Chương 74: The Forest Was Protecting You

The frozen rope tightened around the massive prowler's neck while Sieghart planted both feet against the slope. Protection reinforced his body, but the monster's strength continued dragging him downward through the loose soil. Every movement of the beast sent violent tremors through the improvised weapon. Cracks spread across its frozen sections, forcing Sieghart to repair the ice continuously while maintaining the mana coating beneath it. The creature twisted its horned head and snapped at the rope.

Its teeth closed around empty air, but one enormous paw finally reached the section pressed against its neck. Black claws scraped across the ice and tore away several frozen fragments. The exposed fibers stretched beneath the pressure, remaining intact for only a few more seconds before the first strands snapped. Sieghart pulled harder. The rope sank deeper into the flesh between the creature's armored growths. Its roar became strained, but it showed no sign of losing consciousness.

The monster slammed its head against the ground. The impact shattered two more frozen sections and sent another painful shock through Sieghart's mana connection. He nearly lost control of the entire rope. Only the coating maintained through Mana Transfusion prevented the broken pieces from scattering across the nest.

"This would be much easier if you stopped resisting." The creature answered by driving its claws beneath the rope once again. This time, it caught several exposed fibers and pulled with enough force to make them tear apart. Sieghart clicked his tongue and raised his free hand. Five Ice Shurikens formed beside him, rotating faster as he poured more mana into their edges. He launched them toward the beast's face. The monster saw the projectiles and violently shook its head.

Two shurikens struck one of its horns and shattered, while the remaining three passed through the empty space beside its jaw. Sieghart immediately created another formation, adjusting their paths so they approached from different directions. The additional control placed pressure behind his eyes, but he maintained the frozen rope with his other hand. The prowler lowered its head before throwing it upward. The rope snapped tight, pulling Sieghart forward so abruptly that his boots left the ground.

He released a Wind Blast beneath himself and twisted in the air. The spell slowed his fall enough for him to land on one knee, although the impact still sent a dull ache through his protected leg. Before he could fire the second group of shurikens, the beast caught the rope with both front claws. The remaining frozen segments shattered beneath its strength. Braided fibers snapped one after another until the weapon separated into three useless pieces. The largest section remained hanging from the monster's neck.

It shook its body and sent the broken rope flying into the remains of a nearby tree. Sieghart stared at the ruined weapon.

"That lasted longer than I expected." The enormous prowler released a furious roar that scattered birds from the distant trees. Its dark veins pulsed brighter, and heat spread across the nest as smoke poured between its teeth. Ronan remained surrounded by the other monsters. He drove one knife into the side of a prowler's neck while kicking a younger creature away, but three more were already closing around him. He glanced toward the sound and saw the pack mother charging up the slope.

"Run, Sieghart!" Sieghart had already considered that option. Remaining close to a monster capable of destroying his frozen rope within seconds would have been an excellent way to shorten his second life. However, simply running through the forest would allow the creature to use the trees for cover. Those same trees also prevented him from using his strongest magic without turning the entire area into a sea of fire. He needed to retreat, but the direction mattered.

The pack mother reached the base of the slope and leaped. Its enormous body rose high enough to block the sunlight filtering through the canopy. Sieghart pointed one palm toward its face.

"Breeze." A concentrated Wind Blast struck the prowler between the eyes. The spell lacked enough force to injure something that large, but it slowed the creature while pushing Sieghart backward. He flew several meters through the air and landed on both feet. Protection absorbed most of the impact before he immediately turned and ran. The monster landed where he had been standing, its weight collapsing part of the slope. It recovered almost instantly and resumed the pursuit.

Sieghart moved between the trees while using short bursts of wind to increase his speed. Branches scraped against his clothes, and exposed roots repeatedly threatened to trip him. His body had become stronger during the past year, but he remained a seven-year-old child. Without magic, the prowler would have crossed the distance between them before he took ten steps. Sieghart fired another Wind Blast behind himself. The recoil launched him past a fallen log, while the spell forced the monster to lower its head.

The creature smashed through the obstacle rather than jumping over it. Rotten wood exploded in every direction as its shoulder tore through the trunk.

"That level of persistence should be unhealthy." The monster responded with another roar. Heat gathered inside its mouth, illuminating its teeth with a dark-red glow. Sieghart sensed the attack before it was released. He dropped low and sent wind through both hands, propelling himself sideways. A stream of corrupted flames passed through his previous position. Several trees ignited immediately, but the prowler did not stop to spread the fire.

It remained completely focused on the child who had attempted to strangle it moments earlier. That kind of grudge was understandable, although Sieghart would have preferred if the monster possessed a more forgiving personality. The distance between them continued shrinking. Sieghart could not maintain enough speed while dodging trees, and every powerful Wind Blast forced him to spend a moment stabilizing his landing. He reached a narrow gap between two thick trunks before abruptly turning around.

Water-attuned mana gathered through his right arm while the prowler lowered its head and charged directly toward him.

