The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

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This goes back to a few minutes earlier.

When Besmond hurriedly carried Furat into the treatment room, the waiting holy magic users immediately began treatment.

Holy magic users are always stationed at the Kianus Church in the dragon capital of Bargia.

Here, advanced treatment can be received at any time by paying a certain amount of offering, so it was widely used not only by civilians but also by guards. Of course, Besmond had used it many times before.

The church's holy magic users specialize in treatment. As long as it hasn't become a defect or missing part, they can heal most injuries. Some can even use appraisal magic, so Besmond believed that Furat would regain consciousness here.

The situation changed just a few minutes after the treatment began.

Suddenly, one of the holy magic users screamed.

Besmond, who was sitting nearby waiting, was also confused by what he saw.

"What is this..."

Furat's body was turning black and hardening as if it were turning to stone.

Until now, it seemed like he was just unconscious without much other effect. Even though drinking a cure potion didn't wake him up, it shouldn't have been an abnormal status... What on earth was happening?

The panicked holy magic users tried everything to stop the hardening, but Furat's body was visibly changing color from his feet to his head. It was as if a human was transforming into ore.

"This can't be..."

By the time Besmond fell to his knees in shock, Furat's entire body had changed into a black stone-like form.

He didn't look alive at all.

But the surprises didn't end there.

One of the holy magic users screamed.

"Eek!"

A black liquid-like substance oozed out from holes all over Furat's stone body.

The holy magic users hurriedly jumped back from this ominous substance that looked like solidified miasma.

This black liquid, which was too voluminous to be considered just Furat's blood, flowed towards part of the floor as if it had a will of its own, and was absorbed into the ground as if melting.

One of the holy magic users tensed up and immediately gave instructions to the soldier waiting at the entrance.

"Could this be... Contact the cardinal immediately! The 'Demon God's Blood' has appeared!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Listen, everyone, don't touch this black liquid! You'll be caught in the curse!"

Besmond couldn't understand any of this, but he realized that this black liquid was a common danger recognized by the church people.

The "Demon God's Blood" was probably a metaphor, but it sounded ominous no matter how you thought about it.

No one could touch the black liquid, and as they watched it disappear into the floor, another change occurred.

The ground began to glow.

That light was traversing an incredibly vast area.

Light was leaking out from multiple locations, not just the church, but also the First Central District, the Merchant Guild, and other places. And the ground began to glow, connecting each of these locations.

If someone with knowledge had checked from the air, they would have understood that it was a pentagram summoning formation.

-- In fact, for a long time, black stone humans had been embedded underground at all the pentagram points except the church, and black liquid had been flowing through the sewers throughout the city.

This was undoubtedly one of the schemes of Zendu, a demon who had been lurking in this city for a long time.

Zendu had cast the "Curse of Black Death" on Furat in his dying moments. Since the curse wasn't an abnormal status, it needed to be treated with "Curse Breaking," "Soul Healing," or "Modification," but there was no way the holy magic users would know about a single demon's skill.

The curse was powerful but didn't activate until specific conditions were met, so it was just an unconscious gamble that Zendu made at the very end... but by chance, the condition was entering a place like the church, so his parting gift was activated.

The pentagram formation is one of the summoning arts.

Like the [Magic Mirror Pillar] used to attack the elf village, it uses the black stones placed at the pentagram points as a medium to summon the Demon God's Blood and use it as a summoning formation.

The effect of the summoning formation changes depending on its size and the magic power contained in it -- this summoning formation that Zendu had prepared over a long period was so unstable that he thought it would be lucky if it succeeded.

But that gamble succeeded.

Three monsters were summoned as masterless summoned beasts at the church, which became the starting point of the magic formula.

The "Immortal Bird" Phoenix.

The "Steel Centipede" Gyges.

The "War Giant" Titan.

They appeared in the dragon capital Foosu and began their destructive activities.

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It was pandemonium.

A dark night without a moon.

