Volume 5 Chapter 1 The Invisible Hunter
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The deeper we ventured into the forest’s dark heart, the more twisted and malevolent the flora became. Massive trees with contorted trunks like faces frozen in agony loomed over us, their branches bearing bizarre fruit shaped like hollow human skulls. They cast a faint, sickly phosphorescence through the gloomy canopy. From the detritus beneath our feet, a foul miasma arose-a suffocating blend of cloying, sweet rot and a sharp, stinging chemical stench that burned my nostrils.
”This place is downright toxic,” I muttered, surveying the grim landscape.
”Indeed, my Lord,” Sylvia replied, slowing her pace as she gestured toward the ground. “The environment itself within this sector is designed to explicitly reject intruders.”
Spreading across the black, rotting soil was a dense, carpet-like growth of iridescent blue-green moss.
”This substance is known as Fiend-moss,” Sylvia whispered, her tone laced with deep caution. “Should one chance to step upon it, it immediately liberates a highly acidic gas. Inhaling the vapor will cause your lungs to scorch and blister, while direct contact with the skin results in instant dissolution of the flesh.”
Remaining levitated at a safe altitude, I glided effortlessly over the deadly patches of growth. Sylvia, on the other hand, navigated the hazard with striking grace, leaping from one tiny, moss-free tree root to another like a dancer executing a flawless routine.
After pressing onward through the gloom, we finally emerged into a sudden clearing. Nestled in the center was a small, pristine spring, its crystal-clear waters bubbling up from beneath the earth. Amid the stifling humidity and the omnipresent tang of acid, that cool water looked like a paradise.
”Phew. I’m actually getting pretty parched,” I said.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t had a single drop of water since the conclusion of our previous battle. I cast a longing glance toward the spring.
”It looks clean enough… but given our current surroundings, I’m guessing it’s too good to be true?” I asked, turning my head slightly toward her.
”A most keen deduction, Spirit King,” Sylvia answered, stooping low to retrieve a small pebble from the path. “The water is merely a ruse. It is a trap laid by a monstrosity known as the Lurker of the Depths.”
She flicked the pebble into the center of the spring. It broke the surface with a soft splash.
An instant later, the water violently erupted.
A massive, amphibian monstrosity surged into the air, its jaws snapping shut on the pebble it had mistaken for prey. The sharp, metallic crack of its saw-like teeth slamming together echoed through the clearing, a split second after the splash.
”It waits for prey to lower its head for a drink, then drags them under by the skull,” Sylvia explained as the creature splashed back into the depths. “In this place, watering holes are the deadliest hunting grounds.”
”Figures,” I said, keeping my distance from the shoreline. “Smart move. No point in looking for trouble.”1
He raised his right hand toward the air.
”Clean Water.”
This wasn’t just a basic hydration spell. I had specifically calibrated the mana to balance the mineral content for optimal taste, utilizing a secondary cooling sub-routine to chill it to a crisp thirty-nine degrees Fahrenheit. A perfect sphere of pristine water materialized in the air before me. I brought it to my lips, letting the cold liquid wash down my throat. It tasted incredible.
”Want some, Sylvia?” I offered.
”Oh-my profoundest thanks, my Lord!” Sylvia cried out softly.
I conjured a second sphere, which Sylvia caught deftly in her cupped hands, drinking it down gratefully. Being able to secure perfectly safe, refreshing water with a simple flick of my wrist entirely eliminated the dangerous necessity of foraging. It was a massive tactical advantage.
Keeping our rest brief, we quickly pressed forward through the oppressive terrain. Through a sudden rift in the dense treeline, a jagged, blackened mountain range visible in the far distance caught my eye. Wisps of crimson light bled from the jagged peaks, accompanied by thick columns of dark smoke billowing into the sky.
”Is that the ‘heat signature’ mountain you mentioned earlier?” I asked, pointing toward the horizon.
”Yes, my Lord,” Sylvia murmured, her expression hardening. “The elves call it the Dragon’s Maw. It is a sacred, perilous peak, home to powerful high-tier monsters and ancient dragons.”
”Right. So it’s the top of the food chain in this forest,” I observed.
”We elves never approach it unless we have absolutely no other choice,” Sylvia added.
High-tier variants. I preferred to avoid unnecessary complications; I had zero interest in climbing a lethal volcano for kicks. Then again, things changed if the danger came looking for us.
”–! They are upon us, Spirit King!” Sylvia barked, her hand flying to her hilt.
Just as she issued the warning, my passive sonar array picked up multiple hostile signatures directly above us. Several high-density mana reactions were closing the distance at terrifying speed.
”Kee-kee-keee!”
