BCST 20

chapter 20

The first time I felt suspicious was when I saw his magic circle.

If he’d gone down the path of area-type techniques, there were certain traits he should’ve applied by default.

But his circle was raw.

It looked almost as if he’d yanked out his heart and put it on display—that’s how crude it was.

Still, fine. Maybe he’d just started learning magic.

So I watched with an open mind until now…

“Is that all your magic amounts to?”

“…What did you just say?”

I must’ve been too wary of him just because he was a 3rd-rank mage.

I thought others would’ve had the same game-like adjustments I did.

That when I fell into this place, the game’s system had become reality for everyone.

But I must’ve been mistaken.

“If that’s your level, this fight is already mine.”

At my provocative words, he gave me a look like, Did I hear that right?

“A mere 1st-rank dares to spout such nonsense?”

His voice was brimming with disbelief.

To him, my words must’ve sounded like lunacy.

Rank isn’t everything in combat.

But against mages? Rank is almost everything.

Even I didn’t think I could block his 2nd-rank spell, [Summon Spider Leg], with a shield.

But that’s only true when you lack traits.

Crackle—!

From my hand, the glow of a crimson [Arcane Blast] sparked.

Seeing it, he burst into laughter with his mouth wide open.

“That again? Well, of course. You’re just 1st-rank!”

He sneered at my spell, dismissive.

I answered evenly.

“This is enough.”

[Arcane Blast]
[Rapid Fire]
[Triple Shot]

Three blasts fired so close together they nearly overlapped.

Tat-tat-tat!

The speed was so great the sound lagged behind.

Clang!

The first two shattered his shield into pieces.

The last blast shot through the scattering shards like a laser.

Just before I cast, he still had his mouth wide open, shouting something.

The [Arcane Blast] struck right between his furrowed brows.

BOOM—!

With a resounding crack, his head snapped backward, his neck almost breaking.

Dead?

But then, with his torso bent so far back his head nearly touched the ground, he slowly straightened up, balancing on one leg.

So he lived. A pity.

“…I almost thought I was really going to die.”

His face, struck by the [Arcane Blast], was covered in something white.

A defensive spell with high physical resistance.

The conditional active 3rd-rank spell, [Silk Armor].

What a coward.

Casting that in advance before facing just a 1st-rank.

Sure, he probably prepared it against explosives or guns from security, but still, have some pride.

“That too… was that an [Arcane Blast]?”

Shhhhhh…

The white armor spread wider from his face as he spoke.

He was pumping mana into it nonstop to keep the spell from breaking.

I smirked.

“Scared?”

“Heh… Better that than dying from carelessness, don’t you think?”

Even at my taunt, he chuckled.

Well, that’s the average mage’s mindset.

They all want to lob spells from safety like fragile glass cannons.

Mages like me, who enjoy trading blows up close, are the strange ones.

Still, physical resistance, huh?

That’s troublesome.

I didn’t think he’d know that spell too.

Then he flared his mana and spoke.

“From now on, no more holding back.”

Here it comes.

3rd-rank magic.

[Cocoon Prison]

The environment shifted into a chamber of webs.

Pillars like stalagmites of silk rose, and bulbous cocoons filled the room.

That spell reshaped the terrain in his favor—usually a setup for combos.

I couldn’t just sit back and let him.

[Arcane Blast]
[Rapid Fire]
[Triple Shot]

Tat-tat-tat!

His shield shattered again.

Another blast slammed straight into his face.

Thud!

This time his head just snapped back, but he still managed to finish casting.

“Heh heh… This is nothing.”

[Spider Summoning]

He kept chanting even while taking hits.

Impressive focus.

From between cocoons and webs, spiders emerged.

A dozen or so?

Each the size of a grown man.

Scritch, scritch.

The skittering of over a hundred legs filled the chamber.

Well, at least the place didn’t feel so empty anymore.

“A 1st-rank… I won’t kill you. I’ll capture you and learn the secret of your magic.”

The spiders blocked my path like his bodyguards.

Planning to press in from all sides?

Too bad—I had just thought of something I wanted to test.

My hands tingled with impatience.

Gathering mana into both palms, I asked,

“Your familiar got torn apart earlier. You sure you’re okay with that?”

He smirked.

“Fool. These aren’t familiars, they’re summons.”

That wasn’t what I meant.

But I had to focus now.

To make up for insufficient power, I crammed mana in forcefully.

Crackle—!

This time, an overcharged [Arcane Blast].

[Arcane Blast]
[Chain: 3]
[Triple Shot]
[Rapid Fire]

Tat-tat-tat!

