22 Chapter 22: Goliath

Pssshk-!

The monster's tough hide hindered my attack. [Sora], something that I forged without the precision machines and grinders, couldn't reach its full potential. Even so, I brought out some of its potential—its hardness.

Dir orichalcum is an artificially-processed alloy made from pure orichalcum and several other magic ores. Just by forging it once, its inherent durability is already there.

Without much choice, I shifted the force on the tip and let the edge slide through its neck.

Hustle-!

My nimble reflexes allowed me to grab onto a piece of its scales and land on top of its back. [Sirius] heightened my bodily process to a terrifying degree. As of now, I am confident about clashing head-on against Rethusa-san.

A magic circle lit up on top of its head.

Bzzzt-!

Bam-!

The remnant lightning from my previous attack descended into its head. Discombobulated, I tried to cut off its head once more.

Swoosh-!

The wyvern suddenly drifted, throwing me in midair. Though, my preparations saved me from it.

"Mass Gravitas Reductio." (Gravity Reduction, Decrease Mass.)

The gravitational pull within my radius weakened, softening its impact. This also bought me more time to perform another set of computations.

Tap-!

My feet landed on the ground. Immediately, the wyvern set its sights on me. With an ear-piercing roar, its bleeding neck spread blood everywhere as it rushed through my position.

My swift steps earned a considerable distance from it.

"Back off!"

Upon finishing the computations, I noticed how an adventurer is caught up to its radius. He seemed so disoriented that he couldn't hear my shout.

"Attractio." (Attraction.)

The basic spell is derived from the Law of Electric Charges. Through it, I could—

Swoosh-!

—move something at a remote distance. Just like that certain sith lord. After confirming that there are no more collaterals, I began my chant.

"Columna Ignis Seco Obscurum." (The Pillar of Light Shall Split the Darkness.)

A large-scale magic circle spawned on the wyvern's feet. At the same time, an identical magic circle is present atop it.

I circled the wyvern, kiting it continuously.

"Natus Soli Deus Benedictio." (The One Born with the Sun God's Blessing.)

They crackled with increased intensity, distorting the air due to their continuously heightening temperature.

Sou-!

The wind crackled as a black whip descended on me. I was about to act when a full-armored knight took the blow.

CLANG-!

Her towering shield was pushed back along with her. Acknowledging her help, I gave a quick nod before continuing my chant.

"Obsecro Virtus Dare—" (I pray, beseech me with strength—)

My mind felt a "clicking" sensation as I formed a connection with the 'Spirit Realm', a place unknown to mortals. It is the home of many beings from the legend. I have tested some Spirit Magic in this world, but Lady Artemis seems to be the sole exception to the anomaly. This spell has a myth in this world, yet its power remained the same.

"—Exsupero Mea Inimicus." (—to surpass my foes.)

A power unbefitting of a Level two revealed itself.

"Fax Rendre." (The light that gives.)

With that, a blinding pillar of crimson flames set ablaze inside the dungeon's 16th floor.

*****

Fifteen seconds.

In this short span of time, the Apollo Familia members distracted the wyvern while the unknown second-class adventurer (Level 3~4) kited it. They thought that this will continue until they heard his shout:

"Back off!"

At first, they were confused. Why would he give out such a suggestion?

Well, their questions were answered soon. The moment they saw such a huge magic circle, a thought appeared in their minds:

'Magic..!'

The power to turn the tides from a hopeless situation. The stronger they are, the longer their chanting time would be. However, the adventurer nimbly dodged its attacks one after another while using his katana to parry some.

Mages usually couldn't move due to the sheer concentration needed to cast the magic. If they do so, it'd either result in a spell cancellation or worse, Ignis Faatus.

The only way to explain this phenomenon is Concurrent Casting—the ability to move while chanting.

The moment the adventurer finished his chant, a huge pillar of crimson-orange flames enveloped the wyvern. Heatwaves brushed through their equipment, making some of them startled.

By the time it died, all that was left was the 5-meter huge corpse of a black wyvern.

Clink-!

The adventurer sheathed his blade before he asked:

"You wouldn't mind if I took these?"

They are surprised at his directness. Even so, nobody raised a complaint—everyone in this area only had gratitude for his help.

"There's none. You are the one who defeated it. More so, you have saved our lives."