With a chorus of shrill, screeching cries, the canopy thrashed violently as creatures began dropping from the branches. They were simian monsters possessing four muscular arms, each clutching crude weapons fashioned from jagged obsidian.
”Killer Apes!” Sylvia shouted, drawing her longsword. “They are highly intelligent and hunt in coordinated packs!”
The moment her blade cleared the scabbard, a vibrant, shimmering crimson aura erupted across her entire body. It was the Spirit Shroud physical reinforcement technique. The radiance of her shroud looked significantly sharper and more refined in the heat of actual combat than it had when I analyzed her using it earlier.
”Spirit Shroud-Crimson Flash!” Sylvia roared.
In a fraction of a heartbeat, a scarlet arc sliced through the air. One of the descending apes was torn to pieces before it could even register her movement. Her fluid quick-draw technique combined with the explosive release of spiritual energy made her look like a fierce, beautiful flower blooming amidst bloodshed.
”Hah!” Sylvia cried, pressing the advantage.
Lunging forward while leaving a trail of crimson afterimages, her longsword flashed out in a lethal blur. Another ape was cleanly bisected in mid-air. It was a brilliant display of swordsmanship. However, the remaining pack members immediately recognized her as the primary threat and pivoted, shifting their targets to the seemingly defenseless, floating man behind her-me.
”Gyak!”
Five Killer Apes lunged at me simultaneously from different angles. They likely assumed I was cornered because I was suspended in mid-air with nowhere to dodge.
(How naive.)
”Air Hammer.”
Thoom!
With a simple snap of my fingers, I subjected the air above the monsters to instantaneous, hyper-dense adiabatic compression. The atmosphere transformed into a massive, invisible anvil, slamming down upon the apes and crushing them mercilessly into the earth. The violent, localized pressure wave obliterated their lungs internally while cratering the soil beneath them. A wet, sickening crunch echoed through the clearing as their bodies collapsed under the weight.
”G-Gi…?” one of the pinned apes groaned.
Deep in the dirt, the shattered apes let out weak, pathetic whimpers, entirely incapacitated. I had no intention of letting up. It was time for a little physical magic.
”Spiraling Stone Bullet.”
These weren’t your run-of-the-mill rock projectiles. Applying the modern concept of ballistic rifling, I used mana to impress a hyper-velocity axial rotation onto the pointed stone fragments. The spin minimized air resistance to near zero, maximizing their kinetic penetration capabilities to the absolute limit.
A rapid-fire succession of sharp, supersonic cracks ripped through the clearing as my bullets punched flawlessly through the vital organs of the immobilized monsters. Then, total silence fell over the forest.
”As expected of the Spirit King. Your prowess is truly magnificent, my Lord,” Sylvia said, letting her crimson aura fade as she bowed her head in deep reverence.
Together, we quickly harvested the magic stones and other valuable materials from the carcasses, tossing them directly into my Interdimensional Space.
”Let’s move,” I said, glancing back into the shadows. “If we make too much of a racket, we’re going to attract something much worse.”
”At once, sir! I shall follow your lead,” Sylvia replied.
We pushed onward for a while longer until, quite suddenly, the atmosphere completely shifted. The heavy, suffocating humidity that had clung to our skin vanished, replaced by a cool, pristine breeze.
”We have arrived, my Lord,” Sylvia announced, pointing ahead.
Rising up before us, completely blocking out the twisted trees of the corrupted forest, stood a colossal, impenetrable wall of interlocking black thorns.
—
Summary:
Moving deeper into the toxic environment of the Rotten Sea, Ryu and Sylvia efficiently handle environmental traps and aggressive wildlife. After fending off a coordinated ambush of Killer Apes using advanced localized magic applications, they maintain a brisk pace toward their destination. The duo finally arrives directly before a massive, impenetrable wall of black thorns guarding the village, leaving the method of breaking through as an open question.
—
Trivia:
The clean water Ryu creates is customized to precisely four degrees Celsius (39°F) with optimized mineral content.
Fiend-moss releases a highly acidic gas that melts lungs instantly if stepped on.
The mountain peak visible from the forest is named the Dragon’s Maw by the elves and hosts dragons.
Ryu applies the modern mechanical principle of rifling to enhance his stone bullets.
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Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Sylvia – Sylvia is a beautiful, voluptuous elf with hidden pointed ears and platinum hair. A formidable Silver-rank adventurer known as “Crimson Lotus,” she is a loyal warrior and subordinate to the Spirit King, trained in the Spirit Shroud. Wielding a longsword and bow in a hooded green coat, she is straightforward yet loyal, tutoring John, working with Nier, and traveling as a servant to Ryu.
• Ryu – A man with Interdimensional Magic who leads a growing household. He acts as a provider and protector for his slaves, while maintaining a pragmatic and blunt personality.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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