Chapter 40

I woke up with the dawn.

I pushed aside the blanket and sat up. Kuna and Anne seemed to still be asleep.

"Mnya, it's delicious. Sister Yuki's sake."

Kuna mumbled in her sleep with a contented look on her face.

She must be dreaming about drinking Elsie wine, a specialty of her hometown.

It was oddly endearing, and almost unconsciously, my hand reached out to stroke her head. I gently patted Kuna's head.

"Hehe, Sister Yuki."

Kuna smiled.

She must really love her hometown, Elsie, and Sister Yuki. And although she would definitely deny it, Kuna is undoubtedly a daddy's girl. Why did she come to a place like this?

She says it's because her fiancé was chosen for her, but is that really all there is to it? There are endless questions when I'm with her.

I want to hear it directly from Kuna someday. Until then, I won't ask her anything. Resolving to do so, I left the tent, ignoring Kuna's contented snores.

◇

I stepped outside and focused my mind.

It was time for magic training. I began to construct a magical formula with a delicate and vast number of processes. I've been trying to create new magic ever since I came to this world.

I don't want to show the incomplete magic to Kuna and Anne, so I always train alone.

What I want to create is a magic of maximum power that I can handle now.

I need a magic that surpasses the [Spatial Destruction] I used to repel a Rank 2 senior.

Probably, only a monster like a boar could withstand it. Beyond that, for example, a Rank 2 monster could endure [Spatial Destruction]. The strength of a human Rank 2 and a monster Rank 2 is completely different.

There's no guarantee that I won't encounter such monsters in the future. There's no guarantee that I will be able to increase my rank by then.

That said, there are limits to increasing the power of magic that uses one's own mana. [Spatial Destruction] is already a magic that can be considered a pinnacle.

"Turn that nightmare into reality."

If I can't use a magic with a higher mana efficiency than [Spatial Destruction], I have no choice but to increase the amount of mana used.

However, the reason I'm seeking efficient magic is because I have limited mana to begin with.

Then, what should I do? It's simple. Use the mana that exists in nature—mana.

Kuna can use magic that utilizes twelve times her own mana due to her fire fox traits. I have no choice but to explore this area.

However, humans have poor compatibility with earth, fire, wind, and water mana. No matter how well they are used, it's only about 1.1 times. It's like pouring water on a burnt stone. That is, under normal circumstances... but there is a way to solve this.

"Dragon's Roar"

During the battle between me, a Rank 6, and the great mage Cyril, a giant silver dragon appeared. I was driven to the brink of death by the devastating breath it released.

The scene from that day is still burned into my retinas.

While being consumed by the light, I saw through the secret of the dragon's roar, which produces overwhelming destructive power. The true nature of the dragon's roar is a magic that utilizes the collapse phenomenon of mana.

Normally, when using mana, one sacrifices their own mana to summon mana and borrow a "part" of its power.

However, the silver dragon forcibly devoured and crushed all mana, regardless of its attribute. This released the vast amount of power contained within the mana, and the out-of-control force was bundled and released. That is the dragon's roar.

It's easy to say, but incredibly difficult to achieve.

Still, I want to master it. If I can, I can use a magic with destructive power that surpasses the magic of an average Rank 3 explorer, even in my current state.

To be honest, I've been researching since the day I was defeated, and the basic theory is complete. All that's left is to try different control methods through trial and error.

I visualized the spell formula and began to forcibly gather the surrounding mana.

◇

"Good morning. It's a nice morning."

"In a way, I envy you. You sleep so soundly surrounded by monsters."

As I was resting after my magic training, I heard Kuna and Anne's voices.

"Anne, you worry too much. This tent is soaked with a smell that monsters instinctively dislike, and there are many adventurers in this campsite, so if a monster appears, it will cause a commotion. Besides, Soji put a concealment spell around the tent. It's quite excellent. A top-notch mage could probably remove the trap, but doing so without Soji noticing is impossible."

"I heard about it from Soji, but I can't see it even if I look carefully. Kuna, you noticed it?"

"Yes, I can see it if I look."

Kuna and Anne came out of the tent, both dressed and packed.

Kuna's casual words subtly hurt my pride. I had intended to make the trap undetectable to anyone.

"Good morning, both of you."

I greeted them with a smile, not wanting to show my irritation.

"So, Soji! What happened? Your clothes are all tattered!"

"Just a bit of overtraining."

As Kuna said, I was in a terrible state. I had failed to control the magic.

The spell formula itself was perfect, but my computational ability simply couldn't keep up. Even on a small scale, the mana went out of control more than expected.

The mana exploded in my hand, and I was blown several meters into the air. I barely managed to deflect the impact, but this is the result. My body was healed by the blessing, but my clothes were beyond repair.

"Typical of Soji. To push yourself to this extent in training."

"Anne, in what world would someone reduce their blessings in a dangerous dungeon? From what I can see, you've lost at least twenty percent."

Kuna pointed at me angrily. She was right, but I had my reasons.

"I can't practice this magic anywhere else. Look over there."

I pointed to a spot a few hundred meters from the tent. A huge crater had formed there.

"What, what, what are you doing!?"

"I'm training for new magic. If I fail, this much damage is expected. I couldn't do it inside the academy or the city. The compensation would be terrible, and I might even end up in jail."

The mana consumption is minimal, yet the power is immense. I'm impressed with myself. It's a worthy imitation of a dragon's ultimate move, which only appears in legends.

If I can control it while increasing the amount of mana, it will be a revolutionary magic.

For now, improving the precision of control is the top priority.

"Amazing that you survived such a spectacular failure."

"Well, I was prepared for failure."

I had several defensive spells ready and was mentally prepared. The five-layered defensive barrier was completely penetrated. If not for that, I might have died. Failure is inevitable in magic. I've even died during the development of magic. The important thing is to have insurance in case of failure. That way, it won't be fatal.

"It's shocking that no one noticed such a spectacular failure."

"Yes, it should have made a huge noise."

"Before starting the magic training, I created a wall of air. No sound escaped. I didn't want to disturb the neighbors."

"You're still unnecessarily skilled."

Kuna looked exasperated.

Then, she slowly opened her mouth.

"Soji, do you have a reason for trying to complete such powerful magic?"

"Well, one reason is that I have a bad feeling. I feel like an enemy I can't handle will appear if things stay as they are."

Something inside me keeps sounding an alarm. I couldn't stand being weak.

"Is there another reason?"

"Yes, it's my pride. My pride as someone who hates losing."

Once defeated, I can't afford to lose to the same opponent again. Even if the opponent is a dragon, I will win next time. That's why I need to create magic that surpasses it. Only by mastering and improving the dragon's roar can I overcome my past.

"Soji, you're still weird."

Kuna chuckled.

"Sorry to interrupt the good mood, but what are you going to do about Soji's clothes? Don't you only have room clothes left?"

Anne looked away, blushing at my exposed skin.

Right, my current state is barely covered by scraps of cloth, bordering on being a pervert.

"I have room clothes, but they offer no protection and expose too much skin. They're not suitable for walking through a field with dense vegetation."

"Kuna, Anne, can you take care of packing up the tent and preparing breakfast?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"I don't mind either."

"Thanks. I'll make some clothes, no, armor, in the meantime."

Both of them widened their eyes at my words.

"Where are you going to get the materials?"

"Right there."

I pointed to the hide of the boar monster, which I had washed and dried after separating it from the meat yesterday.

The materials from such a monster are perfect for armor. It's just right, I'll get to work on it.

With that thought, I began preparing the magic.