Chương 93: The System Wants a Group Project

The silence beneath the group lasted for only a few seconds. Then the darkness erupted with shrieks as dozens of giant bats surged through the descending passage, colliding with one another in their desperate attempt to reach the surface. They weren't attacking in an organized swarm. Their movements were frantic, their enormous ears twitched constantly, and several of them struck the cavern walls because they were moving too quickly to properly navigate the narrow passage.

Whatever had frightened them was apparently much worse than five young mages.

"Hold this position!" Mellia ordered.

"Don't let any of them pass!" Ordinarily, allowing monsters to run away would have been the easiest solution. Unfortunately, these creatures could establish another nest near Bellhaven, reproduce, and begin attacking travelers in a different area within a matter of weeks. They also had no way of knowing whether the bats had been corrupted, trained, or modified as they fight. Allowing even a handful to escape could transform today's unfinished problem into another mission several months later.

Mellia launched her barrier plates toward the ceiling and walls, narrowing the passage into a controlled opening. Kart summoned both guardian constructs and positioned them in front while Lucia's scouts flew upward to disrupt the bats' senses. Hernan's rings transformed into two hooked spears, but his movements were already slower than before. His mana reserves hadn't recovered completely, and the previous battles had placed considerable strain on his concentration.

The first wave struck their formation like a living avalanche. Kart's guardians grabbed two bats and smashed them against the walls, but another creature flew above them and collided with Mellia's central barrier. Cracks spread across the translucent surface. Mellia reinforced the barrier before it shattered, yet more bats were already descending through the tunnel. They weren't slowing down to attack, which made their wild momentum considerably more dangerous.

"Sieg!" Mellia shouted.

"Give us a hand!" Hernan glanced back at Sieghart with an annoyed expression, but he couldn't complain when everyone could see that the group was rapidly approaching its limit. Pride wouldn't become particularly useful if the bats escaped and ate half the population of Bellhaven. Sieghart looked at the crowded passage and considered his options.

"What should I do exactly?"

"Anything that doesn't put us at risk!" That definition was far too broad. Sieghart could interpret it as permission to use almost anything short of a Giant Fireball, although explaining that technicality after collapsing the cavern probably wouldn't improve Mellia's opinion of him. Fire was dangerous in an enclosed space, Water Cannon could strike his allies, and scattering Earth Bullets through the formation might turn everyone into accidental targets.

Even Wind Blade could continue beyond a missed enemy and cut someone behind it. Sieghart decided to test something less destructive. He raised both hands and concentrated. Pale mana gathered around him, stretching and hardening until four translucent swords appeared in the air. Each weapon possessed a straight blade, a simple guard, and an edge sharpened entirely through concentrated mana.

The process consumed more concentration than creating one weapon, but his improved Mentality allowed him to maintain all four constructs without feeling much strain. Sieghart sent the swords toward the others with Sand Control supporting their handles.

"Take these." Hernan looked at the floating sword suspiciously.

"What…?"

"Mana Swords. They will disappear in less than a minute, so don't depend on them for longer than that."

"You can summon four at once?"

"Apparently." Kart grabbed the first sword without hesitation. Mellia accepted hers after moving one barrier plate into position, while Lucia caught another weapon and tested its weight with a cautious swing. Hernan stared at the final sword as though accepting it would represent a personal defeat. Another bat crashed into Mellia's barrier before he finally clicked his tongue and wrapped his fingers around the handle.

The swords were far lighter than steel weapons, but their concentrated edges were sharp enough to cut monster flesh without requiring much physical strength. Even someone without formal sword training could injure a bat by swinging in the correct direction. Kart demonstrated what someone with actual frontline experience could accomplish. One of his guardians caught an approaching bat by the wing, and Kart stepped forward before driving the Mana Sword through the creature's chest.

The blade entered without resistance. [Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] Sieghart raised an eyebrow but didn't have time to examine the notification. Three more bats rushed into the opening, forcing everyone to concentrate on preventing them from breaking through. Lucia used her scouts to distort the bats' sense of direction. When one creature descended too low, she stepped aside and cut through its exposed wing with Sieghart's sword. The bat crashed against the floor.

