C72
Photon Cannon.
Although the mass contained in the photons was tiny, the impact of striking at the fast speed of light output was beyond what a mere monster could withstand.
The eyes of the Ulk Chieftain burned with fury. Having fought many battles with humans, he knew how dangerous a mage could be.
"That's it! They must be scared! Shiroene did it!"
Martin shouted. But Altor had a different view. They were not facing a mere beast, but a monster. It is said that they have reason, but their beastliness was not to be trifled with.
"It won't end like this. Shirone may be powerful, but he's only human. Beasts that hunt in packs never retreat after just one or two losses."
As Altor predicted, the Ulk chieftain had no intention of backing down. The mage's power was destructive, but the group's violence was not intimidated by just one person.
"Grrrr, Ki...ll.."
"Kuaaaang!"
Ulc's roar howl shook the earth and sky.
'I can do it. If I focus, I can win.'
Shirone flew up using teleportation and bombarded the ground with Photon Cannons. Flashes of light struck like hail. Even if the Ulk weren't directly hit by the Photon Cannon, the shockwaves from the ground dealt significant damage to them.
Despite this, the Ulk's momentum didn't falter. They were a warlike race that even the Ogres, called the Kings of the Forest when in a group, would yield to.
Ignoring the damage to their kin, the Ulks jumped up and swung their claws at Shirone. Shirone hurriedly landed on the ground. There were seven of the Ulks waiting for an opportunity.
Shirone converted her Spirit Zone into an omnidirectional attack form. The moment the spike of the Spirit Zone touched the Ulks, a barrage of Photon Cannons was fired. Intense flashes of light blinded the eyes, and the Ulks hit by the photons were thrown back to where they came from.
"Wow, that's incredible... Shirone."
The children looked awestruck. They couldn't believe a human could fight on equal terms with dozens of Ulks. They had thought the tales of heroes were just exaggerated rumors, but seeing Shirone's battle made them believe any story could be true.
"Haah, haah."
Shirone's breathing grew ragged. The moment he cast the Photon Cannon in a barrage, she felt as if her consciousness would fly away. It was difficult to endure even with the mental strength to sustain Photon Output for more than 10 minutes. This is because Photon Cannon is fusion magic that combines light and mass.
A mage has only one slot to equip their magic. It's like humans can't focus on two things at once. If it's a Savant Syndrome like Elukira, double is possible, but apart from such special cases, even high-ranking mages can only use one magic at a time.
Therefore, it was rare in the professional world for mage who use a single attribute, pure magic, as their main specialty. Most combine two, or even three attributes to maximize the effect of a single spell.
Siennna's Ice Tornado, a combination of cold and wind, and Thadd's Fire Sun, a fusion of light and fire, were prime examples.
Fusion magic has the advantage of maximizing efficiency in a short time, but it requires a high level of mental power. It was only natural that Shirone felt fatigued after casting such spells consecutively.
'It's quite a trouble. I think I only have a few shots left. I don't think I can take them all down.'
Ulks are different from the delinquents in the alleyways. A beast's sense of smell reads the emotions of its prey like a ghost. If he shows any sign of fatigue, they will immediately try to tear his limbs apart.
In fact, the Ulk chief still showed hostility even after losing a third of his tribe.
Realizing that Shirone was exhausted, Ulk's secondary wave rushed in. The number was similar to the first wave, but it felt different compared to when he was fully alert.
In sense of desperation, Shirone fired the Photon Cannon. The mass of light buried itself in the belly of the Ulk running in the lead.
“Kuaaaaa!”
The massive body was dragged along the ground but, unlike before, it did not fall and managed to stand on its two leg. Shirone was shocked. he didn't expect the power to have dropped this much.
The Ulk chief, now certain of their advantage, ordered an all-out attack.
“Keuang! Keuang! Keuang!”
The Ulks also sensed victory and rushed in all at once.
'At this rate...'
All that was left for Shirone was the Immortal Function.
But could he endure it?
It was on a different level compared to when he had cast Photon Output before. It was unknown what the aftermath would be if Fusin Magic, which consumes a lot of mental power, was cast in the infinite realm.
“Grrrr!”
The moment he opened the Immortal Function, pressure surged in Shirone's mind. It felt like his head might explode.
"Aaaargh!"
Shirone steeled himself and opened his mind. A tremendous power rushed in as his sense of self loosened.
The moment his Spirit Zone was filled with light, it exploded violently. Mass waves pushed the Ulks away as golden fragments scattered.
Floating an orb of light in his palm, Shirone shot forward with all his might. The entire area was devastated as the Photon Cannons spread out in a flash of white light. Without reducing the output and continuously firing, the Ulks were swept away like they were being brushed aside.
However, he couldn't maintain this state forever. If infinity was an ocean, Shirone's mind was a stream. The Immortal Function was like a barrier blocking the gap. He was using the seawater by drilling a hole, but the barrier would eventually collapse as time passed.
Since the amount of mental power that must be paid for depends on the magic itself, mage chooses the most effective magic for the price depending on the situation.
In the magic society, magic with outstanding effects compared to the price is called Over Power. Some examples include the time magic, Stop, the invisibility magic, Invisibility, the alchemy magic, Injection, and the healing magic, Heal of Almighty.
Then what about the Photon Cannon?
