Rodiven stared at the scene unfolding in front of his eyes with frustration.
What he feared had become a reality too quickly.
At first glance, the black monsters brought by the demon numbered in the hundreds.
Rodiven knew how strong those monsters were because he briefly experienced it. Even if he did his best alone, they were at a level where even three or four individuals would have difficulty dealing with them.
'This will eventually become my grave.'
Now that the cabin was completely surrounded, there was no way out. Rodiven could already see the end.
“…Father! What are all those things?”
Kaen, who had returned from cleaning the deer carcass, hurriedly ran to the man’s side.
The man wrapped his arms around her as if to calm her down. And he looked around at the monsters with sunken eyes.
Although there was the fear if death, Rodiven also felt sorry and guilty towards these two people.
In the end, this happened became of him. He wanted to take responsibility, but he didn’t have the strength to stop that demon.
“Is it a ministerial authority? That’s quite annoying.”
Rodiven looked at the muttering man, who was still unmoved.
How could he be so calm in a situation like this?
No matter how strong the man’s abilities were, there was no way he could face an army of that size alone. It would be hard as long as the other was not a magic tower master or one of the five stars of Santea.
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I’ll buy you time, so please leave with your daughter.”
Rodiven was determined to face the demon and its horde of monsters. He increased his magic. Even if it was futile, he would do it to give the two a little time to escape.
“How much of your magic did you recover?”
“About half…”
“Then don’t do anything stupid. Just let me borrow some magic.”
“……?”
At the man’s words, Rodiven wondered what he was talking about all of a sudden.
“Borrowing magic, what is that…?”
“Okay, release all your magical energy towards me. They’re starting to move.”
The man urged. As if saying there’s no time to explain, so he shouldn’t ask.
Rodiven still didn’t understand what the other was trying to do, but he released his magic as suggested.
“…!”
Rodiven’s blue-colored magical energy spun around the man and gathered around him.
The magic that was under Rodiven’s control was passed on to the man.
“Uh, how?”
Rodiven’s mouth widened in shock at the sight of the man handling his magic as if it was his own.
The quality of a magic power was the temperament that an individual was born with. Those who had developed magical powers had their own unique properties.
That’s why it was close to impossible to manipulate someone else’s magical power.
One could move their own arm as they wished, but they couldn’t do that with other people’s arms. Using someone else’s magical power was no different from that analogy.
The man in front of him was doing such a nonsensical act casually.
The man deployed his magic.
Rodiven didn’t know what kind of magic the other was trying to use. However, it was surprisingly fast.
“Release all your magic power. Don’t stop.”
Rodiven, who had been lost for a moment, suddenly came to his senses. He raised all of his remaining magic power and delivered it all.
Coo coo coo.
In the next moment, dots flashed in the surrounding air, and it was connected by a line using mana, just like a constellation.
Countless lines connected the dots, and the lines formed planes. In an instant, a magic field, like a huge barrier, formed around the three people and the cabin.
“This…”
A shield to block the advancing monsters.
Judging from the shape, it didn’t seem like that it was only just a shield. But what surprised Rodiven more than that was the size of it.
'Such a large scale shield with just that little magic?'
Even if it was the magic he had given to the other, Rodiven could see how absurd the man’s control was.
Not everyone could draw out 100% of their magical power. A person who could draw 30-40% was considered an excellent mage, and if the person could pull out 80% or higher, then they were already in the realm of a great mage.
Even at the bare minimum, the man was able to draw 80% of the magical power.
Either his magic realm approached that of a great mage or he was exceptionally gifted with magic control, or both…
Rodiven could no longer think of the other as just an ordinary man.
Ohhh!
The monsters that hit the man’s shield were engulfed in blue flames and started to burn. After all, it was not an ordinary defensive magic.
Some monsters launched attacks from a distance instead of just physically attacking the shield, but even that was consumed by flames. The shield firmly blocked those attacks.
Rodiven, who gave his magic, caught his breath and watched the scene nervously. It was the same with Kaen.
“Can you stop them, Father?”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“No. Stay still and watch.”
Kaen nodded at the firm answer.
The man’s gaze reached the demon among the monsters in the distance. The demon was also glaring at the man.
***
“Do you plan to rest here?”
“Yes.”
The Ramon Mountain Range was vast and finding the successor who might or might not be here would take a considerable amount of time.
Since we had just arrived at our destination, I planned to take a break, make a detailed plan, and start looking for the successor.
“Then I will start searching right away.”
After saying that, the hero was about to fly back into the sky. Her attitude was clearly that of someone who wasn’t planning on resting.
I asked the hero.
“Do you have any plans? How do you plan to find the successor?”
The hero’s answer was simple.
“Is there any other way? I’m going to fly all over the mountain and find them”
“Ah... is that so?”
“With the power of the Holy Sword, even if it’s impossible to cover the entire mountain range, the range of my perception can be greatly increased. I hope to find them as soon as possible.”
With the power of the Holy Sword, the hero was able to accomplish most things, except for the truly impossible.
As least she would be able to find the successor much more easily and effortlessly than me if I was alone.
