Chapter 4. The Spirit of Frost
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa───
At the tip of the arm raised into the air.
A fist stretched out toward the dense fog.
Magic power surged toward it like a tidal wave.
A rampage of magic that had taken over my entire body, utterly uncontrollable.
All of it, guided by the transcendent skill and the dragon’s authority, “One Punch,” rushed forward like a storm.
And then—
Tuwakaaaaaang───────!!!!!
An enormous amount of magic power erupted all at once.
“Uh…….”
An unbelievably surreal sight.
I was momentarily unable to process the situation and gaped.
“What… is this…?”
The magic spreading out from my fingertips became a destructive storm that scorched the front.
No matter how much magic I had due to my “Magic Overload” trait, this was beyond shocking in its power.
The ground cracked, and mysterious chunks of ice scattered along the path shattered into pieces.
The storm picked up the shattered ice, amplifying its destructive force.
【Th-The barrier…!】
I heard the spirit’s panicked voice.
Before I could even grasp what those words meant—
Kugwagwagwagwaaaaaang────!!!
The fog shattered.
Apparently, that fog had been serving as a barrier.
And what was revealed was a familiar cliff.
The very one I had fallen from earlier when kicked by the orc.
However—
Kwaaaaaang─────!!!
The bottom part had been deeply gouged out by the tremendous destructive force…
“Crazy.”
I subconsciously looked down at my hand.
An ordinary fist I had always seen.
From that fist, this much destructive power had been generated.
“Did I really do this?”
Even I found it hard to believe.
The power was far too great for a single skill.
No.
This wasn’t just the performance of the “One Punch” skill alone.
…Magic Overload.
The synergy with my unique trait that stupidly accumulates magic in my body.
That had produced this result.
At that moment—
Kugugugugu────
【Kyaaa! It’s collapsing!!!】
I reflexively raised my head at the spirit’s scream and saw huge rock fragments falling.
“Ugh!?”
I slammed my feet against the ground.
There was no time to think of anything else.
If this continued, I’d be crushed to death.
Then—
[Entering magic exhaustion state.]
Suddenly, strength drained from my whole body.
Right, the penalty…!
The “One Punch” skill had a penalty.
Right after using it, I entered a state of magic exhaustion.
Damn it. I’ve got no strength.
I tried moving my body with difficulty, but it felt like I could barely produce a fraction of my usual speed.
At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to avoid being crushed by the collapsing cliff.
Then—
【Ah, really. You’re such a handful!】
The spirit who fed me the skill core grabbed me and quickly ran toward the opposite side of the cliff.
Kugung! Thud! Kuuuung!
Rocks immediately rumbled down where we had passed.
A chill ran down my spine.
Just a little slower, and I might have been crushed right there. My heart pounded wildly at that thought.
How long had we run?
Kuuuuuu──
Fortunately, the cliff collapse subsided quickly.
“I-I survived!”
I let out a relieved sigh.
[Magic exhaustion state ends early due to very fast magic recovery.]
Strength returned to my body.
Thankfully, the magic exhaustion period wasn’t long.
Is it thanks to “Magic Overload”…?
If it was a very fast magic recovery, that was the only thing I could guess.
【Are you crazy? You almost died! After all that effort to save you, you want to die like that!?】
“…Ah.”
At that moment, the voice of the blue spirit who saved me pierced my ears.
Turning my head, I saw her angrily pointing a finger at me.
【What are you looking at! If you had so much magic, you should’ve avoided the cliff by yourself, right!?】
At first, she had tried to kill me, but for some reason along the way, she had brought me this lucky chance.
Along with saving my life even while the cliff was collapsing.
“What’s your name?”
【I’m Prill!】
“Right, Prill. Thanks.”
So I sincerely thanked her.
Because it was true that she had helped me, and since she said she “saved me,” it seemed she had no immediate intention of harming me.
【Huh? Eh?】
But Prill’s reaction to my thanks was a little strange.