Under a night sky where one would have to be careful even to walk if there were no streetlights, large monsters were rampaging.

People who had rushed out of their houses were fleeing in disorder.

Houses were being crushed under the monsters' feet, and there were figures of people trying to fight back by casting magic. Amidst the chaotic situation, screams could be heard from everywhere.

The one closest to the guild was the armed giant, Titan.

Although it wasn't emitting cold air like Jotunn or burning like Surtr, it was one size larger and wielding a sword. The sword swung by that giant body was blowing away dozens of houses with a single stroke. Of course, if anyone was still inside, they would die instantly.

"Kemuna, I'm leaving Titan to you! I'm going after Gyges!"

"Got it!"

Saying this, Camlock veered off to the south. He was running as if flying across the rooftops.

Although Titan was the only one carrying a weapon, in terms of threat level, the centipede monster -- Gyges -- was higher.

After all, just by Gyges writhing its steel body, nearly a hundred houses were collapsing. Moreover, Gyges seemed to be aiming for something and had already started advancing.

Camlock made an instant judgment and left this place to Kemuna in order to stop Gyges.

However, even though he was a former SS-rank, he was a fist-type swordsman, and honestly, it didn't seem like he could handle it alone.

However, it didn't seem like Saaya and the others had the luxury to go to his aid.

Titan was rampaging near the church, and Gyges had started moving towards somewhere.

The threat of these two was undeniable. However, the most eerie was Phoenix, which was slowly moving towards the noble district.

Phoenix alone hadn't yet exerted its power. But its burning body was changing color from red to blue, as if its temperature was increasing.

As if it was building up power.

And above all, what was troublesome was that it was in the air.

At that height, normal magic couldn't attack it. It was a distance that a magic user's magic power could never reach.

That is, for ordinary magic users.

"You guys, I leave that roast chicken bastard to you!"

Kemuna shouted to Saaya and Elenora.

Indeed, Elenora might be able to counter it. Rather, if Elenora couldn't handle it, probably no one else could.

Nodding at Kemuna's judgment, Saaya and the others decided to chase after Phoenix, ignoring the rampaging Titan. They watched the back of Phoenix flying towards the First Central District.

A little behind Saaya and the others were Leelin and Lakirala, their faces pale.

Furat and Besmond should still have been in the church, and that very church was completely destroyed under Titan's feet. Of course they were worried, but it was visibly obvious that they were shaken by the situation of having to fight against S-rank monsters without their leader and tank.

"Lakirala-san, take this!"

Saaya took out a magic power potion from her item box and threw it.

Surely Lakirala's magic would turn the tide of the battle. At first, she was an unpleasant opponent, but as they traveled together, they had grown a bit closer. She didn't want her to die in a place like this.

"...This helps. You be careful too."

Lakirala received the potion and thanked her.

Saaya nodded and took the hand of Elenora running next to her.

"We're going to do this by ourselves. Are you ready?"

"Mm, easy."

Even looking up at an S-rank monster, the lamb girl was unchanged as always.

Her astounding guts gave a sense of reassurance similar to Ruruk. Rather, it made Saaya realize that her own hand was shaking.

Elenora muttered softly.

"Mm, it's okay. I'll defeat it."

"I'm counting on you -- 'Relative Teleportation'!"

Saaya moved to the sky of the noble district in one leap.

As they approached Phoenix, the surrounding temperature was clearly rising.

Teleporting once more for a significant shortcut, they appeared in the central plaza of the noble district -- in front of the fountain with the Dragon King's statue. Even the nobles seemed to have noticed the abnormality, with several carriages rushing away in a panic.

No one had the leisure to pay attention to Saaya and the others who had suddenly appeared.

Having gotten ahead of Phoenix, they looked up at the giant burning bird from the front. Perhaps because its entire body was made of fire, its outline was indistinct. And it was already as hot as midsummer.

"It's clearly fire-attribute, right... I'd like to think water is its weakness, but..."