“I’m going to look in this direction first, so why don’t you go the other way?”
“I will.”
I said before the hero left.
“And, hero, I hope you don’t forget what we promised.”
“...?”
“I said that I had no intention of missing out on finding the successor. I don’t know what will happen later, but at least until we find the successor, we are in a cooperative relationship.”
The hero stared at me. She seemed to understand what I was trying to say.
“If you find the successor first, please don’t hide them without telling me.”
“...I have no intention of doing that. I swear here on my name and my honor.”
I nodded. If the hero said as much, I had to believe her.
After the hero left, I stood in the dark for a while and organized my plan.
I had [Super Sensory], but going around this whole mountain range while looking for the successor would just make me incompetent.
After all, I couldn’t just do this ignorantly. So, the only way was to do this the same way I did when looking for mysteries in the past.
'Rather than that, I spoke very confidently to the hero...'
The possibility that the successor was not in this mountain range could not be completely ruled out.
I hope I could move to the next step without further complication.
“Let’s start.”
“Yes.”
After taking a break, Asher and I got on top of Ti-Yong. My heart was half full of worry and nervousness.
***
The one they thought as a demon was actually a mage who became a demon contractor.
As a blessed human born with an abundance of family and talent, only he would know why he signed a contract with a demon.
He had a brilliant magical talent, but, tragically; he had a greater hunger and greed.
His encounter with a demon was accidental. Unsatisfied with his own achievements and limitations, he ended up swallowing a sweet, poisonous fruit.
He had no thoughts of regret. Starting with the massacre of everyone in his family, he walked this dark path and did any means and methods to gain greater power.
The reason he temporarily settled in the Ramon Mountain Range was to follow the traces of a demon.
Demons could become stronger by preying on another demon. It was no different for a contractor who had received the power of a demon.
The power he obtained from the demon, after the successful hunting and fierce struggle, was enormous. It was incomparable to hunting humans or other races.
While he was digesting the power he obtained, he encountered a human on the part of the mountain where he settled down for a while.
It was a fairly high leveled mage, but nothing special. An easy prey that he could hunt anytime.
However, the human managed to escape. He never thought the other would have something like a teleportation tool.
He could let him go, but he decided to pursue the human. Just for the purpose of having a small entertainment for a while, however...
'What is that human?'
The demon contractor looked at the barrier in front and then at the man beyond.
Hwareuk!
When he gently touched the barrier, blue falmes rose and completely repelled the invasion of another magic power. The demon contractor said, ‘huh’ and then laughed.
“At this scale and density?”
The magic that man unleased without preparation possessed an absurdly solid defensive ability.
The total amount of mana itself was not large. The demon contractor realized that this was a magic so high that even he could not understand it.
It was a terrifying feeling, but this was the question that followed. Why was a mage who could perform such great magic only defending?
There could only be two answers. Either they’re not doing it purposely, or they couldn’t.
If the demon contractor was on the man’s shoes, there’s no reason for him to do the former, so the latter was the more likely answer.
So, the demon contractor decided to wait a little longer.
That human wouldn’t be able to continue using this magic forever. So, how would he respond after the magic was dispelled?
***
Meanwhile, Rodiven was thinking the same thing.
'Something is strange...'
The man was clearly a high-ranking mage. Enough to unleash powerful defense magic that even that demon couldn’t penetrate.
In other words, it also meant he could use offensive magic to the extent that he could effectively damage this horde of monsters.
So, instead of just defending and wasting magic, wouldn’t it be better to actively attack?
And that’s when Rodiven realized.
The man did not use his own magic, but rather borrowed his to cast this barrier.
The mana he was using was all Rodiven. It didn’t include the man’s mana.
He was surprised at the fact that he could use someone else’s magic that he overlooked that.
“That demon seems to have no plans to retreat.”
The man clicked his tongue and murmured.
Kaen opened her mouth.
“Father, if it’s not enough, my magic power...”
“No. You must have all your magic power.”
The man shook his head and turned his gaze to Rodiven.
“I’ll open an exit at the back, so run away with this girl.”
Rodiven hesitated before asking.
“Perhaps you’re magic...”
“It’s because it’s a broken body that can’t build up mana. At this rate, those monsters will eventually break through, so hurry and go.”
The man who said simple waved his hand as if telling them to go.
Kaen glared at the man and said.
“Are you kidding me? You want me to run away, leaving you alone?”
“Daughter, you seem to have misunderstood something, but I have no intention of dying. Your presence will only get in the way of fighting.”
The man said that with all the mana almost used after making this defensive barrier. Rodiven wondered what more the man could do against these monsters. No matter how much he thought about it, the man seemed to be ready to sacrifice himself for his daughter.
Rodiven once again said with determination.
“I’ll try to recover as much of my magic, so why don’t you and your daughter go?”
“Don’t talk about it without me! I’m not going to run away alone!”
It was when the man sighed and tried to say something...
Kyaaaaghhhh!
Everyone’s gaze, including the demon, turned in the direction of the sudden sound.
Across the sky, a black wyvern was flying towards them from afar.
