Chapter 7
The ground was shifting.
At first, I thought it was just my vision—some kind of lingering dizziness from the battle. But no, the stairs beneath my feet were softening, melting into something thick, something that clung to my boots like tar.
I tried to take a step, but my legs wouldn’t lift.
"What the—?"
I looked down. My feet were already halfway submerged. The stone steps had turned into something else—something alive, something pulling. The more I moved, the deeper I sank.
Quicksand? No. That couldn’t be right. This stairs are made of stones!
I reached out, fingers grasping for anything solid, but there was nothing. Just that thick, heavy sensation swallowing my legs, climbing past my knees.
A spell? A curse? What kind of curse? One that blocks my mana flow? But who?
Tch. I don’t have time for this.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. Think, Meir. Think.
I stretched out my hand. I need to do something. "Blessing Command! Activate Skill < Mana Manipulation >! Convert Entity to Cryo Element! "
I placed my hand to the quicksand to freeze it and stopped myself from further sinking down. “< Crystallize >!”
Still nothing. Not even a flicker of mana.
A chill ran down my spine. I couldn’t feel my magic.
My pulse quickened. I struggled harder, twisting my body, but the more I fought, the deeper I sank. My hands, my arms—this damn thing was pulling me in, swallowing me whole.
I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t going down like this.
But the more I moved, the more the world around me darkened.
And the deeper I fell.
[ Warning! Your HP has gone down below 40%! ]
Damn it! Just what the hell is happening!
"Blessing Command! Open Grimoire!" I shouted trying to summon my odd grimoire. I need a spell. I need to activate something to get out of there. "Blessing Command! Open Spell List!"
Nothing is happening. My List of Odd Spells Grimoire is not materializing. Now the quicksand is on my shoulder level. I''m raising my hand with the Dream Pearl artifact on it.
"Blessing Command! Activate Skill < Inspect Debuff >!"
Nothing.
No matter how much I willed it, no matter how desperately I called out for my skills—nothing responded.
The quicksand swallowed me deeper, slithering up to my shoulders like living hands pulling me under. My breath came in short, sharp bursts. My free hand clawed at the surface, but there was nothing solid to hold onto—just that thick, cloying mass dragging me down.
My fingers tightened around the Dream Pearl. At least I still had this. At least, even if I couldn''t escape yet, I had secured the one thing we came here for.
I raised it above the surface, my last act of defiance against whatever hellish magic was at play.
And then—
A crack.
I barely had time to process it before the pearl in my grip crumbled.
Like dry sand slipping through my fingers, the once-solid artifact turned to dust, disintegrating in my palm, carried away by an unseen force.
I watched, horrified, as the remains drifted past my fingertips—past my sinking hand—vanishing into the void below.
No—
No, that wasn’t possible.
What the hell just happened?
My vision blurred as the quicksand reached my chin.
I barely had time to think before the darkness swallowed me whole.
Weightless. Silent.
I wasn’t falling, yet I wasn’t standing either. It was like floating in the vast emptiness of a space—a space I couldn’t manipulate.
So much for being a researcher of Space Manipulation Skill Tree.
My mind grasped for something, anything, but I was sinking deeper into nothingness.
Was this death? Then does that mean I failed my mission? Does that mean Yuriko-san and the others inside the domain will have no domain lord to welcome back?
A creeping sensation slithered through my body. Something was watching me. No, something was holding me.
Then I heard it. A whisper echoed in the void. Too distant to make sense of, yet close enough to send a shiver down my spine.
Then—
Pain. A dull, aching pull at the edge of my consciousness. It clawed at me, dragging me out of the abyss.
I could hear something now. Voices. Familiar voices.
My eyelids felt heavy. My body, sluggish. It was like waking from a dream I wasn’t meant to wake from.
Noise filtered into my ears—clashing steel, the distant roars of monsters, and—
“No matter what happens, just keep pouring mana potion into that irritating guy!”
That was Hoshimizu-san’s voice. Sharp and frantic. Determined.
“For some reason, even though Meir-sama is under mind manipulation, he’s still protecting himself. His barrier is also protecting us from that snake and this horde of monsters!”
Rika-san and her melody was playing near me.
"We are already applying two debuff skills but he is still not waking up. Just who cursed him this badly?" She asked.
My fingers twitched. The ground beneath me was cold, solid—real. My body ached, my mind foggy, but I forced myself to focus.
I was lying down. My right hand—lifted.
A steady stream of mana pulsed from my palm.
A barrier.
A dome-shaped shield of glowing energy surrounded us, shimmering under the assault of countless enemies.
And in the center of it all—
A black serpent loomed before us, its scales gleaming like polished obsidian, its slit pupils locked onto me.
I exhaled sharply. I understand it now from the gist of it.
I was under an illusion.
I staggered as I pushed myself up, a sharp pain shooting through my entire body. It was only then that I noticed it—two gaping holes on my right side, torn through the layers of my black T-shirt and hiking jacket. Blood seeped from the wounds, soaking into the fabric.
Rika-san was at my side in an instant, steadying me. “Meir-sama, your awake! Thank goodness. But your wounds are severe. Please don’t move that much. Just focus on maintaining your barrier skill.”
I glanced up at the shimmering dome of mana surrounding us. It was still holding, keeping the monsters and the serpent at bay. I was… still protecting them, even while unconscious?
