Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter 49. The Red Forest

Vroom Accelerate, accelerate again!

Whoosh Faster, faster!

The heated air surrounds my body.

It’s a dangerous situation where a moment’s mistake could melt me down.

The tentacles, massively multiplied, stretch out in all directions, starting to block my movements.

A simple tactic: if speed can’t stop me, then quantity will. But its effectiveness was exceptional.

A red wall rose up in the direction I needed to go.

Straight ahead: Impossible. Right: Impossible.

Left!

Bang!

I turned left onto the platform that had appeared in mid-air.

Crash

Unho immediately understood my movement and created that platform.

A perfect harmony, with no slight errors as if our thoughts merged.

I moved quickly to the left, but the increasing number of tentacles began to act strangely, as if determined to catch me.

The surface of the tentacles bubbled and boiled, exploding.

The exploded tentacles sprayed lava wide, covering the air.

Red slime obstructed my path.

As I twisted my body to change position, the slime barely singed my hair as it passed.

The thought of being alive flashed through my mind, but I soon realized my blunder.

Wasn’t Unho above my head?

“I’m alive! Keep running!”

Was it that he quickly hid under my side? The voice of the ferret, clinging to my side, shouted.

Following my partner’s words, I moved my legs, and countless tentacles pounded the spot where I had just been.

That was close.

I was also lacking in training; I must have let my consciousness slip for a moment thinking Unho solidified it.

Racing across the ground, I slowly looked up at the monster.

The monster’s form had significantly changed compared to the start of the battle.

Gray carapace was cracked here and there, and the stylish claws that had been on its arms were broken, stained by lava tentacles.

Countless eyeballs were also pierced by my hammer, hollowness revealed.

Despite those numerous injuries, the main entity was becoming even more dangerous.

The lava tentacles gushed out of its wounds, multiplying as the wounds increased, making them more threatening than the strikes.

Lava tentacles.

Not fast at all, and their defense was so weak that they burst upon contact, but they were powerful enough to melt me upon touch.

Such beings, gathering together to push forward in sheer numbers, made for perilous situations like just now.

It was the same.

It felt like I was transported back ten years.

The massive tentacle army that appeared in the middle of Cheongju.

My narrative’s enemies that had destroyed an entire city and fed on human emotions.

That tentacle couldn’t block my attack by any means.

Because it devoured the fundamental part of human existence: emotions.

The tentacles that fed on emotions caused countless human casualties, all vanquished by my own hand.

“Did I think wrong?”

These crustaceans were my enemies?

“What do you mean?”

“I wonder if my true enemies are those lava tentacles.”

“Originally, Lord Haram’s main enemies were monstrous beings and tentacles, so that could be possible.”

Yeah. Monstrous beings.

That’s why I thought those crustaceans were the enemies of my tale.

Though they looked relatively intact compared to those in my story, after all, they were monstrous beings.

Besides, didn’t the official assessment say so? However, as I fought this tentacle, I felt an unknown sensation rise.

Like meeting an arch-enemy.

Then those tentacles… they would be eaten, right?

So what the heck are those crustaceans?

The premise was wrong.

“Contact the headquarters in my stead. There’s something remaining.”

Having come this far, there’s no turning back now.

Even if the first move was wrong, the game board already has numerous pieces set on it, so it was too late to undo the first move.

But I couldn’t be despondent and give up. We just had to keep running.

I swung my hammer while dodging the tentacles.

What’s wrong with making a bad first move?

We never even had a proper first move to begin with.

We always protected humanity while failing and sacrificing ourselves.

Even if it’s a path where we don’t know what’s there, we must move forward.

We can stop the story, but we’ll never go back.

-So! I said there’d be a premise left, Poyo!

That silly ferret’s stupid message gave me a headache.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“It means there’s still an enemy’s last resort left.”

Macbeth was stroking his beard with such cunning intentions, while the Librarian repeatedly tapped on an outdated calculator.

Neither of them was any help.

It was fine if they acted like wizards, but watching them behave like some popular wizards from their country was quite irksome.

“What do you think?”

“I’m not sure. There’s too little information. I will observe the situation for a bit.”

