The room was dark, but a little light shone in.
　Xellos, who had been working with a number of candles and using magic to supplement the light when he ran out, casually gazed out the window.

　The sun is shining in the forest, and the night is slowly fading away.

Oh, ......, it's morning.

　He had been working hard for a long time to integrate his magic, and although it was still incomplete, he had a rough idea of what to do.
　Now he just had to try it out, readjust it, and perfect it.
　The problem was that the magic he was working on was not for everyone.

Double deployment of range barrier magic, shape manipulation, terrain manipulation magic, and hardening, all in one process, will consume a lot of magic power.
　Even if the magic of the natural world is used, the priority must be placed on consolidating and hardening the sediment, and it must be done by the power of the magician to maintain the shape of the barrier and the piers.
　If it is done in a fast-flowing river, the magic power consumed by the barrier will increase due to the water flow, and the rocks and pebbles that come down the river will make it difficult to maintain the barrier.

　You can take them in, but then you won't be able to maintain the barrier.

I guess I'll just have to use ...... and see what happens.

　That's where we end up.

　In any case, the current state is not good enough to conduct an experiment.
　Thinking this, Xelloss lay down on the spot.
　If he didn't get some rest, he might make a mistake in using his magic.

　It's not long before he heard the old man breathing in his sleep.


　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇　　　


"What?　You want to try your magic upstream?
"Yes, we've got most of the functionality, but the question is, 'Is it practical? That's why. We can't use it in the real world right now, and we can't say for sure until we try it out.

　After three hours of sleep, Xellos came to Nagri to ask for permission to test the spell.
　Civil engineering tends to be very process-oriented and can't tolerate small delays.
　This is acceptable under certain circumstances, but for now, they want to get to work as quickly as possible.
　But it's not good if the magic is half done.

Well, I'm the one who gave you the three days, but you've done the magic, right?
It's still too crude to be of any use in the field. I don't even know how much magic it will consume.

　This is my pride as a former programmer.
　In programming, a single typo can affect the entire program.
　For this reason, I prepared a number of debuggers and engaged in the work of looking at the monitor and making corrections every day.
　As the person in charge, I had to attend presentations overseas, which often delayed my work and caused me to stay up all night again. I have argued with my boss many times.

　Magic is a kind of program, and the slightest mistake can affect the performance of the whole magic.
　Even though it was not as complicated as a machine language, a spell constructed with a complicated formula needed to be activated once to check its performance.

Why are we going upstream again?
If we build a few piers upstream to stir up the river, it will make the flow more gentle and construction will be much easier.
I see. It will make it harder for people to die if they fall into the river.
Just don't push anyone into the river, okay?
I won't. I'll just tie him to a rope and drop him.

　Naguri hadn't forgotten his grudge against food.
　He is a very particular dwarf.

"But hey, are you sure you're upstream enough?
"I can manage. I don't have to go that far.
Well, it's all right if you say so. Come back as soon as you can.
It's just a couple of spell attempts. It shouldn't take too long. I'll be back in a bit.
"Oh, be careful.

　With a slightly sleepy expression, Xellos heads upstream.
　He was under a lot of pressure, since his results would make or break the craftsman.

　He went upstream along the river with a gloomy feeling.


　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇　　


　The flow of the river did not change as he went upstream.
　It is still a raging torrent, and I don't think it can be made to flow gently with some agitation.

This is ...... multiple, let's try to build piers.

　Xelloss activates a compound magic formula.

　In the midst of the torrent, a wall of light is created, and it pushes the surroundings apart.
　At the same time, pillars of rock writhed from the riverbed like living creatures, gradually forming into the shape of the designated pillars inside the double-deployed shield.
　The shape is a sharp elliptical column that spreads out toward the river bottom.
　The sides were uneven, creating convection currents that agitated the flow and held back the torrent.

　However, if it is left as it is, it will disintegrate and collapse as soon as the magic wears off.
　Then the spell of "Rock Forming" is cast, and the sand and stones condense into a single stone pillar.

　Even if the magic is transformed into a physical phenomenon, it has the property of immediately returning to the magic power and starting to spread.
　However, the condensed sand and stone will generate heat due to pressure, causing the materials to bond with each other. This means that even if the magical effect wears off, only the pillars will remain solidly bonded and in shape.
　Physical phenomena that occur as a side effect are not altered by magical power, so even if magical power diffuses, it is still within the framework of physical laws. Therefore, they do not collapse, unlike phenomena that are artificially generated by magic.