The fully-armored knight lady spoke. Not a speck of her skin could be seen from the armor, but the adventurer felt her sincerity along with her 90-degree bow. It is one that the medieval knights used to honor someone.

The other familia members soon followed her gesture of thanks.

"If there is something that I can do, look for us at Apollo Familia's manor. We will help you to the best of my abilities."

"...Alright." He replied while carving the magic stone on its chest using a silver knife. By doing so, it turned into copious amounts of black ash. More than a dozen black scales presented themselves on top of the ash pile.

After claiming some for himself, he left the remaining drop items to them.

"These are yours. And no, I'm not accepting it."

The adventurer cut off what Kaye was about to say.

"Do tell him that Lady Artemis sends her regards."

Before they could respond, the adventurer turned into a fast blur, leaving a trail of starry light.

"Lady Artemis..? Isn't she Apollo-sama's sister?" Hyakinthos mumbled with a realization.

"His sister… The one he's terrified of." Kaye replied.

Since their days in Tenkai, Artemis loathed the way Apollo dealt with his twisted form of love. It was not that severe with other gods, but from the moment he descended to Gekai, she had heard of his feats in which he forcibly "kidnapped" the children that he put his eyes into.

To summarize, she is the harsh older sister who would click her tongue at her troublesome younger brother.

"Ephemeral shooting star… The blinding brilliance it possesses…"

"Hey, are you alright?"

Daphne asked the sole healer in this party, Cassandra. She had been zoning out since earlier, which made her think if something was wrong with her friend.

"A-ah! Y-yes! I'm alright."

Unbeknownst to her, the girl's doubts were answered by these events.

The ephemeral shooting star left a trail of stardust.

Its brilliance unmatched; leaving a mark in the skies.

The star shall make its first step with the fire's blessing.

A random prophetic dream occurred to her a few days ago. Even with her previous experiences, she had a difficult time deciphering it.

'Is it a thing? A person? An event?'

Until this moment came, she understood nothing.

"A star..?"

Perhaps, the only person aware of the brightest star's descent is none other than her—the priestess whose fate is to never be believed.

*****

After finding a secluded area, I set up my camp. Four nails with "concealment" magic were placed into each corner of the tent. Add to that the metal frame that was embedded with "Sturdiness" and "Concealment", it is the perfect spot to recover.

A cool sensation trickled down my throat. Upon my consumption, I could feel my heavy mind become lighter.

"It didn't grant me electrolytes but fixed the problem in my 'mind' directly. What a strange thing."

In my world, potions refer to the concoctions that could hasten the body's rate of recovery. Health potions boost the repair made by platelets while Mental potions are used to supplement the lacking electrolytes in the body, removing the so-called "fatigue".

Compared to them, the potions in Gekai are truly weird. No physical changes are made whatsoever, but it still took effect on me.

The wonders of "skills" is not something I could unveil yet.

"30,000 valis down the drain."

I bought potions suited for high-class adventurers (Level 2), which made the price jump from 1,000 valis to 30,000 valis. Either way, I'm not going to be stingy with my life. Moreover, several of my magic swords were sold at an average of half a million valis. Turns out, a durable magic sword is an oddity in and of itself. Having better durability than the norm, it was sold out easily.

Hence, I am already earning a bunch of money from my work.

An hour later, I packed up. I felt the boost appearing on my body again, signifying that it is night-time. Hunting monsters in this period is the most optimal way to earn Excelia. I don't know how much improvement I would have after I come back, but I am hoping to be close to leveling at least.

*****

I strolled through the 17th floor. There's nothing except Minotaurs, Hellhounds, and Ligerfangs roaming around. The first one has incredible strength, the second one spews out fire breaths, and the last one could attack swiftly.

Fortunately, I could perfectly protect myself. I dealt with Minotaurs through decisive blows while I multi-casted barriers for the hellhounds. Even without the "Salamander Wool", I did fine.

As for the ligerfangs, they are more tricky. I caught some of them off guard sometimes, but some reacted swiftly. In the end, they were still cut down by my blade.

Clank.

Due to this floor's nature, I brought out one of my trump cards: a full-body armor that has several magic embedded into each part. Carving a circuit-like structure into it made it so that the entire thing is interconnected.

Meaning, it has a set bonus.

It is the reason behind crafting only a few weapons—I focused more on my defensive gear.

Crack-!

An opening appeared in the dungeon walls. Moments later, five Minotaurs greeted my sight with their breathing.

