Chapter 40

Around the wand, centered on a long and pure white light source, red flames clung to it as though exploding.

‘How splendid.’

Was it thanks to my level rising?

Compared to the last sparring match, the firepower had grown a little stronger.

I took my eyes off the sword and looked at the centipede.

The task in this room was to subdue that giant centipede.

‘But with this much, I can’t bring it down.’

The reason I manifested Hwayo’s Flame Sword wasn’t to attack.

The centipede’s weakness was fire, but its body was so massive that firepower of this level held little meaning.

Not only that, if its body caught fire, it would just dig into the sand to extinguish the flames.

Since its weakness could be easily defended, it could practically be considered invincible.

‘Even if it hides in its burrow, all I need is to unleash inescapable fire.’

A heat so overwhelming that it scorched skin with radiant heat, and even water poured over it would vaporize instantly.

I needed a fire strong enough to incinerate everything in its path.

‘Just in time, its antennae are moving.’

The long antennae, always in motion to detect threats, sensed temperature changes.

I brought the flame sword close to it.

Screeech!

Sensing the flames, countless legs began to move.

At first, it retreated, taking on a defensive stance.

Just like what I saw in the game.

If I didn’t threaten it with fire first, the pattern dictated that it would launch an immediate attack upon appearing.

Even if I could block that attack, Lapin or Karin would be struck head-on.

‘To defeat the centipede, Karin’s help is essential.’

In the end, I had to protect my teammates to complete the mission.

I turned my gaze briefly toward Karin.

She still looked as though even standing up without Lapin’s help was a struggle.

‘I can barely stand myself.’

With each step I took, I had to carefully maintain my balance, unable to fully focus on the battle.

First, I needed to resolve the waves in the ground that restricted movement.

“Karin.”

When I called her once more, Karin turned her eyes to me.

“Calm yourself, take a deep breath.”

“Hoo… Hup!”

Through breathing, she tried to steady herself.

As she controlled her breath, her mind seemed to settle.

The wavering look in her eyes grew clear again.

“When you’re calm, take out the Branch of Life.”

“Alright.”

Karin nodded, moving her hand slowly.

I confirmed she had pulled the branch from her inner pocket and held it.

“Well done.”

I could sense the centipede’s movements.

It was about to attack, so there was no time to waste.

“Prepare the Totem of Waves first.”

Perhaps because she felt the urgency, Karin silently closed her eyes.

She focused mana into the totem, the trigger for activating its power.

The moment the totem’s ability began to activate.

‘It’s coming.’

Just as the centipede’s stance shifted back to an aggressive one.

I once again grabbed a card in midair.

The totem’s power hadn’t fully manifested yet.

I had to act before the attack came.

‘Hwayo.’

From a magic circle tearing open midair, a small lizard emerged.

It opened its jaws, and flames spewed forth, devouring the centipede’s head.

As expected of its weakness, the damage was certain.

Screeeeech!

Each time the centipede thrashed in agony, the stench of burning flesh and thick smoke filled the air.

I wished it would end here, but of course it wouldn’t.

Crack-crack-crack-crack!

The centipede realized it couldn’t extinguish the flames merely by thrashing about in the sand.

It began rapidly digging into the ground with its countless legs.

It changed course downward, burrowing deep while clouds of dust floated heavily in the air.

In the blink of an eye, it vanished completely into the sand.

It must have been thrashing underground to smother the flames on its body.

That alone bought us some time.

So far, I had consumed 5 cost.

Only 2 remained after recharge.

‘It’s a bit tight… but I can still make this work.’

I glanced toward Karin.

She still had her eyes closed, focusing entirely on the branch and the totem.

‘So she’s been training in her own way.’

She seemed to have learned how to properly wield the Branch of Life.

The blue mana flowing out was far more stable than what I had seen before.

If I gave the signal, she could activate its power at once.

I snatched at the air.

In my hand appeared Boogie’s card.

‘Come forth.’

As I answered inwardly, a small magic circle surfaced.

And then…

Squeak!

I spent all my remaining cost to summon Boogie.

Catching Boogie as he dropped from the magic circle, I gently placed him in my arms.

Thanks to my increased level, Boogie’s body had grown slightly larger.

But he was still an infant.

Squeak, squeak!

Perhaps frightened by the new surroundings, Boogie squirmed desperately, trying to burrow deeper into my embrace.

I stroked his shell softly.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

At the sound of my calm voice, Boogie looked up at me.

As though trusting me, he grew still and quiet.

I could feel it in my heart—Boogie no longer felt anxious.

“Good. Just do as I say.”

I carefully set Boogie down onto the sandy ground.

“Karin, manifest the totem.”

At that moment, the Totem of Waves began to resonate.

But its resonance was still weak compared to the level I wanted.

“Over here.”

I gestured for her to bring it to me.

Karin swung the branch, moving the totem floating in the air toward me.

I carefully caught the totem as it floated up to my face, then crouched down.

I placed the totem on Boogie’s shell.

Clack!

Like opposite poles of a magnet snapping together, the totem clung perfectly to the shell.

It meant the totem and the spirit beast were synchronizing properly.

I spoke softly to Boogie.

“Be at ease.”

Hearing my voice, Boogie closed his eyes.

Was he relaxing, or concentrating?

‘Whatever it is… it’s a success.’

Ever since I placed the totem on Boogie, the once-weak resonance began to shift.

