From high above, I looked down upon the ship and the shark.
The shark was relentlessly lunging and snapping at the vessel. In response, the crew launched coordinated artillery strikes, managing to mitigate the damage with expert precision. It was a testament to Dorda’s exceptional command.
Logan was also lending support with his spirit magic. By weaving his spells in sync with Dorda’s orders, he assisted the ship with sudden bursts of speed and sharp maneuvers. It was an inconspicuous role, yet an absolutely essential one in this theater of battle.
(I'll start by systematically sapping its strength.)
Thanks to the prior reports, I had a general understanding of the shark's capabilities. It was clear that allowing it to remain in the water would be a disadvantage for us.
I unleashed a shockwave of magic, blasting the shark just as its head breached the surface. Struck by the force, the creature was sent tumbling onto the land, crushing trees as it rolled. Lying in the heart of the forest, the shark thrashed about with a wet, heavy sound. Its wounds were minor, and the impact didn't seem to have hindered its movements in the slightest. Even without its regeneration, the beast possessed a remarkably robust physique.
I channeled my magic, subjecting the surrounding area to such intense heat that every trace of moisture evaporated. In an instant, the lush greenery withered and died. That single patch of forest transformed, taking on the barren appearance of a desert. The heat was so extreme that spontaneous fires began to break out here and there.
The shark stood right at the center of the scorched earth.
(Now that the water is gone, it can no longer regenerate.)
Having eliminated the opponent's primary advantage, I prepared to unleash my next spell. At that moment, however, the shark dove into the soil and began to swim through the earth. It shrank even further in size, gathering speed as it went. Apparently, it was capable of swimming through soil as easily as water—a trump card reserved for exactly this kind of situation.
(However, it makes no difference.)
I descended to the ground and lashed out with my magic chains. The chains snaked out like living things, churning the earth as they bound the shark. I had heard that its fangs were particularly adept at magic destruction, so I ensured the restraints avoided its maw entirely.
Then, I began to siphon the miasma out of its body through the chains. The shark thrashed wildly, but it was unable to break free. Its resistance grew weaker by the second.
(After a few encounters, I’m finally starting to get the hang of this.)
The Beasts of the Outside World were essentially vessels for miasma. As one who held authority over that very substance, I could employ tactics that turned their own biology against them. I could force the battle into a one-sided execution like this.
Drained of its miasma, the shark remained in its shrunken state, twitching convulsively. It showed no signs of a counterattack. After confirming it was spent, I reduced the creature to mincemeat with a blade of magic power. The shark, now nothing more than countless fragments of flesh, failed to regenerate. It simply lay there, dead.
(That was surprisingly easy.)
I cast a sensing magic spell to scan the area. It appeared this shark had been the only beast in the immediate vicinity. For the moment, the battle here was over.
Or so I thought. In that heartbeat, a suspicious presence flickered behind me. It had appeared out of thin air, radiating the unmistakable power of a beast.
(—Teleportation?)
I spun around, my magic power sword flashing in a single arc. My blade collided with a descending dagger, parrying the strike. Sparks flew from the impact.
The assailant who had launched the surprise attack somersaulted backward, landing with supple, cat-like grace. He was a lean man, marked by a shock of cropped blonde hair and unnaturally long, slender limbs. He wore filthy, tattered clothes and gripped his dagger in a reverse hold. His blood-red eyes fixed on me with a ravenous intensity.
"Tch, I almost had a mouthful..."
The man clicked his tongue in frustration. He used the back of his hand to roughly wipe the drool dripping from his chin. As he did, I caught a glimpse of his sharp, jagged teeth. They were shaped exactly like the shark's.
Looking down at my magic power sword, which now had a small chip in the blade, I addressed the man.
"Were you the one controlling that shark?"
"Yeah, that’s right. It was just to smoke you out, but you walked right into it."
"Smoke me out...?"
An unexpected answer. I had assumed they were simply slaughtering everything in sight, but it seemed he had a specific strategy in mind. It appeared I was being targeted specifically by these beasts.
"I got the lead from the Tentacle Woman. She said the top-tier bait—the guy calling himself the Demon King around here—always shows up when the world starts falling apart."
The man spoke with a sneer, seemingly amused that I had appeared exactly as he’d hoped. The "Tentacle Woman" he mentioned was undoubtedly Gwen. Since she had peered into my memories, it wasn't surprising that she possessed such information. However, she was currently imprisoned. Given the Research Institute Director's scrutiny, I doubted she could have contacted anyone from her cell, which meant she must have spread this information before her defeat.
The man chuckled, toyed with his dagger.
"I haven't heard from her, so I guess she’s dead. Honestly, it’s a relief. She was a pain in the ass. I should thank you."
"I see."
It seemed Gwen wasn't well-liked by her own kind. Given her personality, that made perfect sense. The Beasts of the Outside World were clearly not a monolithic group.
"Now then—"
The man dropped into a stance, leveling his dagger at me. A sharpened killing intent washed over me, so heavy that the very air seemed to creak under the pressure.
"I’m the one who’s gonna eat you. That power of yours? It’s mine."
With that declaration, the man lunged at me with feral, ferocious speed.