It was an unknown life form, even to Gark, who had once been a hunter until he was certified as a level 7.

As if to blow away the numbing impact left in his arm, he whirled his "Ice Storm Fang" and pointed its cutting edge at the slime monster.

The slime creature waved its thick tentacles, which looked like arms, and observed Gark.
Despite its appearance, it has dull golden eyes. The eyeballs looked awful in the thin, dull flesh.

He had slaughtered many demons. Hexenbiests. A golem. A dragon renowned as one of the strongest demons in the world. And the hideous undead that make me want to vomit.

But the creature in front of you is none of those things. If Gark had been asked to describe the creature in front of him in words, he would have described it only as a slime.
Of course, I assure you it's not slime.

'What the hell are you ......? What 'era' have you been pulled from?'

The investigator shielded behind him nearly fell over as he frantically ran towards Sven.
I don't expect a slime to be able to understand me. I'm just buying time.

While Sven and the other hunters are dealing with it, Gark has been observing the apparition.

A magical barrier so strong that it distorts space. It's a kind of force field. It repelled Sven's arrows, which he prided himself on killing, and even blocked magic attacks.
The force field is so strong that it can destroy a hunter's armor just by touching it. It is especially incompatible with the majority of close combatants - hunters.

The magic barrier is simple, but strong. It is extremely difficult to break through if you are inferior in strength.

Taking a short breath and focusing his mind, Gark glances at his armor.
Gark's halberd is a treasure. It is an imitation of an advanced civilization that once existed. Its strength surpasses that of any metal in existence.
A weapon that has gone through many battles without a scratch, and has been subjected to a force field of slime without a scratch.

If Gark had retained the power of his prime, he might have been able to penetrate the barrier and destroy the slime monster.
But now, Gark has a fatal blank in his body. He could prevent the deterioration of his body through training, but he could not prevent the deterioration of the mana materials he had absorbed.
To some extent, he can make up for it with his old experience, but even that has its limits.

Even if he was an ordinary hunter, Gark was not geriatric enough to think that he could break through an impenetrable barrier with a single arrow from Sven.

I'm going to let the magic pass through the warrior friend in my hand.
A feeling I haven't felt in a long time. Gark frowned as an inexplicable feeling of emptiness suddenly ran through his body.
Due to the decrease in mana material, Gark's total magic power is decreasing.

But even so, the treasure tool answered its bearer's call.

The halberd's massive blade glowed a dull blue, clad in cold air.

'It's not just a phantom. Did it come from outside? What's going on? What did Krai see?

It's been five years since Gark first met Cry.
It was a mediocre party. Or at least its leader seemed mediocre.

But that judgment was soon overturned by the results.

Strange Grief was always bloody.
While there were many parties with glamorous names, the party with the strange name was always on the harshest battlefields that one could ever encounter.

The essence of Krai lies in his outstanding foresight. It is the power most needed in a leader.
And that power was sharpened as his party members grew.

Even my longtime friend Gark doesn't know how the Thousand Transformations reads the future.
It's not magic. It's not the power of a treasure. Of course, it couldn't be a coincidence.

There was only one answer.
Krei Andrich was nothing. Just as ordinary hunters gather information in advance and prepare for emergencies, he is able to predict the future based on a few clues, like grains of sand.

In this case, Krai came to this place in response to an urgent request presented by Gark, and noticed something.
So, he sent the Black Gold Cross as an advance party to deal with that something.

Don't forget that when Gark went to consult with him, Krai said that he was busy with other matters.

This slime thing in front of you is a powerful enemy.
The nature of the magic barrier makes it incompatible even with Liz, who specializes in speed. But if you have a lot of cards in your hand that you don't know how to play with, you can do whatever you want.

But he didn't take that step.
In other words, it means that this matter will not end with the words "a powerful illusion appeared by chance".

Krai is probably fighting an enemy that can't be compared to this slime.
He said he was going to ask Liz to do something for him, so that may be the connection.
Either way, Gark and the others have to deal with this slime monster now.

The slime monster does not respond to Gark's words.
He raises his arm at Gark, who gives him a look reminiscent of when he was a war demon.

You're a fool!

You'll be able to use the halberd blade to catch it as it bends like a whip. Instead of slamming into it, he simply uses it like a wall to defend himself.
A throbbing, molten arm slams into the blade. The thick blade trembles as if it were roaring, and he grasps the handle firmly to withstand the tremendous impact that is transmitted to him.