Mana amplification was occurring.

The totem and Boogie had achieved perfect resonance.

‘The resonance carries power.’

The Totem of Waves was originally just a debuff-type totem to hinder enemies.

But now, fused with Boogie…

‘I can intensify the resonance to the point where it deals physical damage.’

But what I wanted wasn’t merely to inflict damage.

I immediately spoke to Karin.

“Hey, Karin. How much do you know about waves?”

Hearing my question, Karin just stared blankly as if she didn’t know.

I placed my hand on Boogie’s shell.

By stroking Boogie’s shell, I could adjust the intensity of the wave.

“Waves like to interfere with each other.”

I discovered the clue to the waves.

The ground waves weakened the more they repeated.

“When identical waves overlap in opposite phases…”

When wave and wave meet in reverse phase…

“The waves completely cancel each other out.”

At the moment when I tuned Boogie’s waves to perfectly match the ground’s waves.

“……!”

Karin looked at me as if she sensed something.

She let go of Lapin’s hand and took a few steps on her own.

It was her usual stride.

“The waves stopped.”

She answered while leaving footprints on the ground.

She could walk without Lapin’s help anymore.

But the problem wasn’t completely solved.

“Ah! The centipede…!”

Karin shouted at me.

I calmly replied.

“Yeah, it’s not over yet.”

The moment I spoke, crack-crack-crack! came the sound of sand being furiously dug.

Screeech!

The centipede, furious to its core, emerged.

Some parts of its shell were charred pitch black.

I had to act quickly before it attacked.

“Karin.”

“Just say the word!”

Her voice carried the determination to follow my orders exactly.

“Fuse the Totem of Wind with the Totem of Rotation.”

“Got it!”

As soon as I answered, Karin pulled totems from her pocket and tossed them into the air.

Blue mana spread into the totems, and they began to activate.

Whiiir!

From the sky, an airflow shaped like a spinning top appeared.

It quickly descended from the air, touched the ground, and sand swirled around it.

Whiiiiir!

At first it was a thin, weak breeze.

But as the vortex spun faster, its thickness and power grew steadily.

Soon after, it formed a massive whirlwind that could only be called a “tornado.”

Whoooosh!

The roar was fierce, even shaking our clothes violently.

Getting too close risked being pulled in…

But that applied only to people.

For a giant centipede, it would be a great hindrance, but not enough to defeat it.

So… I decided to add a little extra.

Two cost recharged, and I drew another card.

“A gift.”

Hwayo burst forth from a golden magic circle, jaws opening wide.

But this time, not toward the centipede…

Toward the tornado.

Fwaaaah!

Hwayo’s brilliant flames merged with the massive vortex…

Whooooooosh!

Every gust was engulfed in fire.

The instant the tornado ignited, immense heat radiated out.

As overwhelming firepower enveloped the surroundings.

‘Open.’

The ring on my hand gleamed.

A hologram-like blue door appeared.

“What is this… whaaaat?!”

There was no time to explain to Karin, who questioned me, or to Lapin, who had stayed quietly—before the fiery tornado swallowed everything.

I shoved them both through the door with all my strength.

Just before the tornado consumed the area, I threw myself through the door as well.

Inside the door was…

A world of gray sky and nothing but sand.

Karin and Lapin were watching from a distance.

“Huh…?”

Just a moment ago the tornado was right nearby, but now it gleamed about 10km away.

“We’ve shifted location.”

When I answered, Karin’s eyes widened.

“How…? As far as I know, teleportation is only possible with light-attribute powers…”

“You don’t need to know that.”

“No, come on, what is this really?!”

Without answering, I looked at the blue ring on my hand.

It was made from the leftover materials after I crafted a necklace for Keirin.

The material was none other than the Ice Dragon’s horn.

Even mere scraps of it were a rare resource usable only by high-levels.

Thanks to it, I could craft a fine item.

Blue Door Ring.

A ring made with a small piece of an Ice Dragon’s horn.

Allows the use of one of the horn’s inherent abilities.

Unique Ability – Creates a door for teleportation. ※ Limited to distances under 10km. Cooldown: 24 hours.

Thanks to it, I could instantly move within a 10km range.

‘That tornado wasn’t something you could escape just by running.’

Even without being directly swept into the column of wind, the fiery tornado turned its surroundings into a hell of heat.

The intense radiant heat alone would consume anyone nearby.

“When I experimented with fusing Wind and Rotation before, the tornado wasn’t this strong though…?”

Karin looked at me in surprise.

The Branch of Life that enhanced the totem helped, but the environment played an even greater role.

The desert’s air was dry and hot, perfect for fueling the tornado.

‘With that level of heat, hiding underground wouldn’t work either.’

Something massive was burning and smoking inside.

With the centipede as fuel, the tornado’s heat was only intensifying.

Before long, the huge mass presumed to be the centipede collapsed.

It couldn’t withstand the fiery tornado and perished.

“…Haaah, it’s really over now.”

Just as Karin sighed in relief and sat down heavily.

Rumble!

A small quake rose before me, and a door began to emerge from the ground.

Without words, everyone knew it was the door leading to the first floor.

“Let’s go.”

Taking the lead, I walked toward the door.

Inside the door… a familiar place appeared.

It was the first-floor lobby of the Recorox Grand Mansion.

“Who else came… Villed?”

“This is surprising. How did you get here?”

A few cadets who had arrived earlier were looking at us.

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