Chapter 330

Amidst a situation where no solution seemed possible alone, Aurikki felt a surge of positive emotions, even amidst the sorrow of loss, as his dearest friend brought a ray of hope.

Facing Aurikki’s expectant gaze head-on, Tatsuro looked straight into his eyes and declared,

“We’ll start investigating now!”

“—What? Didn’t you come here because you already found a solution!?”

“No. The massive energy here made it difficult to probe from a distance. So, we’re starting the on-site investigation now. But don’t worry—our Analysis Team is the best in the world.”

With that, Tatsuro glanced toward Cardina and Leah.

Aurikki, seeing Tatsuro’s confident expression, became convinced that they could unravel the mystery he couldn’t solve himself.

“So, I have a question. You and Henrikki planned to disperse this energy in just a few days, right? Why haven’t you been able to do so yet?”

“Well, that’s because—”

Aurikki possesses a skill called Magic Disruption, which uses his own Magical Power to interfere with an opponent’s magic, preventing it from being properly formed. He had assumed this skill would work on the Beast’s Vortex and had acted accordingly, achieving some success.

“But no matter how much I dispersed it, power kept being supplied from somewhere. Not only did it not end, but if I let my guard down, it started turning into something even bigger. If I step away even slightly, an even stronger, more massive Magical Beast would emerge, so I’ve been stuck here, unable to move.”

Incidentally, since Pixies feed on Magical Power in the air, the high density here allowed Aurikki to remain in peak condition without eating or drinking. He didn’t need much sleep either, so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that only Aurikki could have prevented a Magical Beast from forming already.

“An endless supply of power… I see”

“Did you figure something out, Leah?”

“Yes. I’ve identified the Source of the power and, though a bit rough, a way to deal with the Beast’s Vortex and the pervasive Black Fungus.”

“As expected, Leah’s work is fast”

“We haven’t even been investigating for ten minutes yet! That’s too quick…”

Only Aurikki, unaware of Leah’s All-Seeing Eye, cast a skeptical glance at the Golem, wondering what she was talking about. But Tatsuro and the others, knowing Leah had never failed to understand something she claimed to, ignored his skepticism and prepared to hear her solution.

“First, the Source. The cause lies in an object that’s also responsible for creating Wind Mountain. If you, Tatsuro, and the others remove it, we can stop the energy supply.”

“What’s this ‘object’?”

“It’s Fossils of Ancient Magical Beasts buried directly beneath us—ones with powerful wind-based Magical Power. After dying and becoming Fossils, over a long time, they transformed into Curse-like Material that generates Magical Power. This eroded the land, creating a Force Field that produces a special wind-based Magical Power. From what I’ve observed, this is likely how places like Flame Mountain or Lightning Mountain were formed. But here, while five Fossils would suffice to sustain Wind Mountain, there are over sixty buried beneath this land, based on the energy output.”

“Sixty!? That’s a ton. Why are there so many here?”

Ai exclaimed, voicing her doubts directly, recalling that Flame Mountain, which they’d visited before, had only four Fossils emitting flame-based Magical Power.

“I don’t know the exact reason. Perhaps these Ancient Magical Beasts had a habit of dying in the same place, or they were massacred by some stronger entity. We can speculate, but for now, we should focus on excavating the Fossils. Once they’re removed, the Source will be gone, and we can rebury about three to maintain Wind Mountain.”

“Sounds good. Cardina”

“Peewee!”

Together, Tatsuro and Cardina cast Probing Magic into the ground, detecting a large amount of wind-based Magical Power-emitting material about fifty meters below. While Aurikki continued to disrupt the formation of a Magical Beast, they used Earth Magic to dig a massive hole toward the Fossils.

“Is this good?”

“Yes, no mistake”

Illuminating the depths of the hole with Light Magic, they saw not just Fossils but what looked more like mummified giant birds encased in green Amber—irregular, elliptical Spheres cluttered together.

“It’s best not to touch them with bare hands in their unprocessed state. Can you lift them without direct contact?”

“Got it”

Using the compressed soil from digging the hole, they pushed the Fossil-laden ground upward while filling the hole. Soon, before Tatsuro and the others, lay a pile of glistening emerald-colored Amber-like objects.

When Tatsuro turned his Spirit Eye on them, he confirmed, as Leah said, that they were supplying Magical Power to the Beast’s Vortex. He quickly stored them all in his Infinite Item Field.

“Alright, how’s that? Do you still feel anything trying to restore the power?”

“No, it’s gone—like it was a lie! You guys are incredible!!”

Until now, no matter how much he diminished it, it felt like an endless task. But now, Aurikki could feel the power definitively waning, and his skeptical gaze turned to one of respect for Tatsuro and his team. For him, those had been grueling days.

“So, what now? Even if the supply is cut off, if we just disperse it, the Black Fungus will remain in an increased state”

“It’s simple. We gather all the Black Fungus in this Barrier to one spot and use it to form a single Magical Beast.”

“Right. That way, the Black Fungus is gone, and we can defeat the beast for a clean resolution”

“Sounds simple and clear! Let’s do it quick. Then we can fight without worrying about the Black Fungus”

While Tatsuro and the others were already shifting into combat mode, Aurikki’s gaze shifted from respect to looking at them like they were lunatics.

“What nonsense are you spouting!? If it were that easy to defeat, I wouldn’t have struggled so much!!”