　The problem is that ......

The problem is that it consumes a lot of magic power.

　.......

　The magic power required for the parallel operation of the three spells and the activation of the magic formula was far greater than Zeroth had expected.


　Xellos' level is over 1,800, so the amount of magic power he possesses is not unusual.
　However, the average level of people in this world is less than 100, and at most 300 is good.
　That's why the average magic power of a mage is around 250.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this. There are no mages who can use it.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it to get the most out of your money.
　You can shape it as you wish, but the more freedom you have, the more magic power you consume.

　In addition, they have not undergone the physical ability changes that occur under special conditions, such as [breaking through limits], [critical breakthrough], and [extreme breakthrough].
　This is a phenomenon in which when you reach a certain stage in your physical or mental life, all your abilities improve dramatically.
　It is also related to the level of the player, but not only the physical level, but also the skill level.
The more skills you have, the more likely you are to have a "sea breakthrough" or "extreme breakthrough.
　It takes a lot of practice to actually get to that point, but it is a realm that can be reached if you keep defeating powerful demons.

　However, at this point in time, this kind of secret knowledge has been scattered, and there is none left in this world.
　The damage caused by the Evil God War and the subsequent policy of seclusion in a safe zone due to political factors have deprived the world of the opportunity to produce high-level possessors.
　Because we have stopped exploring dangerous areas, the people have become low-level.
　Furthermore, the technology has become stagnant, and the people have become weaker than in the past.

　Well, it's none of my business, but...

I'm going to try it a few times to practice before the show. ....... If you fail, Naguri might hit you.

　And so Xelloss began to practice steadily.
　It's bad manners to have a cigarette in your mouth. .......


　In the upper reaches of the Auras River, a number of rock pillars are being built.
　The river, which had been flowing fast, was stirred up as the pillars were built, visibly changing to a more gentle flow.
　Since the river was originally fast flowing and difficult to get to and from by boat, people were diverting from other rivers to get to other cities.
　In addition, there is a history of another country further upstream, which came down the Aura River and invaded about a hundred years ago.

　The old man, who did not know such a historical background, got carried away and made a mistake here.

It would be a shame if it were to deteriorate due to the water flow, so let's make some changes...

　He carved a complicated magic formula into the pillar he had made, modified the magic stone so that it would absorb magic power from the surrounding area, and embedded it.
　In short, this pillar sticking out of the river has become a magical tool.
　Perhaps feeling better, he began to modify the other pillars as well, transforming them into mysterious pillars with geometric patterns on their surfaces.
　The pillars received magic power from their surroundings to create a time-limited but strong barrier that would not break easily.

　Then, perhaps feeling that it was too tasteless, he began to modify it for fun by forming rocks on top of the pillars and turning them into sculptures of creatures such as gryphons.
　Perhaps he couldn't stop playing with it, but he gradually began to create elaborate things.
　They were mainly super-time-space fortress ships, or anthropomorphic versions of some humanoid mobile weapons.
　Valkyrie, too, was not a warrior maiden.

　There was also a diva, a magic angel, and many others.
　It was just when she was getting into her stride that I sensed something was wrong.

"Demons?　No, not for that. ......

　When I spotted a moving shadow on the other side of the river, I stared, and my gaze collided with a creature covered entirely in bristly hair.
　The mouth of the creature is probably similar to a dog-shaped creature, with sharp fangs and saliva dripping from it as if it were starving.
　It has four arms with sharp claws and a body similar to that of a human.

　When the beast spotted Xellos, it swooped down on him, leaping through the columns at high speed.
　Then it swung its sharp claws at Xellos.

　You jump backwards to avoid the attack and shudder at the sight of the beast.
　Human faces emerge from every part of this beast, some of them children.
　The faces are moaning and looking at Xellos with resentment.
　Instinctively, I feel a rush of fear.

"What?　What the hell is this thing?

　The demon was relentless in its pursuit.

　I swung my left arm and avoided the fist that struck me by bending my body, but another left arm came at me.
　He draws the sword at his waist and slashes it down to intercept it.
　However, perhaps not feeling the pain, his left arm comes to reappear as if he were releasing a back fist from that position.

　He sliced off the left arm with his sword again, but the demon lunged forward and blew Xelloss away.

"Gah!

