Chapter 58 : Teaching someone a sweet lesson (4)

Zhang Rui, the sole mage in the team leading China’s hastily formed special user unit.

He witnessed the miracle unfolding before his eyes.

There is a natural flow of mana that follows the wind, the earth veins, the ocean currents.

The people who first discovered this called it ‘Natural Mana’.

And information about this natural mana had been forlornly forgotten in a corner of a top-secret document storage ever since its discovery.

Natural mana had too much repulsive force to be used as a mana resource.

Even if many mages gathered to reduce the repulsion, its stability was low and its purity turbid, requiring a mandatory refinement process for

use.

However, this process was only possible for someone whose skills far surpassed those mages striving to reduce the repulsion.

He had heard researchers hypothesize that perhaps only someone who could handle mana like limbs, or even more—like the natural act of

breathing in and out—could possibly achieve it.

‘Surely, unless a Dragon, the so-called sovereign of mana, suddenly popped out of nowhere, such a thing wouldn’t happen… is what they

said.’

A Dragon, a top ranker—meaning within the top 100 worldwide—a being so powerful that thirty renowned rankers attacking together would

result in an even match, maybe winning, maybe losing; literally the strongest among raid monsters.

A catastrophe.

The possibility of such a being appearing without any warning converged to zero.

The researcher’s words were pure lies.

Or perhaps it was a simple calculation error by that researcher.

There was also the possibility that it wasn’t a proper research result.

China was rife with corruption, not just in the past but also in the present…

But his reason screamed.

He knew well that the researcher wasn’t foolish enough to make mistakes in public research, wasn’t a liar who would tell falsehoods, nor a

villain wicked enough to commit corruption.

But if all these suspicions weren’t true, then what was that woman doing right now?

Drawing in natural mana, reducing its repulsion as desired, increasing its stability, filtering out impurities to heighten purity—the entire

process was completed in less than a second.

He knew very well that the probability of that woman’s identity being Rank 3 was infinitely close to 100%.

But one cannot judge a criminal based on suspicion alone.

So, the higher-ups ordered him to retrieve even just one piece of physical evidence—be it the opponent’s voice, face, or even a trace of her

mana.

That’s why he sortied, albeit reluctantly.

Of course, following orders from above, he didn’t breathe a word to his comrades.

If information leaked that they might have to face that crazy b*tch, the morale of his allies would plummet.

Furthermore, this mission’s objective was simply to find the intruder, speak to her, and get just one word in response—then the mission

would be over.

He didn’t think it necessary to reveal the opponent’s identity and prepare strategies for a tricky enemy.

Naturally, he never dreamed that something like this would happen right now, witnessing the limits of magical talent firsthand.

Just as he stared blankly at the opponent’s magic being chanted, someone grabbed his shoulder and violently deflected the magic spell aimed

at Zhang Rui’s head.

“Captain! Snap out of it, are you trying to get us all killed? That woman, for some reason, can’t use magic above mid-rank. Whether she’s

restricted or just holding back, I don’t know… but now, while she’s not using her full power, is our chance.”

At the voice of his comrade, with whom he had risked his life dozens of times, Zhang Rui came to his senses.

Indeed, that person’s mana sensitivity and affinity were the best among the many talented mages he had seen.

However, she wasn’t using her full strength right now.

At the crossroads of life and death, carelessness meant death.

He had learned that fact long ago, having passed through numerous battlefields even before his body changed like this.

Watching the bizarre yet exquisitely beautiful mana manipulation, he felt his entire body fill with mana.

Though he might be lacking compared to that woman, he too was one who explored the same magic studies, a mage.

A competitive spirit, wanting to overthrow the one possessing such dragon-like majesty and overwhelming talent, burned within his heart.

Yes, if that woman was being careless, maybe he could do it.

With the team members’ agreement, the one trump card prepared for a potential encounter with an ‘out-of-spec opponent’.

Perhaps that could truly work against that monstrous woman—

Such hope seemed to fill his mana heart.

---

Among the reinforcements stood a rather troublesome-looking fellow.

Although it was mid-rank magic, <Alice’s Fangs> boasts penetration power surpassing most high-rank magic.

To think he simply deflected such magic with only sword energy.