That’s why these guys who only stick to theory always respond slowly.

If they genuinely wanted to read the future, shouldn’t they feel it in the atmosphere of the battlefield?

Urgh Annoyance surged as I yanked the wheelchair.

Creek My shaking wheelchair, which I never really liked, especially today was adding to my irritation.

Damn rusty bucket!

Just recently, after someone broke it, it’s in terrible shape.

For a brief moment I glanced away, and the two wheels were stuck somewhere while the frame got tossed in an architecture office.

Whoever it was, when I catch the culprit, I’ll tie their limbs to concrete and toss them into the sea.

“Where’re you going?”

“That brat warned it was ominous, so there’s gotta be something.”

I recalled my psychic powers.

Every space in the wall entered my mind, and I chose the desired position.

As a pseudo-otherworld unfolded throughout the entire barrier, I controlled the space to minimize waste of power and immediately closed the pseudo-otherworld.

In an instant, my body shifted from the headquarters to rest on the wall.

Numerous sounds stimulated my sensitive eardrums. My aging body reacted to those stimuli, revealing a thrill of battle.

Inseok, remain calm on the battlefield. Haven’t I told you this several times?

Thwack I whacked my thigh with my cane to soothe my body’s excitement.

Excitement isn’t good for the body; however, I must live longer to see the brats returned to normal, right?

With that thought, I opened my eyes to see the battlefield.

“You’re fighting well, fighting hard,”

Those brats are working hard for their age.

Seeing them still fight well, my old heart swelled with pride.

The brats who fled would have their limbs torn apart.

Even if the inexperienced brats might not have noticed, they were already being tracked through execution engines, giving a sweet taste to future punishments.

“Let’s see now.”

With a slight wave of my cane, a slope leading up to the tall part of the wall formed, and I rolled the wheels towards the barrier above.

“Grandpa! Danger!”

Thud!

Concrete erupted from the wall as gray pincers clashed above.

Just an ordinary occurrence.

It was just that a common crab’s claw struck down, but honestly, I was more concerned about the brat who warned me.

“Stop worrying about old men and do what you’re supposed to do, young brats!”

When it’s time for the old man to die, don’t worry about me.

Hearing my shout, the young ones stared blankly at me, so I built a concrete golem and smacked them on the back of the head.

With a thwack, the dazed brats returned to their job of exterminating the grotesque crustaceans.

Foolish brats!

I chewed the words as I looked down from a higher place at the entire enemy.

The gray stones in the mud battlefield, while my white stones were huddled in one location, form a wide area, and the gray forces pressed in despite suffering losses.

“Indeed, strange.”

As expected, one must directly feel the atmosphere on the front lines.

The electronic panels, the situation monitors, and all that don’t convey this feeling.

Why do those gray stones press forth, even after suffering losses?

Why do they keep assaulting us while ignoring their commander?

Do they truly think they can penetrate that impenetrable wall? Like I initially anticipated, are they beasts?

No. No way.

What I felt from that first offensive was merely a beast’s instinct.

Just pushing in with numbers.

However, the way that massive gray hybrid lizard approached the stones felt deliberate.

An intended massive reversal.

No, that’s not it!

If they were aiming for an impressive reversal, why are they throwing stones?

Think, Infinite Architect. There’s a premise.

A suspicious scent wafted into my nose.

I still couldn’t sense it, but there was some kind of bizarre trap.

Like a filthy stench from a restroom.

“Grandpa! It’s dangerous here!”

“Shihyeon! Slow down…”

A shout that broke my focus.

Ugh More brats?

I turned my head and saw a dumbfounded brat with a flapping cloak in the wind and a red-haired hero straining to climb the tower.

Did they abandon their posts? Worried about the old man?

“In the time you’re worrying about me, you should just do your job. Buzz off.”

“We’ve finished everything on our side! It’s free action now!”

They might be surprisingly skilled? I hadn’t seen these faces before.

Casually observing the young cloaked brats, I noticed the premise.

A silver hammer. A precursor’s weapon resembling my hammer, a bizarre design.

“Looks like Haram took on a disciple; that must be his lot.”

“Do you know Master?”

When the disciple heard their master’s name, he leaned in, obstructing my view.