　He was slammed into a tree in the forest, and his breathing almost stopped for a moment.

　Xelloss has outrageous physical abilities.
　But this monster attacked for a moment, so fast that Xellos could not react.

"I'm sorry...

　I'm not sure..." He deployed his [Silver Wall] to counter the demon that was charging at him without thinking.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
　It's also a great way to get the most out of your day.

"Air Burst".

　You'll be able to find a lot more information on this topic on the web.

　The moment it loses its stance and stops moving, even for a moment, it will have a fatal gap.
　You can see it getting up to follow you, so you deploy a defensive barrier while you adjust your stance. ...... The demon did not follow you.

　What it was doing was eating the two left arms that had been cut off.
　Moreover, flesh began to wriggle from the lost arms, and they began to regenerate in the blink of an eye.
The wounds on the silver wall were closing up quickly, but more than that, the saliva that was constantly dripping from the demon's mouth spoke softly of its condition.

　It was starving to the utmost.

　In addition, arms and legs sprouted from every part of its body, changing its appearance into something bizarre.
　Perhaps it was because they were out of control, but as far as I could see, it was a fearsome sight that made me want to vomit.
　It had even begun to sprout the upper body of several people. There was nothing more eerie and fearsome than this.

　But this was also an opportunity.

"Chain Bind".

　A magic circle floats beneath the demon, and countless chains bind its body.
　The blocked demon flailed, but before it could break free, it made its next attack.

"Prominence Flame.



　A shimmering, scorching ball of fire enveloped the demon.
　He decided that if it was going to regenerate, he should burn it out at a rate it could not keep up with, so he used a flame-based incineration spell called Prominence.
　In the old days, it was considered one of the forbidden spells, and now it is a forgotten magic.

　It is a single attack spell, but its power is a heat attack that burns the enemy without a trace.
　The half-plasmatic flames burn the demons to ashes without giving them time to regenerate.

　But even though the demons were gone, there was still something engraved on them.
　It was fear.

　For a brief moment, the demon surpassed Xelloss.
　It showed him that there was someone who could kill him.

　The bad food had saved him, but he didn't know what would have happened if he had fought.
　He was terrified.

　It was the first time he felt his life was in danger.

I underestimated the other world. .... But what the hell is this demon? It's regeneration ability is abnormal...

　I looked at the ground, which had been turned to glass by the high heat, and muttered in dismay.

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
　In order to regenerate its arms and legs, it needs a certain amount of nutrients, forcing it to divide its cells at a very fast rate, and to make up for the lack of nutrients, it starts to run amok, attacking other creatures.
　This demon takes in what it eats, has no sense of pain, and starves instead of displaying its powerful physical abilities. It was in a constant state of nutritional deficiency.

　The increase in physical ability seemed to speed up the consumption of calories, and they had to constantly regenerate their muscles in order to push themselves to work harder.
　By eating prey, it takes in the ability, and continues to regenerate to ease the load, and then starves by consuming calories from the increased physical ability.

The ability to regenerate is a skill that is mainly acquired by orcs and ogres, but the demon you defeated is neither of those.
　Above all, I had never heard of a beast with multiple human masks attached to its body.

Could it have eaten a human?　If that's the case... it would attack people endlessly...)

　Cold sweat poured down my face.

"What the hell is this?
What the hell?　

　I turned around in surprise to see several dwarves, including Nagri.

"Oh, Mr. Nagri. What's wrong?
"What's the matter? You didn't come back at dinner time, so I came looking for you. ....... What's with the pillars?
It's a prototype pier.　I didn't want to just leave it there, so I decorated it a bit.
Not just a little. Have you been playing with ......?
It's not a game, though. I'm sorry to have worried you...
No, I'm fine. But ...... is a work that inspires creativity.

　I've had plenty of fun with my hobby.

　The pillars with the magical writing and carvings on them were novel to the dwarves.
　Despite their rough and rugged appearance, the dwarves had a deep knowledge of art.
　They stare at the pillars on the river with serious eyes.

The carvings are okay. It just doesn't match the pattern.
"It's good to see it from another point of view.　There is an unfinished beauty in the new.
It's immature, but it's not bad. If only the pillars were a little thinner!
It wouldn't be able to withstand the flow of the river. Why don't you make the sculptures smaller and symmetrical?
It's a pity that we can only see the sculptures from behind, not from upstream and downstream.

　For some reason, I got a lot of positive feedback.

