Chapter 4 – The Spirit of Frost
—
Whoooosh────
The end of the raised arm. A fist thrust out toward the dense fog. Mana surged towards that spot like a tidal wave.
The uncontrollable power surging through my body—an unstoppable rampage of mana.
All of it stormed forth like a roaring wave, guided by the transcendental skill, the Dragon’s power, Authority: One Punch.
And then—
BOOOOM─────────!!!!!
An enormous amount of mana exploded all at once.
“What…….”
The sight was so surreal that I couldn’t comprehend it for a moment. My mouth hung open in disbelief.
“What the hell…?”
The mana that shot out from my fingertips turned into a destructive storm, reducing everything in front of me to ashes.
No matter how much mana I possessed due to the Overcharged Mana trait, this power was truly overwhelming.
The ground was gouged out, and the mysterious chunks of ice in its path were shattered into pieces. The storm, now infused with the shattered ice, maximized its destructive force.
【Th-the barrier……!】
I heard the Spirit’s flustered voice.
And before I could fully grasp what those words meant—
Craaaaash────!!!!
The fog shattered.
It seemed that the fog was serving as some sort of ‘Barrier.’
What was revealed was a familiar cliff.
The very cliff I had fallen from after being kicked by the Orcs just moments ago.
Except—
ROOOOAR───!!!!!
The lower part of the cliff had been massively hollowed out by the immense power.
“Damn.”
I glanced at my hand without thinking.
The same ordinary fist I always saw.
And yet, this fist had unleashed such an unbelievable level of destruction.
“I did this?”
It was hard to believe even for myself.
It was too powerful to be considered merely the effect of a single skill.
‘No, that’s not it.’
This wasn’t just the performance of the Authority: One Punch skill.
‘…Overcharged Mana.’
It was the synergy created with my unique trait, which recklessly accumulated absurd amounts of mana in my body.
That’s what brought about this result.
At that moment—
Rumble────
【Kyaaaah! I-it’s collapsing!!!】
Reflexively, I looked up at the Spirit’s scream, only to see massive rock fragments plummeting down.
“Ugh!?”
I kicked off the ground with both legs.
There was no time to think.
If I stayed here, I’d be crushed to death.
But then—
[You have entered Mana Exhaustion.]
All of a sudden, strength drained from my body.
‘Damn, the penalty…!’
The Authority: One Punch skill had a penalty.
After use, it put me in a state of mana exhaustion.
‘Damn it. I can’t move.’
I tried to move my body with great difficulty, but I felt like I was operating at less than one-sixteenth of my usual speed.
At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to escape from the collapsing cliff.
Then—
【Ah, seriously. You’re such a hassle!】
The Spirit who had fed me the Skill Core grabbed me and started sprinting quickly towards the opposite side of the cliff.
Thud! Crash! Craaash!
Rocks fell right behind us as we dashed through.
A shiver ran down my spine.
If we had been just a little bit slower, we would have been crushed right then and there.
How far did we run like that?
Ruuuumble──
Fortunately, the collapse of the cliff soon subsided.
“We, we’re alive!”
I let out a sigh of relief.
[Due to rapid mana recovery, the state of mana exhaustion has ended early.]
Strength returned to my body.
Fortunately, the duration of the mana exhaustion wasn’t long.
‘Is it thanks to Overcharged Mana…….’
The only explanation I could think of for the rapid mana recovery was that trait.
【Are you crazy? You almost died! After I went through all that trouble to save you, do you have a death wish or something!?】
“…Ah.”
The blue Spirit’s voice pierced my ears.
When I turned my head, she was pointing her finger at me, furiously scolding me.
【What are you looking at! If you had that much mana, you should’ve avoided the cliff yourself! Huh!?】
She initially tried to kill me, but for some reason, she brought me an opportunity and even saved me when the cliff was collapsing.
“What’s your name?”
【It’s Prill!】
“Right, Prill. Thank you.”
I sincerely thanked her.
After all, she had saved me, and considering her words about ‘saving me,’ it didn’t seem like she intended to harm me for now.
【Wha, what?】
But Prill’s reaction to my gratitude was a bit strange.
【A-hem. Th-thank you?】
She wriggled her body and averted her gaze.
Being a Spirit and not human, I didn’t know what that gesture meant for her.
