NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 176
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The only thing Wolf knows about obtaining great magic power is that it comes suddenly after desperately hoping and struggling for it.
There are no guarantees or promises. It’s just a lonely path, like groping through darkness with fingertips. One thing is certain: the end is definitely not near. An A-rank skill isn’t something you can just snag that easily. Because of that, even though Wolf knows how to acquire great magic power, he boldly gave up and spent his skill points instead.
It was just too far to reach. The talented mages who have spent decades trying have very little chance of success.
In fact, he feels he has no right to complain to Hong Yu-ri about it.
If Hong Yu-ri had known, she probably would’ve lost her cool and tossed a fit, right? Just picturing that made me chuckle.
“…What are you splitting off by yourself?”
With a gaze that seemed to say ‘I see everything weird,’ Wolf shook his head, insisting it was nothing. Hong Yu-ri, after a moment’s glance around, seemed to have a guess about why she was there. But…
“If you use magic…”
To train for great magic power, you inevitably have to use mana. The sign Hong Yu-ri felt was like whispers; an urge that demanded more mana. If so, it’s clear that using mana would trigger something. She was worried it might hasten the transformation unnecessarily. Though the tail end of the conversation was murky, Wolf nodded, understanding what she wanted to say. Because it was true.
Where they’d arrived together was the fantasy world. Of course, the dense mana in the fantasy world was a source that no mage could resist. In one way or another, it would help… but the problem was that this place was a dungeon. More precisely, it was right at the entrance.
Instead of answering, Wolf nodded towards the inside of the dungeon, prompting Hong Yu-ri to scoff. She had expected it, but it was more deflating than she thought.
“So, you’re saying I should clear the dungeon?”
“Yeah.”
So, that’s what the original protagonist, who is now the system’s ego, Sang Hyuk, did. He hadn’t intended to acquire great magic power, but ended up gaining it unexpectedly through methods… Actually, there were no such methods.
Sang Hyuk didn’t specifically train for great magic power. He just kept clearing the dungeon over and over. In the process, he naturally manifested great magic power. Meaning, real-world experience is the best training.
Of course, this was possible because Sang Hyuk’s talent was unmatched, but Hong Yu-ri must have spent more time working to attain great magic power than he did, so it shouldn’t be that different. No, it must be that way.
But of course, she has no idea where that path lies. Nonetheless, she believes it won’t take that long to reach great magic power. No, she planned to make it so.
First of all, great magic power isn’t exclusive to mages. If it were, monsters like Volcano Ceratops wouldn’t possess great magic power. To put it simply, whether a mage or knight, in the end, they can gain it by rolling around enough. Let alone the fantasy world, where it can even speed up the time taken to recover mana.
“From here on, it’s a race against time.”
Finding a way to resist Dragon Blood has already been left to others. But she had no expectations for that. If such a method existed, Hong Yu-ri would have known it by now. Furthermore, the transformation has only briefly paused; it wouldn’t be strange if it resumed any moment. It’s better to move forward with uncertainty than to sit idle and wait for nothing.
“……”
Reading that intent, Hong Yu-ri was left speechless. She could argue back. But… that was a thought process possible only because she was a monster. A way of thinking far removed from others. That’s how Alpha managed to survive until now. After pushing herself and toiling away, she became who she is now.
The life, continuous with struggles, feels bleak even just to recall. There’s no doubt that acquiring great magic power wasn’t easy at all… When her deep red eyes reflected on Wolf, he felt a twinge of guilt and turned his gaze to Baek So-yul.
“…It could be dangerous.”
“Yeah.”
At the unwavering answer, Wolf smacked his lips. In fact, it wasn’t dangerous, but he just wanted to make Hong Yu-ri wait out of consideration. After all, the level of the dungeon itself isn’t high. The reason Hong Yu-ri scoffed earlier was for that reason.
If she put her mind to it, it wouldn’t even take an hour to clear the dungeon.
But it shouldn’t be like that. What’s important isn’t clearing the dungeon, but obtaining great magic power. Even if an easier path exists, one mustn’t take it. If the dungeon they so painstakingly found ends that quickly, it’s meaningless.
With a look mixed with skepticism and annoyance, as if to say, ‘Is this really going to help?’, Hong Yu-ri clicked her tongue, then finally stepped into the dungeon, and thus began the most ridiculous days she’d ever experienced.
***
“……!”
Just as Hong Yu-ri was about to throw a punch, she changed her mind and rolled on the ground, and as if to confirm her judgment, a terrifying claw scraped through the air behind her. She got muddy from rolling, but she didn’t have time to care about that now.
She reached out toward the charging creature, but unfortunately, it was just out of reach. The long tail of the High Raptor, the superior species of running raptors, brushed past her hand before she could grab it.
She narrowly avoided a direct hit but ended up face-first in the ground.
Hong Yu-ri, frustrated, gathered her hands and pushed her body back up. The large maw of the High Raptor that had been chasing her just behind opened wide, and as she stepped back to evade, she dashed forward, driving her fist into the lower jaw right as it snapped shut.
Her tiny hands struck with such intensity that it sent her feet off the ground. Just before they widened the gap, Hong Yu-ri hurled what she was holding—
It was mud. The stuff that clung to her when she fell earlier. The blinded High Raptor let out a ghastly shriek, and Hong Yu-ri didn’t miss that moment.
The swirling mana inside her concentrated downwards in an instant. While gasping for breath, she unleashed the mana collected in her toes, using it for propulsion, and Wolf couldn’t help but admire softly, while Baek So-yul let out a gasp of amazement at her ingenuity.
Her movements surpassed that of regular hunters. Despite being a mage, she moved with such grace. It wasn’t without reason that she seemed like she could devour Euna alive. It just wasn’t up to her standards.
