Birthday Trap 5
Liliana teleported directly into the thick of the miasma—the heart of where the monsters were most densely gathered. Though she was shielded by a barrier to protect her from the miasma’s effects, without it, she would have been overwhelmed in seconds, losing consciousness and succumbing to death soon after.
Upon arrival, Liliana surveyed her surroundings. The miasma was so dense that she could only see a short distance ahead. She hadn’t expected to find any humans in the midst of the monster stampede, and sure enough, she could only sense the magical energy of monsters around her. With no one else in sight, she felt a sense of relief.
(There are so many of them... and they’re all so... grotesque.)
While Liliana wasn’t one to be intimidated by the number of monsters, she couldn’t help but mutter to herself. Previously, the monsters she encountered typically resembled animals. But now, the creatures surrounding her looked nothing like anything that belonged in this world. They had the forms of demons or monsters straight out of a book of horrors. Even the most battle-hardened knights and magicians might have been paralyzed with fear at the sight, but Liliana was intrigued. However, she didn’t have time to study them closely.
The monsters noticed Liliana, focusing their gazes on her. As they prepared to attack, they exhaled clouds of miasma from their mouths.
“<Gale Sickle.>”
The moment she chanted the spell, a massive windstorm erupted from her center, tearing the monsters to shreds in an instant. She quickly followed up with “<Purification Lightning, Dispel Wind.>” The miasma in the immediate vicinity thinned slightly, but it quickly returned to its original density. Realizing that relying on her sight would be futile, Liliana decided to detect the monsters’ locations by sensing their magical energy instead. Although her wind magic could be too destructive, harming not just the monsters but also the surrounding vegetation, she was determined to avoid unnecessary deforestation. Trees take time to grow. After some consideration, Liliana decided to trap the surrounding monsters in a barrier and use her wind magic within that contained area to minimize collateral damage.
During her first encounter with a monster stampede, she had relied on light magic from the start. However, to conserve her magical energy, it was more efficient to methodically defeat the monsters using her specialty, wind magic. If she were to use the highest-level light magic right away, her magic would be depleted before she could end this stampede. Last time, she ran out of magic after three uses of such spells. Though that had been enough then, this time the scale was larger, and three uses wouldn’t suffice. Still, she calculated that she should have enough magic if she focused on purifying the miasma after defeating the monsters.
(Still... I wonder if Petra is here.)
She had tried contacting Petra with the magic stone, but there had been no response. It was too difficult to pinpoint Petra’s location using a detection spell in such thick miasma, with so many monsters obscuring the reading of magical energy and body heat.
As she swiftly moved through the miasma-filled forest, Liliana trapped monsters within barriers, obliterating them with wind magic and repeating the process of purification and destruction. Yet, the miasma didn’t thin. It likely still lingered, reaching up to the heavens.
“It would’ve been best if I could’ve reached her through the magic stone.”
Liliana muttered in frustration, when a possibility suddenly occurred to her. She continued to effortlessly execute a series of spells—slaying, purifying, and destroying the monsters in her path—while she retrieved the magic stone from a hidden pocket. She attempted to connect with Petra and directed a stronger flow of her magic through the stone. Imagining a thread of magic linking her to Petra’s magic stone, she gauged the distance and direction. This was an application of a teleportation array using the magic stone as a medium.
It was a spur-of-the-moment idea, without any guarantee of success. Liliana, her face uncharacteristically tense with nervousness, soon felt a connection.
(She’s... close.)
Her bad feeling was confirmed—Petra was indeed in the midst of the miasma. However, she could sense Petra’s magical pulse, meaning her magic wasn’t completely depleted. Keeping a tight grip on the magical remnants she traced through the magic stone, Liliana teleported to Petra’s location.
“――――!”
Liliana's entire body was gripped by an overwhelming sense of dread, alarms blaring in her mind that she needed to escape.
She found herself directly above the remains of an inn on the outskirts of town, but the entire area reeked of death. The miasma here was even thicker than where she had just been. The surroundings were so thoroughly destroyed that it was impossible to imagine how they originally looked. Severed body parts were buried among the rubble. Though the visibility was poor, once the miasma cleared, this place would no doubt resemble a scene straight out of hell.
The stench of blood mixed with the foul odor of the miasma made her feel as if her insides were rotting away. Twisted, monstrous shapes writhed in the pitch-black darkness, relentlessly attacking any humans they could find. Yet, aside from Liliana, there were only three other human presences in the vicinity.
On instinct, Liliana pulled her hood down low over her face. She wasn't alone here—Petra was there too. Petra, along with two children whom she was protecting within a barrier, noticed Liliana and looked up. The two children didn't seem to recognize Liliana's true identity, but Petra immediately realized who she was.
“Young—!”