But either way, Prill had a feminine form, a human-like appearance.
And if I applied that behaviour to humans, it could only mean one thing…
“Are you embarrassed?”
【No, I’m not!】
“If you say so.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
【D-don’t get the wrong idea. It’s definitely not that!】
“Sure.”
I responded lightly and let it pass with a smile. There were more important things right now.
‘My body is back to normal.’
I hadn’t realized it while I was busy running away, but my body was in perfect condition.
The rampaging mana and the damage from falling off the cliff were completely healed.
After a brief moment of thought, I figured out the reason.
‘It must be thanks to the new skill I obtained.’
The new transcendental skill, Authority: One Punch.
The Dragon’s power, Authority: Breath, had been reconfigured for me into the Authority: One Punch skill.
And this skill solved the chronic issue that had been plaguing me.
My unique trait, Overcharged Mana.
This trait granted me an enormous amount of mana, but it didn’t provide me with a body capable of withstanding that mana.
‘It was like gaining an endless well of water, only for it to overflow and cause a flood.’
Because of that, the massive amount of mana continuously destroyed my body, and I had to resort to taking illegal substances like Mana Suppressants just to keep it under control.
But now?
The rampaging mana, which was previously uncontrollable, had all been released through the Authority: One Punch skill.
As a result, my body was in an extremely normal state right now.
At least, I didn’t have to worry about being devoured by my own mana anymore.
Of course, that wasn’t the only factor.
“The potion’s effect seems to be quite good, too.”
The potion that the Hunters from the Ironclad Faction had must have been of high quality.
While my body was being destroyed in real-time by the rampaging mana, I couldn’t feel the effect. But once all the mana was released through the Authority: One Punch skill, the potion’s effect quickly restored my body to normal.
【Potion? What’s that?】
“A magical liquid that heals injuries.”
I answered readily and pondered.
‘Now that I think about it, what exactly is this Spirit?’
For some unknown reason, this Spirit named Prill was being very friendly toward me.
She had brought me an opportunity to save my life and even directly saved me during the cliff’s collapse.
‘…Of course, I can’t let my guard down.’
A sweet tongue, but a sharp dagger hidden within.
I couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that she was hiding a blade behind her back.
‘I clearly remember that she wanted to kill me at first.’
I still remembered her hostile attitude when we first met.
Although her demeanor changed at some point, it wasn’t clear why.
Until I understood exactly what intentions were driving her friendliness, I couldn’t let my guard down completely.
‘The first thing to do is to figure out what Prill’s goal is.’
It was necessary to dig into her motives.
【A potion to heal injuries? The world has changed a lot.】
“How long have you been here?”
I naturally asked a question in response to her statement.
【Me? Ten thousand years.】
“Ten thousand years?”
An incomprehensible span of time.
Even Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea, appeared less than five thousand years ago.
And yet, ten thousand years.
【Did you know? You’re the first to come here in ten thousand years. I was dying of boredom!】
Prill must have endured countless years of solitude.
‘Was all that talk about killing me just a bluff because she needed me?’
It was only natural that I started to suspect her motive.
If she had been alone for such a long time, she must have been incredibly lonely.
There were still a few questions left unanswered, but this hypothesis explained a lot of my doubts.
【Anyway, I almost died because of you! Why would you smash a cliff like that!?】
“…I didn’t know, either.”
It was true.
I hadn’t known that there was a cliff beyond the fog, nor did I expect such destructive power to explode from my hand.
“But wasn’t the other side a structure to begin with? Should I have smashed those instead?”
Everything beyond the thick fog seemed like things that shouldn’t be destroyed. Ice statues, an ice castle, an ice garden… all these things looked as though they were made with great care and affection.
【Of course! They’re no longer needed.】
“They’re no longer needed?”
【Yeah. I just made them out of boredom.】
For something made out of boredom, the quality seemed exceedingly high.
“Don’t you feel it’s a waste?”
【Of course not. I’m leaving this damned place with you now!】
Prill’s eyes were gleaming as she stared at me.
‘She’s definitely over that whole killing-me business now.’
It seemed like I could finally ask.
The question I had refrained from asking until now, fearing it would provoke her.
“You’re not saying you’ll kill me anymore, huh?”