【K-Khum. Th-Thank you!】
She twisted her body and avoided eye contact.
Since she’s a spirit, I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly.
But anyway, Prill was female in form—that is, human-shaped.
And if I applied that behavior to a human’s meaning…
“Are you embarrassed?”
【No, I’m not!】
Well, never mind.
I shrugged.
【D-Don’t misunderstand! It’s definitely not like that!】
“Okay.”
I answered casually and laughed it off.
There were more important things than that right now.
My body is fine now.
I hadn’t realized it while running away earlier, but my body was back to normal.
The body damaged by the rampaging magic and the fall from the cliff had recovered.
After a short thought, I guessed the reason.
It’s thanks to the new skill.
The newly acquired transcendent skill, “One Punch.”
The dragon’s authority “Breath” had been reborn tailored to me as the skill “One Punch.”
And this skill solved the chronic problem that had been troubling me.
My unique trait, “Magic Overload.”
This trait gave me an enormous amount of magic but did not provide a body capable of withstanding it.
I was happy to get an inexhaustible spring, but the spring overflowed and caused a flood.
Because of that, the huge amount of magic kept destroying my body, and I even had to take illegal magic suppressants to stop it.
But now?
The uncontrolled rampaging magic was all expelled through “One Punch.”
Thanks to that, my current body condition was perfectly normal.
At least I didn’t have to worry about being consumed by my own magic.
Of course, that wasn’t all.
“The potion’s performance seems pretty good too.”
Apparently, the potion the Steel Hunter had was quite high-grade.
I hadn’t felt it when the rampaging magic was destroying my body in real time, but once all magic was expelled through “One Punch,” the potion immediately restored my body to normal.
【Potion? What’s that?】
“It’s a magical liquid that heals injuries.”
I answered simply and thought.
Come to think of it, what exactly is this spirit?
For some reason, this spirit called Prill was quite favorable toward me.
She had brought me a lucky chance to survive, and even saved my life directly.
…Of course, I can’t let my guard down.
Honeyed words hiding a dagger.
I couldn’t completely exclude the possibility that she was secretly plotting against me.
She definitely tried to kill me at first.
I remembered the hostile impression she gave initially.
Her attitude changed at some point, but the reason was still unclear.
Until it was clear what exact purpose she had for being friendly, I couldn’t relax.
For now, it’s best to understand Prill first.
I needed to find out her true intent.
【Healing potion? The world sure has changed a lot.】
“How long have you been here?”
So I naturally asked her in response.
【Me? Ten thousand years.】
“Ten thousand years?”
A time frame I could hardly imagine.
Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea, appeared less than 5,000 years ago.
And yet, ten thousand years.
【You know? You’re the first to come here in ten thousand years. I was bored to death!】
Prill had probably endured a long period of lonely solitude.
Maybe killing me was just bluster and she actually needed me.
I naturally guessed her purpose.
Having been alone for ten thousand years, she must have been very lonely.
There were still some mysteries left, but many doubts were resolved by this hypothesis.
【Anyway, you almost killed me! How could you destroy a cliff from over there!?】
“…I didn’t know either.”
Really.
I never expected there to be a cliff beyond the fog or that such destructive power would erupt from my hand.
“But on the other side are structures, right? Did you have to destroy those too?”
Aside from the dense fog, the area was filled with things that looked like they shouldn’t be destroyed.
Ice statues, an ice castle, an ice garden… things clearly made with someone’s care and affection.
【Of course! They’re no longer needed.】
“Not needed?”
【Yeah. I just made those because I was bored.】
For something made out of boredom, the quality seemed pretty good.
“Aren’t you going to miss them?”
【Not at all. Now, I’m leaving this miserable place with you!】
Prill stared at me with sparkling eyes.
Surely, the threat to kill me is a thing of the past.
Now I felt it was okay.
The questions I’d hesitated to ask for fear of provoking her until now.