She was about to say "Young Lady" but hastily swallowed her words. Then, she started coughing, blood spilling from her mouth. Petra was gravely injured. Her face was pale, and she was bleeding heavily from her abdomen and left arm. It was taking everything she had just to maintain the barrier. But even that barrier was starting to show signs of breaking down. It looked like it could collapse at any moment, but someone was helping to hold it together. One of the children—Tania Draco. The other child, Belastar Draco, though his face was contorted in fear, clenched his fists, determined to protect Petra and Tania. Perhaps he had cast an attack spell, as the area surrounding the three was drenched in water.
(Belastar Draco’s specialty was water magic, wasn’t it?)
Liliana turned her back to them to avoid being seen and recalled the game's settings. She wanted to tend to Petra’s injuries immediately, but the relentless attacks from the monsters, combined with the cursed miasma and dark magic, made it impossible to focus. She knew she couldn’t begin proper treatment until she had dealt with at least some of the monsters. As a precaution, Liliana cast a quick healing spell on Petra to slow the bleeding. However, it was far from complete. Before she could finish the spell, dozens of monsters launched a simultaneous attack. Liliana quickly halted the healing spell and countered with a scythe-like wind slash magic.
There were more monsters here than in the area where Liliana had been earlier. Whether they were drawn to the abundance of prey or if there was something in this town attracting their attention, she couldn’t tell. Though she kept fending off the monsters, Liliana found herself growing bored with the repetitive attacks.
(These bizarre monsters are everywhere... so fascinating. I wonder if I can dissect one later.)
To dissect these strange creatures, they needed to be preserved in their original form. Unfortunately, Liliana’s destructive wind magic wasn’t suitable for that purpose.
(It’s not my strongest magic, but let’s give it a try—<Freeze.>)
In this world, water magic is usually used on its own, but Liliana wielded both water and wind magic together. She concentrated nitrogen around the monsters' surfaces and within their bodies, maintaining its purity and liquefying it.
Instantly, the monsters froze solid, their movements coming to a halt. However, they weren’t completely dead. In her previous life, liquid nitrogen was known to be useful for preserving cells, often used for freezing blood and reproductive cells. Though these creatures were monstrous in form, if their bodies were composed of the same materials as the monsters she had previously analyzed, then they could be preserved in their frozen state with liquid nitrogen. But simply freezing them wasn't enough; over time, they might thaw and come back to life. The last thing she needed was for these monsters to revive when she wasn’t around.
(<Binding>)
Liliana solidified the magic she had cast on the monsters, ensuring it would not dissipate on its own. Freezing these creatures for preservation was a gamble that could either pay off or backfire. In any case, she would only know if the attempt was successful once she dissected the captured monsters after this Stampede had been quelled.
As she continued freezing some of the monsters, Liliana effortlessly dispatched countless others with her wind magic. The fluidity with which she annihilated and purified the monsters was so seamless, it appeared as though multiple magicians were handling both offense and defense. It was nothing short of a divine feat.
"Amazing..."
The awestruck voice behind her belonged to Belastar. For Belastar and Tania, who had been on the defensive until now, this mysterious figure, who effortlessly eradicated hordes of monsters on her own, seemed nothing short of awe-inspiring. Even though they wanted to help, both Belastar and Tania were paralyzed by the overwhelming magic power radiating from this enigmatic person. Ignoring the children behind her, Liliana continued to wipe out the monsters with her wind magic.
As the number of monsters that had been filling her field of vision began to dwindle, Petra’s magic abruptly vanished behind Liliana.
“Petra!!”
A scream rang out. Hearing Tania’s desperate cry, Liliana instinctively turned around, just barely managing to keep her face hidden in the shadow of her hood. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Petra had completely lost consciousness. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, with blood still pouring from her wounds—she was going into hypovolemic shock.
In an instant, Liliana assessed the number and distance of the surrounding monsters. This is doable, she thought, steeling herself before stopping her attack on the monsters. Instead, she cast a barrier around herself, Petra, Belastar, and Tania. The barrier was charged with lightning. It wasn’t just a defensive measure—any monster that got too close to the crackling lightning surrounding the barrier would be struck down and killed. Such a barrier didn’t normally exist, but Liliana had developed it, knowing it would be highly effective against monster attacks. As expected, several monsters, unaware of the electrified barrier, charged at them, only to be instantly struck by lightning, leaving behind lifeless corpses.
With her face still hidden beneath her hood, Liliana moved closer to Petra, placing her hand over her body. She focused her magic on healing the wounds. Ideally, she would have performed a blood transfusion, but magic couldn’t accomplish that. Her options were limited, and Petra’s survival depended on her own strength. Hoping it might help, Liliana infused Petra with some of her magic. In this world, magic power is a force that sustains life. Seeing a slight improvement in Petra’s complexion, Liliana stood up once more. As she did, Tania called out to her.