【Why? You’re a dragon. I don’t need to kill a dragon.】
Now that I thought about it, Prill’s attitude had changed completely after I told her I was a dragon.
‘Should I tell her the truth now?’
I briefly considered it, but…
‘No.’
I shook my head inwardly.
There was no guarantee that Prill wouldn’t become hostile again if I revealed that I was human.
Suddenly, I felt Prill’s gaze on me.
She was staring at me intensely.
【Even if you say you’re human, you’re still a dragon.】
“…?”
【You know what I mean, right? Anyway, you’re a dragon.】
“……”
This one…
Maybe she didn’t really buy my story about being a dragon from the start.
No, she probably never believed it.
“So, could this contract be a little—”
【Ahem. Read the room.】
“…….”
“Yeah, whatever. Let’s just go with it.”
I decided to be mindful of my behavior.
“So, what you’re saying is that you can’t leave this place without my help, right?”
【…Huh?】
I grinned.
‘Prill can’t kill me.’
I had roughly figured out the situation.
What Prill wants the most is probably to leave this place—to put an end to this dull, monotonous life that has lasted for ten thousand years.
And to achieve that, she needs me.
That’s why she went to such ridiculous lengths to bypass the contract and save my life.
【Hmph! I could leave right now since you destroyed the barrier!】
Realizing she had slipped up, Prill hastily tried to bluff.
But look at those uneasy, wavering eyes.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
【I am not!?】
“Then go ahead. Try leaving.”
【What?】
“Try to leave.”
【…….】
It was certain now.
This situation—
‘I’m the one in control here.’
I held the upper hand.
***
“So, this is what you call the Dragon’s power?”
【Yes….】
Prill nodded with a dejected expression.
It was understandable. After losing control of the situation, she had no choice but to answer my questions earnestly.
Thanks to that, I was able to clear up many of the doubts I had.
Things like what this place was and what exactly the Skill Core I consumed was.
‘Dragons, huh.’
The most striking fact I learned was the existence of dragons.
Dragons.
To put it simply, they are incredibly powerful monsters that possess various ‘authorities.’
I had never heard of such monsters before, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
‘Well, there could be such monsters, I suppose.’
Humanity hasn’t categorized every single monster yet.
Thanks to the Prophets, we’ve managed to adapt to the Great Cataclysm to some extent, but it’s only been around 30 years since humanity experienced the Cataclysm.
And—
“There are more of these authorities?”
【That’s right. There was only Breath here, but Tenauzes must have hidden other authorities in different places.】
I learned that what I obtained was just one of the Dragon’s authorities.
‘Just one of these is already this powerful….’
By acquiring the Authority: One Punch skill, I had gained an incredibly powerful offensive skill and was freed from the negative effects of Overcharged Mana.
Of course, it was a fortunate synergy between my unique circumstances and the authority’s effects, but it was clear that other authorities would be just as powerful.
“Is it possible to get more of these authorities?”
【Of course! If we get close to one, I’ll be able to recognize it!】
“Good.”
【Th-then, you’ll agree to the contract now, right!?】
Prill’s face lit up with hope when I showed a positive attitude.
To be honest, this contract wasn’t bad for me, either.
In fact, it was actually a good deal.
‘She’s strong.’
The power I had witnessed earlier from Prill was quite formidable.
She had the ability to throw ice bombs that could freeze the entire area, and I was certain I wouldn’t last even a second if I took a direct hit.
She promised to lend me that power if I freed her from this place, so I had no reason to refuse.
“Alright. What do I need to do?”
【For the contract, we’ll need a sacrifice! A suitable offering would be, um… One of your arms should be enough!】
“?”
For a moment, I thought I misheard.
【What? I’m already giving you a huge discount! Normally, to make a contract with me at your level, you’d have to offer both your arms and around 30 years of your lifespan.】
She spoke as if she were doing me a big favour.
Well, I get it.
The original price might be high.
I could understand that.
But you know what?
“Prill.”
【I’m telling you, this is a really good deal!】
She tilted her head, looking puzzled by my reaction.
“You still haven’t grasped the situation, have you?”
Prices are subject to change depending on the situation.
Why are you trying to pull out a price list from ten thousand years ago?
“I’m not accepting that condition.”
【…Why not!?】
Thud!
—
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