Almost simultaneously, six spiders’ heads burst, spraying fluids into the air.

Before the gore even fell, another set of blasts struck.

[Arcane Blast]
[Chain: 3]
[Triple Shot]
[Rapid Fire]

Tat-tat-tat!

The rest of their heads shattered.

In just a second, every spider he summoned was dead.

Tulon’s eyes went wide in shock.

“Impossible! Those were all 3rd-rank summons! How could mere 1st-rank magic…”

So ignorant.

But I wasn’t finished.

Crackle—!

The six chained [Arcane Blasts] still remained, homing in on him.

His [Silk Armor] resisted physical damage, but not immune.

Enough force, and it breaks.

Knowing this, he quickly cast to defend.

[Shield]

BOOM!

All six blasts wiped out just one shield.

But that was enough.

I pointed my still-sparking finger at him.

“It doesn’t matter. [Arcane Blast] will never pierce my armor!”

True, one shot wouldn’t.

But… this isn’t an [Arcane Blast].

[Lesser Regeneration]

“What?!”

He’d already suffered internal injuries from the earlier fake-death through his familiar.

Now, the healing curse bypassed his physical defense and struck inside.

“Gghhhhhh!”

His eyes rolled back, overwhelmed by unexpected agony.

Pain from within—always worse when you never see it coming.

“H-how can you…!”

Feels like every vein freezing into shards, shredding your nerves, doesn’t it?

I wanted to share that pain.

Crackle—!

And still my finger glowed, aimed squarely at him.

He realized something and desperately tried to hold concentration—

“Gghh… Aaaaaghhh!!”

—but with a scream of anguish, his [Silk Armor] collapsed.

Time to end it.

[Arcane Blast]
[Rapid Fire]

No need for high-rank, high-power spells to kill one man.

Just a single crimson beam.

It stretched from my fingertip to his brow.

He staggered briefly, then dropped like a puppet with cut strings.

A neat hole pierced through.

Blood trickled, staining the webbed floor red.

* * *

Aires Corporation, 120th floor VIP reception room.

The mood now was far more relaxed than when I first arrived, as I faced the CEO.

“We’ll rip apart his neural link, check his backers, and even find out his motive for targeting my daughter.”

Clink.

He set down his glass.

Aria, too, bowed her head in thanks.

“Thanks to you, the exhibition ended safely. Though I was shocked midway through.”

She smiled faintly—clearly referring to when I blinked onto the stage to capture Tulon.

Fortunately, it had only been 7–8 meters high, so only a few nearby had noticed.

No harm done to the event.

Though our battle upstairs was noisy, the music had been cranked up so loud it drowned complaints.

“In any case, you saved us from disaster. I must reward you properly.”

“Because of the sacrificial magic circle?”

At my words, the CEO nodded gravely.

“Yes. Without you, a catastrophe would’ve unfolded. If any visiting executives were harmed, it wouldn’t have ended at bankruptcy. Even ten lives wouldn’t have been enough to pay. You alone prevented it.”

There had been over 6,000 visitors that day.

Given the nature of the company and a weekday exhibition, most were from other corporations.

Some surely from firms bigger than Aires itself.

If anything had gone wrong, as the CEO said, the company wouldn’t just have fallen—it would’ve been annihilated.

Shivering at the thought, he ran a hand through his thinning hair.

“I must halt aggressive growth… I thought counter-terror, mage, and mercenary defenses were too costly. But I was utterly wrong.”

At least he realized it now.

When I first saw their poor security, I’d wondered how they even survived.

Hard to believe that was only days ago.

“So, about your reward…”

He leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“Do you know a black mage named Bazir Cairnel?”

Bazir Cairnel?

I’d heard the name before.

But he never appeared directly in the game.

Just mentioned by others—an eccentric black mage.

A 5th-rank master, wandering beyond Arkam City’s barrier.

But how could such a reclusive figure be connected to this man?

Sensing my doubt, the CEO chuckled.

“So you do know him? I was lucky enough to meet him in my youth. After your advice, I reached out. He’s agreed to be my daughter’s teacher. Gladly, in fact.”

…That’s surprising.

And hearing this man speak so respectfully was even stranger.

But still—

“Well, congratulations. A fine teacher indeed. Now, about my reward?”

A 5th-rank mage, revered for both power and character—worthy of respect, sure.

But what did that have to do with me?

The CEO’s sly tone answered my question.

“I’ve invited him here. You may not know, but he has a hobby—smuggling rare items from outside the barrier.”

“…What?”

Items from outside?

Just then—

Ding.

From behind us, the elevator chimed.