"Water Cannon." A concentrated torrent erupted from Sieghart's palm. The continuous blast struck the creature's face and forced its head sideways while water spread across its eyes, mouth, and armored shoulders. The pack mother pushed forward despite the pressure. Its claws dug trenches through the ground as the attack drove against its massive body. Sieghart maintained Water Cannon for only a moment before ending the spell.

The monster remained thoroughly drenched, with streams of water running between the black growths covering its body. He raised his other hand. A faint spark jumped between two fingers, carrying far less power than any of the spectacular lightning attacks he had imagined learning someday. Under ordinary circumstances, Spark would have done little more than startle the creature. The water covering its body changed the situation considerably.

The tiny electrical discharge crossed the remaining distance and struck the prowler's wet face. Blue-white currents spread through the water in branching lines. The monster's body locked in place, its claws sinking deeper into the ground while its jaws snapped shut. The shock lasted less than a second. However, the sudden disruption forced every muscle in the creature's enormous body to contract simultaneously. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Sieghart felt a sharp prickling sensation travel through his own arm. Several fingers went numb, and the muscles around his elbow twitched without his permission. He immediately stopped the spell and shook his hand. Apparently, controlling lightning through water without creating a path back toward himself required more precision than he currently possessed. Discovering that limitation during a battle against a furious monster was less than ideal. The prowler lowered its head and released a trembling growl.

Smoke continued pouring from its mouth while its muscles gradually recovered from the shock. Its red eyes fixed upon Sieghart with even greater hatred than before.

"I need to train my Lightning Magic more," Sieghart admitted.

"Preferably under better circumstances." The creature charged again.

"This doesn't qualify." Sieghart slammed one hand against the ground and spread cold mana across the forest floor. Frozen Floor expanded around him, covering roots, soil, and fallen leaves beneath a smooth sheet of ice. The prowler stepped onto the frozen surface and slipped for half a second. Its sheer weight shattered the ice beneath its paws, allowing its claws to reach the soil underneath. The spell would not stop something that massive. It could, however, give Sieghart a road.

He pointed both hands behind himself and released a sustained blast of wind. The force pushed him backward while his boots slid across the frozen ground. Sieghart bent his knees and lowered his center of gravity. Protection reinforced his ankles while he adjusted the direction of each Wind Blast to steer between the trees. His speed increased dramatically. Instead of running with short legs, he skimmed above the ice like someone skating down an invisible slope.

The pack mother pursued him, breaking the frozen surface beneath every step. It remained faster in a straight line, but turning between trees forced it to slow down. Sieghart continuously extended Frozen Floor ahead of himself. His mana reached across the soil, transforming the forest into a winding path of pale ice. He had never attempted to maintain the spell across such a long distance.

The strain behind his eyes increased steadily, but his Mentality allowed him to divide his focus between creating ice and controlling the wind. The trees passed around him faster and faster. Several branches nearly struck his face, forcing Sieghart to lower his body while maintaining the flow of both spells. Behind him, the monster destroyed everything in its path. Trees shook whenever its armored shoulders struck them, while shattered ice and broken roots flew around its legs.

Ronan's distant voice disappeared beneath the noise. Whether the tracker understood Sieghart's plan no longer mattered, since the pack mother had become completely committed to the chase. Sieghart recognized a brighter area ahead. The closely packed trees began thinning, and sunlight reached the frozen path without being divided by the canopy. He increased the power of his Wind Blast one final time. The recoil launched him from the forest and across a broad stretch of abandoned pasture.

Sieghart rotated his body and released wind in the opposite direction. The counterforce slowed him before he reached the end of the ice, allowing him to slide backward across the grass. The pack mother burst from between the trees seconds later. It shattered two young trunks and scattered branches across the boundary of the pasture. Nothing stood between the monster and Sieghart now. No thick trunks could interrupt his attacks, no captive animals waited nearby, and no dry canopy hung above them.

The creature lowered its head and accelerated. Sieghart dismissed Frozen Floor before raising one hand. A wide smile slowly appeared on his face as fire-attuned mana gathered above his palm.

"You shouldn't have followed me." The pack mother continued charging. Either it did not understand his words or its fury had erased any remaining sense of danger. A sphere of flame appeared above Sieghart's hand. It expanded rapidly, growing from the size of his head to something wider than his entire body. The air distorted around the Giant Fireball. Grass blackened beneath its heat, and waves of pressure moved through the open pasture as Sieghart compressed more mana inside it. He pushed his hand forward.

The Giant Fireball crossed the distance in a blazing arc. The pack mother attempted to change direction, but its momentum and massive body made avoiding an attack that large impossible. The spell struck directly against its head and chest. Flames expanded outward in a violent sphere. The detonation shook the ground, flattened the surrounding grass, and swallowed the front half of the monster's body. A deafening blast rolled across the pasture.

Burning soil and pieces of black armor flew through the air before falling several meters away. Sieghart protected his face from the wave of heat. He had remained far enough from the impact to avoid the worst of it, but even Protection grew hot around his skin. The fire contracted gradually, revealing the pack mother within the smoke. It remained standing, although most of the fur across its head and shoulders had disappeared.