"Huff..!"

Barehanded as they may be, they possess a strong threat. That's why—!

"Firmus." (Robustness.)

A wave of warmth flooded my body. My dynamic vision was greatly improved, supporting my sixth sense in my spatial sense.

"Exacuo." (Sharpness.)

I synced my breathing with my muscle movement. I changed into a low-stance, readying myself for a fatal strike.

Shiing-!

Wave Blast-!

The moment I activated its magic, I was sent flying with my blade. Upon unsheathing it, I immediately sliced the necks of every minotaur present. The force pushing from behind did not hinder my accurate movements.

Pssshk-!

Blood spewed out from their arteries as I found myself on stable ground once more. The muscles and tendons in my right arm took some damage, but it is something that could be fixed over time.

Stab-!

After sending the minotaurs back to the dungeon, I gouged out their magic stones.

"As expected of the Middle floors…"

It is roughly seven times bigger than the lower floors. Moreover, the mana that it contained is far higher as well.

Taking out a piece of leather cloth, I wiped the blood off my blade. I cast cleanse alongside it which takes care of it. I can't let it become dull due to rusting.

Clink-!

Sheathing the katana into my waist, I continued my venture into the middle floors. In the interval of about five to seven minutes, new monsters spawned out of nowhere. Some even appeared right above me.

I had to make a few stops as a result. I am getting more fatigued as I "slowly" ventured to the seventeenth floor. It is nothing like the first dozen levels where I still had some leeway to breathe. On this floor, I am beginning to feel my limits.

It does not mean that I couldn't beat Level three monsters; rather, it is the load that continuous battles bring. It would be easy if I could take down every enemy within a single strike, but it doesn't work this way in the dungeon.

"Party play…"

The best way to circumvent everything is to have comrades who would share this burden. However, finding trustworthy ones is difficult.

Orario isn't simply a land in a fairy tale where expectations come true.

Drinking my nth magic potion, I felt my mind restored to a huge extent. My tent is also a godsend. I guess my years of research didn't go to waste. Just like now, taking breaks became more convenient.

Thump-!

Thud-!

Suddenly, I heard a loud rumbling noise. It is similar to the sound that a normal grenade explosion would make.

THUD-!

A chill was swept to my skin. I didn't have much time to react before my tent was blown away. An adventurer wearing light armor was sent in my direction.

Bam-!

His body slammed against mine, pushing me back slightly.

Thud-!

I took a good look at his current state. He's… dead.

My intuition flared up as I chanted:

"WARDROBE!"

Two magic circles lit up and went through my entire body. Moments later, I found myself in my full-body armor.

Zoom-!

A huge black silhouette flashed in front of me. Then, I felt its flesh come in contact with my bracers. Immediately, I was sent flying until my feet made contact with the ground.

Bam-!

"Huff… What was that..?"

Not long after, I found the source of malintent. A giant with a height of 7 meters. Bulging tanned muscles pulsated now and then. Its scarlet eyes glowed with bloodlust, directly its hostility at me.

..!

It felt so potent that my body spaced out for a second. As a result…

Bam-!

I crossed my arms again to receive the incoming fist. I am pushed back by more than 10 meters.

Wave Blast-!

I sent a shockwave to its head, only for the giant to nimbly dodge it. The giant began charging straight at me.

It moved in a straight direction, disrupting my previous computations by a considerable mark. My backups have to be used now.

"Secundum ex Quartum Excipio!" (Second to Fourth Rampart, Deploy.)

Two transparent magic circles blocked its fist. Waves of impact greeted my magic shield, only to be unmoved by it. I didn't have the time to set up my strongest barrier as I was forced back by the impact.

"A giant… Goliath? How did it come here?"

Bam-!

It sends out another punch. Frustrated that it couldn't get through it, the Goliath continuously pounded my shield. I moved along while it chased me, letting out a charged punch now and then. I could try and avoid some of his hits, but his speed is extremely fast.

Seeing it, I realize now is not the time to conserve anything.

"Triplus Firmus." (Triple Robustness.)

The circuits carved onto my armor lit up, supporting the spell I had just cast. I felt a strong sensation of heat going from my head to my limbs.

My pupils shrank as I tried to process the changes in my body.

'This… '

Ba-Thump-!

My pulse became extremely strong that I could feel the veins in my forehead beat. Standing still makes me feel uneasy, hence I sprinted further from the Goliath's direction.