When the High Raptor regained its sight, obscured by mud, it began to groan and look around. But it saw nothing. Had it fled? But it was already too late.
Hong Yu-ri had already burrowed into its embrace. She even used her small stature against it. Using the mana again concentrated in her toes for another boost, she leaped up just before impact, unleashing the magic stored in her fist.
The only regret was her small body. If only her arms were a little longer, it would’ve been perfect, but that was such a pity.
Though her punch reached it before the High Raptor could retreat, her short arms meant she couldn’t transfer all her power. It merely grazed the chin, but it wasn’t enough to knock it down.
The High Raptor, having toughly endured, lunged at Hong Yu-ri with its jaw agape, but that was a mistake. Just as its raised arm came back down, it ended up getting smacked in the head by her elbow.
It was proof that she was far ahead in reading the situation. The fallen High Raptor tried to get up but was instead stomped repeatedly by Hong Yu-ri’s heel, preventing it from rising.
“……!”
Breathing heavily, Hong Yu-ri. If one were to ask how strong the High Raptor, which fought evenly with her, was, the answer wouldn’t be that impressive. Baek So-yul could take it down if she tried, but if one were to question why she was having such a tough time against that monster…
“Damn it…!”
Showing her frustration, Hong Yu-ri kicked and stomped down on the High Raptor, and just as she huffed and turned her head, Fairy was startled into hiding behind Wolf while Baek So-yul pretended to absorb mana and acted aloof.
“Does this even really help?”
When Wolf nodded without hesitation, Hong Yu-ri ground her teeth but couldn’t say anything more. As she shook the mud off her, a faint black mist was swirling around her.
In other words, she was surrounded by black magic. That was the reason she struggled. Though she was controlling it, if she didn’t continuously discharge a certain amount of mana, she would be engulfed by the black mist.
Thus, as a mage, she found herself in a state where she couldn’t cast even a handful of magic. The only method available was to enhance her physical capabilities.
Constantly consuming mana while being unable to utilize either magic or mana. That presented an absolute penalty for a mage. It was like ripping apart a fish’s gills or breaking a bird’s wings. If she had just started fighting, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but she was already quite drained from pushing deeper into the forest.
Watching Hong Yu-ri, who was gasping for breath, had a mix of calm gaze and worried eyes. Although no words were exchanged, it felt like her expression was urging her to move forward.
“Damn…”
Suddenly wrapped in black mist, she thought about what kind of craziness it was, but she had to acknowledge it. This is incredibly difficult, to the point of provoking a curse. If she felt like she was dying, that would be one thing, but it wasn’t even that bad.
“Do you have any signs?”
In a low voice, Hong Yu-ri shook her head. The whispers still hadn’t reached her. Was it because she had around half her mana left? She seemed to be alright for now, but she felt a throbbing sensation and touched her neck.
The still-running red scales were blazing hot, and she grimaced.
“Kyu…”
“Sensei…”
To Baek So-yul, who looked worried, Hong Yu-ri sighed as she glanced up at the fake sky of the dungeon. She couldn’t help but think why she was going through this. Though it was her doing, if she could turn back time, she would drag herself back and scold herself… That damned jerk, she’d make sure to repay him later. With that resolution, she clenched her fists.
“……Don’t drink Dragon Blood.”
Thank goodness she stopped Baek So-yul from drinking it. If it were hard for her, what would it have been like for Baek So-yul? Grinding her teeth and catching her breath, Hong Yu-ri rose up once more. She couldn’t just keep resting.
Being consumed by black magic meant she couldn’t let her guard down. She had to allocate her mana and stamina wisely. Taking a deep breath, Hong Yu-ri hastened her steps, moving deeper into the heart of the forest. By now, the carcass of the High Raptor she had taken down had vanished completely.
***
Rubbing her aching head and waking up, Dorothy trembled with chills, and Aster, who had been lounging on the sofa, rose to his feet.
“Ugh. My head…”
Seeing the child, who had never tasted alcohol before, clutching her head like she was experiencing a hangover made Aster burst into laughter and stroke his beard.
“So, you’ve finally woken up?”
When Dorothy blinked and turned her head, Aster nodded.
“…M-Master?”
“You’ve been sleeping all day. I brought you here, worried you might be sick.”
She must have blacked out completely. Thankfully, she didn’t have to face embarrassment alone, but that doesn’t stop a master from worrying about his apprentice. He had been really worried about her not waking up, so he was relieved to see she had.
“Are you feeling better?”
“…Huh?”
“Seems like you’re still confused since you just woke up.”
As he offered her some water, Dorothy gratefully gulped it down. Strangely enough, even amid the confusion, she felt oddly refreshed.
And yet, she couldn’t remember why she was here.
It was as if an eraser had entered her mind and wiped everything out clean. All she remembered was that she had definitely entered Butterfly Castle with Hong Yu-ri…?
The problem was that she couldn’t recall what happened next. There must have been something at Butterfly Castle, causing all this…
In her confused state, Dorothy faced an even greater confusion at her master’s question.
“By the way… where did you get Dragon Blood?”
“…Dragon Blood?”
When her master presented the small vial, Dorothy frowned. The red, red blood… it was a small vial, but it was clear that it was Dragon Blood. No, it felt like it must be. Without a shadow of a doubt.
“What a treasure. A dragon with great magic power… That’s exceedingly rare, even in Square. Treat it well.”
That comment left Dorothy baffled. …Treasure Dragon Blood? Did she possess something like that? She tilted her head and asked back.
“This… is mine?”
Seeing her master’s expression change peculiarly over that question, both of them exchanged puzzled glances, surprised by the mismatch in their stories.
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