Chapter 54 – Combat, Not Hunting (3)

“How did you know?”

At Natasha’s questioning, I snapped out of it and replied.

“’Mana settles in the nucleus of living things.’ It was written that way in some ancient book I read in the Temple of Knowledge.”

“…I see.”

In truth, I could not say that I had known the magic stone was near the heart due to the mana wave.

Because this was a world where mages had been lost, making it still uncertain whether what I was feeling was truly a mana sense, and for the same reason, if I really was feeling magic, I could speak of it even less.

‘If what I feel is true…’

Then this was a colossal matter.

To the point that it could not even be compared to being upper-intermediate or advanced as a magic engineer.

Because it meant I might become a mage, which had disappeared hundreds of years ago.

According to the setting book, mages could control all elements. It was also said that upon reaching the pinnacle of that, one would obtain supernatural power enough to change terrain and features.

Overwhelming military power.

They were entirely different from leaders; they were powerful and strong in the truest sense.

Would the current rulers leave me alone when I might become such a unique existence?

If I were them, I would choose to kill and eliminate me rather than trying to recruit me.

Because uncontrollable power was bound to bring disaster.

Nipping it in the bud before it grew too large, that was.

‘The problem is how to confirm whether what I feel is a true mana sense…’

In fact, I knew.

The fact that the mana wave and the blue light clusters of mana I felt exactly expressed the ‘mana sense’ described in the setting book.

However, I had never felt even a handful of my own magic power.

If one were a mage, an essence should naturally exist in the heart and beat along with it, but I had no such thing.

It was certainly so, as nothing was felt no matter how much I contemplated my inner body.

As of now, I did not know the reason I could detect mana waves.

It was merely thought of as a special opportunity, like the superhuman five senses obtained upon being possessed.

However, there were only two ways to check.

‘I have no choice but to either meet a mage in person to confirm, or find a way to awaken the mana essence and try it.’

Since the lineage of mages had already been cut off centuries ago, that was not a realistic method.

Awakening the mana essence could be said to be the only way.

No matter how much of an era it was where mages had disappeared, since even the records or legacies were not completely lost, I would be able to find a way to awaken the mana essence somehow.

No, I must find it somehow.

Ruling the embers of the entire continent as a leader would be sufficient even with my current abilities, but what I had to aim for was to put an end to this ice age.

That might be impossible unless one was a mage.

Therefore, I must check whether this seed, which might end this ice age, was real.

“Let’s set off again quickly. If we linger, we will run into mutants again.”

As I spoke, finally taking my eyes off the magic stone in my hand, everyone boarded the off-roader without a word.

They had also guessed the severity of the situation and the impending future from this magic stone.

Before boarding, I approached Harley, the driver of the six-seater off-roader.

“From now on, it would be best to run side-by-side.”

“Then the fuel consumption will increase further.”

“Consuming more fuel is better than you being in danger. It was fortunate that the eight-seater off-roader was attacked; if it had been the six-seater, the vehicle would have rolled over.”

“…Yes, understood.”

There was still thirty-seven kilometers left until arrival, taking two days.

We had to prepare for the attacks of those creatures, which might pop out at any time.

Because if my prediction was correct, it would absolutely not end with just this one time.

Rattle-rattle-rattle—

As Harley drove the off-roader and pulled up to the right, Jenkins also began to depart.

Their skill in matching speeds seemed to show well how long the two had been together.

“Oppa, I’m scared…”

“It’ll be okay. Oppa will protect you.”

“Yes. We are here too, so do not worry, Williana.”

Perhaps engulfed in extreme tension and anxiety, Williana, who hid her face in Will Ford’s chest, whimpered, and the Wayne brothers, who had become close with her before anyone knew it, comforted her.

Since even we, who were adults, were trembling with anxiety and keeping guard around us, it was only natural.

“How many magic bullets do you have left?”

I asked Natasha, who was looking at Williana with worry.

Even I, who had become the leader in terms of atmosphere after handling the mutant snowy wolf, could not afford to indulge in sentimentality.

“Ten rounds each, five magazines are left.”

“So seventy-six rounds in total…”

Since I, who possessed thirty magic bullets, had fired four rounds just now, combined with her bullets, it was seventy-six rounds in total.

If we could suppress them while consuming the same number of bullets in the future, it meant we could hunt about eighteen creatures…

“We will be short on bullets.”

“With only two days left, will we run into them that often?”

I whispered quietly to Natasha, who tilted her head.

There was no need to increase the people’s anxiety by speaking loud enough to be heard.

“If the cause of the mutation is indeed Eternal Magic, and even you, Agent Natasha, only found out about it for the first time… it shouldn’t be. But we will run into them enough to run out of bullets.”

“What is the connection between the two?”

“Considering the influence that the runaway of Eternal Magic has on the entire world, mutants must have arisen simultaneously regardless of the region. Yet the fact that not a single case has been reported means they have only just emerged, with no time for information to be shared.”

“……”

After glancing at Natasha, who stared at me with a face where all sorts of emotions crossed, I continued speaking.

“At any rate, mutants are probably being discovered here and there by now, and roaming the snowy fields. Since we are in the off-roader, we have no choice but to be more exposed to them.”