"Make another sculpture for each side, and make it symmetrical. They should be about half the size.
"What, you're going to fix it now at ......?
Of course. You can't do anything halfway in front of us.
You're using up a lot of magic, .......
Squeeze it out.

　You're reckless, Nagri.
　But it seemed that the other dwarves were the same.
　Their eyes are glazed over.
　I'm serious.

"How many pillars do you think there are? It's pretty tough.
"Forty-five. Well, you'll be fine if you're willing to die.
You can't recover magic with energy!
「「「「 Just do it!　If you keep this up, I'm going to sink you. 」」」」

　He's not going to let you say no.
　He's a craftsman by nature, and he won't tolerate anything half done, so they'll force him to rework it.
　They would not tolerate an amateur's playful sculpting, but would insist on every detail.
　There would be no escape. Compromise is not in the dictionary of these dwarves.

　In the end, Xellos was forced to rework the sculpture.



　As the dwarves looked on with fearful eyes, he began to work frantically on his sculpture.
　The work was not finished until after dark, during which time the angry voices of the insistent dwarves were heard.

　When he returned to his temporary lodgings, Xellos had used up all his magic and had wounds all over his body.
　For the first time since he came to this world, he ran out of magic and collapsed.

　It wasn't just his magic that ran out, but his spirit as well. .......

　Congratulations: .......


　　I'm not sure what to say.


　Three men were walking in the forest late at night.
　One was a companion who was waiting on the other side of the river, and the other two were men who had crossed the river using ropes.
　They had managed to escape back to the other side of the river despite being swamped by the muddy water, and had come here with the help of their companions.

You've been mute for a while now, how did your experiment go?
"・・・・・・ is the worst. If you use it wrong, we could all be in danger.
Was it that bad?
You can't just say that!　It turned people into monsters.

　They were monitoring the effects of an amulet that a mage had handed to the mercenaries.
　However, the effect was more than expected, and the humans were transformed into freakish monsters.
　It was not what he had originally planned, and he saw the fearsome results.

"We used the evil perfume to escape, but they ate up all the demons that were lured there.
It's not that they're using it, it's that they're creating enemies.
It doesn't matter how much we scream, it doesn't matter what the higher-ups decide.
Yes, but ...... is a bad idea. It's something you don't want to mess with.

　They continued to walk in silence.
　They walked on in silence. The only sound was the rushing of the river, and there was no sign of the beast around.
　There was no sign of any beasts around them, but the only creatures around were goblins and orcs.
　If they were alone, they could be defeated with ease.

　As we proceeded with caution, we discovered a strange object at the bottom of the cliff.
　It was a pillar protruding from the river alongside the opposite bank.

　At the top was a magnificent carving, and the workmanship was breathtaking.
　My thoughts were soon blown away.

What the ...... hell is this?
You've ...... done it. Now we can't take them by surprise.
The Solstice Wizarding Kingdom is aware of our movements. The Kingdom of Solstice is aware of our movements and will not make the same mistake.

　Their nation once attacked the fortress of Santor by boat down the river and took it by surprise.
　It was a humiliating historical background that they fought a fierce battle in the once impregnable fortress of Santor, which is now a city, and fled in defeat.
　Although the country of Solistair did not exist at the time, the humiliation of that battle had been handed down to the royal family, and they were still looking for an opportunity to redeem themselves.

　Of course, preparations for war had already begun, but a pillar had been built in the Great River of Aulus, and there was a high possibility that the ship would be blocked by the pillar and run aground if they made a surprise attack.
　Furthermore, the current is so fast before the pillar that the ship will not be able to slow down and will run into the pillar.
　Surrounded by cliffs, the ship will become a target if it is attacked by magic.
　It was a completely dead zone.

If we don't report this, there will be no way to recover.
"Hmm. They're just waiting for us to come to them.
"Hey, what are these marks?

　What caught one's eye was the ground that had been melted by the high heat and turned into a mortar.
　It must have been so hot that the ground turned to glass.
　Then he found something.

"Hey, how many test subjects were there?
"Four. What about them?
Look at this: ...... Apparently, one of them was killed right here.

　A dull black stone was fused to the vitrified ground.
　And they know this stone. 　

"Idiot, you think you've defeated that monster?
That's impossible. ...... They killed every single one of the demon hordes and devoured them all!
But here's the proof.

　They paled when they saw the black stone.

