Ch.5959. Raid (3)

‘Greater Nature’s Punishment.’ This magic, considered the pinnacle of druid spellcasting, is one of the most demanding spells in terms of casting conditions.

Only a druid who serves as the caretaker—from a mystical perspective—of a specific area abundant with natural mysteries can cast it, and even then, only against enemies who have invaded that territory.

However, as per the fundamental principle of mysticism, the law of equivalent exchange, spells with such stringent restrictions exhibit power commensurate with their limitations…

‘Greater Nature’s Punishment,’ naturally, possesses abilities befitting its status as a ‘pinnacle spell’ bound by numerous demanding conditions.

[Move, forest! Repel the enemies!]

Its effect is none other than using the natural elements of the region where one exists as caretaker as catalysts to freely manipulate various nature magics.

It might not sound impressive at first, but the key lies elsewhere.

To be more specific… as long as one uses natural elements from the region where they serve as caretaker as catalysts, they can freely manipulate various nature magics without additional mana consumption or incantations.

This means one can recklessly unleash powerful magics far beyond their normal capacity by using natural elements as catalysts.

Although I’m merely a proxy and this isn’t the true location, reducing the effectiveness… even accounting for that, I can still unleash sufficient firepower as an ultimate technique.

Thorny vines planted at the outskirts of the Small Aleinos Forest grow wildly and extend like snakes.

Fruits grow on the branches of massive trees, firing seeds and leaf blades like machine guns.

Additionally, colorful flowers blooming from plants gather sunlight and shoot it out like beams, while others manipulate the forest’s mysteries to spray green magical bullets infused with nature’s power like rain.

“”””……..?!!””””

[──■■■!!]

The moment one ogre, staggering from hydra venom bullets, finally collapsed to the ground under concentrated fire.

With the ogre shaman’s incantation, the tarrasque on the ground began to move in earnest.

Standing about 4 meters tall, the tarrasque is a massive being whose size dwarfs that of mere ogres.

However, it seems Sofia had no intention of engaging in close combat with her valuable body.

-Woooooooong……..!!!

With a sound like machinery turning, mana began to condense and take magical form from deep within the throat of the open-mouthed tarrasque.

[■■■■! ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■ ■■■■!!!]

The ogre shaman didn’t remain idle in the face of this ominous sign.

Through incantations, it cast wild magic to enhance defensive capabilities, while also preparing its own defensive spells against the attack.

Patterns resembling turtle or armadillo shells appeared on the ogres’ skin, and translucent protective barriers like turtle shells formed in the air.

And then…

[[[[Go! Go! Crush and trample them!!]]]]

With squeaking sounds, their shadows began to swell… before a black wave composed of shadow rats (a swarm of shadow mice) completely engulfed an ogre holding a shield.

For the ogre, already sturdy and further enhanced by magic, the shadow rats’ teeth attacks that ignored defense proved fatal.

With crunching sounds, the shadow rats burrowed into the ogre’s body, shredding its flesh.

The ogre’s innards were instantly torn to pieces and fell to the ground, leaving only skin and bones to collapse.

“””……..!!”””

At this chilling and horrifying sight, the ogres broke into cold sweats, focusing all their attention on the shadow rats.

And this was the ogres’ most fatal mistake.

-───KUQWAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG!!!!

Through the tarrasque’s widely opened maw, the spell Sofia had been preparing all along was cast with a thunderous roar.

The form of magic pouring from the ‘Small Aleinos Forest Tarrasque’s’ mouth was none other than Lightning Storm.

Originally a spell that creates a storm (vortex) accompanied by tremendous electricity and current… but the form discharged from the tarrasque’s mouth was different.

-KUGUGUGUGUGUGUGUGUGU───!!!

The result of Sofia’s spell, fired from the tarrasque’s mouth, was closer to an air bullet accompanied by glowing blue electrical current.

The air, containing tremendous pressure, gained unimaginable cutting power and destructive force when expelled through a single point.

-SLASH───!!

-───CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK!!!!

The high-pressure air sliced through everything it touched like a blade cutting tofu, and white lightning surged into these cuts, searing their flesh with electricity.

Although the shaman’s quick response prevented their complete annihilation in one go, this powerful spell instantly collapsed and scattered the ogres’ formation.

Two ogres died instantly from this arranged version of Lightning Storm.

One died from our coordinated attack, and another evaporated, leaving only bones and skin after the shadow rats’ ambush.

The condition of the remaining three ogres was far from intact.

Their equipment was in tatters and their bodies damaged from my ultimate technique, the animal friends’ attacks, and Sofia’s assault. The shaman had consumed more than half its mana continuing to cast spells.

In that case… I could be more aggressive now.

[Attack!]

My command as the caretaker (proxy) of the Aleinos Forest became magic with the help of the forest’s mysteries.

The command-spell permeated my animal friends’ bodies, enhancing their physical forms with magical power.

[Take thiiiis───!!!]

The first to charge forward was none other than Corin.

With electricity coursing through his body, Corin became a golden arrow, weaving between the ogres, electrocuting their bodies before darting away, repeating this pattern.

-KWUNG!!

Meanwhile, Astra, who had been hanging back observing the situation, was actively leveraging her strengths rather than trying to compensate for her inferior physical abilities (excluding the shadow rats) due to her lower-grade origin.

[Master of the forest, grant me the power to stop them!]

After much deliberation, she learned druid magic from me and, utilizing her overwhelming magical aptitude as a magical beast, created her own buff spell.

Thanks to this, Astra evolved beyond a mere swift healer into a rear support, frantically moving across the battlefield, dispensing support magic and healing light everywhere.

[■■■■■■■■■───!!!]

The hydra, having wrapped its numerous necks around one ogre, thrust its jaws forward, embedding its teeth into the ogre’s skin, then gradually devoured the ogre by working its mouth.

And as the battle was winding down…

‘…Let’s go, Robo.’

[Yes!]

Having mounted Robo’s back at some point, I charged toward the ogre shaman, their boss, while watching Corin and the shadow rats cooperatively take down another ogre.

[Great Nature!]

While suppressive fire from nature magic cast through the power of ‘Greater Nature’s Punishment’ flew from the forest behind me,

The ogre shaman, who had somehow been enduring all attacks with its body, growled fiercely upon seeing us.

[■■ ■■■!!]

After finishing an incantation in what appeared to be their language, the shaman’s body swelled.

The muscles in its arms and legs instantly thickened, and its entire body expanded, growing nearly 40% larger.

It was clearly the effect of ‘Animal Spirit Possession,’ a wild magic spell with definite effects but excessive risks.

[■■■■■■───!!!]

The roar from its maw was no longer language.

Not even a battle cry but a beast’s howl erupted as it glared at me, holding a weapon in each hand, filled with inexplicable rage.

And my response was simple.

[Cut!]

Following the trajectory of my staff, Robo moved, and virtual slashes connected to Robo’s movements.

As the small forest’s mysteries concentrated on a single target, a massive virtual body formed above Robo.

At the end of this virtual body, the wild blade that momentarily gained substance, coated with the shadow rats’ mysteries, sliced through the ogre shaman in one stroke.

And no matter how tenacious ogres might be…

-THUD!

No creature in this world could survive having its brain completely diced like cube steak.