Extra in a Romance Fantasy

49 – Fissure

They walk towards the lake.

Fortunately, the monsters had not yet started moving in earnest.

Whether they were surveying the situation or had some other reason, at least it wasn’t a bad thing for us. It meant we had time to prepare.

However, despite such a favorable turn, it wasn’t without its problems.

“….”

I gaze at the lake, maintaining a calm surface that doesn’t fit the situation.

The lake itself is the problem.

With a fissure opening on the island in the middle of the lake, there were many things to consider.

Since neither Ethan nor I are magicians, we can’t use flight magic.

Even a skilled individual who has reached the level of enlightenment can walk on water to some extent… well, it’s possible, but not at any time.

From Noble mtl dot com

In fact, if you have a certain level of skill, you can walk on water. The efficiency of it is not very good, so most people don’t use it in real combat.

The issue lies in the consumption of magical power.

To float your body on the water, you need to emit magical power through your feet. Apart from the difficulty of that alone, to continuously emit enough magical power to support the weight of a human, it’s difficult to maintain that state without possessing a sea-like amount of magical power.

Of course, those who have reached the level of enlightenment can mix their willpower to significantly increase the efficiency, but there are still limits.

Even if it’s only for a short time, it’s difficult for them to spend a long time on the water.

If the opponent is manageable, you might be able to resolve it within that time, but if the monster is equivalent to a calamity-class demon, it’s better not to fight on the water.

So, how should we resolve this situation?

The island in the middle of the lake is quite large, but not large enough to spread our wings freely, and considering the number of monsters pouring out, it’s difficult to utilize it.

Should we just wait for them to come out?

As I was pondering that, a low growl echoed—

Krurur—

A tentacle monster resembling a wolf… a tentacle wolf, let out a low growl.

Then, suddenly, it snapped its jaws open.

And from those opened jaws, a beam of white light spewed forth.

That beam of light struck the lake directly.

—

**Crackling──**

In the next moment, the entire lake froze.

“…….”

“…….”

Witnessing that spectacle, neither I nor Edan uttered a single word.

“…Well, fighting just got easier.”

“…Indeed.”

We nodded solemnly.

It wasn’t that fighting became nonexistent; it truly became easier. Although fighting on ice was more challenging compared to solid ground, it wasn’t entirely insurmountable. By applying a bit of magic, we could move on the ice almost as effortlessly as on regular land. It posed no significant problem.

The real issue lay in the fact that the wolf possessed more troublesome abilities than anticipated. Nevertheless, we chose to think positively about it.

We decided to consider ourselves fortunate to have discovered one of the monster’s abilities beforehand, without investing time and effort.

Without further ado, Edan and I lifted our feet onto the frozen lake.

And simultaneously,

“First, it would be courteous to introduce ourselves.”

Magic surged around Edan.

Gradually, the magic concentrated on the sword in Edan’s hand.

“Ugh!”

Edan, in an unusual display, sucked in a breath.

After thoroughly drenching the sword with the surging magic, he swung it.

Then, a storm erupted.

Crack!

The storm, born from a single swing, ruthlessly shattered the ice in its path, hurtling toward the island.

Thud!

Finally, it exploded with a resounding boom.

────!

The wolf howled in agony.

Kiaaak!

The octopus-like beings caught in the explosion were scattered into pieces.

With just one swing, they demonstrated a power close to divine.

“…Tch.”

The perpetrator, as if displeased with the phenomenon itself, clicked his tongue.

“Tough bastards.”

Krwa─!

The tentacled wolf howled.

As if angered by being attacked, it resonated with a massive sound, echoing as if challenging the heavens.

Though Edan’s attack had caused wounds that spewed blue blood like a fountain, it was hard to consider them fatal compared to its colossal frame.

Moreover, even those wounds seemed to be slowly healing over time.

“Well, it even has regeneration abilities. Quite luxurious, I must say, extravagant.”

Edan shook his head in disbelief.

“It’s probably tougher than you think.”

Edan hadn’t unleashed his full power, but it was undoubtedly an attack fueled by determination. Originally, it had the power to level an entire island in the lake.

Yet, despite receiving such an attack, the creature remained unscathed and was gradually recovering.

“That’s true. If we’re not careful, we might retire from this world by the end of today.”