‘…Was there a user of that level in China?’

He remembered that China had quite a few sword-wielding users.

And the reinforcements who just appeared all carried swords or staves at their waists, shoulders, or backs.

However, most didn’t seem very high-level, so he had ignored them, but their reaction speed and sword energy were surprisingly excellent.

‘…But no matter how I look, he doesn’t seem like a user famous for high level, or good technique despite a low level.’

The mana within that man’s body was somewhat refined, and he hid its aura well, like a skilled master.

Though to my eyes, it was all more or less the same level.

However, his sword energy didn’t match that level.

It was as if he was equipped with an artifact that amplified sword energy.

‘…Don’t tell me, like that man?’

A pathetic warlock came to her mind.

That fellow had definitely worn and utilized game equipment directly, albeit in a limited capacity.

Was he the same type as that warlock?

I shook my head soon after thinking that.

Neither through Dragon Eyes nor Mana Sight could I feel the sharp mana reaction characteristic of refined equipment.

Instead, a somewhat unnatural and nauseating…

‘…No way?’

As my synchronization rate increased, I stopped feeling nauseated by most things.

Even I, who used to detest gore, became able to enjoy that kind of media without any repulsion.

But just a short while ago, less than a day in the past.

A creation that seemed to have not just abandoned humanity but thrown it into the depths of hellfire.

‘…It feels similar to that chimera’s mana.’

I focused my senses, which I had spread wide to check the range of <Emptiness>, onto the enemies.

They were charging at me, aiming their swords, staves, and fists.

I felt something from the weapons they held and the gloves covering their fists.

Not as intense as the chimera I witnessed, but something filled with sticky and disgusting mana… pulsing, growing stronger.

Like a heart.

And that pulsing mana linked with one person, starting to move more violently.

As the flow of something within the enemies’ bodies grew rougher, their attacks intensified as if boosted by enhancers or buffs.

Cracks began to appear on my barrier.

‘I need to deal with that man quickly…’

This time, certainly without holding back, I drew a large circle of mana to finish him off.

And I inscribed one of the spells I used just before within it.

Using threads of mana, I molded its shape, hardening it as if creating a cast.

Stamping the mold made of hardened mana onto the large mana circle several times, a slightly stronger magic, imbued with two additional

enchantments, was born.

<Alice’s Fangs: Enchant – 10 Shots. Attribute Granted: Ice>

I have high affinity for ice.

And this affinity enhances magic imbued with specific attributes.

The destructive power would be on a different level compared to the previous generic magic devoid of attributes.

The fang shape, previously made of simple mana clumps—was now ejected imbued with chilling cold.

The man, who appeared to be the leader mage’s comrade and a swordsman, stood between me and the mage.

“He’s aiming for the captain! Protect the captain! If we buy time, we win!”

Whether in chess or actual combat, protecting the king is essential for victory.

Those guys weren’t brainless either; they surrounded their leader, forming a defensive square.

But if they form a square, I just need to break through it.

I gathered ten fangs at one point and launched them simultaneously.

And the result—was, as you can see, my complete victory.

A huge hole, the size of a person, was pierced through the defensive formation.

And visible through that hole, the corpse of their leader, impaled by ice fangs like a skewer.

As the leader mage, who had been continuously casting <Flight> magic for his comrades, died, everyone except for a few bird-folk began to ‘

fall towards the ground.

Since they likely lacked the ability to fly, they were destined to fall to their deaths.

The fighter jets that had been circling overhead since earlier started firing missiles.

However, missiles designed to hit fixed points or large objects like other fighter jets were nearly incapable of accurately hitting a tiny single

person.

After a few simple evasive maneuvers using <Flight> magic, which was now more familiar than walking, and <Blink>, the missiles, each

costing at least billions, lost their target and flew far away.

‘…They gave up.’

The circling fighter jets, thoroughly provoked, continued their futile attacks several times before finally flying far beyond the horizon and

]disappearing.

Feeling a bit disappointed that the lesson time ended easier than expected, I smacked my lips, then fixed my gaze downwards at the ominous

feeling emanating from below the clouds.

The disgusting mana of the guys falling down there began to swirl violently, going beyond simple pulsation.