"'Water Snipe'"

Even though there was still quite a distance, Elenora unhesitatingly cast her magic.

It's a long-range magic that compresses water about the size of a bath barrel into a tiny water bullet and fires it at the speed of sound.

The magic, which had enough power to easily penetrate an iron gate, flew up to the sky and -- evaporated easily in front of Phoenix.

"Yeah, I thought so~ It's too hot for water to counter it."

"Mm. 'Lightning'"

What Elenora unhesitatingly activated was, surprisingly, a beginner-level magic. It's just a low-power electric shock.

Saaya wondered why she would use such a magic formula, but the electric shock flew straight to Phoenix without dispersing in the air, and hit its wing.

Although it was deflected with a small spark, Phoenix's wing also swayed slightly.

Even though it was just a beginner-level magic?

"Why? Doesn't electricity attenuate with heat?"

Saaya tilted her head in confusion.

Saaya hadn't been taught this yet, but unlike pure science, magic reactions change depending on the attribute. Water and fire interfere with each other, but fire and lightning have complementary properties. That's why there are fire and lightning composite magics, while fire and water composite magics can't be created. In other words, in magic, electricity doesn't attenuate with heat.

In any case, if it's lightning attribute, the attack can reach.

Lightning is originally suited for long-range attacks, so it was perfect for Elenora.

"'Lightning Lance' 'Lightning Storm' 'Buster Snipe'"

Elenora unleashed beginner, intermediate, and advanced magic in succession.

For a general magic user, both the chanting speed and the range of magic were beyond imagination, but for Saaya, it was familiar.

"Then I'll try too -- 'Lightning Lance'!"

She tried firing it anyway. With Saaya's magic proficiency, it didn't reach Phoenix.

"Tch, even though my level went up by 3... Still not enough."

Thanks to [Versatile Growth], her status had already exceeded 3500 in all areas. This included proficiency, so her magic proficiency should already be as high as a skilled magic user, but it still fell far short of Elenora's.

While Saaya's attack disappeared midway, all of Elenora's magic reached Phoenix.

However, although they could all shake the flames, there was no impression of dealing damage. It seemed to only have the meaning of the attacks hitting. Elenora was just experimenting by casting various magics.

"I guess it's immortal as its name suggests?"

"Mm... if we kill it, it dies."

"Well, that's true, but..."

Nevertheless, even Phoenix wasn't completely unresponsive.

Even if it wasn't effective, it was being attacked from below. It flew higher into the sky to create distance. For species that can't fly, battles with Phoenix are probably favorable for it.

It stopped advancing and hovered, looking down at us.

"Ah~ ... An attack is coming, isn't it?"

"Mm. Leave it to me."

"Huh?"

Elenora didn't seem to intend to defend, just looking up.

At that moment, blue flames rained down from Phoenix. This fiery disaster began to pour indiscriminately on all the mansions in the surrounding area.

"Why! 'Probability Manipulation'!"

Of course, the compatibility is the same for us too.

Saaya's skill expanded in space, deflecting all long-range attacks outside the area of effect. There would be damage to the surroundings, but honestly, she didn't care.

Elenora nodded with satisfaction.

"Mm, you can do it if you try."

"Geez! At least show some gratitude!"

Ignoring Saaya's complaint, Elenora immediately raised her staff.

An enormous amount of magic power, incomparable to before, could be felt from Elenora's body.

This is bad.

"Elenora, make sure it doesn't affect the town, okay? Hey, are you listening!?"

"I command, pure white that falls from the heavens -- 'Explosion'"

"Wait a sec--"

The next moment, a massive explosion occurred in the sky where Phoenix was.

The air roared, and a shockwave strong enough to shatter all the windows in the First Central District swept through. Even though it was in the sky, using magic powerful enough to wipe out an entire town was too unexpected.

Saaya, who hadn't made any preparations, was easily blown away by the blast.