The slime creature retreated for the first time as Gark stomped his feet as if he was firmly rooted.
The hunters who had been watching the scene around them shouted in admiration.

Gark lifted the edge of his thick lips and smiled like a beast.

It seems that the monster in front of us is not a slime after all.
A slime is a shape-shifting creature. It does not have a specific form and can change its shape at will, but the monster in front of me does not seem to have that property.

It's not very smart either. It seems that the monster in front of you is not very smart, and is more likely to attack on instinct.
It would be difficult to defeat it, but at least Gark would not be able to prevent it. You can buy yourself some time by taking turns targeting it with your shield-carrying hunters.

The only concern was that the slime in front of him was moving a little faster.
Gark was essentially a warrior. He's not very good at defending himself. If it continued to increase in speed, Gark would eventually be unable to take it.

He may not be able to withstand it alone. But with the help of those around him...

I glanced behind me. I can see the mages slurping down blue potions to restore their magic power.

It's very bitter, isn't it? .......

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.



'Cover the Branch Chief!

Flaming arrows rained down on the monster in front of me. He went straight through the storm of flames and blocked the slime monster from above with his 'Ice Storm Battle Fangs'.

The impact of the force field tormented Gark's arm like an electric shock. The crimson hand armor did not protect him from it.
But as if to disguise the pain, Gark roared. It was enough to give him the strength he once had as a hunter.

The leaves rustled and the trees trembled. The cold air around the blade spread to the slime.
With the return of the demon, the hunters, who had been on the verge of collapse due to the desperate war situation, regained their strength.

I can do it.
Gark can't predict how long he'll have to endure, but he'll do it.

Just when he was sure of this, a black arrow from the side pierced the body of the slime monster that was about to pounce on him.
The slime monster was blown away. It collided with a tree, and the tree snapped and fell under the force field.

A roar echoes through the air. Sven, who had fired the arrow, opened his eyes.

The slime thing slowly raises itself up. The black arrow that had been lodged in its body cracked and fell to the ground.
The spot where the arrow had struck. The hole was cracked around it. The hole was quickly filled, and the slime began to move again.

But there was no doubt the attack had gone through. It's different from the past, where everything was rejected.

'? ...... How did the attack go through? Is the magic barrier ...... getting weaker?'

Sven shoots a new arrow. The arrow, which flew at a speed comparable to the previous one, hit the slime's arm and was flicked away just like before.
Gark blocks the slime's rush just as before.
He stomps down to catch the impact.

That's when Gark realized...


--It's frozen!


The area where the blade meets the slime monster is thinly frozen.

The Ice Storm War Fang is a halberd clothed in cold air. Its strong cold air could freeze the flesh and blood of demons, and at its peak, it could even create ice statues.
Normally, this treasure tool would freeze the target from the scars it inflicts, but the cold air can reach you even if it is blocked by barriers.

The surface of the slime is turning white. The distortion of the air caused by the magic barrier that was being released weakens.

Ignoring the pain, you turn red and focus on the halberd.
The flesh creaks and the bones ache. You grit your teeth and endure the arm that threatens to tear you apart. The crimson body, which had been frozen and white, snapped.

And just like that, the surface of the slime shattered. Pieces of ice fluttered down, glittering. They landed on the ground and disappeared as if they had been an illusion, never to return to the main body.

A high-pitched roar came from the slime.
It was not a scream. Neither fear nor pain could be felt in that strange voice.

But make no mistake. This thing's weakness is cold air.
Freeze the surface and the barrier weakens. Break the body and the part disappears.

Ice magic is hard. Its pure destructive power makes it low priority to learn and few mages can use it.
In particular, the number of users is even smaller when it comes to advanced magic that creates cold air and attacks instead of physical attacks such as directly hitting with ice.

I'm not sure what to do. Gark shouted.

'Ice! I'll freeze it!

'd*mn it, that's how we're going to get the Branch Chief--...... you hear that? I'm going to freeze him!'

Sven ruffled his hair and shouted as he spat. The hunters roared in counterattack.



§



An old mage in a dark green robe held his forehead at the unexpected sight he got through his false eyes and ears.

