Chapter 38: Different Spells, Killing the Boss

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Different Spells, Killing the BossDamn it, why did I not think of that before?! She is right! Lian had never used other arcane formulas for a simple reason: he did not need them. Yet, when he pronounced the formula, the power of the spell formed through the circle increased. Lian closed his eyes, trying to recall what the other fire element spells were. There was "Ignis Arde, Flamma Parva" to summon a companion fire, usable also in combat as a close-range weapon. There was "Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus," Lian’s favorite formula, which allowed him to launch a fireball. Lian had never tried using another formula, simply because his system said the circle was for launching fireballs. It did not mention anything else about it. However, now that he had reached 70% precision, he had unlocked variants. Perhaps now he could unleash more devastating attacks? Lian had never thought about it, but it was not his fault. After all, only a few days had passed since he obtained the system; he had not had time to explore anything before being catapulted into this damned Gate. And now, thanks to Seline, a realization hit him. The other fire spells were different—some more destructive, others more effective in specific situations. There were a huge number of spells, including: "Ignis Arde, Ignis Serpes," which allowed him to summon a tongue of fire that moved in a wavy, snake-like manner. "Ignis Arde, Flamma Lancea," which allowed him to summon a spear made of flames. But these were just slightly different applications of the fire element, nothing too substantial. A fireball and a fire spear, for example, differed only in shape. The core concept was always the same: explosion. Things got interesting when it came to more unique spells, like "Ignis Arde, Murum Flammarum," which was used to summon a wall of fire. There were many other spells, but those were more advanced, requiring more mana and more training. The more he thought about it, the more Lian realized he did not actually need to modify his fireball, but he wanted to. Maybe it would improve his precision, who knows. "Hey, Lian, are you okay?" the girl repeated for the umpteenth time, gently touching his shoulder. "Huh?" His eyes snapped open in surprise. "What is it?" he asked with a hint of doubt in his voice. "What’s wrong? I just asked you a question, and you suddenly zoned out... are you okay?" "Oh, yeah, I’m fine, I was just thinking," he said, scratching the tip of his nose with embarrassment. "You know, you’re right. I’ve never used different spells... let me try, okay?" Seline nodded, her expression skeptical. How is it possible you haven’t tried anything else? she thought before remembering he had only been a Mage for a short time. "Let’s try this... Geometric Spell, Circle," Lian thought as a circle visualized in his mind. Just as the circle was about to be completed, Lian shouted— "Ignis Arde, Ignis Serpes!" Despite saying there was no point in changing just the shape of the fire, Lian was curious. Could he really summon a fire snake? The mana coursed through his body, but this time it was different. It was no longer concentrated to be released all at once but was expelled in a more constant, sustained flow. "Wow, what is this!" he murmured as the fire shot out quickly from his hand, falling to the ground before starting to slither toward the worm Freddy was fighting. Despite the circle shape, what came out of the boy’s hand was not a fireball, obviously, but an actual flaming tongue that slithered toward the enemy. Seline watched the scene with a spark of approval in her eyes. "As expected from a genius like you... you used the spell on the first try. Are you sure you’re not a hidden expert—" "Damn it, no! Where the hell is it going?!" Lian didn’t hear what Seline was saying; he was too worried about the free will his spell seemed to have. "Lian, relax, it won’t hurt anyone—" "No, that’s not it, Seline, you don’t understand!" Lian interrupted her again. The girl was getting slightly annoyed at being cut off again, but hearing the urgency in Lian’s voice, she said nothing. "If the monster absorbs the spell, it’ll become a magical monster! At that point, it’ll be even harder to deal with!" Seline stared at Lian in shock before looking at the fire snake speeding toward the monster. "Damn, you’re right!! But it’s too late now; couldn’t you have said that sooner?!" The two exchanged an alarmed glance before nodding at the same time and