Hernan moved forward and pierced its skull before it could recover. [Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] [Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] [Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] Sieghart's eyes narrowed. Hernan's fighting style became considerably more aggressive once he realized that the Mana Sword wouldn't break under ordinary pressure. He used one hooked spear to drag a bat downward before stabbing the summoned blade through its throat.

[Summoning Magic gained 20 Experience Points.] Mellia's barriers forced the remaining monsters into a tighter formation, preventing them from using their numbers effectively. She maintained the defensive structure with one hand while using the Mana Sword with the other. Her movements lacked Kart's experience and Hernan's aggression, but she didn't need refined technique. Whenever a bat struck her barriers, she redirected its momentum and drove the sword into whatever part of the monster became exposed.

The first four Mana Swords began to flicker after almost one minute. Sieghart noticed the instability immediately and created another set before the existing weapons disappeared from his companions' hands.

"Replacements." Kart released his fading weapon and caught the new one smoothly. Mellia adapted almost as quickly, but Lucia nearly dropped hers when the previous sword vanished in the middle of her attack. Hernan looked back at Sieghart.

"How many of these can you make?"

"Do you need another one?" The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"That wasn't my question." Sieghart sent him the replacement sword before using Mana Shield to stop a bat that slipped around Kart's guardians. The creature struck the translucent surface and rebounded, leaving itself exposed to Lucia's flying constructs. The scouts wrapped thin mana threads around the bat's wings and pulled them together. Lucia stepped forward and stabbed her new sword through the creature's chest before it could free itself. More notifications appeared.

[Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] [Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] [Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] The revelation was obvious now, but Sieghart refused to think about it until the battle was over. He continued replacing the Mana Swords whenever they approached their limits while projecting Protection toward whichever member of the group faced the greatest danger. The group's efficiency increased with each passing minute.

They didn't need to preserve their summoned weapons because Sieghart immediately replaced them, allowing everyone to strike with enough force to destroy ordinary steel blades. Kart abandoned defensive swings and began cutting through wings instead. His guardian constructs pinned the grounded bats while the others delivered finishing blows using the unnaturally sharp Mana Swords.

Mellia used her barriers to redirect the swarm, Lucia disrupted their senses, and Hernan eliminated anything that managed to approach from an unexpected angle. Sieghart maintained their weapons and support spells from the center of the formation. The final bat tried to climb along the ceiling rather than force its way through the others. Lucia's scouts detected it immediately, but the creature was already beyond the range of Hernan's weapons.

Sieghart created another Mana Sword and launched it directly toward the ceiling. The blade pierced one of the bat's wings and pinned it against a stalactite, preventing the creature from escaping. Kart's guardian climbed the wall with surprisingly quick movements, grabbed the bat around its body, and pulled it down. The monster struck the floor hard enough to crack the stone beneath it. Hernan finished it with Sieghart's sword. [Summoning Magic gained 10 Experience Points.] The cavern gradually became silent again. Dead bats covered the tunnel, their twisted wings overlapping one another while dark blood flowed between the cracks in the stone. Sieghart waited for another monster to appear before lowering his hands. When nothing emerged, he reviewed the succession of notifications and confirmed that Summoning Magic had gained experience for every bat killed using his Mana Swords. He pressed one palm against his face. Of course.

White Magic gained experience when he supported other people during battle. Summoning Magic apparently followed a similar principle when someone else used one of his constructs to kill an enemy. Years of creating Mana Swords, practicing alone, and testing their durability had accomplished almost nothing for the summoning branch. He could have discovered the answer much earlier if he had handed a summoned weapon to someone during a real fight.

The system apparently wanted his constructs to serve an independent purpose beyond acting as extensions of his own body. Allowing another person to use them satisfied that requirement because the weapons continued contributing without his direct control. It was logical. Sieghart still hated it. Mellia dismissed her damaged barriers and approached him while catching her breath. Sweat covered her forehead, but the newly summoned weapons had prevented the battle from draining the remainder of her mana.