“Hey, you idiot.” Hoshimizu-san’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She looked both relieved and furious. “Why the hell are you fighting that snake on your own?”
I blinked. “What snake?”
She gave me an incredulous look before pointing ahead.
“That snake, obviously. Don’t you remember it biting you? Before you fainted?”
My gaze followed her finger—and I saw it again.
A massive black serpent, its body coiled and shifting like a living shadow, slithered across the battlefield. Its forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air, before it exhaled a thick purple haze toward Leonhardt-san and the others at the front. Hoshimizu-san hurried and release another flame skill towards the Hitodaman Wisp infested trees fighting with the snake.
My mind raced. I had no memory of this.
I shook my head. “No… I was fighting three other monsters. A troll shaman, a minotaur, and a senior hunter traitor from Seikishi-dan Guild named Amamiya Jin. They were trying to steal the dream pearl, but I killed them. Then…” I hesitated, piecing it together.
“I was under an illusion spell.”
Hoshimizu-san and Rika-san exchanged looks, realization dawning on their faces.
The dream pearl.
If everything I experienced had been a lie, then—
My heart pounded. Was the real artifact already stolen?
I turned my gaze toward the shrine. Or at least, where it should have been.
Instead of the structure I remembered, there was only devastation—collapsed beams, shattered stone, and remnants of sacred wards flickering weakly before vanishing into the wind. The shrine was gone.
My chest tightened. “The artifact… the Dream Pearl…”
I turned to Hoshimizu-san. “Where is it?”
She shook her head. “We don’t know. The shrine was already in ruins when we arrived.”
I stared at her. “Already in ruins?”
She nodded. “Yeah. By the time we got here, you were already fighting that snake… or more like, being bitten by it. You weren’t conscious, but for some reason, you activated your barrier skill on your own and kept yourself from getting torn apart. We’ve been fighting this thing for twenty minutes now.”
Twenty minutes?
I gritted my teeth. If the shrine was already destroyed when they arrived, that meant… whoever put me under that illusion had already taken the real artifact before I even realized what was happening.
Damn it. I had been played.
"Incoming!" I heard Leonhardt-san yelled, "Fall back inside the barrier!"
Then he, Kido-san, Fujikawa-san, and Gorou-san immediately retreated inside the barrier where I was.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the black serpent reared its head, its jaws parting wide. A deep, guttural hiss echoed through the battlefield, followed by a sudden surge of violet mist pooling in its throat.
Then—it spat.
A barrage of jagged, needle-like projectiles shot toward us, their gleaming purple tips reflecting the dim light. They weren’t ordinary venom spits. These were massive—each one nearly the size of a small stalactite, honed to pierce through flesh and bone.
Shit—
The moment they struck, I braced for impact—but nothing pierced through.
A loud, shuddering clang echoed as the projectiles collided with a translucent dome surrounding us. My barrier.
And then I felt it.
A sudden, forceful pull at my core—like something was siphoning my very essence. My mana reserves trembled as raw energy poured into the barrier, reinforcing it against the snake’s attack.
This thing… is draining my mana?
I hadn’t even been consciously maintaining the barrier, yet my body had been instinctively funneling power into it. Was this part of the < Auto-Defense System > skill?
Must be a program installed by the professor to my system before.
I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth as another wave of purple-tinged stalactites rained down. Each impact sent another jolt through my core, my mana reserves being pulled out with every second.
If this kept up, I’d run out of mana before we could even counterattack.
Leonhardt-san turned toward me, his sharp eyes softening as he patted my shoulder. His touch was reassuring.
"You''ve done your best to stop the enemies. Thank you," he said, his voice calm and collected.
I blinked, caught off guard by the lack of anger. After breaking formation, I had expected a scolding or at least some frustration. Instead, there was only gratitude.
"Is your wound hurting you?" he asked, his gaze shifting briefly to the deep puncture wounds on my side. "Sorry, but we focused all our skills on debuffing that curse on you. It was quite a strong one."
I exhaled, shaking off the lingering dizziness. "Thank you… for saving me," I said. "Even though I didn''t follow your orders to stay with the team."
Leonhardt-san gave a small chuckle. "Only you saw the full extent of the enemy’s forces. You tried to stop them from stealing the Dream Pearl, and we doubted you. That was our mistake." He gave me a firm nod. "I''m sorry for doubting you, Meir."
I had no words for a moment. Just a dull ache in my chest—not from my wounds, but from the simple relief of not being blamed for everything.
Leonhardt-san’s expression turned serious. "How much longer can you keep up the barrier?" he asked. "It’s the only thing keeping us safe from these wide-range attacks."
I hesitated. I always made sure to keep my mana reserves above half, but right now, that wasn’t an option. I couldn’t afford to be a burden.
A quick glance at the team told me everything I needed to know—they were exhausted. Their breaths were ragged, their stances unsteady. They had been fighting nonstop while I was out of commission.
Then, my eyes flickered downward. Scattered around me were several empty mana potion bottles, their glass surfaces smeared with dirt and blood. A realization struck me—they had been forcing me to drink them probably trying to keep my barrier active even when I''m unconscious.
The weight in my chest tightened. Even while I was down, they had been trying to protect me. Even if the better choice is to save the mana potions for themselves.
Instead of answering, I raised my left hand, steeling myself as I activated my skill. For a brief moment, doubt crept in—what if it didn’t work?