Swoooosh.

Right now, I saw the goliath's tanned arm making an air blast as its feet moved swiftly. Around 30 meters per second, perhaps?

"I shall not understand thy irrationality, yet I ask thee."

I found myself casting the magic I had received through falna. Magic circles appeared above my head. The sensation of casting feels vastly different from my usual spells. The things that I needed to do are simplified into creating the magic circle and loading it with 'mind'. Only its positioning needs to be tackled with, something miraculous in my eyes.

Swoosh-!

This time, I dashed rightwards before leaping on top of it.

"Illuminate the sky with thy light."

Along with my second line, I unsheathed my blade and struck its neck.

Splatter-!

A small blood fountain presented itself. I targeted it based on my knowledge of human anatomy, which was right.

I charged the circles with magic power. It is the lengthiest portion of magic in this world.

"Dividus Projectus." (Dispersed Projectiles.)

Rays of red light came out of my newly-made magic circles. While filling up my main spell, I shot its eyes. Adding my barrier magic, I am currently utilizing three spells at the same time. I am also preparing my fourth spell in case things go south.

Every time the projectiles struck it, the Goliath was disoriented. Though, it learned how to deal with it after a couple of times.

Still, I am gaining momentum due to the feat only reserved for the most knowledgeable and experienced magicians—multi-casting.

Kruua-!

A low growl akin to a beast came out of its mouth. Briefly blinded, I went at his back and swung my blade at its tendons. It didn't cut as deep as I had expected, missing my mark.

Boom-!

It twisted its entire body and smashed the floor with its fist.

I moved backward, avoiding it. The barrier blocked out the small rock projectiles, shining with transparent light.

'If it doesn't work…'

Browsing through my known magic systems, I reconfirmed the most effective spell against the Goliath.

I bought time for my backup plans.

The magic circles reached their maximum load. With that, I chanted:

"Enth, Astrum." ('O Stars, Fall Down.)

A mirage appeared. It lit up briefly, showcasing the constellation that I was the most familiar with.

"Orionids…"

The meteor shower that has the radiance nearby Betelgeuse, a star found in Orion. Moving at a speed of 66 kilometers per second, it is one of the most awaited meteor showers during September.

At this moment, a small-scale meteor shower presented itself.

BAM-!

A huge cloud of dust separated us. The armor and the remnants of my barrier protected me against the aftershocks.

Rumble-!

Crack-!

The extent of the damage reached as far as the dungeon walls. While it wasn't destroyed, the damage was dealt with nevertheless.

'It feels like being close to a mortar strike.'

My vision shook for a while. Even with my protection, I was affected by it. Add to that my mind being consumed substantially, the effect became worse.

I brought a blue vial out of my storage and immediately drank it from the gaps in my helmet.

"It is stronger than most of my spells at the very least."

Feeling the wave of coolness clashing against the heat in my body, I reflected to ease my hyperactive mind.

I remembered my suit—the multi-faceted modernized armor that I made. I missed my partner even more. It wasn't made with the best materials, yes, but its functions far outclass most of the armaments present in Orario.

Bam-!

"It's still alive."

Beneath the veil of dust, I saw a kneeling figure. Smoke came out of its arms, blood spilling on its torn muscles. The impact of the spell reached its legs. Even with such injuries, the Goliath continued to look at me with great hatred.

GROWL-!

Relentlessly, it stared in my direction. The sheer amount of bloodlust contained within that gaze is only achievable by monsters. Then, it let out a scream. Mana condensed into its mouth, turning into a sharp attack that headed into my position.

BAM-!

It impacted my shield as well as my surroundings, fragmenting the rocks into pieces. It also pushed me back.

As it let out that kind of magic, it moved. It used one of its arms as a support when standing up.

'Goliath. The monster rex of the seventeenth floor. I don't know which bastard provoked it in my direction, but this mess is left on me.'

More importantly…

I want to win.

I am tired of being beaten up over and over.

Even if I am aware of its risk, I want to win at least once.

I am tired of being beaten up over and over again.

Seeing my path to victory, I promptly acted.

The calculations for my final spell concluded. While I was fighting against him, I managed to complete it—all thanks to the [Triple Robustness] that boosted my body's functions. Three golden magic circles manifested in my feet.

"Ascendens Goliath nomine Philistheus de Geth." (The champion of the Philistine of Gath, Goliath.)