“You’re not threatening to kill me anymore?”
【Why? You’re a dragon. Dragons don’t get killed.】
Come to think of it, that was true.
Her attitude had drastically changed since I answered that I was a dragon.
Should I tell her the truth again?
That thought crossed my mind but…
No.
I shook my head inside.
I wasn’t sure if her attitude wouldn’t turn hostile if I revealed I was human.
Suddenly, I felt Prill’s gaze.
She was staring right through me.
【Even if you say you’re human, you’re still a dragon.】
“…?”
【You know what I mean? Anyway, you’re a dragon.】
“……”
That girl.
Maybe she never really believed my dragon story.
No, I was sure.
“Is your contract a bit… slapdash—”
【Hey. Watch your tone.】
“……”
Right.
It’s better to keep the peace.
Anyway, I decided to be careful.
“So, you can’t get out of here without my help?”
【…Huh?】
She smiled slyly.
Prill can’t kill me.
I roughly understood the situation.
What Prill wanted most was probably to leave this place.
To end ten thousand years of tedious solitude.
And she needed me to do that.
So she saved me with such ridiculous excuses to circumvent a contract.
【Hmph! Since you destroyed the barrier, I can get out anytime!】
She suddenly tried to bluff, as if she just realized something.
But look at those nervously trembling eyes.
“You’re a bad liar.”
【No, I’m not!?】
“Then go out.”
【What?】
“Go ahead and leave.”
【……】
It was certain.
In this situation.
I’m the one in charge.
The initiative was mine.
“So this is the dragon’s authority, huh?”
【Yeah…】
Prill nodded with a deflated expression.
That was only natural, since after giving up the initiative, she had to honestly answer my questions.
Thanks to that, I was able to satisfy my curiosity.
About what this place was, and what the skill core I ate really was.
Dragon.
What left the deepest impression was the existence of dragons.
Dragons.
Simply put, incredibly strong monsters with multiple “authorities.”
It was the first time I heard of such a monster, but it wasn’t strange.
Well, such monsters could exist.
Humanity hadn’t figured out every kind of monster yet.
Thanks to prophets, humanity had adapted somewhat to the great catastrophe, but only about 30 years had passed since then.
And—
“Are there more authorities like this?”
【Yes. Here there was only Breath, but Tenauzes must have hidden other authorities somewhere else.】
I also learned that what I had gained was only one of the dragon’s authorities.
And just one is this powerful…
By acquiring the “One Punch” skill, I obtained an extremely powerful attack skill and was able to escape the side effects of “Magic Overload.”
Though it was a fortunate synergy between my unique condition and the authority’s effect, other authorities surely seemed powerful as well.
“Can I get more authorities?”
【Of course! If you get close, I’ll be able to recognize them!】
“Good.”
【S-So now you’ll make the contract, right!?】
Prill brightened up at my positive attitude.
Honestly, this contract wasn’t bad for me either.
No, it was rather good.
She was powerful.
Prill’s power was considerable when I checked before.
She showed the ability to freeze an entire area by throwing ice bombs, and I was certain I wouldn’t survive even a second if hit.
She said she would lend me that power if I made a contract and got her out of here, so there was no reason to refuse.
“Alright. What do I have to do?”
【A sacrifice is needed for the contract! I think half an arm will do!】
“?”
For a moment, I thought I heard wrong.
【Why? I’m giving you a really good deal! Normally, to contract with someone at your level, they’d ask for both arms and about 30 years of lifespan!】
She spoke as if she was doing me a favor.
Right.
Maybe the original price really was expensive.
I could understand that.
But you know.
“Prill.”
【This is really good, I’m telling you!】
She tilted her head like she didn’t understand my attitude.
“You don’t seem to have fully grasped the situation yet.”
Prices vary depending on the situation.
Who brings up prices from ten thousand years ago?
“I’m not making a contract on those terms.”
【…Why not!?】
Kugung!
