The chaos caused by the chimeras was beyond imagination.
They were fundamentally stronger than ordinary magical beasts, capable of regenerating wounds and even sucking the life force from surrounding creatures.
They were nothing short of a catastrophe.
The 3rd Knight Order was struggling valiantly to hold their ground, but it didn’t seem like they could last much longer.
‘With the soldiers guarding the rear already cut down, it’s only a matter of time before we’re surrounded and wither away.’
The conventional solution would, of course, be to kill all the chimeras.
But since the situation wasn’t favorable, we had to consider other methods.
According to Rozennia, chimeras required a constant supply of dark magic to sustain themselves.
It was like fuel—without it, they would fall apart.
That meant there had to be a dark mage nearby connected to the chimeras.
“Senior! We need to find the dark mage.”
“…Will that solve everything?”
“Probably. It’s the only option we have right now.”
I hastily called for Isabel.
This plan had a high chance of failing without her.
So, I grabbed her just as she was about to rush out and stopped her.
Her lips were tightly clenched, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the dying soldiers.
‘We have to ignore it.’
It was heartbreaking to see the soldiers die, but there was no other choice.
If we didn’t stop the chimeras, more magical beasts and chimeras would pour out from this area.
If that happened, not only the nearby villages but even the city with the second line of defense could be breached.
‘Our chance is when their attention is focused over there.’
The chimeras were concentrated in the area where the knights and soldiers were gathered.
We had to act while they bought us time.
If we delayed any longer, it would be too late.
“This way!”
Ignoring those still fighting, we ran along the outskirts and reached the end of the collapsed defense line.
It was a quiet place, devoid of both people and chimeras.
I quickly scanned the area for any place to hide.
‘This place is completely ruined. Nothing stands out.’
It was frustrating.
We needed to find the mage quickly, but there was no obvious hiding spot.
“…Let’s go there.”
At that moment, Isabel pointed in a direction with her finger.
Gray and I turned our heads, only to be horrified.
“Over there?”
“I’m definitely not going there.”
Gray’s refusal was understandable.
After all, the place she pointed to was right in the middle of the Black Field, where the magical beasts were pouring out.
“I can feel it. That damn energy is connected there.”
“…A hunch?”
“Yeah. I might not be smart, but my instincts are sharp.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Isabel was the type to solve problems with her body rather than her head.
A living example of the saying, “If your body is strong, your mind suffers.”
She was the kind of person who destroyed everything with sheer strength and instinct.
“Then take the lead. I’ll follow.”
“…Are you really going to follow? It’s dangerous.”
“It’s more dangerous to turn back now. Besides, you’re here, so it should be fine.”
“Hmph, well, I appreciate the high praise. But you’re not my friend.”
While Isabel and I were talking, Gray subtly tried to step back and retreat.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Ahhh! I don’t want to die yet!”
He struggled and resisted fiercely, but in the end, I grabbed him by the collar and forced him to stay in the middle.
Though his face was full of dissatisfaction, he didn’t openly protest.
Following Isabel’s instincts, we passed the entrance of the Black Field.
“Gray, behind you!”
“Ugh, there are so many of these damn things.”
We were constantly fighting off the swarming magical beasts.
“…They just keep coming.”
“We’re almost there. Just hold on a little longer.”
Our stamina was gradually depleting, but thankfully, there were no chimeras.
Isabel was leading the way, clearing a path, which lessened the burden.
‘She’s not just a 6th-rank. She’s higher.’
In the process, I realized that what she had said earlier was a lie.
She had claimed to be a 6th-rank, but she had already reached the 7th rank.
Gray seemed to notice it too.
‘Her face has changed.’
Perhaps it was the relief of having a 7th-rank powerhouse by our side, but Gray’s expression looked better than before.
‘Isabel was supposed to reach the 7th rank just before graduation.’
This meant she had cut down the time by over a year.
There were countless questions I wanted to ask, but now wasn’t the time.
I decided to hold back for now.
About an hour after entering the Black Field, a roughly built hut came into view in the distance.
It was strange that it was so openly placed, but the magical beasts seemed oblivious to it, only charging toward us.
‘They must have set up some trick.’
Well, surviving in the Black Field wasn’t easy in the first place.
“Be careful. The energy flowing from inside is unusual.”
As she said, dark magic was emanating from the hut like a fog.
We had to be cautious, as there was no telling what traps might be set up nearby.
As we slowly approached the hut, reducing the number of magical beasts, the door opened, and someone walked out.
“Damn brats. How did you get here?”
A tall figure in a robe, holding a staff.
Their voice was eerie and androgynous, making it hard to tell their gender.
“No answer, huh? Tsk, and here I am, busy.”
Isabel was the first to attack.
Boom! Crash!
She leaped forward and half-destroyed the hut in one strike, shattering the spot where the figure had been standing.
“Hah, no wonder the back of my head was itching. You’re that damn old man’s disciple.”
As the dark mage threw off his robe, a smooth scalp and a face covered in scars came into view.
“Now even his disciple is desperate to kill us. How absurd.”
He chuckled, not showing a hint of concern.
It felt like he was saying, “Just in time.”
A chill ran down my spine, and I quickly pulled Isabel back.
“What are you—”
Crash!
It was a close call.
In less than a second, the hut twisted grotesquely as we fell.
Then.
Creak, creak.
Just like the chimera we had seen earlier, the space began to warp and squirm.
“Did you think this was just an ordinary place? Foolish brats…”
After blinking a few times, the hut disappeared, and a chimera in the form of a beast appeared.
“Heh, he foresaw this situation. Truly remarkable. He didn’t just dump me in this wretched place for no reason.”
The dark mage’s lower half was completely fused with the chimera, protruding grotesquely from its back.
‘A wolf-like chimera…’
The energy radiating from it was terrifyingly intense.
It was easily on par with a 2nd-grade magical beast.
“Don’t act recklessly. I’ll handle this.”
Isabel stepped forward alone, leaving us behind.
“How foolish. To face me alone.”
“Shut up, bloody. Just bring it on.”
“Hmph, I’ll shut that mouth of yours first.”
***
Their clash created an enormous shockwave.
Gray and I had to hide behind a rotten tree to avoid being caught in the aftermath.
Even though the chimera was close to a 2nd-grade magical beast, I thought we’d be fine with Isabel, who had reached the 7th rank.
But the situation wasn’t as optimistic as I had hoped.
“Hahaha, where did all that bravado go?”
Isabel was struggling to block the relentless attacks.
‘This won’t do. If this drags on, we’re at a disadvantage.’
This was the Black Field.
A place where anything could happen.
We hadn’t expected to come this far, so we had no preparations.
But the dark mage had been here for a while, so he must have had some contingency plan.
As time passed, Isabel’s strength would wane, and if that happened, we’d be wiped out for sure.
“Gray, slip away during this chaos.”
“What are you—”
“You never know. We need someone to retrieve us if things go wrong.”
Gray hung his head at my words.
He was quick to understand what I meant.
“…Don’t die.”
“Don’t jinx it, you idiot. Just go.”
After Gray fled, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a transparent glass bottle.
‘So I have to use this after all.’
Inside were glowing blue orbs—magic I had extracted earlier due to a mana imbalance.
If I absorbed them, my magic would surge explosively.
‘But I don’t know how long it’ll last.’
My body was already a cracked vessel.
Pumping more mana into it was akin to suicide, but I had no choice.
‘I can’t back down now.’
After a brief moment of hesitation, I opened the bottle and poured all the orbs into my mouth.
Gulp.
I swallowed them all.