*****

A solemn air gathered around the armored man. Opposing it is a raging giant dozen of feet tall. Seething, it clenched its fists as it grabbed a remnant boulder from the ground and threw it at him.

Crack-!

Layers upon layers of magic circles emerged around him. It is strikingly similar to his previous barriers, but it is different. It is now the complete five-layered rampart—Military Fortress (Militaris Fortilitia).

"Tu venis ad me cum gladio et hasta et clipeo ego autem—" (You come to me with a spear and a sword—)

The Goliath could not move due to the injuries it sustained. Yet, it easily found another method of attacking.

Several boulders were thrown by the Goliath in his direction. It picked up rubbles one after another and used its magic attacks in hopes that it would crush the puny human who harmed him greatly.

Crack-!

Gaps started appearing in Nobu's shield. One by one, a layer of his shield was peeled away, turning into broken fragments of glass.

"—Domini exercituum Dei agminum Israhel quibus exprobrasti." (—but I come thee in the name of Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.)

A lengthy five-line chant neared its completion. It does not have the strength constellation magic could offer, but it could surpass it under certain circumstances:

The legend marked in the spell shall match the circumstances.

The recreation of the giant that spread terror in Israel's army, Goliath, as well as the young warrior who slayed him, David.

Nobu picked a small portion of the rubble that got past his barrier. A wave of light passed through it, granting it a sacred attribute.

"Terra quia est Deus in Israhel." (All the earth may know there is a God in Israel…)

He went into a throwing stance as he muttered the final line:

"Nobiscum deus." (...and 'He' is with me.)

His barrier broke down at that exact moment. A huge boulder was about to reach him but he paid no heed. Instead, he threw the divine stone in his hand. His pupils shone with a divine glint under the influence of his magic.

Sou-!

It made a small whistling sound before piercing the boulder. Surprisingly, cracks originated from the hole made by it before turning into dust. It continued flying until—

Pssshk-!

—it blew off the upper head of the Goliath. It couldn't even react as it died instantly.

Achieving its purpose, the stone turned into glittering light particles that drifted in the air.

Smoke came out of Nobu's armor as he froze in his throwing position.

Clank-!

His armor rattled against each other as he staggered. They clashed with the chainmail that he wore inside. Blood started to spill from his wounds, namely his torn muscles and imploded veins. Fortunately, his brain and focal organs weren't affected much due to the spell's perfection over seven iterations.

Using the eastern blade, he prevented himself from falling into the floor. Still, it forced him to kneel.

"Hah… Hah…"

Deep breaths came from inside the armor.

"A-attractio." (Attraction.)

With the last bit of his strength, he remotely gouged out Goliath's magic stone. When it turned into ashes, it left behind a piece of its hide, which floated along the magic stone.

The latter is more than 1.5 meters tall and half a meter wide. It looks similar to the other magic stones, but its sheer size is incomparable to normal magic stones.

Tap-!

Hustle-!

Nobu heard movements behind him. The source of malintent approached him with a sharp dagger in his hand.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

The man targeted his neck—the gap only protected by measly chainmail. In his exhausted state, he knew that the armored man could no longer do anything to him.

'That sword! That armor! They're all magic items!'

He's not just satisfied with the drops from the Goliath. He also wanted to possess the rare armaments that the armored man has.

'It's my lucky day!'

Originally, they had just scouted the 16th to 30th floors. It is a part of their meticulous plan to go with a "bang". They scouted which floor has the highest number of adventurers and monsters as well as the spawn rates of the latter.

Some of his companions died as they tried to lead the Goliath out of its usual spot. With that, they crossed out the idea of leading a monster rex toward their "pass parade".

The bad thing was that the Goliath became enraged—so much so that its movements became agile instead of its usual stationary position.

Just as he escaped from it, he saw a lone man fighting against Goliath. Surprisingly, he managed to hold himself well.

The man thought he would surely die, but he managed to defeat Goliath through unknown magic.

What was important to him, however, is his riches. If he could kill this man, everything would be his. It would greatly contribute to their plans—

Bang-!

Something passed through the man's chest as he sprinted.

"Huh..?"

When he looked down, a gaping hole could be found in his chest. His brain froze, clouding his consciousness.

Thud-!

Blood pooled at his corpse. A sharp glint appeared at the edge of a small weapon held by the knight.