Even if he’s a disciple of the hammer brat, there’s a limit to the annoyance I can take.

“If you’re a bother, buzz off…”

“From here, I can see the flow well. Below, it was blocked by a crab, so I couldn’t clearly see it.”

“Shihyeon, look over there, the flow seems off, right? Normally, three people wouldn’t need to push the crabs to mess up the flow.”

“If three of them strike together, the attack triples, right? The energy is tripled, so even the tanking hero would be overwhelmed.”

That silly cloaked brat should just be dealt with.

“Look out!”

The cloak one grabbed the cloak with his concrete hand and threw it behind him, releasing a strange sound.

“Shihyeon!”

“Don’t mind that fool! Just tell me, what do you see?”

“Wha—How does this battlefield look in front of you?”

Let’s initiate a dialogue first.

“Uh… um? Who are you?”

“I’m the Infinite Architect affiliated with the headquarters. Speak up.”

“Well… I think they might hear us, is that okay?”

Why’s this young brat so lacking in spirit? How are they supposed to survive a bright future like this?

“Why are you so unsure when you carry the title of a hero? Be a bit more like your master.”

As I scolded, his eyes shook intensively, but soon after he composed himself and opened his mouth.

“Essentially, the flow itself seems strange. During the first offensive, it felt instinctual, but now it feels like there’s a dam intentionally blocking the flow…”

His direction might differ from mine, but it wasn’t bad.

It was worth taking the time to listen.

“Keep going.”

“The atmosphere around us feels exciting because we’re winning, but it feels uneasy. It felt wrong as the large crab struck down, like it was hitting with a hammer rather than its claw…”

I thought they were gaining confidence, but this was how it ended?

Still, it’s not bad.

Macbeth couldn’t detect the battlefield’s discomfort either.

“That’s helpful.”

“Huh? Y-yes? Thank you!”

He must’ve been out in the battlefield longer than I had, so he probably picked up many clues.

I regarded the words of that young disciple and surveyed the battlefield.

Suspicious flows and intentionally weak attacks.

And their positions.

It wasn’t that the enemies were throwing stones incorrectly; rather, if they were aiming for that from the beginning…

The effects of Otherworld Erosion.

The special abilities of the gray crustaceans.

Information about the newly arrived tentacles flooded my mind, and a lineage of dozens began to pour down.

That lineage then intertwined, forming a blueprint.

“Holy crap!”

Why was I missing this?

“Contact the headquarters!”

As the activation code dropped, the white tattoo beneath my ear began to glow, initiating a direct connection to the headquarters.

“Huh? Yes, here’s the radio.”

“Not needed!”

The hammer disciple, perhaps thinking I ordered him, was clumsily bringing a walkie-talkie, but that wasn’t important right now.

-What’s going on, Infinite Architect?

The calm words of Macbeth were endlessly annoying right now.

“Switch to the Librarian! That doddering commander!”

-What is it?

The Librarian’s calm tone also set off my irritation.

“Investigate the energy density around us.”

-If it’s the energy density of the Otherworld, it remains stable.

“Not that! The gray bastards’ power, the gray world. Quickly.”

-For that, we still don’t have the proper measuring tools…

“I’m saying time is of the essence!”

-It’s not different from the start of the battle… The subtle details may vary, but—

Damn it! This is the worst-case scenario.

“Switch to Macbeth.”

Crackle

A little noise carried over as magic transferred to another person felt unending, stretching on for what felt like dozens of seconds.

A moment, every moment, felt crucial. The enemies continued to throw stones, and the end drew closer and closer.

-Is anything? I switched and then switched back.

“Withdraw the army immediately. At this rate, those brats will die.”

“Lord Haram! The headquarters has a message! They said to delay the attack!”

“Delay the attack? What the hell?”

I was barely keeping the boss at bay; how could I let go now?

Of course, there’s nothing better than to reassess once.

“Didn’t you say you’d found a way to hold off that main entity?”

“I didn’t say so, but if we keep this way, we’ll lose this battle too…”

Crackle

The moment Unho’s voice reached me, the sound of the premise crumbling echoed in my ears.

What’s happening?