shouting together. "Freddy!!" The shout immediately caught the man’s attention, but he couldn’t afford to be distracted easily. The worm wouldn’t give him that chance. "What do you brats want? I can’t babysit you two as well." "The fire snake, destroy the fire snake!" Lian shouted in a panic. Freddy didn’t understand what Lian was talking about, and he had no way to get distracted, not even for a moment. His body, covered in wounds, was proof of the monster’s power. "I can’t play with you, stop—" His words caught in his throat as something sped past him, darting straight toward the monster. Fire snake? Freddy thought immediately. The intended target of the attack, the worm, didn’t seem worried at all as it turned its head toward the fire, devouring it. "Damn it!!" the two kids said in unison, watching the monster let out a small burp of black smoke. "Kids, what did you do? Why are you worried?" Freddy asked, not understanding the situation. The monster had paused for a moment, allowing Freddy to catch his breath. "I’ll explain later, just attack the monster before it’s too late! There’s no time to waste!" Seline, meanwhile, had already prepared her most devastating attack. "Aqua Vivax, Aqua Lamina!" Several water blades shot toward the monster’s open wounds at full speed, while it remained still, as if it had just gained some kind of enlightenment. Seeing the scene, Freddy didn’t waste time, charging toward the monster with a quick dash. His sword glowed faintly green, a sign that the mana within the weapon was running out. Lian didn’t think twice before summoning his trusty fireball again. Sorry for betraying you, dear fireball, it won’t happen again, he thought. "Geometric Spell, Circle!" A circle appeared in his mind, quickly transforming into a series of concentric circles. "Let’s try the triple concentric circle!" he murmured as he drew one circle inside another inside yet another. Before concluding, the famous phrase. "Ignis Arde, Ignis Globus!" A fireball shot out from Lian’s hand, crossing the battlefield with intense speed. His aim wasn’t the best, but it still managed to hit the area where Seline had launched her water blades. Speaking of her, her spells hadn’t done any real damage; her water blades had only... wet the monster? Despite her talent, the level difference was too great. Freddy, on the other hand, had struck the same spot with ferocity, cutting a good chunk of the worm’s body, which screamed in rage, shaking itself out of its stupor. At that moment, Lian’s fireball hit the same spot. The explosion was intense; the smell of burnt flesh could be smelled by everyone. Seeing this, Freddy’s mouth opened slightly as he gave small nods of acknowledgment. Seline, on the other hand, was stunned. "So he could throw an even stronger fireball? Where’s his limit?!" The monster didn’t stop screaming as it thrashed left and right. Its head was ready to dive into the sand, but Freddy was ready; he wouldn’t let it. "Bastard, just die already!" he shouted, his hands raising the sword’s hilt above his head, ready to cleave it in two, striking the same spot on the worm’s body. Slash! The sword sank into the worm’s body as the runes on it stopped glowing, a sign that all the mana within them had been consumed, leaving the blade as nothing more than sharpened steel. Lian launched another condensed fireball, while Seline... could only watch from the sidelines. With these final actions, the monster thrashed for a few more moments while letting out one last powerful scream. It was dead. "Finally!" Lian was overjoyed as he turned to look at Seline. She was slightly angry with herself for being useless, but there was nothing she could do. After all, time was needed to become stronger. "You were great, Lian, I didn’t think you had all that power!" Seline shook her head, trying to appear as calm as possible. "Thanks, thanks, I did my best..." the boy replied, rubbing his temples. "Now my head hurts a bit." Freddy said nothing as he dug into the monster’s flesh, searching for its Core. If magical monsters had a Mana Core, physical monsters had the equivalent Vital Core, a pulsating orb that held the essence of their strength. "Hey, isn’t that strange?" Lian suddenly asked with a frown on his face. "What?" Seline asked, still frustrated about the situation. "We killed the boss, yet there’s no sign of a return portal..." Lian’s voice wasn’t loud, but Seline heard it clearly. Freddy also overheard Lian’s words. Indeed, he had already noticed it the moment he collected the Vital Core. No return portal. They were trapped.