I pushed the thought away and invoked the command.
"< Dimensional Storage >."
A sharp hum resonated through the air as space cracked open in front of me, a diamond-shaped rift splitting reality apart. Then, dozens of mana potions tumbled down, clinking against the ground in a chaotic rhythm. A quantity that tripled the empty mana potions lying on the ground.
"I’ll keep this up as long as needed," I said, my voice firm. "Everyone, take a potion and restore your mana."
The others let out relieved laughter, instantly grabbing bottles and downing the shimmering blue liquid.
"Hell yeah, Meir!" Kido-san grinned, wiping his mouth. "I was already feeling my mana run dry!"
"Same here," Fujikawa-san added. "Fighting that black serpent has been eating up more of my energy than I expected."
Rika-san sighed in relief, resting down her lute first. Then slowly she reached down for a bottle of mana potion. "Meir-sama... huhuhu... thank you so much! There''s no doubt that the decision to cure you first was the greatest decision we made!"
Leonhardt-san took a potion but didn’t drink immediately. Instead, he gave me a knowing smile. "We’ll pay for these later after we clear this raid."
"Don''t worry about it." I said, cracking a small grin despite the pain.
Leonhardt-san chuckled, shaking his head before stepping forward. His expression turned resolute as he raised his shield high, his free hand forming a familiar sigil in the air.
"< Healing Ward >!"
A golden powder began to accumulate in the air above us, crackling with divine energy. From the accumulation of golden dust, a brilliant radiance poured forth, illuminating the battlefield with an ethereal glow. Slowly, a massive statue materialized—its form emerging from the golden light as if descending from the heavens themselves.
The statue depicted a serene goddess, her hands clasped in silent prayer. Flowing robes of deep crimson and emerald green adorned her form, sculpted with such lifelike detail that they seemed to ripple with an unseen breeze. As her feet touched the shattered earth, a deep, resonant chime echoed across the battlefield—a sound that sent a soothing vibration through my very bones.
The moment the statue fully settled, its eyes glowed with a soft, golden light. A pulse of warm energy rippled outward in concentric waves, washing over us like a gentle tide. Where the light passed, wounds sealed, fatigue ebbed away, and the suffocating weight of battle lifted, even if just for a moment.
I inhaled sharply as the pain in my side dulled, the torn flesh knitting itself back together. The air felt lighter, clearer, as if a divine presence had momentarily graced the battlefield.
Leonhardt-san’s voice rang out with steady resolve. "The goddess watches over us. Let’s make sure we live long enough to return her favor."
I let out a slow exhale, feeling my body grow lighter. "Thanks."
Leonhardt-san gave me a firm nod. "This should keep us going."
Around me, the others visibly relaxed as the ward’s effects took hold. Small cuts and bruises sealed, and the weight of exhaustion lifted, if only slightly.
Kido-san rolled his shoulders with a relieved groan. "Finally! I thought I was gonna drop dead before this snake did."
Fujikawa-san flexed his fingers, testing his grip on his katana. "Good. I’ll need my full strength for what’s coming next."
Rika-san, who had been wiping the sweat off her brow, looked at us with apologetic face. "I''m sorry for not providing enough healing support for everyone..."
Hoshimizu-san scoffed lightly. "You''ve already done your best by continously buffing us, and waking up this man," she said as she points at me.
Leonhardt-san’s gaze shifted toward the serpent still looming in the distance, its slit pupils narrowing as it assessed us.
"This fight isn’t over," he said, his voice steady. "Everyone, prepare for our counterattack."
As they charged towards it, I turned my gaze toward the monstrous serpent, my pulse steadying as I took in its sheer size once again. Even after everything they’d thrown at it, the creature remained an overwhelming force.
The snake was enormous—easily the size of a sixteen-wheeler truck, its obsidian-black scales glistening under the dim light. Each shift of its massive body sent tremors through the ground, the sheer weight of it displacing chunks of stone and earth. Its long, muscular coils undulated slowly, a predator’s patience evident in its controlled movements.
Despite the wounds we had inflicted, it remained poised, its head hovering high above us like a specter of death. Twin golden slits narrowed in predatory calculation, its forked tongue flicking in and out, tasting the air thick with mana and sweat.
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The crimson markings along its body pulsed in a slow, rhythmic glow—mana veins of power running beneath its armored hide. Whatever mana core sustained it, whatever malevolence had birthed it into existence, was still thriving.
I raised my hand and muttered the invocation, my eyes sharpening as the familiar flow of mana surged into my vision.
"< Inspect Monster >."
[ Monster Profile Window
Monster: Monster Domain Lord - Venom Serpent
Name: Velgrith the Venom Fang
Affiliation: Onose Shrine Monster Domain
Level: 5
Stat Rating: 85 SR
HP: 210/210
MP: 120/120
Attributes
Life: 21
Strength: 16
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 12
Aura: 13
Agility: 13 ]
My eyes widened slightly as I processed the numbers. 85 SR. That was… surprisingly manageable.
For a moment, I had expected something far worse—a monstrous opponent that completely dwarfed us in power. But this? This was within our range.
I quickly did the math in my head. Our party''s average Stat Rating floated somewhere between 80 and 90. That meant, despite being a Monster Domain Lord, Velgrith wasn''t overwhelmingly stronger than us. It was powerful, sure—especially with its monstrous endurance and venom-based abilities—but it wasn''t an insurmountable foe.
