Alice Tale in Phantasmagoria Vol 1 Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Magic

At first I walked around the ruins in something like a sightseeing mood.

I like ruins.

They're romantic

Be it ancient j.a.panese burial mounds, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu, I'd wanted to make a tour around the world to all those relics of history.

So I think I'll use this other world and tour ruins as much as I like.

 

"Hmm? So it's not that big..."

 

When I tried it, going around it once took about five minutes.

Five minutes by foot.

Because my pace was slow-ish while taking a closer look, its out circ.u.mference is probably around 250 meters.

Roughly the same as the 200 meters track around a sports field?

I'd intended to make sure of the scale before going in, but at this size, I'm not going to get lost, am I?

I can do this... I think.

If it gets dangerous, I can just fall back immediately.

Can I really say 'Nahhh, better not' after coming all this way?

 

"Hehee, unfortunately, I'm no coward!"

 

Unfortunately, huh...

Pushed by my baseless confidence, I came to the magic circle at what I a.s.sume to be the ruins' front side.

I wonder, do they use magic crystals for magic circles?

The one before me is s.h.i.+ning faintly.

Is this the entrance?

Since I haven't seen something like a physical entrance into the inside of the ruins, thinking so is natural.

For another world.

I'm sure I'm going to be teleported into the ruins from here.　

...yeah, I'm going to be alright, aren't I?

It's not a trap, is it?

I'm not going to burn in the flames of h.e.l.l the moment I step into the magic circle?

After getting so far, I'd lost a bit of my nerve, but I nevertheless softly stepped into the circle.

It only gently shone.

Phew, it didn't suddenly flare up bright enough to destroy my eyes.

And while I thought that, I stopped being able to see the scenery outside the circle.

I was surrounded by a wall of fleeting, white light, but after a few seconds it died down.

The scenery outside... has completely changed.

I'm inside now.

Is the wall itself out of magic crystal? It's s.h.i.+ning in a light green.

Be that as it may, I'm clearly inside the ruins.

 

"Fantasy indeed..."

 

Really impressive.

I left the magic circle and checked my surroundings.

There didn't seem to be anything but the magic circle in the room.

I was interested where the corridor led that was visible through the room's one exit.

I carefully stuck my head through the doorway and checked the corridor in both directions.

Right, dead end.

Left, Mister Bear.

 

"......"

 

Hm?

Let's check this once more.

Right... the corridor ends right there.

Left... Mister Bear, even closer than before.

 

Level 10 Ruin Bear

 

The Enemy Status popped up inside my head.

 

"Waaaiii! Level 10!?"

 

I had already drawn aggro and Mister Bear was charging down the narrow corridor.

c.r.a.pc.r.a.pc.r.a.pc.r.a.p!!

What kind of horror movie is this!

A disaster movie is nothing in comparison!

I can't think any human would think of fighting that Mister Bear if it came charging at them while slinging drool left and right.

No objections allowed!

So, time for a tactical retreat.

I hurried back into the room and quickly got onto the magic circle.

———but nothing happened.

 

"I really didn't want such jokes right NOOOOOOW!!!!"

 

What's with this piece-of-junk magic circle, did it break!?

What!?

What's going on here!?

... don't tell me!

Entrance and exit are not the same!?

To get out of here, I have to find the exit magic circle, is that it!?

 

"Grrrrr."

 

Mister Bear quietly planted himself in the exit.

Now I had no way to leave or fall back, my last stand was complete.

For an instant I considered playing dead.

But if I do that, I might very well really die, so let's not try.

While shedding cold sweat, I grasped my Lightning Rod.

If I hit the bear with this thing's lightning strike, even it shouldn't come out unscathed.

I'd slip past that front paw and hit him.

I can do it, I can do it.

I just need to tell myself that.

Concentrate.

Probably, one hit will result in instant death.

Even if it's only knowledge from modern j.a.pan, but I've heard that, for example, an Asian black bear can pulverize a horse's or cow's neck with one hit from its front paws.

Or that some famous martial artist, when asked if he could defeat a bear, had laughed and declared that it was impossible for humans to do.

I dare say he was right!