“Um—Petra was trying to set this up.”
In her small hand, Tania held out a piece of paper inscribed with a teleportation circle. Along with it were four more sheets, each bearing a transcribed circle similar to the ones Liliana had seen in Ben Draco’s private study, as well as a bag containing five magic stones small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.
(So, this is what Petra was trying to use...)
It was a countermeasure against the monster stampede attacks that Petra, Ben, and Liliana had been secretly developing. By setting up the array at a designated location, a barrier would be created, and reciting specific words within it would forcibly purify the area inside the barrier. It was a groundbreaking system that required neither vast magical power nor a high level of light magic aptitude. In other words, with this, it would be possible to suppress a monster stampede even in the absence of a holy mage.
However, it was likely too difficult for Petra to set up the array while simultaneously protecting Belastar and Tania and fighting the monsters. If Petra couldn’t manage it, most people would likely give up. Moreover, while Petra could teleport herself and the two children, she couldn’t teleport only the other humans. This meant that escaping with Belastar and Tania alone, leaving Petra behind, was not an option.
(But I can do it.)
She had teleported people and objects before. Although she had never done so over such a long distance, Liliana was confident. While she couldn’t bring something to her from afar, she could transport objects close to her over a distance.
Without hesitation, Liliana enveloped Petra, Belastar, and Tania in her magic. A faint smile played on her lips as she silently chanted her spell. Belastar and Tania, uncertain of what Liliana was about to do, watched the hooded figure warily, but made no move. Before they could react, Liliana forcibly teleported all three of them to Ben Draco’s estate.
“I hope they arrived safely,” Liliana murmured to herself, imagining the strain this would place on Paul, who was likely overseeing the estate in their absence. Suddenly, an unconscious and severely injured Petra, along with the twins who would likely refuse to leave her side, had appeared at the mansion. Paul would undoubtedly be thrown into confusion, struggling to care for Petra while dealing with the twins. Liliana could only hope that the Draco family’s discreet physician would handle Petra’s treatment. But Paul’s challenges wouldn’t end there. From what she had heard at the palace, Ben was likely under house arrest or detained on suspicion of treason.
Liliana cast her gaze around the area. As expected, the monsters in this Stampede seemed to possess a certain level of intelligence. Only a few had died around the barrier, while the rest observed her cautiously from outside the lightning’s reach. Liliana allowed herself a faint smile.
“It’s pointless to lay down a teleportation circle now—the knights won’t use it. Let’s not waste time on unnecessary efforts.”
There was no way to alert anyone that a teleportation circle had been placed at the site of the Stampede. Instead, Liliana knew her task was to deploy the purification circles Petra had intended to set up. Petra had likely planned to use teleportation magic to place them, but Liliana didn’t need to teleport herself.
The four circles were almost identical, but each bore a different character representing one of the four elements: fire, water, wind, and earth. Ordinarily, there would be five circles, but Petra had likely already placed the first one, representing light. Without hesitation, Liliana used teleportation magic to send the remaining four. The order in which they were placed was crucial.
She concentrated a small orb of magic in her palm and sent it soaring into the sky. Through this sphere, Liliana surveyed the land from above, pinpointing the locations where the circles needed to be placed to enclose the miasma within a massive pentagram. As the last circle was placed, the spell was completed, and a barrier was erected. Neither the monsters nor the miasma could spread any further. This spell wasn’t designed to protect what was inside but to seal it away.
The moment she teleported the last circle, a tense sound reached Liliana’s ears. The spell had been successfully completed. She couldn’t help but smile.
She then teleported the frozen monsters into the underground prison beneath her mansion on the outskirts of the royal capital, casting a spell to conceal them before transporting them. With that done, she prepared the final touch, both inside her personal barrier and within the large barrier created by the pentagram.
“<Blessings of the stars from time immemorial, clarity of the moon’s light, judgment of the sun’s flame>.”
Her vision turned completely white. It was almost identical to what had happened when she previously used the highest level of light magic during the Stampede. Seeing this, Liliana smiled. As the white light faded, the miasma had cleared, and the monsters had vanished.
It was her first time using the circles in a real battle, but it seemed the system she, Petra, and Ben had developed worked as intended. Given Ben’s uncertain future, it was unclear if this method would become widely used, but it would undoubtedly be invaluable in the field.
“The circles will disappear automatically, so there’s no need to retrieve them.”
They had considered making the circles reusable, but out of concern that someone might tamper with them, they had designed the spell so that the circles would vanish after a single use. This also reduced the amount of magic power required, and the fact that they wouldn’t have to return to retrieve them was an added benefit.
Though she still had enough magic power left to return to the palace, Liliana felt exhaustion creeping up on her. All she wanted was to crawl into bed. With that thought, she used teleportation magic to return to her room in the royal capital.
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