We could take it down.
I exhaled sharply, my earlier hesitation fading. This wasn’t a fight we had to survive—we could win.
Leonhardt-san and Kido-san was already on the front, throwing taunting skills towards the snake monster.
Fujikawa-san adjusted his stance, katana glinting under the dim light. “Let’s bring this thing down.”
Velgrith''s golden eyes flickered, sensing our shift in energy. Its tongue flicked out again, tasting the battlefield as if recognizing that its prey had turned into predators.
The serpent reared up, its massive form towering above us like a living nightmare. Its obsidian scales gleamed with eerie reflections of the shrine’s dim torches, and its fangs glistened with venom so toxic that the very air around it seemed to hiss.
Leonhardt-san raised his shield, the paladin’s golden aura surging. “Hoshimizu! Keep the tree monsters at bay! Everyone else, formation!”
“On it!” Hoshimizu-san’s staff ignited with runic fire. She slammed its base into the ground. “<Flame Ballista!>”
A torrent of flame erupted from her hands, rushing toward the waves of tree creatures that slithered in from the shrine’s broken gates. The fire consumed them in an instant, but more kept appearing, crawling out of the cursed earth like specters hungry for blood.
Meanwhile, Velgrith lunged.
Leonhardt-san reacted instantly. “< Holy Shield >!”
A barrier of golden light formed in his shield as he used it just as Velgrith’s tail smashed down. The impact sent shockwaves through the shrine’s courtyard, the ground splintering under the force. Kido-san roared, bracing his shield alongside Leonhardt’s, their combined defense barely holding against the sheer power of the monster’s blow.
“Ghh—This thing hits like a damn war hammer!” Kido-san growled.
“Keep holding!” Leonhardt commanded, his voice unwavering.
Fujikawa-san darted forward, finding an opening. “My turn.”
His katana glowed with arcane light. He chanted under his breath. “ < Four-wayward Slash >!”
In a blur, he slashed, his blade slicing through the serpent’s side. A deep gash appeared, and black ichor splattered onto the shrine floor. Velgrith let out an ear-splitting hiss, its tail whipping around wildly in response.
I barely had time to react before the tail was upon me. I poured more mana towards the still active barrier.
The translucent shield flickered to life around the rear, absorbing the brunt of the impact. Still, the force sent vibrations towards me, the caster, my boots struggling for grip.
“Kido, lure it again. Throw a taunt skill again!” Leonhardt shouted.
Good, they''ll lure it again. I''ll try helping to damage it.
I reached to my side, expecting the familiar weight of my mana gun—only to grasp at empty air. A jolt of unease shot through me.
My gaze darted around the battlefield, scanning for any glint of silver or the distinct curve of the weapon’s frame. Nothing.
Where is it?
A sinking feeling settled in my chest. I turned to Rika-san, who was in the middle of strumming her lute, weaving magic into the air with each chord. "Rika-san!" I called over the chaos. "Have you seen my mana gun?"
She blinked, momentarily distracted from her song, then followed my frantic gaze. Her expression turned apologetic as she raised a hand and pointed toward the ground a few feet away.
I followed her gesture—and my breath caught.
There, scattered across the dirt and debris, lay the shattered remains of my weapon. The crystal vessel that once held the mana essence had fractured, shards of broken glass glinting under the flickering light of magic. The gun’s barrel was bent at an unnatural angle, and the entire structure looked warped, as if crushed under something heavy.
Rika-san’s voice was quiet but firm. "It was already broken when we arrived."
I stared at the wreckage, feeling a strange hollowness settle in my chest.
My mana gun was gone.
But Velgrith, doesn''t letting me to grieve on the death of my favorite weapon, let out another guttural hiss. Then its eyes began to glow with malevolence.
“Shit!” Hoshimizu-san yelled. “It’s preparing a venomous breath attack! Everyone, get ready to evade!”
“Not on my watch.” Takane-san, perched on a fallen pillar, had been waiting for the perfect opportunity. She drew back her bowstring, the arrow crackling with pure arcane energy. “ < Flaming Piercing Arrow Shot >!”
The arrow shot forward like a comet, striking Velgrith right between the eyes. The monster reeled back, its breath attack faltering as the energy disrupted its concentration.
“Yes!” Rika-san cheered, but she winced immediately after, clutching her lute. “Ugh... my mana’s running low...”
Hoshimizu-san tossed a mana potion toward her as she was also drinking one. “Please keep the buffs going as long as you can, Rika-chan!” She asked as she released another set of flame spells towards the tree monsters.
She caught it, nodding. “Right! <Song of Valor!>”
Her voice resonated across the battlefield, invigorating us with renewed energy. Leonhardt, Kido, and Fujikawa pressed forward with renewed vigor, hacking away at the serpent’s hide.
But Velgrith was not going down without a fight.
Its tail lashed out again, this time striking Kido full-force. The armored warrior was sent flying, crashing into a stone pillar with a sickening thud.
“Kido!” Leonhardt shouted.
Kido-san coughed, spitting blood, but grinned. “I’m not done yet.”
The serpent took that moment to strike again, its fangs aiming straight for Leonhardt’s exposed flank.
“< Holy Shield >!”
A radiant shield materialized just in time, stopping the deadly bite inches from Leonhardt’s torso. He gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his brow.
