The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

Page 78

Fortunately, it was a species I had seen before.

That was another red demon.

Before eye contact was made, before the Red Demon started running.

Aoko silently pressed the non-existent, illusory trigger.

The azure magic power accumulated in the magic projectile shooter was fired one by one by the firing pin, transforming into dazzling projectiles that shot out!

Three sounds, like glass shattering upon impact.

【Wagh】

A savage, incomprehensible roar, the dull thud of stomping on the floor—the crimson demons began their charge.

The initial contact between the two sides was imminent.

The first shot, a blue magic bullet, grazed the Red Demon's shoulder and missed.

The second shot, a magic bullet, struck the Red Oni in the chest, halting his charge.

The third shot, the magic bullet, hit the red demon in the face. Today's accuracy is far better than usual. Is he being favored by Lady Luck?

The Red Demon was forced to stop charging, frantically clawing at his face with both hands, letting out a shrill scream.

The first shot was purely experimental, the second added impact, and the third was a bonus of combustion.

The red demon, whose features were distorted by the blue flames ignited by magic, realized that he could not extinguish the blue flames covering his face with his hands and common sense. So he bravely swung his arms and began to charge again!

The continuous cracking sounds were the first to be fired before the Red Demon could resume its charge.

If the previous three-shot bursts were merely a test, then now, having successfully verified the results, it is a full-scale, unreserved launch!

Will the magic bullet shooter's magazine run out first, or will the ferocious red demon fall first?

Let time tell what the outcome of this two-option choice will be!

【Waghhhhhhhhhhhh

"!"

Suddenly, my vision was taken away, and for a moment all I could see was darkness.

Even the blue magic bullet, which flew away with a trail of flame, disappeared into the darkness.

The light has faded.

But it vanished in an instant and returned.

It's like walking alone on a starless night, with the old streetlights overhead flickering and suddenly dying, plunging everything into the realm of darkness, only to return to light in an instant before the pedestrians panic and scream.

At this moment, even the dim, warm yellow light is enough to put one at ease.

The light has vanished twice.

When everything was once again bathed in the dim light, the red demon had lost its life.

The magic bullet in his palm slowly stopped spinning, and the unrestrained magic power ceased to flow. After the initial three probes were successful, destroying the Red Oni's sight and sense of smell, the next six magic bullets completely blasted this inhuman creature into large, scorched fragments.

The outcome has been decided.

The conclusion is clear: simply releasing magic or chanting a short incantation will not produce a magic bullet that can kill the enemy instantly, unless it hits a weak point such as the face, as before.

Including those that missed, it took nine basic magic bullets to eliminate such a small number of enemies, which was a very reckless move in terms of both efficiency and magic consumption.

Minimize the risk of direct contact, prepare two magic bullets that require two incantations, conserve magic power as much as possible, and be mentally prepared to use the Aozaki family magic crest at any time.

Whew, that's a relief.

The blue-clad hero did not die a violent death in his debut battle.

I've saved both my face and my life, for now.

Aoko dispelled the demonic projectile technique in her right hand, turned around, and withdrew the determination she had shown when killing the demon, a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Well? Sister Qingzi didn't lie to you, did she, little nobuteru?"

"Yes, I saw it. All the monsters were defeated by Aoko-neechan."

The little girl nodded and clapped her hands.

"However, we cannot let our guard down. There are many more monsters like the one we just encountered in this place."

"Although it was expected, confirming it still left me with mixed feelings."

Aoko's bright smile faded slightly. It was her first time shooting at a moving target, which was also her first battle as a magician. While achieving such a result without any help was certainly something to be happy about, her current situation made it hard for her to smile.

Where can I find a fair one-on-one duel?

The thought of possibly facing a multi-headed army of red demons made it impossible for me to laugh.

"Sister Qingzi? You don't look well?"

The little girl touched her chin with her index finger and tilted her head, as if she had seen something that puzzled her.

"Ah, it's nothing. Aoko-neechan is just thinking about what to do next."

The real concern was whether the mana reserves could withstand so many enemies.

If her magic runs out, she will turn into an ordinary high school girl who knows self-defense and is slightly more durable than the average person.

So, what exactly is going on in this maze?

The etheric magic in the environment is so thin that it can be easily overlooked if not carefully collected.

He still had the level of a minor spiritual vein when he was outside.

Aoko looked around the enclosed area; it was still that dimly lit corridor with its warm tones, except...

Is it because of the metal structure?

No, a simple metal structure wouldn't make the ether so thin.

Perhaps these metals together form some kind of large-scale magical instrument that absorbs magic, which is why the magical energy in the environment is so thin.

Instead of dwelling on the reasons, it's better to face the reality.

This is an environment unsuitable for magicians, or rather, unsuitable for all spellcasters in combat; we must leave here as soon as possible.