"This situation is fire magic. It's also very powerful. ......
You're saying a mage defeated the ...... thing?
Impossible. A knight alone could defeat it, much less a mage,.......
But this is clearly a magical attack. You'll have to be very good at it.
The flame ...... mage of purgatory?

　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find out more about it here.

One of the four mages. .... I'm sure you're not the only one.
"I don't know. But we have to find out.
Let's go. In case you need me: ......


All it takes is one person. Just one of us has to live to tell about it.

　The men nodded to each other in resolve.

　As they continued through the forest, they came to an open area.
　Hiding in the bushes and observing their surroundings, it seemed that they were constructing a road.
　However, this is a remote and undeveloped area. There is no point in building a road at all.

The road is called ........ Why build such a pointless thing...
"The city of Santor is downstream.　It's faster to take a boat than a road.
"Wait, it's the Aulus River. No way. ......

　They're grateful for the road, but they're in the middle of nowhere.
　There is no city that can be used as a transportation hub, and I don't think they would want to please the bandits.
　It was only when I moved along the river under my breath that I understood the meaning.
　They are trying to build a bridge.

No doubt. They're expecting a war with our country.
What's the point of building a bridge here?　It's a waste of money. ......
Don't you see?　If a bridge is built here, our troops will take a huge hit.

　Their country is a small country in the upper reaches of the world, but to attack the magical kingdom of Solistair, they would have to go through two countries.
　The only possible way is to send troops down the Auras River by boat, but the presence of multiple pillars and bridges is a threat.

　The pillars built upstream will block your way, and if you can't control your speed in the torrent, you are sure to run aground.
　Surrounded by cliffs, they can be attacked thoroughly from above.
　Even if we could get out of there, we would be subjected to intensive attacks from the bridge and the cliff.

　In other words, the very topography of the land itself had become a natural fortress.
　The invasion by ship turned into an act of recklessness.

"My God, ......, they've already taken the first step. That's .......
"Our country will never regain its glory. Moreover, the pillar will slow down the flow of water and allow ships to come and go in this area. It seems we have a master planner.
"Using the terrain to lay the foundation for prosperity. Quite a clever man.

　It's just a coincidence.

The Solstice invasion will have to wait. We'll have to conquer the surrounding countries first. ......
But this will derail our two-sided strategy.
It can't be helped. Who would have thought of such a contrivance upstream and at the confluence of the mighty Auras?
Whoever came up with this plan must be very clever.

　You are mistaken.

　They don't know that everything is a coincidence, so they can only glean information from the situation.
　But whether it is correct or not, they have no choice but to analyze it objectively, judging from the current situation.
　Their analysis is greatly influenced by their subjectivity, which leads them to this conclusion.

　Originally, this road was built under the guise of "a road for those who cannot afford the cost of ships and have no choice but to travel overland," but as there are no towns around, merchants are more likely to be attacked by bandits.
　In addition, the proximity of the Great Green Zone of Far Flan made it vulnerable to threats from demons.

　However, for those who are trying to invade other countries, it looks as if they are rapidly developing.
　The speed of their actions seems to be a check on them.
　This was a good example of how different positions require different understandings.

"Why are the guards only mercenaries?
Perhaps they don't care if we see them. They can't do anything about it anyway.
It's a horrible country, unlike these blatant ...... rumors I've read.

　The reason why they were sent was to investigate the country of the magical kingdom of Solistea and to confirm the effectiveness of the experiment.
　In the first survey, it was rumored that there was a disagreement between the Mage Order and the Knights, and they saw this as an opportunity to attack.
　However, the actual situation is different, and they are showing moves to check their country.
　This makes me think that the rumors of "disagreements between domestic organizations" were intentionally spread, and that the aim is to disrupt the rats that have entered the country.

　Moreover, the fact that they have exposed their important bases makes their misunderstanding even more credible.
　It was all a coincidence, but they couldn't possibly know that now.

Let's go. We've got to get this to the motherland. ......
Yeah, they'll be too nervous to go to war, and the damage will be done.
We have a terrible schemer in this country. There are schemers in this country who can envision prosperity and the annihilation of the enemy at the same time.

　Men are afraid of a schemer who doesn't exist.

　They are warriors who are willing to die for their country, but they don't want their people to be unilaterally defeated.
　They kept the information they gained to themselves and ran through the dark night.

　They want their country to prosper. .......