The serpent hissed, its fangs scraping against the divine barrier, sparks of raw energy crackling on impact. Leonhardt-san’s boots dug into the ground as he braced himself, his muscles straining under the force of the monster’s bite.
"Not happening," he growled, raising his free hand toward the sky.
A golden light surged from his fingertips, crackling and twisting like a living thing. His voice rang with power as he invoked his next spell.
“< Divine Lightning >!”
The heavens answered. A streak of blinding light tore through the darkened sky, striking Velgrith’s coiled body with a thunderous crash. Bolts of divine electricity danced across the serpent’s scales, illuminating the battlefield with flickering arcs of gold and white.
The monster let out an ear-piercing shriek, its body convulsing violently as the holy energy coursed through its form. Smoke curled from its charred flesh, the acrid scent of burnt scales thick in the air.
Leonhardt-san gritted his teeth, forcing the spell to linger, keeping the divine current flowing. “Kido! Now!”
Kido-san, already waiting for an opening, roared as he lunged forward, his greatsword crackling with his own charged mana. With a powerful swing, he aimed for the weakened section of Velgrith’s body, right where the lightning had seared its flesh.
Kido-san’s blade cleaved through the smoking scales with a resounding crack, sending a spray of black ichor into the air. Velgrith howled in pain, its massive body writhing as it recoiled from the assault. The divine lightning still crackled along its body, but the monster’s raw endurance was on full display—it refused to go down easily.
“We’re making progress!” Fujikawa-san called out, dashing forward to strike at the beast’s exposed flank. His mana-infused katana slashed in precise arcs, carving deep into the serpent’s hide.
Takane-san unleashed another volley of enchanted arrows, each one bursting into small explosions upon impact. Hoshimizu, keeping the battlefield in check, continued raining down fiery barrages to suppress the smaller shadow creatures that threatened to flank them.
But then, something changed.
Velgrith suddenly coiled in on itself, its body trembling. Its golden eyes flickered with something dark and sinister. A low, guttural hiss reverberated through the shrine grounds, sending a shiver of unease down my spine.
"Something’s wrong," I muttered.
The serpent’s chest expanded unnaturally, its throat bulging as if something massive was building within. Then—
With a violent exhale, a thick purple mist erupted from Velgrith’s maw, rolling across the battlefield like a creeping tide. The temperature seemed to drop instantly, and the very air took on an acrid, stinging quality.
“Poison Breathe!” Leonhardt-san shouted. “Fall back—don’t breathe it in!”
The moment Leonhardt-san’s warning rang out, we moved.
“Inside the barrier! Now!” Leonhardt-san commanded, raising his hand.
Mana surged through my body, responding to my will as I raised my palm, focusing at the barrier.
“< Construct Barrier >!”
I recasted the spell to make it more sturdier. A translucent dome of shimmering blue light expanded outward, enclosing us just as the thick, purple mist swallowed the battlefield. The acrid vapor pressed against the barrier’s surface, swirling ominously like a living entity searching for a way in.
I exhaled sharply, my breath steady despite the rapid pounding of my heart.
Takane-san coughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve as she steadied her bow. “Damn it! That thing just turned the whole field into a death trap.”
Leonhardt-san clenched his fists. “Stay focused. The poison won’t reach us in here.”
Hoshimizu-san’s fiery gaze darted around. “We lost sight of it. That snake’s using the mist to vanish again.”
A tense silence settled over the group. The outside world was now nothing but a void of shifting violet, obscuring our vision. The only sound was the faint, ominous hissing of Velgrith somewhere beyond.
Kido-san gritted his teeth, shifting his grip on his greatsword. “We just need to wait for an opening. The moment it attacks, we strike back.”
Then, something struck the barrier.
A massive, crushing force slammed against the dome, sending ripples of distortion through my mana. The impact rattled my bones, forcing me to dig my heels into the ground to maintain the spell.
“What the—?!” Rika-san gasped, her song momentarily faltering.
Another impact. This time, the barrier groaned under the pressure. Fine cracks splintered along the surface like fractured glass.
I swallowed hard. “It’s ramming us.”
BAM!
The barrier trembled again, a jagged crack running from the top and branching outward. My breath hitched as I felt the strain pressing down on my mind, my control wavering.
“Meir-sama—!” Rika-san pointed.
A thin wisp of purple gas curled through the expanding fractures in the barrier. The poison was seeping in.
Hoshimizu-san’s eyes widened. “The barrier’s breaking!”
Leonhardt-san stepped forward. “Meir, how long can you hold it?”
My fingers curled into a tight fist. “Just please plan something to deal with the snake.”
Velgrith had found our weakness—and it wasn’t going to stop until we were swallowed whole.
The first tendrils of the poisonous mist slithered through the cracks, curling toward us like grasping hands. A sharp, acrid scent filled my nostrils, burning my throat even though I held my breath.
“Step back! Stay away from the mist!” Leonhardt-san ordered.
We moved in unison, retreating to the farthest point within the barrier as the creeping haze spread. The violet fog coiled around the barrier’s shattered edges, seeping inside drop by drop. I could already feel its effects—the unnatural weight in the air, the tingling sensation against my skin.
I keep pouring mana towards the crack but that damn snake keeps ramming the same spot.
Takane-san coughed, clutching her sleeve over her mouth. “We won’t last long like this!”