It was one of the many spare laboratories that had been prepared in advance.
In the empty room, all the tools from the underground laboratory of the White Wolf's Den had been brought in, and a number of apprentices were busily building the laboratory.

Shelves, desks, and the rare catalysts that make up the magic formula are taken out of the magic bag, an extremely rare space-expanding treasure that twists time and space to allow more space than it appears, and placed in the same position as they were in the basement of the White Wolf's Den. .

The apprentices were all those who had once been branded as mages of failure.

Those who were captured for attempting forbidden magic out of sheer curiosity. Those who have unleashed massive offensive magic and killed many. Or those who have used living people and tried experiments that were horrible to hear.
These are people who are more than powerful enough to be mages but somehow lacking in humanity.

In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.

'......What a thing to say,......'

'How can I help you, Noto-sama......'

One of the disciples, a pale man with gray hair, dressed in black robes, asks Noto, who has been meditating and concentrating his mind.

Noto slowly opened his eyes and looked at the disciple with the sharpness of a bird of prey.
His wrinkled fingertips were tapping on the surface of the desk. It was a habit of Noto's when he couldn't get his way.

'No, we're losing ....... d*mn you hunters. ...... There were too many of you.'

The disciple's eyes widened in surprise at the bitter words.

In fact, the disciple had seen the moment when his master had treated the illusion and turned it into a far more powerful 'failure'.

The panicked voice of the phantom. The agonized expression on their faces, their bodies made of throbbing mana material.
The result was a fearsome and powerful monster that defied the order of this world. It is still fresh in my mind that I gained a deeper respect for my master after seeing that scene.

'......No. ......Sophia's potion is inadequate?'

'...... No. The effect was ...... certain. I could have buried 20 people without fail. ...... d*mn it, what the hell are those people ...... doing?

The first apprentice accidentally created a potion that had a greater effect than Noto had imagined.

The lowest-ranked Wolf Knight injected with it disintegrated the Mana Material that made up his body and gained power in exchange for his appearance.

The mana material is also called the source material. In other words, it is the source of magical power.
The disintegrated Mana Material is converted into a vast amount of magical power, and the outpouring of magical power creates a powerful force field that becomes an ironclad shield that repels all attacks.
It is a power that is inherently possessed by high-level illusions and demons, a power that is incomparable to the power that the individual possessed when it had a stable body.

Of course, it is not invincible.
An illusion that melts its body and runs amok cannot last long. Once a runaway occurs, it will never return. The mana material that makes up its body will be reduced to magic in the not-too-distant future and disappear without leaving a speck of dust.



But according to the man's calculations, it should have been easy enough to annihilate the hunters who had come to investigate before that.

The only thing he didn't expect was that as soon as Noto left the scene, more men arrived.
They were several times the number of people who had initially been working on the investigation.

Even for the man who had once been called a wise man, this was completely unexpected.

And they were not mere soldiers. It is quite difficult to annihilate the hunters of the First Step, a well-known clan in the Imperial Capital, when it comes to Gark Werther, who was once feared as a "war demon" and is now the head of the Explorers' Association.
In addition, those hunters were always on the lookout for something and never let their guard down.

And unfortunately, the battle is going exactly as Noto predicted.

In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.

I'm not sure what to do.

In front of Noto's painful expression, his disciple clucked his tongue and moved his eyes in an annoying manner.

'Sofia. How can you be absent at such an important time? ...... You always look so big ......'

'......Well, okay. I have no choice. You've been seen experimenting, but you don't have to worry about it being traced back here.''

The apprentice's voice was filled with not only anger but also an uncontrollable jealousy.

It was true that if Sophia, who had created that potion, had been around, she might have come up with a new plan.

Sophia has a natural disposition. All of Noto's disciples are more than capable, but she stands out among them all. Although she does not yet have the courage to step into the abyss of magic, it is a talent that may surpass that of her master, Noto, if she has enough time.
If Sofia hadn't left the Imperial City by bad luck, it's possible that the Illusion could have been further enhanced.

But this was just a test, not Noto's ultimate goal.
It is not fatal if things do not go as expected.

There is no way that incompetent hunters with no interest in knowledge could have come up with the idea of the mana material running amok, and even if they did, they would never reach Noto.

There's only one person who could be the problem.

A Level 8 who has emerged like a comet in the Imperial City and has quickly risen to prominence.
He's feared by every criminal organization and his life is in danger.
The mage belongs to a magic society that boasts huge power in the imperial capital and other countries, and he has been designated as a person to watch out for.