Water from Sieghart's earlier attack evaporated from its body, surrounding it with clouds of steam. Several armored growths had cracked, exposing burned flesh beneath them. The monster staggered forward. Sieghart stared at it with mild surprise. A direct Giant Fireball would have killed most enemies he had encountered, yet the corrupted creature had endured the explosion through size and unnatural durability. It opened its scorched jaws and tried to roar.

Only a broken sound emerged, accompanied by smoke and droplets of black blood. Sieghart created another Giant Fireball. The creature took one step before the second spell struck its chest. The explosion lifted its front legs from the ground and threw its entire body backward. It crashed against the pasture, carving a shallow trench through the soil. Flames spread across its remaining fur while the shockwave shattered more of the black growths. Sieghart did not wait to see whether it could stand again.

A third Giant Fireball formed above his left hand. A fourth appeared above his right, forcing him to divide his concentration between two massive spells. The effort created a sharp pressure inside his head, but his abundant Mentality kept their structures stable. Sieghart launched both attacks one after the other. The first spell struck the prowler's side and rolled it across the ground. Before its body stopped moving, the second fireball descended from above. The explosions merged into a towering pillar of flame.

The pasture trembled beneath Sieghart's boots. A shallow crater formed around the monster while heated soil melted into dark patches of brittle glass. Burning fragments scattered across the open field, but none traveled far enough to reach the trees. Sieghart used Breeze to redirect the smoke and prevent sparks from drifting toward the forest. The pack mother attempted to rise within the flames. One front leg pushed against the ground before collapsing beneath its weight. Sieghart could have stopped.

The creature was already dying, and its regeneration had failed beneath the accumulated damage. However, he had learned during the war what happened when an enemy survived because someone assumed the battle had already ended. Three more Giant Fireballs appeared around him. They floated above the pasture like miniature suns, painting Sieghart's crimson hair in shades of orange and black. The blond tips of his right fringe moved wildly beneath the heated wind. He pointed toward the crater.

The spells descended one after another. The fifth explosion tore open the monster's remaining armor. The sixth consumed the flesh beneath it, while the seventh collapsed part of the crater and buried the burning body beneath molten soil. Each detonation struck before the previous flames completely faded. The combined pressure rolled across the pasture in repeated waves, shaking leaves throughout the forest. When the final explosion ended, a heavy cloud of smoke hung over the crater.

Sieghart controlled the surrounding wind and forced it upward, revealing what remained beneath it. The pack mother no longer resembled a living creature. Its enormous body had become a blackened mass, with most identifiable features reduced to charcoal. One horn remained near the edge of the crater. Everything else had either burned, shattered, or fused with the scorched ground. The creature's rear leg moved once before becoming still. A final gust dispersed the steam and smoke pouring from its remains.

The oppressive corruption that had surrounded the monster gradually faded along with the glow inside its blackened veins. Sieghart lowered his hands and exhaled. His head throbbed from controlling so many large spells, but the satisfaction on his face remained unmistakable. The strategy had worked exactly as intended. He had not needed to overpower the monster inside an environment that restricted him.

He had merely needed to convince it to follow him somewhere its size became a disadvantage and his destructive power could be used without restraint. Ronan emerged from the forest moments later. Blood covered both curved knives, and several shallow claw marks had torn through the leather protecting his left arm. He had arrived prepared to help Sieghart escape. Instead, he found the boy standing before a smoking crater while the remains of a monster larger than a wagon collapsed into charcoal.

Ronan slowed to a stop. The heat from the repeated explosions pressed against his face even from the forest's edge. Scorched grass stretched across the pasture, while small pieces of shattered armor continued falling around the crater. Sieghart turned toward him, still wearing the expression of someone whose experiment had produced a particularly satisfying result.

"It worked." Ronan looked at the crater.

"I noticed."

"The rope needs to be stronger."

"That is what you learned from this?"

"The plan only failed because the material couldn't endure its claws. A chain would work better, especially if I enchanted every link before freezing it." Ronan remained silent while Sieghart began examining the battlefield as though seven Giant Fireballs were simply another useful set of observations. The boy had obeyed the important part of his instructions. When the original plan failed, he had created distance, moved the monster away from the other enemies, and avoided burning the forest.

From a tactical perspective, Sieghart had acted with more discipline than many experienced guild members. He understood his disadvantages, used the terrain, and never allowed pride to trap him in close combat. That should have reassured Ronan. Instead, his attention returned to Sieghart's satisfied expression and the charcoal remains inside the crater. No ordinary seven-year-old should have been able to cause such destruction, much less discuss improvements immediately afterward.

The injured animals had not feared Sieghart. Ronan had treated that as evidence that the boy's desire for revenge had not twisted him into something dangerous. Now he wondered whether it had simply been too early to reach that conclusion. Healing a few animals proved that Sieghart still possessed compassion. It did not prove what he might become once he found the people he hated.