Edan swung his sword with an expression that showed displeasure.

However, his face did not betray any sense of defeat or frustration. Perhaps, in his life, facing such crises was far from unprecedented.

He might have experienced situations even more dire, to the point that expressions like anxiety didn’t suit Edan, a veteran of countless battles.

“At least the greetings seem to have been properly delivered.”

With unwavering eyes, Edan looked towards the island.

Sure enough.

Krrr─

The tentacled wolf was glaring at Edan.

The eyes embedded all over its body were a disturbing sight, but it was evident that the monster had recognized Edan.

And it seemed rather angry about it.

The wolf, expressing anger by rolling its eyes embedded throughout its body, did so.

Thud.

It thrust its massive paw forward.

The meaning behind the action was clear.

A signal that the real fight was beginning.

As I watched the signal move before my eyes, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Anticipation that one of the tentacle wolves might come this way.

If that happened, dealing with one of them first through a joint effort with Edan would make things much easier.

I was watching with that expectation, but…

Cr-r-rack—

My wish did not come true.

The other tentacle wolf, which had been observing the situation slowly, began to move its heavy body as well.

“Tsk. This won’t be resolved easily.”

Edan, seemingly sharing the same thought, clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Then, he turned his head towards me and spoke.

“Little one, we’ll have to handle them separately for now.”

“That seems to be the case.”

Considering their size and the cold that had frozen the lake a while ago, fighting up close would only have a negative impact on each other.

So, it would be better to separate them one by one, create a state where they weren’t entangled with each other, and then fight.

“…Be careful.”

Edan said with a deep, penetrating gaze fixed on me.

“I assume you’ll do well, considering how you fought before, but… still, be cautious. Fighting these creatures is entirely different from facing humans.”

His eyes conveyed a clear concern directed towards me.

“If it seems too much, just retreat. You don’t have to handle everything.”

To his words, I nodded lightly.

“I’ll do my best. Take care too, Lord Tugwi.”

“Don’t call me that. …Anyway, here I go.”

Waving his hand, Edan moved away from me.

And the wolf that had been approaching Edan also began to follow him.

“…Phew.”

In that state of being left alone,

I took a deep breath and delicately touched the hilt of my sword.

Crunch—

One of the wolves, fixing countless eyes on me, slowly approached while the rest remained frozen in place.

“…”

Certainly, facing a monster of this magnitude is a first for me.

I’ve encountered demons and monsters from other realms, and I’ve killed them too.

However, a monster with power equal to mine is unprecedented.

As Edan mentioned, it’s entirely different from fighting humans.

Things to consider, things to be cautious of, and the way to fight—all of it will be different.

Even dealing with just demons is like that.

Demons above a certain level each have unique characteristics, making them challenging opponents.

Especially with calamity-level demons.

Yet, there’s a limit to that.

To be precise, they still exhibit traits within the realistic bounds, even if they possess extraordinary abilities.

Sometimes there are individuals with outlandish powers, but they never completely break the mold.

However, monsters from another realm are a different story.

Starting with their grotesque appearance, these beings often possess abilities so bizarre that one couldn’t even imagine them.

Therefore, one must always be on guard and pay close attention when dealing with them.

The current tentacled wolf exhibits two abilities.

The frigid cold that can instantly freeze a lake and regeneration.

However,

“There’s no guarantee that it possesses the same abilities as the others.”

Though they may look the same, there’s no assurance that they’re identical entities.

Approaching the fight with such thoughts is a recipe for complacency.

So, I must fight with the mindset that allows no room for negligence.

Keygi—

Kikik!

Like subordinates waiting for the leader to make a move,

As the wolves left the island, octopus-human creatures poured out of the rift, eagerly mobilizing in a current state of progression.

Not in a specific direction, but in all directions.

The power each of those entities possesses may be insignificant individually, yet to an ordinary person, they would be nothing short of catastrophic-level threats, and the sheer number is difficult to fathom.

If left unchecked, a true disaster will unfold.

Anxiety raises its head.

The unease that the party might go awry keeps shaking my mind.

However.

I make an effort to push those thoughts aside and focus on the present.

Swish—

Drawing the sword from its sheath, I face the oncoming tentacle wolf at close range.

This one, first.