the transmigrator’s attention wasn’t directed at Seo-rin and the two mages. The joints of its arms and legs creaked as they moved slowly, as if checking its massive body.

That’s when Seo-rin realized the flow around them had changed. The first thing she noticed was the change in the sky. The swirling mana vortex was dispersing.

Her keen senses seemed to whisper to her. That control over mana had returned. That she could now display the same divine power as before.

‘Mana…’

Seo-rin set down the dark sword and drew the White Dragon Sword. With a chilling sound, the sword was unsheathed, and the White Dragon Heart Mantra naturally flowed out.

Saaah-

A faint cold air swirled around the girl’s body. As the image of a white dragon raced across the drawn sword, the two mages shivered from the chill.

It felt like being lifted out of deep water. Seo-rin held the traces of mana mixed in the refreshed air in her mouth. The earth-absorbing mantra, which had been discarded as unnecessary before, underwent a change. Unlike the transmigrators who absorbed natural energy, she absorbed the traces of mana that had been scattered in the air as the mana vortex dispersed.

As the empty mana slowly filled up, vitality returned to her entire body. The rate of mana recovery was extremely slow. It couldn’t be helped. She had improvised the mantra to absorb mana. It was remarkable that she had achieved her purpose, however clumsily.

“Hoo…”

Her vigor had returned. Seo-rin used her regained composure to calculate her odds of winning against the transmigrator.

‘Can’t win.’

It took less than a second to reach that conclusion. Seo-rin abandoned any lingering attachment. It was best not to foolishly rush at an opponent she couldn’t defeat. She had to choose between requesting support from the Imperial City or abandoning the mission and returning.

That’s when Seo-rin felt a massive presence approaching from around her. The wide detection field that had unfolded as soon as she recovered her mana caught a huge movement of mana.

“From the Magic Tower…?”

“It seems other mages are approaching…?”

Shave and Envy also noticed the approach of other mages. With the special properties of the Fairy Forest gone, other mages who had been blocked from entering could now access the interior of the Fairy Forest.

Seo-rin saw an opportunity there. If she could cooperate with the mages, there would be no great difficulty in repelling the transmigrator.

It was around that time that the steel giant’s movements changed. Just as the three of them had noticed the mages’ approach, the transmigrator had also noticed it.

As someone who had taken over the body of a mage, it couldn’t help but react sensitively.

Crash-!

When the steel giant raised its arm and struck the ground, the surrounding terrain sank in. The tremendous force emanating from the massive body blew away part of the forest in an instant.

Being lightweight, Seo-rin had to float in the air momentarily due to the impact.

After regaining her posture, Seo-rin spoke.

“Mr. Shave.”

“Ah, yes. What is it?”

Shave, who had been startled by the giant’s imposing presence, belatedly responded. Seo-rin put away the White Dragon Sword, gripped the dark sword, and asked him:

“Do you think the Magic Tower’s current forces can defeat that thing?”

The small girl asked about their chances of victory. Shave nodded as he sensed the approaching mages. It would be difficult, but not impossible. However, certain conditions were needed to win.

The steel puppet’s body inherently possessed excellent magic resistance. This meant that no matter how powerful the magic they unleashed, it wouldn’t inflict proper damage.

“If you help us…”

“Explain the method.”

That’s why they needed the girl knight. The numerous mages dispatched here would use enhancement magic on a single person to greatly boost their physical abilities. A knight shrouded in mystical power could fight even a dragon—a tale known even to village children.

A steel giant would be no problem.

“Enhancement magic…”

“I-I’ll run to my colleagues right now and explain the situation. It won’t take long to convince them. They’ll understand as soon as they use magic a few times.”

Just as Shave finished speaking, a large explosion occurred on the steel giant’s body. The massive form staggered momentarily, but not even a scorch mark remained.

“Oh my… I’ll be back!”

With that, Shave ran off. Having recovered his mana in that short time, or perhaps having enhanced his body, he moved at a decent speed. Seo-rin stood in place, focusing on recovering her mana.

Then suddenly, her gaze fell on Envy, who had been left alone.

“Aren’t you going?”