"Let's go, little believer, we can't stay in the same place any longer."

Aoko grabbed the little tail she had picked up, walked around the charred corpse of the Red Demon, and continued on her way.

"Speaking of which, little Xinnu, since there are so many books in this place, isn't there a map showing the interior?"

After navigating two more corners, Aoko grew tired of the repetitive corridor scenery and began to look for other opportunities.

Along the way, Qingzi kept a mental record of the terrain of the areas she had explored, but the place was so spacious that it was almost superfluous. She was certain that she had not repeated any of the routes she had taken, but the empty corridors were only occasionally illuminated by dim lights and the doors on the left and right sides leading to certain book sections, which brought a little novelty.

Upon entering the library area, a new kind of hardship awaited.

Each section of the library has a collection so vast that it can be described as a terrifying "mountain of books." It is far beyond the size of a school library or the private library of a Kuonji Temple. The bookshelves stretch from the floor to the ceiling, layer upon layer, so numerous that every inch of usable space is filled with books. Only in the very center of the library is there a nearly circular open space for resting.

These books are perfect as a treasure trove of knowledge, but if we can't find the most urgently needed knowledge right now, namely maps, these superfluous books will only become part of our suffering.

"As for maps, I think I probably do."

"perhaps?"

"Yes, I've been locked up here for a while now. Although I've never had the chance to come out and read, I have seen leaflets-like papers in the hands of those monsters dressed in orange. They seem to have something like maps drawn on them."

"Flyers?"

Aoko rested her thumb on her chin and began to review her past experiences since entering this place.

I vaguely remember that in the place that was considered the entrance, there was indeed something like a promotional shelf, and on the shelf was a thick stack of mysterious papers.

However, thanks to the first red demon, there was no time to examine that thing at the time.

What a headache.

Doesn't this create a vicious cycle?

The two need a map to get out of the underwater maze, and the map is placed on a shelf at the entrance of the underwater maze.

If we can get to the entrance, who needs a map?!

Who came up with this ridiculously unreasonable design?

It was as if they didn't want anyone to leave from here at all.

and many more!

If that's the case...

Aoko looked at the little one she was holding in her left hand and understood.

That's right. Since this place is used to imprison the little girl, it's impossible to place any map inside to guide the way out.

Only by placing a map at the entrance can the guards who detain the little girl be allowed to move freely within this maze.

Then, the task at hand becomes obvious.

Take the initiative to hunt down the guardians and obtain the map from them.

"Little believer, do you know where those monsters guarding you are usually located? They must have a place like a resting room, right?"

"Emmmmmm, the lounge? I don't know about that area, but I do know one place that's sure to have a lot of monsters."

"As a matter of reference, let's clarify first: what exactly does 'many' mean?"

"Emmmmmm, the number is probably over a thousand."

Just as she heard this, Aoko took a step forward and almost stumbled.

"Sister Qingzi, is your foot injured?"

"No, it's nothing."

Aoko shook her head, briefly imagining in her mind a thousand of those red demons charging towards her.

The answer was that they were trampled into mincemeat.

"Little Xin Nu, do you remember the most monsters Ultraman ever defeated in a single battle?"

"No, three!"

"Alright, please remember that even the invincible Aoko can only take down three monsters at a time, so please don't recommend it for situations with more than a thousand monsters."

"I understand. So, if there are more than three, Aoko-neechan will collapse with a red light flashing on her chest, right?"

"A three-minute event time limit? If you convert it to magic points, that's not entirely wrong."

In reality, they'll probably be killed before their magic power runs out.

This is the result of Aoko's self-assessment.

"Sister Qingzi, didn't you just say that you could transform into an even stronger red form?"

"Yes, that's correct in theory."

"Then why not just fight in red form from the start? Defeat all the monsters in blue form."

"Ha, it's not that convenient."

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world, little believer.

Aoko sighed inwardly.

Besides, even if one uses "that" to turn "red," only one can escape unscathed.

If we were really facing a thousand monsters, protecting this little guy would be extremely difficult.

Therefore, we must avoid the occurrence of such a desperate situation.

“We’ll leave the area with a thousand monsters as a restricted zone for now, little nobunaga. We need to keep going and see if we can hunt down a lone monster like the one we just encountered.”

"Oh"

"Don't talk to Aoko-neechan with such a disappointed tone. Although defeating monsters is cool, Aoko-neechan will also feel tired after the battle because of the depletion of magic power."

Especially in such an environment where ether is scarce, the process of replenishing the magic consumed in the small source through the large source becomes extremely slow.

The remaining magic power is probably only enough for another 21 shots of magic bullets at the same rate as before.

If it's all squandered, this body will reach the point of exhaustion and decay.

And so the adventure came to an end.