“Unbelievable, to think you could handle two elements at once…”
Kurt had already gone beyond surprise and maintained his usual calm demeanor.
“And on top of that, they are opposing elements… That alone is beyond common sense, but now you’re fusing them together? I can’t even begin to comprehend this, but I suppose it’s something only someone of the seventh mage level could pull off.”
Sensing my anxiety, he ruffled my hair.
“You’ve been a great help. Thanks to you, we managed to exterminate the black ants. You’ve already done a job worthy of a Mage Breaker at your age, and that’s something to be proud of.”
“I feel the same. I never imagined you’d come this far…”
It was Ayra who spoke. Next to her, I could tell Fine was looking at me with admiration in her eyes.
While I appreciated the praise, I still felt like I hadn’t even fully grasped the basics of magic. It’s only been six months since my parents started teaching me, and although I’ve been experimenting on my own, the world of magic is vast and complex. At this rate, I might eventually hit a dead end.
With that thought in mind, I turned my gaze toward the cave.
“So, this is where the black ants had their nest?”
“That’s right. They must’ve been using this place as a base to infiltrate the town and attack people.”
However, something seemed off.
I had heard that black ant monsters couldn’t dig nests over such long distances. They said you could easily spot the entrance to their nest from the watchtower.
“But how did these black ants manage to dig this far, Dad?”
I casually asked, and Kurt’s expression became serious.
“These creatures were camouflaging their nest, right?”
“Yeah, they used magic to make the walls look identical to the surroundings.”
“Indeed, but such high-level camouflage magic can’t be used by low-level monsters like these.”
“Which means… someone else used the magic?”
“Exactly, and that someone is probably the one who dug this tunnel. The black ants were merely taking advantage of it.”
Kurt must have already figured out who it was. His attention was now focused on the depths of the cave.
“I’ll handle things from here. Nero and the others had already anticipated this. You can stay here. As long as you remain inside Ayra’s magic barrier, you’ll be perfectly safe. Just stay by her side, like earlier.”
He seemed ready to go alone.
“Dad, let me help you.”
“Help, huh…”
Kurt smiled.
“You’ve already shown that you can use some amazing magic. You’re strong enough to handle monsters as you are now. However, you still lack field experience. There’s a chance you won’t be able to respond properly to unforeseen events. I’ve lost many comrades who fell because of that. That’s why I don’t want to take you to dangerous places unnecessarily. It’s a parent’s duty to protect their child. Plus, let me have this moment as your father.”
His words made it hard to argue, but I still didn’t feel right about letting him go alone.
“Then… how about I just observe?”
“Huh?”
That response seemed to catch him off guard, as his expression momentarily shifted.
“You said Ayra’s magic barrier is absolute, right? If so, I want to see you fight from there. Observing how you battle is also a way to gain experience, isn’t it? I could learn techniques to protect myself.”
Kurt chuckled and scratched his head.
“Good grief… I can’t win against Nero. Alright, I’ll allow you to observe. There are some harsh realities that a Mage Breaker must face, and it might be a good opportunity for you to witness that.”
Harsh realities…? I was curious about what he meant.
“But you must stay close to Ayra, that’s non-negotiable.”
“Got it.”
“And you’ll also need to keep an eye on Fine.”
“I understand.”
Since I was the one dragging her along, I had to take responsibility.
“Is that alright with you?” Kurt asked Ayra, and she nodded in agreement.
With that settled, we made our way past the corpses of the black ants and deeper into the cave. I held Fine’s hand as we walked through the dimly lit tunnel.
The cave was narrow, barely taller than an adult. As we moved, I asked Kurt, who was walking ahead.
“Dad, what kind of monster do you think is further ahead?”
Still looking forward, Kurt answered while walking.
“There are only a few monsters that can dig tunnels this long and use camouflage magic. I’m certain the one we’re facing is a mid-level monster.”
“A mid-level monster…”
That didn’t give me much of a sense of how strong it was. With nothing to compare it to, I could only gather that the black ants we just fought were low-level monsters.
I hadn’t realized that monsters could use magic, too. Does their magic work differently from human magic? My thoughts were racing with questions, and Kurt seemed to notice.
“I suppose you don’t have much of a reference for how strong mid-level monsters are, do you? Alright, this is a good time to teach you. Monsters are divided into four ranks: low, mid, high, and demon.”
I knew about demons—one of them cursed Kurt and Diana. So, they’re at the top of the monster hierarchy.
“A low-level monster is roughly equivalent to a third-rank mage. A mid-level one would be around the fourth or fifth rank. High-level monsters are about as strong as a sixth-rank mage.”
Following that logic, a demon would be equivalent to a seventh-rank mage like me…
“So, you’re wondering how strong demons are, right?”
“Yeah.”
“That, no one knows.”
“Huh?”
“Logically, they should be seventh-rank, but there’s no record of anyone defeating a demon. They could be that strong, or perhaps even stronger. There are stories of sixth-rank heroes who couldn’t even scratch a demon.”
That’s terrifying… just how powerful are demons?
“Now you understand how valuable you are, don’t you? You could be humanity’s hope. That’s why I want to raise you carefully and without rushing things. Oh, I got off-topic. Back to the monsters. The one ahead of us is a mid-level monster known as the Earth Spider.”
The Earth Spider… another insect. Are most monsters insect-like?
Since it’s on the weaker side of mid-level monsters, it must be around fourth-rank in strength. That explains why Kurt wanted to handle it alone.
“The Earth Spider is capable of digging long tunnels and using camouflage magic, which fits our situation. It also has the ability to produce sticky threads from its body. Look around.”
I followed Kurt’s prompt and saw white strands clinging to the roughly carved walls of the tunnel.
“Those are the Earth Spider’s threads. It has a habit of filling its tunnels with them. Since the amount is increasing, we must be getting close to its nest.”
With all the signs pointing to the Earth Spider, Kurt’s deduction was likely correct. As tension built up, the narrow tunnel suddenly opened up.
We found ourselves in a vast underground chamber, far bigger than I’d expected—about the size of a gymnasium. The walls were completely covered in white threads, making the room resemble a cotton candy factory.
But before I could fully take in the scene, I noticed something unsettling. These threads weren’t ordinary.
Squinting to focus on the gaps between the webbing, I soon realized what was wrong.
“…! Is that…?”
Faces. Human faces.
Looking around, I saw more and more of them—people mummified in thread, their faces exposed, plastered to the walls. All of them were dead.
Fine averted her eyes and hid behind me. Gently, I placed a hand on her shoulder.
“If it’s too much, you can wait outside,” Kurt said, his voice low.
In that moment, I finally understood what he meant by “facing the harsh realities of a Mage Breaker.”
“These people were taken from the town. This place is essentially the Earth Spider’s pantry…” Kurt gritted his teeth, fighting back his frustration.
So this is the horror of monsters… It’s one thing to hear about it, but seeing it firsthand brings the terror to life. This is an atrocity that cannot be allowed to continue.
Just as anger began to well up inside me—
“It’s coming!” Kurt shouted.
A sudden blast of wind kicked up dust and webbing, accompanied by a tremor that shook the ground.
“What!?”
Something massive dropped from the ceiling. As the dust settled, my vision cleared, and I saw it—yellowish-brown skin, eight red eyes gleaming—
A giant spider.