Leonhardt-san’s eyes darkened with resolve. He took a deep breath and brought his hands together. Mana surged around him, a golden aura igniting along his arms like holy fire.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said firmly. His voice resonated with unwavering determination.
He slammed his hand onto the ground.
“
!”
The world seemed to pause for a brief moment.
Then, with a flash of blinding white light, another stone statue descended from above—an ornate effigy of a warrior priest, standing resolute with a shield raised high. As soon as it made contact with the earth, a pulse of divine energy erupted outward.
The light expanded like a crashing wave, slamming into the creeping poison mist. The violet haze recoiled upon contact, writhing as if in agony. The tendrils curling through the cracks of my barrier burned away instantly, purged by the divine force.
The ward continued to radiate power, its presence like a beacon of purity amidst the darkness. The mist outside the barrier remained, but within its radius, the air was clean once more.
I let out a slow breath, feeling the weight on my chest lift slightly.
Rika-san, still clutching her instrument, let out a relieved sigh. “That... that was amazing, Leonhardt-san.”
Kido-san nodded, lowering his greatsword slightly. “Tch. That snake keeps trying to corner us, but we’re not that easy to kill.”
Leonhardt-san exhaled, his hands still glowing faintly with residual mana. “This won’t hold forever. The mist will return once the purification fades.” He turned toward me. “Meir, can you still hold the barrier?”
I flexed my fingers, testing my mana reserves. My barrier was still active, but it wouldn’t last through continuous direct hit.
I met his gaze and nodded. “Let’s finish this before it tries something else.”
Fujikawa-san clicked his tongue, shifting his stance. “Tch. The purification ward’s effective, but we can’t reach beyond its range without stepping into the poison.” His grip tightened around his sword. “We’re trapped in our own safe zone.”
Gorou grunted, slamming his fists together. “Damn snake’s just playing with us now. Hiding in that mist, waiting for an opening.”
The fog churned at the edges of the purification ward, moving unnaturally, as if alive. The oppressive silence stretched, only the distant hiss of Velgrith breaking through the uneasy quiet.
Takane-san tensed. “Be alert guys...”
I activated my skill again to see through this another kind of fog. " < Mana Sense > "
Then, without warning—
The mist split open.
A massive shadow surged forward, golden eyes gleaming like twin embers in the smog. Velgrith shot out of the poison fog like a living spear, its open maw revealing curved fangs dripping with venom.
“Left flank—!” I shouted.
Leonhardt-san reacted instantly.
“< Holy Shield >!”
His shield ignited with divine energy, meeting the serpent’s lunge with an earth-shaking crash. Sparks erupted as fangs clashed against the holy barrier, the impact sending tremors through the ground. Leonhardt-san gritted his teeth, pushing back with all his strength.
Fujikawa-san moved in, his blade humming with mana. “Now’s my chance!”
“<Three-way slash>!”
Lightning crackled along his sword as he slashed upward, aiming for Velgrith’s exposed neck. The attack connected—a flash of blue light followed by the scent of singed scales. The monster recoiled with a furious shriek.
“<Divine Slash>!” Gorou followed up, slashing his longswords into Velgrith’s flank. The sheer force sent shockwaves rippling across the serpent’s body, forcing it back further.
“< Flame Ballista >!”
“< Arrow Shower >!”
Hoshimizu-san and Takane-san unleashed ranged firepower in perfect sync—blazing spears of fire and jagged lances of ice streaked through the air, exploding against Velgrith’s coiled form.
The monster shrieked in pain, writhing from the impact. But before another strike could land—
It vanished.
The moment Velgrith retreated into the smog, its massive body seemed to dissolve into the shifting haze. The battlefield was silent once more.
Rika-san’s fingers trembled over her instrument. “It’s blending in again.”
Leonhardt-san took a steadying breath, lowering his shield. “Damn it… It’s waiting for another opening.”
I clenched my jaw, scanning the thick mist, my senses stretched to their limit.
“We need to draw it out,” I muttered. “Or else it’ll keep ambushing us until we make a mistake.”
The air grew still, but the tension only thickened. The fog swirled ominously, curling around us like a living thing, as if Velgrith itself was one with the smog.
Then, a shimmer.
Hoshimizu-san’s eyes narrowed. “There—!”
Velgrith slithered out of the mist again, its enormous body coiling with unnatural grace. But something was different. Along its charred scales where Leonhardt-san’s lightning had struck, a strange glimmer pulsed, like liquid moonlight threading through its wounds.
Leonhardt-san’s breath hitched. “It’s healing… The mist is regenerating his wound!”
Velgrith lunged, striking with the force of a battering ram.
Leonhardt-san reacted on pure instinct.
“<Holy Shield>!”
His shield flared with golden light as he stepped into the monster’s path. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, Leonhardt’s boots skidding against the stone as he gritted his teeth, forcing all his strength into holding the serpent back.
“Ghh—! I can’t hold it forever!”
Kido-san snarled, dashing in with raw power. “Then we can just pin it down—< Holy Strengthening>!”
Mana surged through his limbs, his muscles bulging with enhanced strength as he grabbed hold of Velgrith’s thrashing body, trying to wrestle it into submission. His veins pulsed from the sheer force of his grip.
For a moment, it seemed like they had it.
Then—
Velgrith twisted its massive frame, its sheer bulk making restraint impossible. The beast wrenched itself free, flinging Kido-san back with a brutal lash of its tail. The warrior hit the ground hard, rolling before slamming his fist down to steady himself.