“Of course. For you, it’s something you’ve been painstakingly suppressing. It’s natural you’d find it hard to accept us outsiders suddenly deciding to unleash it”

“Exactly. I don’t think you and I alone could handle it”

“You and—? Unfortunately, Aurikki, you’ll need to stay somewhere safe. We’ll handle the Magical Beast ourselves.”

“What—!? But—”

“Sorry, but this is non-negotiable. The Adventurer’s Guild has approved our method of resolving this. We’ll listen to complaints, but we won’t take your opinions into account.”

Tatsuro’s gaze suggested he wouldn’t hesitate to use force if needed, and Aurikki finally relented. They didn’t seem like suicidal maniacs, battle-crazed lunatics, or terrorists from another country. Above all, they were sent by his friend. Aurikki chose to trust them.

“You’re absolutely confident you’ll win, right?”

“Yes. I might struggle alone, but I have reliable allies.”

“…I see. Is it really okay for me not to fight? I may look like this, but I’m fairly confident in my combat skills.”

Like Tatsuro and his team, Aurikki’s appearance didn’t scream strength. He spoke self-deprecatingly about his small frame but asserted his combat ability clearly.

“We’ve heard from other Pixies that you’ve conquered a Level 9 dungeon, so we don’t think you’re weak. But against a strong enemy, impromptu teamwork could be risky”

“Fair point. Fighting alongside strangers in high-level combat is tough…”

“So, Aurikki, please keep disrupting the Black Fungus until it’s fully gathered. Once the Magical Beast starts forming, Descend the Mountain immediately. We’ve warned the Guild Staff outside the Barrier, but just in case, tell them to stay away from the forest for a while, no matter what kind of Magical Beast appears.”

“That’s all? Got it. Easy enough”

To avoid trouble if a Magical Beast forms before all the Black Fungus is collected, Aurikki would continue his practiced disruption. As he resumed his task, Tatsuro’s team began gathering all the Black Fungus in the area.

“How do we gather it?”

“Let’s have Tsukuyomi take the lead this time”

“Using Dragon Barrier to collect it like before?”

“Close, but a little different. Just watch.”

With that, Tatsuro signaled to Tsukuyomi, which glowed brightly as if claiming the spotlight. Through the Gloves he wore, Tatsuro conveyed his intent. With Amaterasu and Tatsuro’s support, they unleashed a mixed magic of Water Magic, darkness, and Dragon Barrier.

Raising Amaterasu, a slightly viscous Sticky Water sprayed from its tip, adhering perfectly to the Barrier set up by the Guild Staff and spreading across it. Though the Guild Staff seemed startled by the sudden action, Tatsuro meticulously spread the water membrane across the entire Barrier and ground without gaps, then slowly peeled it back, contracting it. The Black Fungus, unable to escape the Sticky Water mixed with Dragon Barrier, began gathering at Tatsuro’s location.

“Whoa, it’s really coming together!”

“This is a magic where I mixed Dragon Barrier into altered Sticky Water, designed to collect Black Fungus. It’s useless as a barrier, but it’s perfect as a bag for this purpose”

As everyone watched, Tatsuro sped up the contraction of the water bag infused with Dragon Barrier, stopping when it reached the Wind Mountain area. By then, the area was shrouded in a thick fog of Black Fungus, so dense it was hard to see.

“Aurikki! When I give the signal, stop your task and Descend the Mountain! Also, don’t forget to keep your Magical Power active until you’re out of the water membrane!”

“Got it!”

Cardina’s Dispel Magic confirmed no Black Fungus remained outside the water bag, but if Aurikki accidentally dropped his Magic Disruption and his Magical Power at the same time, he could get infected. Though confident Aurikki understood, Tatsuro gave the reminder, and Aurikki responded cheerfully.

Tatsuro moved to the final phase. He further contracted the water bag, letting it pass through their location while ensuring only the Black Fungus remained trapped. Finally, it shrank to encompass only Aurikki and the Beast’s Vortex, as Aurikki’s skill couldn’t interfere from outside the water bag. Tatsuro gave the final signal to Aurikki, still surrounded by Black Fungus.

“Now! Stop the skill and Descend the Mountain!”

“Understood!”

Careful not to drop his Magical Power, Aurikki ceased Magic Disruption and swiftly passed through the water membrane. Tatsuro and Cardina checked for any Black Fungus leaks, confirmed it was clear, exchanged a nod with Aurikki, and he departed.

Watching Aurikki Descend the Mountain with wind-like speed, Tatsuro continued contracting the water bag, urging the Beast’s Vortex to consume all the Black Fungus remnants. As planned, the Black Fungus was rapidly absorbed into the Beast’s Vortex, eventually forming a single massive vortex.

They maintained the water bag for three minutes, wary until the Magical Beast fully formed. Finally, it transformed into a powerful Magical Beast, having used all the energy.

“Is that a giant bird?”

“The energy Source was bird-like Ancient Magical Beast Fossils, so it makes sense”

A thirty-meter-tall black mass, fully shaped like a bird, let out a cry.

“KUKE-EEEEEEEE!!”

“Not a cute cry at all. It should take a page from Cardina”

“Peewee♪”

Cardina chirped happily, rubbing cheeks with Nana.

The giant bird’s body then transformed into a vivid, translucent lime green, revealing a beautiful appearance despite its harsh cry.