“I-I have to protect you!”

What nonsense—who was protecting whom when he was exhausted himself? Seo-rin twitched her eyebrows significantly and turned her head. Still, he had helped her a few times in crucial moments. Seo-rin didn’t forget such kindness.

Shave, who had run quickly, was able to join the Magic Tower mages promptly. He immediately shared all the information he knew: that the steel giant’s body had great resistance to magic, and that what moved its body was a power source that produced mana infinitely.

Infinite power source. That information moved the mages. They expressed their willingness to follow Shave’s plan. Shave immediately shot a blue light into the sky.

It was a kind of message sent to his buddy who remained with the small knight, and a signal to start the battle. Soon after, a similar light shot up from not too far away.

“I’ve confirmed their position.”

“A knight, was it? I wonder if the body can withstand it…”

“I’m more concerned about whether the soul will crack…”

“A Blue Wing knight can certainly endure it. We need to pour all available mana.”

“An infinite power source… If that’s true, we can’t spare any mana. Take out all the potions we can use.”

“Enchantments for attack magic won’t be very effective. Focus on body enhancement.”

Dozens of mages exchanged opinions while avoiding the steel giant’s attacks. The moment their purposes aligned, a massive magic circle was created through the ground.

***

Thud-!

Seo-rin, who had been watching the steel giant while recovering her strength and mana, felt something massive approaching rapidly. Though there was no hostility, the force was so enormous that she couldn’t help but feel fear.

Just as Seo-rin, with a tense expression, was about to leave her position, Envy shouted:

“The magic has arrived!”

That voice stopped Seo-rin’s escape. The mana flowing through the ground wrapped around Seo-rin’s ankles and enveloped her entire body.

Whoosh-!

All bodily senses awakened sharply. Seo-rin felt an enormous power rising within her. It was a different feeling from the sorcery Seiran had used on her. Her meridians throughout her body strengthened, and tremendous power infused her muscles.

The mystical power enveloping her entire body moved to achieve just one purpose.

“Hoo…!”

Whoosh-!

She had merely exhaled. Even that became a strong wind that swept across the ground, raising dust. It felt as if her rank as a living being had risen. Even simple movements generated tremendous power. When she lightly swung the sword in her hand, a tree ten meters away was sharply cut and fell.

She hadn’t used any special technique. It was a strange phenomenon created solely by the air pressure shot from the sword.

‘Is this how Deputy Commander Karnok feels…’

“Wow… wow… are you okay…?”

Seo-rin tilted her head at Envy’s question. What was there to worry about? She was at her best now. The best state possible. She even wondered if she could reach a higher realm than this.

Omnipotence. A confidence that she could do anything filled her entire body.

“I’ll be back.”

She had merely taken a light step. In that moment, Seo-rin’s figure disappeared and appeared in front of the steel giant. Seo-rin’s widely spread spiritual sense checked the steel giant’s condition. Mana emitted from the power source was filling the steel giant’s body.

If they dragged out the time, it would become stronger. It was right to deal with it quickly before the steel giant grew stronger.

“Die.”

The small girl shrouded in enormous mystical power sentenced the steel giant to death. The sword was swung. It wasn’t swordsmanship. A simple swing without even a small technique. At that moment, the mystical power enveloping the girl created a strange phenomenon.

Screech-!

In an instant, space stretched, and a crack appeared in the steel giant’s body. A line drawn from top to bottom split the space.

Crack-!

Everything blocking Seo-rin’s path was split. The clouds covering the sky, the steel giant’s body, the forest beyond. Everything.

“Gasp…”

In that moment, Seo-rin felt a terrible loss of strength. It felt like she had starved for dozens of days while running endlessly on the Blue Wing training ground. She could barely breathe.

‘It’s gone…’

Just once. She had merely swung her sword. And with that, all the mystical power enveloping her body had vanished. She could barely move a finger. It felt as if her entire body was being pressed down by heavy lead.

Seo-rin collapsed. As the girl lost consciousness, she had a distant feeling. For a moment, she had approached a higher dimensional realm. Now, having fallen back to her original abilities, she vaguely understood how far away that path was.