“Damn it—! It’s too big to hold down!”
Takane-san and Hoshimizu-san had already begun casting.
“< Icicle Lance >!”
“< Split Fire Arrow >!”
Fire and ice streaked through the air, racing toward Velgrith. But the serpent had learned. It slithered back into the fog just before the attacks landed, vanishing once again into the poison-laced darkness. The explosions crackled harmlessly against empty air.
The battlefield fell silent once more, save for the slow, taunting hiss echoing through the mist.
Gorou-san cursed under his breath. “Tch. We’re hitting it, but it’s healing too fast. We’ll run out of mana before it runs out of tricks.”
Leonhardt-san exhaled sharply, gripping his shield. “This isn’t a battle we can win with brute force alone.” His gaze hardened as he looked toward me. “If we don’t change our approach, we’ll be worn down before we can kill it.”
He was right. The monster was outlasting us. The longer this battle dragged on, the closer we were to being overwhelmed.
He clenched his hand holding his longsword. “Then we need to end this—before it can fully heal again.”
The answer was right in front of me.
Velgrith wasn’t just resilient—it was regenerating through the mist itself. The fog was its lifeline, an endless wellspring that kept it from dying. That meant brute force wouldn’t be enough. No matter how much damage we dealt, as long as that poison cloud remained, it would simply heal and strike again.
We had to take out the fog.
But how?
Leonhardt-san’s
was the only thing keeping the mist at bay. However, its range was limited, and the way he had been conserving mana told me all I needed to know—it must be also an advanced skill considering how he just keeps using only one spell for a while now, and that is a defensive spell with low mana cost. That means, Leonhardt-san is low on mana after summoning these healing ward and purification ward statues. If he had the strength to cast another purification ward, he would have done it already.
I exhaled through my nose, shifting my stance. One thing I needs the most now is to purify and eliminate the fog. And to do that, I need a purification spell. Unfortunately, I don''t know any purification spell. I''m a researcher of Spatial Manipulation Spell afterall. If it is about Divine Spells, I know someone who specializes about it. But he is not in Japan right now.
Then that means, I need to learn it.… a purification spell.
My gaze flicked toward the statues Leonhardt-san had summoned. Their divine radiance pulsed steadily, the stone carved with runes too complex for casual replication—but to me, they were more than stone. They were knowledge waiting to be unraveled.
I stretched my arm toward the two statues direction, fingers hovering just above its smooth, glowing surface. Behind me, the others had already resumed battle. Velgrith had emerged again, and Leonhardt-san had thrown himself in front of its latest attack.
I tuned them out.
Silently, I invoked,
“< Deconstruct >.”
A pulse of light flickered beneath my fingertips.
My vision expanded. Intricate, glowing patterns unraveled across the surface of the statue, tracing circuits of knowledge woven into its magic. It wasn’t just a spell—it was a system, a carefully constructed mechanism encoded in divine energy.
I let out a quiet breath as the composition of the spell revealed itself to me, its workings unfolding like an open book.
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
Raising my free hand, I whispered,
“< Archive >.”
A shimmer flickered in the air. My grimoire materialized before me, falling neatly into my waiting palm. It flipped open to a blank page, and, like an eager researcher, it began transcribing the information I had just analyzed.
Lines of script etched themselves onto the parchment, recording every facet of the spell—its formation, activation, and limitations.
A familiar notification appeared before my eyes.
[ You have successfully learned the skill <Healing Ward>. ]
[ You have successfully learned the skill
. ]
I clenched my grimoire, my thoughts already racing with its potential applications.
The solution was in my hands now.
All that was left was to use it.
I stretched out my hand, fingers splayed as mana surged through my body. If Velgrith’s regeneration came from the mist, then I had to remove its source.
“Eliminate the fog,” I murmured.
A golden glow ignited at my fingertips, five orbs of condensed energy flickering to life.
“Blessing Command.”
The orbs pulsed, responding to my will. I focused, shaping the spell in my mind before manually casting it and invoking it aloud. A part of me was still hesitant because it did not work earlier when I was inside an illusion.
“Generate: Air Skill.”
The light coalesced, the surrounding air stirring as mana wove into wind.
“Apply Enchantment: Vacuum.”
The glowing orbs flickered, their form shifting as spiraling currents took shape. The wind spheres above my fingers churned like miniature storms, pulling in the stagnant air around them.
“Form Shape: Vortex.”
The spheres expanded, twisting into spinning masses of air, each one no larger than a pingpong ball but radiating immense pull.
I flexed my fingers, sending them outward in different directions.
“Disperse!”
The vortexes shot forward, slicing through the battlefield like guided missiles. The moment they reached their designated spots, they spun violently, sucking in the dense, poison-laced fog that clouded our surroundings. The violet smog curled and twisted, dragged toward the miniature vacuum orbs
But just removing the fog wasn’t enough.
I called out again, focusing my will.
“Blessing Command!”
The grimoire floating beside me flipped to the page where had been recorded. A sharp tug on my mana reserves made my stomach churn, but I just ignored it.
“Convert Element: Self to Light Element!”
The swirling vortexes began to change. The air currents flickered, their dull translucence replaced by a brilliant, golden luminescence. They no longer just absorbed the fog—they began altering it.
With a final breath, I tightened my grip on my grimoire and commanded,
“Purify.”
