Time rewound slightly.
After parting ways with Yugroot, the captain of the Rescue Unit, Rest focused on exterminating the monsters roaming the plains through long-range sniping.
"[Stone Bullet]."
The spell Rest unleashed streaked forward with terrifying momentum, punching through a monster several hundred meters in the distance. Even at a range of five hundred meters, the creature was killed instantly as the projectile found its mark in its skull.
Normally, this particular magic possessed neither the power nor the range for such a feat.
However, Rest used [Compression] magic to harden the stones he created, shaping them into long, slender cones. By launching these aerodynamic projectiles with [Accelerator] magic, he was able to achieve power and range far beyond the spell's natural limits.
While he lacked a telescopic scope, he used [Life Search] as a substitute.
The range of [Life Search] could be expanded indefinitely depending on how much mana was poured into it—and Rest’s mana capacity was infinite. If he truly wished, he could extend his detection range to ten or even a hundred kilometers.
However, expanding the range too far caused an overwhelming surge of information to flood his mind, threatening to burn out his brain’s neural pathways. To prevent his mind from shattering under the pressure, Rest kept his search radius to roughly one kilometer while intentionally lowering the precision of the data he received.
( [Life Search] doesn't just pick up humans and monsters; it senses insects, small animals, and even plants. If I focused, I could determine if someone is an acquaintance, their gender, their age, or even their mana capacity. But for now, I’ll limit the targets to just humans and monsters, and restrict the incoming information to only their location and size. This way, I can manage the mental load even if I push the range past a kilometer...)
Once he identified the positions of the humans and the monsters, all that remained was to fire.
Carefully avoiding the students, he sniped the monsters, thinning the ranks of the creatures surging from the heart of the plain. He prioritized those currently attacking students above all else.
Ten, twenty... soon, he had sniped and eliminated over a hundred monsters.
"Alright... that should take care of the First Wave."
Rest exhaled and let his shoulders slump.
His mana hadn't depleted in the slightest, but the delicate mental labor had worn down his stamina, and his brain was beginning to ache with fatigue. He pulled out a honey candy he carried as a portable ration and popped it into his mouth, giving his brain a much-needed boost of glucose.
(The cause of the stampede is still a mystery, but a Second Wave is bound to come eventually. In the first place, what drove them out here?)
Monsters that typically inhabited the deepest regions of the plain were now appearing at the outer edges. It was an impossible situation. Something truly extraordinary must have happened.
(If I try stretching my search range even further... maybe I can find the source?)
Rest decided to attempt a new approach, despite the risks.
Currently, his detection radius was one kilometer in all directions. Anything beyond that placed too much strain on his mind, even with filtered data.
(But finding a way around that is what ingenuity is for.)
Exhaling slowly, Rest held his right hand out in front of him.
He began to alter the shape of his [Life Search]. Normally, the spell radiated outward in a perfect circle centered on the caster. Instead, Rest compressed the circle, stretching it forward into a long, thin line. By keeping the total area of the search the same, he pushed the detection range further and further toward the horizon.
(With this, I should be able to scout the depths of the plain without overloading my brain. Now, let’s see what’s out there—!)
Bracing himself for whatever he might find, Rest pushed his mana into the distance. His eyes suddenly widened as he made contact with an unexpectedly gargantuan presence.
Roughly five kilometers away from his current position, there was a monster with a presence of staggering power.
Even with his precision lowered, the pressure it exerted was intense enough to be felt clearly. Driven by that overwhelming aura, the monsters from the depths were fleeing in terror toward the outskirts.
"Is that... the Master of the Magical Wilds!?"
Every monster den known as a "Magical Wilds" eventually produced a "Master"—a creature that had accumulated massive power over many years. While these Masters rarely left the heart of their territory, it seemed someone had provoked this one, luring it out from its lair.
(If a thing like that reaches the edge, there’s no telling how much damage it will cause...!)
The Management tent sat right at the Plain Entrance. While teachers, Rescue Unit staff, and the guests’ personal guards were stationed there, Rest doubted they could stop a monster of this magnitude.
(There is no way I’m letting a horror like that get anywhere near Viola or Primula!)
He knew it was reckless. Even so, he had no choice. He refused to allow the people he had finally come to call "family" to be put in danger.
Fear gripped him. His opponent was undoubtedly an entity far beyond his league, an enemy unlike any he had ever faced. Yet, the fear of losing those he held dear was stronger.
"...Let's do this."
Rest steeled his resolve.
Accepting the danger, he kicked off the ground and sprinted toward the heart of the plain. He would intercept the presence believed to be Subnock, the Master of the Magical Wilds, before it could reach those he loved.