Sweat ran down my cheek.

The bear planted himself before its prey.

I-is this the imposing, bipedal stance bears are famous for?

Being treated to it in person, no way to deal with bears came to mind, nothing at all.

Anyhow, I need to take the initiative!

That's everything!

Right, I'm going to read the opponent's attack like s.h.i.+on-san.

I stopped even breathing and waited for that moment.

The bear's center of balance s.h.i.+fted... I think.

In the next moment, its forepaws came rus.h.i.+ng down at me.

 

"———!!"

 

Since I had sensed the preparatory movements, I evaded by a hair's breadth by letting myself fall down before stepping up to the bear.

"Please!!"

I smashed Lightning Rod into bear belly.

A flash came from the rod's magic crystal.

The lightning strike succeeded!!

Being so close to the bear was scary, so I immediately backed away.

I backed away and prayingly looked at the bear.

 

"Grrr"

 

Mister Bear, going strong!

There seems to be some damage, but it's nothing fatal.

It's looking at me with some wariness.

 

———to be honest: I'm on the verge of despair.

 

By chance, my first attacked triggered the lightning strike, but to trigger another one, I need an average of five more hits.

That's probably impossible.

Slipping past its attack five times and attacking... is probably impossible.

Why did I come to this place in the first place again?

What had I gotten excited for and come to the ruins alone?

Even if I said I could use magic, that's no reason to come in here before testing it.

I've certainly been a bit too excited.

 

"... use it?"

 

Could I even use it?

Although I was too cornered to rely on it?

However, originally my goal has not been coming to the ruins, but to test my magic.

Alright, I'm going to show it here and now.

Or rather, I've got no other choice.

The time for crying has pa.s.sed.

Do it if you don't want to die!

In my head, I imagined my Status and the use of magic.

I understood the necessary information.

 

Thunder: 10s cast time, 10s cooldown

 

Well, at the moment the cooldown doesn't matter.

If it takes ten seconds to cast, one shot is all I have.

 

(Thunder, activate)

 

I willed, and waited.

 

Countdown, 10

 

Along with the beginning of the cast time, my body got hot.

The bear began signs of attacking again.

It slowly but steadily closed the distance.

Without any rash movements, I matched its advance and fell back until I couldn't anymore.

My back touched the wall.

The bear moved even closer.

I didn't want to enter its s.p.a.ce until the last possible second.

Along the wall, I fled into a corner.

The corner furthest away from the door.

I genuinely had nowhere left to run.

Slowly the bear came closer to end it.

Then it could reach.

It was in range.

The bear's center of gravity lowered.

 

Count, 5

 

Maybe it was due to the mana, but my body was lightly glowing.

The bear threw himself on me.

I somehow let myself fall on my backside and let the charge pa.s.s over my head.

I hadn't aimed for it, but the corner was too small for the bear to bring its arms to use well.

That's why the bear came biting at me with its boasted fangs.

I thrust the Lightning Rod into its snout and somehow or other kept it in check.

However, our strength was too different.

It tore the rod from my hands with its brutal strength alone.

With this, I was completely checkmated.

With a bite, it could take my head right off.

I thrust both my hands at the bear.

 

———I could do this!

 

Count, 0!

 

"Split the heavens and become a ray of light, to strike my enemies——— Thunder!!!"

 

Radiant lightning pierced the bear's body.

Threads of lightning discharging streamers into the floor, electrifying it.

Like time had stopped, the bear and I remained still.

I had felt the spell connect.

Slowly, the bear's eyes turned inside out and drool dripped from its mouth.

And still, the bear loomed over me.

 

"Hii!?"

 

Is it impossible?

Is it impossible with my level 4 magic?

I even shouted that super-embarra.s.sing chant as it came to mind! This is too much!

 

My eyes turned teary, and I closed them

 

"......?"

 

When the bear didn't bite me no matter how much time pa.s.sed, I squinted my eyes open, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, a drop item had fallen down.

 

———Bear Ears

 

"And what should I do with this?"

 

I picked up the Bear Ears, puzzled.

They were rather fluffy.

 

... hmm, am I gonna make it to the exit?