The absorbed miasma trembled within the vortexes—then, in a flash, its dark hue dissolved into pure, radiant light. Luminous spirals danced where the corruption had once lingered, scattering the last traces of poison like dust swept away by the wind.
The battlefield cleared, bathed in a soft glow. The suffocating grip of the mist was gone.
And with it, Velgrith’s advantage.
I exhaled slowly, feeling the last remnants of the luminous mist dissipate. The battlefield was finally clear.
“This battle has dragged on long enough.” My voice cut through the silence, firm and unwavering. I turned my gaze toward the exposed form of Velgrith, its massive, truck-sized body slithering frantically without the cover of its cursed fog. Its scales gleamed under the purifying light, but there was no longer anywhere for it to hide.
“I still have a thief to catch and an artifact to retrieve.”
I pressed my palm against the earth, fingers digging into the rough soil as I focused my mana once more. My body protested, exhaustion creeping in, but I ignored it. This had to work.
Mana surged from within, flowing through my veins like liquid fire. The ground beneath me trembled in response.
“< Trap Creation >!”
A pulse of energy erupted from my fingertips, spreading outward like invisible ripples in a pond. The earth convulsed, then, suddenly—stone and clay burst forth.
Thick cubic structures emerged from the ground, rising with precision and force. One after another, they shot up in rapid succession, slamming shut around Velgrith’s body. The serpent thrashed, its massive tail coiling and snapping in resistance, but each section of its elongated form was systematically locked into place.
Snap—!
A final section closed in, sealing its movements completely. The battlefield stilled.
For a brief moment, I remained kneeling, chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. Then the exhaustion hit me like a collapsing wall. My vision blurred at the edges, my limbs heavy as if weighed down by iron shackles.
Strange... I should have had more mana left... What happened? Did I miscalculate my mana reserves?
My strength gave out.
I staggered, my body pitching forward—
“Meir!”
A pair of arms caught me before I could collapse fully. Hoshimizu-san held me steady, concern flickering in her golden eyes.
“Invoking such spells…” she murmured, feeling the slight tremors running through my frame.
Leonhardt-san stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly as he watched the imprisoned serpent struggle. “It must have drained a lot of mana,” he finished for her, nodding in understanding. Then, he turned to me with a rare look of gratitude. “You did enough, Meir. Leave the rest to us.”
I exhaled, forcing my body to relax against Hoshimizu-san’s hold. I''m planning to still help but it seems like something happened at my mana reserves. But I had done my part.
Leonhardt-san and the others wasted no time.
“The goddess is watching us! Let us finish this!” he commanded.
With a battle cry, they surged forward.
Kido-san led the charge, his greatsword glowing as he brought it down in a devastating arc against the snake’s exposed midsection. Fujikawa-san followed immediately, her enchanted blade slicing through its scales in a blur of steel and mana.
Hoshimizu-san and Takane-san raised their hands in unison, unleashing a storm of ranged firepower—flaming arrows and piercing ice shards bombarded the trapped monster, each explosion shaking the battlefield.
Velgrith screeched, thrashing violently within its clay prison, but it was locked down, forced to endure every strike as the team unleashed their full might upon it.
This was it.
The final assault.
The battlefield trembled under the force of the team’s relentless assault. Velgrith let out an ear-piercing screech, its body convulsing, the once-mighty serpent reduced to a flailing mass of shredded scales and ichor. The cubic prison I had created still held, but cracks were beginning to form—the monster was on its last breath.
Leonhardt-san tightened his grip on his sword, stepping forward as golden light gathered around the blade. His entire form radiated brilliance, the purification ward behind him pulsing in resonance with his mana. This was the finishing blow.
He raised his sword high.
“< Divine Slash >!”
A radiant arc of light erupted from his weapon, slicing through the air like a judgment from the heavens. The brilliance was blinding for a moment—then, with a sickening shnk, the purified blade cleaved through Velgrith’s thick neck.
The serpent’s screech abruptly ceased.
Its severed head crashed onto the ground with a dull thud, rolling slightly before lying still. The body convulsed once… twice… then fell limp, collapsing like a felled tree. The purple venom mist that once shrouded the domain dissipated completely, reduced to harmless particles of light.
Silence followed.
Then, in my vision, system notifications flashed:
[ You have defeated the Monster Domain Lord - Venom Serpent < Velgrith the Venom Fang >! ]
[ You have received 25,000 DP as rewards. ]
[ You have cleared the monster domain: < Onome Shrine [ Lvl. 5 ] >! ]
[ You have received 1,400 DP as a reward. ]
I let out a slow exhale, my shoulders sagging. It was over. The domain lord had been vanquished, and with it, the cursed fog had been lifted.
Leonhardt-san planted his sword into the ground, steadying himself before glancing at me. His usual stern expression softened just slightly. “Good work.”
The others, still catching their breath, let out relieved sighs. Kido-san sheathed his weapon with a grin. “Damn, that was one hell of a fight.”
Fujikawa-san wiped sweat from her brow. “I almost ran out of mana… if that thing had lasted any longer, we might’ve been in real trouble.”
Takane-san crouched beside Velgrith’s fallen head, inspecting it. “So this is its insides… Its mana core must be valuable.”
I remained silent, still feeling the lingering drain of my mana expenditure. My mind, however, had already moved past the battle.
The thief. The artifact.
I need to find them quickly.