"People… really drop… their guard at the end." A dry voice leaked out from the armored man.

His hand drooped to the ground. Nobu held the firearm tightly, alert as to what was about to come.

"Come out… I know you're there."

His chilling voice echoed in the dungeon. High-strung, he let out every bit of bloodlust that he could muster.

"You might be misunderstanding something." A childish voice rang out. "We didn't come here with the intent to harm."

"Even if you observed my fight since earlier? That was not suspicious at all."

Nobu felt no obvious malintent from them, but he didn't drop his guard down. Most of the strong opponents that he fought back then could perfectly conceal their bloodlust until they were about to kill him.

Slowly, the drop items came into his grasp. Nobu briefly hesitated before he decided to take everything into his half-empty storage bracelet. He didn't care if his magic was discovered as it is bound to be so anyways.

While kneeling, he pointed the electromagnetic pistol slightly off in their direction. He supported the extremely fatigued right hand with the left.

Soon, the group emerged from his sight.

A blonde prum carrying a silver spear in his back.

An elf that wielded a special wooden staff.

A short and bulky dwarf with a horned helmet.

An Amazon looked at him with obvious hostility.

Another Amazon gave out stares of admiration.

A tall canine-eared man looked at him with a condescending look.

A timid-looking elf stared at him with shock.

Lastly, a golden-eyed knight with light armor.

Each one of them sported out danger. Nobu is confident that he might be able to escape one of them. But, it is different if they are all together. His magic swords wouldn't be able to distract them.

"Revelares… Veritas." (Truth be Revealed.)

An indistinguishable wave passed through the entire dungeon floor. Nobu received the results of his reconnaissance not long after. What he didn't notice, however, is an elf's senses flared up upon doing so.

''This is..!''

More than a hundred adventurers of varying levels were located quite a distance behind the seven people. There is only one major reason why there are many of them on a single floor.

Expedition.

Generally, familias are required to dive into the dungeon to fulfill their 'expeditions.' Simply put, the guild requires explorer-type familias to prowl into deeper floors than their known records. If a familia reached the 18th floor a few months ago, they would be required to go down from the 19th to the 20th floor in their next expedition.

'Such a large familia should not be a part of that guy,' or so he thought. 'Hundreds of adventurers… They belong to a top familia, for sure.'

Realizing this impolite gesture, Nobu fully dropped the firearm. Blood trickled down from his forehead as a result of his muscles being torn down. Some of his veins are also affected, making him lose a lot of blood even now.

"...Cough!"

The insides of his helmet were stained by his blood. From the moment his [Triple Robustness] died down, he suffered from its drawbacks. It isn't noticeable with [Robustness] alone. But, the former spell is on another level.

Unlike [Sirius] which provided effectiveness slightly above [Twice Robustness], [Triple Robustness] pushed his body to its absolute limits. He couldn't even cast it without the assistance of his armor, though he felt he would be able to soon. One level up will solve this problem.

Then again, never had he expected that he would reach this state in the dungeon. He has many countermeasures for his plans failing, though this moment of folly did beat him up.

His veil also didn't work with monsters above Level three. It is the same with experienced fighters that have a fighting instinct. The Goliath would still see him through his movements and the differences in the space surrounding it. Perhaps, only his other spell, [Alice's Wonderland], could fool their senses. That, or the stronger version of this spell—that of which he couldn't cast due to lacking mind.

Nobu decided to open the gap in the helmet. A second later, three health potions were held by him as he drank all of them simultaneously. They all had a taste of mixed herbs, yet they tasted well.

He could feel his wounds close at a fast rate. Still, it couldn't rid him of his injured status or his sluggish mind. Still, it was enough to let him stand on the ground with support.

He directed the tip of the blade as he picked it up from the ground and stood up.

He stashed the firearm in his storage.

Clink-!

Sheathing his blade, he spoke:

"I apologize from before." He made a slight bow in their direction before walking away from their direction.

He could hear voices coming from behind him, but his mind couldn't register it as he materialized his spell.

A blue magic circle emerged from his feet, altering the gravity around him. It is the fruit of labor that he had after thirty years of studying Louise's [Dimensional Gate]. The static space was bent by the gravitational force around him.

Its core, a dagger made out of adamantine, glowed and illuminated the dark dungeon.

"Recall."

Soon, the entire magic circle engulfed his entirety, leaving nothing at his previous position.

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