In the event that you're not sure of what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.

The master of "First Step".

He is the reason why Noto retreated from the White Wolf's Den, and is probably the man who sent many hunters to the White Wolf's Den.

The old mage grasps his staff so tightly that his hands turn white.



We're not back to square one. The results of his research remain in Noto's hands, but there is no doubt that the path to his ambition has been set back significantly.
The White Wolf's Lair, a place where illusions are reasonably strong, treasures rarely appear, and hunters rarely visit, fulfilled the conditions for Noto to fulfill his longing at a high level.

If the Thousand Transformations hadn't visited the White Wolf's Nest at that time,......, it would have been a meaningless assumption, but I couldn't help but think so.

But I can't help but think that. And now that the test has been interrupted, I can't leave it alone.

I'll kill anyone who gets in my way. The wise man's lips twisted into a crooked smile as he fell into darkness.

Now, Noto has no power. He doesn't think he can defeat a hunter who is at least a level 8.
However, when his longing is fulfilled and he gains power, he will use every means at his disposal to ensure that his breath is stopped.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of these in the marketplace.
His eyes widened uncommonly, and his cheeks tightened. His hands on the desk were trembling.

'......, there's a problem, Master Noto.

'What's going on?

The apprentice said in a trembling voice, as the eyes focused on him.



'The ............ "Thousand Transformations" is in the ...... upper, treasure hall--'

He didn't know what he was talking about.

In the upper treasure hall? Who's that?

''...... That's ridiculous!

'But, but, really--'

That's impossible. It was only a few hours ago that Noto decided to move his research facilities to this location.
The decision was made by Noto himself. There were several candidates for the new location, and he had not yet informed his patron of the move.

And he's still on ......?

That's impossible. Absolutely not.
I stare at my student's pale face and turn my head frantically.

Even if the location of the lab was known beforehand, it would be absolutely impossible to pinpoint this place. It's not like he chose a place close to the White Wolf's Den.

And it's too early. Noto and the others hadn't even finished preparing to resume their experiments.

'It's getting dark. Have you come at this hour? Hunters are supposed to be active during the day.

'Yes, but ......'

The expression on his apprentice's face did not show any lie. No, Noto's apprentice is not stupid enough to tell such a lie that would be easily revealed.

So, the possibility is that there is someone inside - someone who leaked the information to one of his disciples.

He checks the faces of his disciples one by one, who can't hide their agitation at the sudden situation.
They were all familiar mages who had been Noto's disciples for at least a few years. He has checked their history beforehand.
The most recent apprentice is Sophia, but she's not here now, and she probably doesn't even know that the lab has moved or that the incident happened.

That's impossible.
After all, all of his students have been conducting experiments with Noto that would never be allowed under Imperial law. That includes human experimentation. I don't think providing information is acceptable. Noto and his disciples are on the same side.

After a moment's hesitation, Noto abandoned his doubts.

They say that the Thousand Transformations has a terrible eye. Now is not the time to be fighting among ourselves.
I've heard that he rarely appears in public, but now that he's here, his purpose is clear.
He was so perceptive that he could spot this place from among the many possible labs, and we couldn't just hide and wait for him to disappear.

He looked around at the lab that was in the process of being moved and bit his lip.

We need time to retreat.

We have to buy as much time as we can. We can't let them take control of our research facilities now.
If they see the report, Noto's presence will be exposed to the Empire. If they find out that Noto is still attempting to penetrate the forbidden realm, they'll go after him with all their might.
We have allies in the Imperial High Council, but they won't protect us.

We have no choice. The odds against a Level 8 are slim, but we have no choice but to activate the intercept system.

Once again, I lament the misfortune of not having my most trusted apprentice here.

Sophia was a researcher, but she was strong. Aside from Noto, the person who could best use the interception system was Sophia, who had created it together with him.


I remember the scene at the time when I confidently proclaimed that I could defeat even Strange Grief, and I wrinkled my forehead.

I didn't expect that he would not be there at the moment when I fought Strange Grief.

You look around the room. To his loyal disciples, who were waiting for the words of their master with serious expressions, Noto declared.

'I'm sorry, but I'm leaving. Some of you must lay down your lives to hold them back. All for the sake of ...... our longing.'