Shirone thought it was close to Over Power.
It had excellent attack speed, the ability to switch between single shots and rapid fire, and even beams with different shapes. It met all the necessary conditions for an offensive magic.
However, this was only in terms of its efficiency compared to its cost. Basically, the Photon Cannon was an expensive magic. Using it indiscriminately, like now, could lead to a terrible situation.
'I can't do this anymore! I'll die first!'
Shirone stopped casting Photon Cannon. The saturation time was only about three seconds, but dust filled the air, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead.
As a gust of wind blew the dust away, the children shuddered at the sight before them. The area where the Photon Cannon had swept through was completely devastated.
Ulks were buried in the ground as if they had been chewed up, and the ones who had fled were trembling in fear, unable to mourn the deaths of their comrades.
Shirone realized the power of the Photon Cannon. There was truly nothing left in the path of the flash.
It was impressive enough for the caster to admire, let alone the ones on the receiving end. The Ulk chieftain had no choice but to accept the reality with a terrified expression.
They could not defeat this mage.
"Krrrr, we... leave... Let... us... go..."
Currently, Shirone was so exhausted that casting any magic was impossible. But he stood his ground until the end.
"Don't ever come back here. If you enter this mountain again, it won't end like this."
The Ulk chieftain conveyed his submissive emotions in awkward human language.
"Not... coming. You... strong... magician."
"Go."
As Shirone waved his hand, the Ulk chieftain left first. The other Ulks followed their leader into the forest without hesitation.
Only after the Ulks disappeared, Shirone, who was relieved of tension, stumbled and fell with his eyes closed.
"Shirone! Shirone!"
"Shh! Be quiet. They might come back."
Altor warned the children, who then shut their mouths.
Altor looked at Shirone again. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of him sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world.
The children of Hwajeonmin village had grown up over time, but Shirone seemed to remain unchanged since his younger days.
'They say mage don't age.'
At first, he thought Shirone was just a common mountain boy, perhaps even an adopted child. . Shirone didn't resemble Uncle Vincent at all, and that's why he looked down on him even more.
But he was mistaken. Perhaps Shirone was like the ugly duckling from the fairy tales?
Born different from a mountain dweller.
Altor lifted Shirone in a flash. Shirone was as light as a feather compared to Altor's strength, but he did not feel any pride.
By now, he knew that he could never truly lift the weight of the intellect contained within Shirone's light body.
"Let's go down. The hunting game is over." \
-------------------------
"Ugh!"
Shirone woke up from his sleep and bolted upright.
He was in someone's house.
As he touched the back of the sofa and looked around, he saw the cozy wooden floor.
He felt the warmth from the fire in the hearth and heard the sound of cooking coming from the kitchen.
"Oh? Shirone is awake. Lumina, Shirone's up!"
As Martin shouted, a noisy sound rushed in from the kitchen. After a while, Lumina peeked out from the other side of the wall, revealing her flushed face.
"Where am I?"
Shirone finally remembered. It was Lumina's house, where he had often stayed with his father when he was young.
The children came tumbling down from the upper floor. They hadn't gone home and stayed by Shirone's side, still dressed as if they had just gone hunting.
"Shirone, are you okay?"
Altor asked worriedly. As soon as they arrived home, he checked Shirone's body, but there were no abnormalities. However, they were ignorant about magic, so they couldn't be sure if there would be any side effects.
Shirone conducted a few experiments to make sure there was nothing wrong with his head. His memory was intact, and his mind seemed to be fine.
"I'm okay. I must have collapsed from exhaustion."
"Phew, that's a relief. We thought something was wrong with you."
Shirone felt quite sorry for causing unnecessary worry. Of course, the children thought the complete opposite.
"It's been a long time since I had a nap, and I feel refreshed. I think my fatigue is finally going away."
He had slept for a long time at the dorm, but in fact, he hadn't felt much relief from his fatigue. However, now he genuinely felt good. The constant feeling of being weighed down was gone.
He was confident that he could overcome it. But once it was gone, he realized how hard he had been enduring all this time.
'Armin was right. As soon as I mastered the Photon Cannon, my senses returned. I didn't even have a nightmare.'
His stomach rumbled. It was hunger, which he hadn't felt in a long time. The savory smell coming from the kitchen also contributed to his hunger.
Shirone licked his lips and asked Lumina.
"So, what are you making now?"
"Pork stew. My mom brought some meat."
Lumina's mother came out of the kitchen with a ladle.
“Shirone, how are you? Long time no see."
“Hello, Auntie. I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused."
"Hehe, don't say that. It's sad. My daughter has been waiting for you for so long."
Lumina's face turned red. But suddenly, her eyes turned sad, and she bowed her head.
Altor understood her feelings. It must be the same for all the children, not just him.
Shirone could not be their leader. He was not a child of Hwajeonmin village, nor a mountain hunter's child.
Shirone was a mage.
As the atmosphere became heavy, Altor shouted in a hearty voice.
"Come on, come on! I'm hungry. Let's eat first."
"Wow! It's been a long time since I've had meat! Meat! Meat!"
Lumina's mother put a large pot on the table. The stew with pork was simmering and bubbling beyond the proper level.
Although Lumina's family had only four members, it was common for people in the fire-farming village to gather in one house to eat, so there were enough dishes.
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Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