I immediately redirected my gaze from Unho to the main entity.

The source of the sound was easy to recognize.

The main entity’s carapace was cracking, countless fissures appearing as it began to break apart.

The lava tentacles that had been chasing me burrowed into the inside of the massive entity.

Why?

In the gray world, countless gray carapaces flaked about.

They melted together into the dot world, and the gray world expanded its size.

-The gray world is widening!

The worst-case scenario I feared has unfolded right before my eyes.

The bodies of the gray crustaceans exploded, scattering their particles across the realm.

I recalled the incantation of Otherworld Erosion.

(The existence of the sea is a single life.)

I thought it meant that inflicting damage would balance the impact. However, I was amazed the line itself also held meaning.

A single life.

In other words, until one dies, even if they became a corpse, they wouldn’t die.

Hence, the gray world didn’t scatter. Normally, a corpse would merge with the world upon its creation and expand its depths.

This invasion, blanketed in death, was the last offensive.

The gray forces fulfilled their role with this.

“I was thinking wrong from the start.”

Following my advice, the heroes began to retreat, yet half of them still maintained their positions.

The sky turned gray.

The earth turned gray.

Everything within my vision became gray.

Color, scent, texture. Everything started being tainted gray.

As if attempting to turn thoughts gray, I felt mental attacks being produced.

The disciple of the hammer, standing beside me while observing the front line, collapsed. Unable to endure the world’s change, his mind was consumed.

“Avin!”

That brat looked fine.

Was his mental strength relatively strong?

“Grandpa! Why’s Avin doing this?”

… Take that brat and run away.

Perhaps this battlefield would collapse too.

Far in the distance, I saw a massive red figure rise.

A conspicuous red hydra in the gray world.

That’s right. We thought wrong from the start.

From the beginning, we were not fighting just one gray faction.

From the onset, we faced two major adversaries, but we just weren’t aware of it.

The second opponent. It seized a red stone.

Before my eyes, the gray lizard exploded.

Gray flesh and carapaces scattered everywhere.

A new enemy appeared.

A hydra made up of endlessly entangled lava tentacles. Its lower body still used the gray lizard but appeared unnaturally grotesque.

Now… is it time to use it?

The red hydra gathered its nine heads in one place, opening its mouth.

I felt immense power from the Otherworld concentrating, but I was still pondering.

Is it okay to unlock the limiter now?

Am I certain of finishing this?

Normally, I’d immediately tell Unho to lift the limiter.

But something gnawed at me.

‘What’s needed is a single knock, but if you wish to reach, do not mistake the timing of the two.’

Macbeth’s prophecy.

Is now that moment?

Is using it now the correct decision?

When exactly is the timing of ‘the two.’

Why two?

With its vast power gathered, the hydra turned its head. Its target was not me but the heroes collapsed against the wall.

“Flank!”

“Save the limiter and create a platform!”

Unho looked puzzled by my words, but this should be correct.

Not yet. I don’t know the content of the prophecy, but right now it’s not time.

Unho nodded slightly, albeit looking perplexed, and followed my directions.

As I stepped onto the platform and quickly rose, the hydra also tilted its head back, preparing to launch its power.

As I grew my hammer, the hydra unleashed the Otherworld’s power.

Something that could be called lava breath.

With that immense power, I too lost my sanity.

Following my instincts, my body swung the hammer relentlessly.

Rotating and swinging, the trajectory formed a defensive barrier. A technique specialized in defense utilizing a huge hammer.

Faster, wider.

The power contained doesn’t matter.

It’s okay if I get hurt.

Only the lava heading to the wall must be stopped.

That’s my enemy.

I must block it with my sacrifice.

Time passed, though how long it felt.

As the rolling lava waves that seemed endless came to a halt, I too felt it and paused my hammer.

I smell something meaty.

My skin and flesh must’ve cooked.

“Stay conscious! Lord Haram!”

Unho was alive, and now… how should I act next?

A spit resounded.

So trivial a sound that it barely caught my attention.

My weary body responded one beat too slow.

No.

It was truly trivial.

A small molten rock spat out by the hydra.

It flew toward the wall.

Too late.

A hero is going to die.

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