“You mean the engine noise draws the mutants. We rode it for safety, but instead, our safety is being threatened.”

“The indiscriminate aggressiveness of those creatures is also a problem. I don’t know how many will be drawn in the future.”

Although the wolves’ reckless aggressiveness is a habit that deviates from existing common sense, considering that wolves travel in packs, it is actually fortunate.

Because if things like that start to travel in packs, a true hell will unfold then.

I guarantee that if such a situation occurs, none of us will step onto the embers alive.

Furthermore,

“Since the wolves have changed, there is no guarantee that other creatures have not. Mutations must have occurred in other beasts of the snowy fields, like the snowy leopard, snowy bear, and snowy tiger.”

“……!”

If we encounter the dominant species of the snowy fields, who can be called the true predators rather than the wolves at the bottom of the food chain, we won’t be able to handle it with our current strength.

However, I calmed Natasha down and spoke.

“I only assumed the worst; there is no need to worry too much already. If this is the early stage of mutation, it’s just that the wolves, being relatively weak, have a faster mutation rate. More time will be needed for mutations to occur in other larger species.”

“I hope so.”

“Above all, since the mutant population will decrease the further south we go, we might be able to return without much trouble.”

“Why is that?”

“Eternal Magic is located at the northern tip, so the influence of magic naturally fades as we go south toward the opposite side. The progression speed of mutations in the north and south is bound to differ.”

Natasha, perhaps having studied magic engineering theory even slightly, nodded and understood.

“By the way, could you share some bullets with me?”

I asked her for magic bullets.

Although Natasha naturally possessed better shooting skills than me, I, who could feel the mana, needed more bullets since we had to detect the presence of those creatures first.

Though it was ominous, it was also better to distribute the bullets fairly in case she died.

“I’ll give you two magazines.”

She handed the bullets to me without a moment of hesitation.

The fact that I had sniped and killed the wolf beyond the invisible range seemed to make her feel trust as a comrade.

“Thank you. I will surely repay you once we return.”

I expressed my gratitude.

Although this was not about surviving alone but surviving together, if I received goodwill for any reason, I had to express it.

Because that would become my reputation and settle as a greater favor in the other party’s heart.

Since I would have many things to ask of Natasha in the future, raising her favorability was also essential.

“Pfft…!”

However, she burst into a chuckle.

Just as I was about to ask the reason since it almost sounded like a scoff, Natasha spoke first.

“Did I look like such a narrow-minded person to you? Or do you dislike me to the point of having to repay even something like this?”

“Pardon? What do you mean by…”

For a moment, I could not hide my embarrassment.

Because they were unexpected words.

However, she merely spoke while showing a genuine smile for the first time since we met.

“Because you insist on repaying something minor like this. I know what you mean, but there’s no need to.”

“Ah…”

“Only now do I feel I know a bit about what kind of person you are, Lord Aileen.”

Saying so, Natasha personally inserted the magazine into my holster and smiled brightly.

Had I thought too calculatively?

The thought that I must return what I received seemed to instead leave no room, making it look as though I was trying to maintain distance.

Thus, I spoke.

“In case you are wondering, I will repay you with something else.”

“Something else? For your information, I don’t drink alcohol.”

“…It isn’t food.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a secret.”

“How boring.”

“It’s no fun if you know in advance. But you can look forward to it.”

Chuckling, we turned our heads toward the window following those words.

Because we had to guard against any incoming mutants.

‘As expected, dealing with people is not easy.’

Since humans are all different, the way to treat each of them must differ.

I merely hoped to get closer to Natasha through this.

To the extent that she would not leave our embers even after half a year.

In that way, the off-roader continued to move forward in the silence.

* * *

The eight-seater off-roader of Aileen, which had passed the second day safely, finally stopped operating in the early morning of the final day.

They had ended up encountering a snowy bear of colossal size.

Psssshhh-!

White smoke rose from beneath the snowy bear that lay collapsed, bleeding over the hood.

Something had gone wrong, whether in the engine or the magic substrate.

“One, two!”

Thud!

When everyone got out of the vehicle, dragged the snowy bear away, and opened the hood, a crackling blue current erupted from the side of the magic substrate.

Seeing that, Will Ford asked Jenkins, the driver.

“Can you fix it?”

“I cannot fix this. There is a maintenance manual, but that is for the mechanical engineering engine side, not the magic engineering substrate side.”

It was an emergency.

There was no choice but to either discard all the magic engineering equipment loaded on the six-seater vehicle and squeeze in, or send it ahead to request a rescue.

However, neither of those was a solution.

The equipment was absolutely necessary for the golem production, and sending the vehicle ahead carried the risk of being defeated individually by mutants that might appear at any time.

Nor could they wait for a rescue that might arrive who knew when.

“I’m not sure about this either…”

Even Will Ford, whose actual skill was at the intermediate level, looked troubled upon seeing the broken magic substrate.

Just as the group’s survival was becoming uncertain,

“I will try.”

there was someone who stepped forward, gently pushing Will Ford aside.

It was Aileen Vale, the upper-intermediate magic engineer.