"Why do you look so troubled?"

"It's nothing. Some sand fell into my eyes." Mellia glanced at the damp stone around their feet.

"Sand?"

"There is probably some nearby."

"You control sand."

"That doesn't make me immune to it." Mellia stared at him for several seconds before deciding that questioning him further wasn't worth the effort. Behind her, the remaining Mana Swords began to flicker as their limited duration came to an end. The weapons dissolved into pale particles simultaneously. Kart looked at his empty hand, while Lucia tried to catch one fading fragment before it vanished entirely. Hernan examined the place where his sword had disappeared.

"You created sixteen of those."

"Was it sixteen?"

"You don't know?"

"I was busy watching the tunnel." That answer only made the others more suspicious. Creating a single Mana Sword would consume a noticeable part of an ordinary mage's reserves, yet Sieghart had summoned four sets without showing the slightest sign of exhaustion. Lucia exchanged a meaningful look with Mellia. Kart stopped repairing his guardian long enough to study Sieghart, while Hernan's irritation slowly transformed into reluctant curiosity. They were clearly thinking about Seraphina again.

Sieghart could understand their conclusion. He had spent years hidden beneath the guild founded in Seraphina's city, Mira personally taught him magic, and his mana reserves appeared almost bottomless. Even Sieghart couldn't dismiss the possibility that some connection existed. Seraphina had apparently possessed enough mana to cast spells almost continuously, and her descendants still controlled the only recognized mage guild in the human lands.

However, Sieghart didn't feel like explaining that he was the reincarnation of someone who had died beneath several library shelves in another world. That revelation would raise considerably more questions than pretending he might be Seraphina's descendant. Hernan finally broke the silence.

"How much mana do you actually have?"

"Enough for this mission."

"That still isn't an answer."

"It is the only one you're getting." Hernan looked ready to argue, but Mellia placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Sieghart had helped them eliminate every escaping bat, so demanding his secrets immediately afterward would have been both rude and ungrateful. They spent the next several minutes moving the corpses away from the center of the passage. Sieghart used Sand Control to create a platform beneath the bodies before pushing them against one wall.

While he worked, his thoughts returned to the system. If White Magic progressed by strengthening and healing allies, while Summoning Magic progressed when others used his constructs, then Arcane Magic might possess a similar requirement that he had overlooked. Mana Transfusion allowed him to place mana inside weapons and magical tools. Perhaps he could use the spell to refill the reserves of another mage, although attempting that without understanding their mana channels could injure them.

Mana Rune presented another possibility. If he placed runes upon the others' constructs and those runes improved their performance, Arcane Magic might recognize the contribution and award experience. The theory was worth testing carefully. He could begin with a small quantity of mana and stop immediately if the target showed any sign of pain, instability, combustion, or another inconvenient side effect. Sieghart's expression darkened as he considered the larger implication.

He had believed that infinite mana would allow him to overwhelm every obstacle through persistence, repetition, and unreasonable quantities of fireballs. Instead, most of his meaningful progression appeared to be locked behind cooperating with other people. The universe had granted him unlimited magical power and then balanced it by assigning him mandatory group projects. Is this some natural restriction of the system, or did Seraphina design it this way?

If Seraphina had possessed something similar, perhaps she had deliberately created those limitations to prevent a single mage from becoming entirely self-sufficient. Someone with infinite mana would become far more dangerous if they never needed allies. That reasoning was sensible, responsible, and infuriating. Sieghart had spent years preparing himself because he never wanted to depend upon anyone again.

Now the system seemed determined to remind him that isolating himself would eventually place a wall in front of his progress. He could attack his enemies with infinite fireballs, freeze entire battlefields, and continue casting long after every ordinary mage had collapsed. However, if he wanted to develop every branch of his magic, he apparently needed other people beside him. Hernan approached after checking the tunnel.

"You did well." Sieghart looked at him.

"Did those bats damage your head?"

"I'm trying to thank you."

"You looked like you were in pain." Hernan's expression immediately returned to its usual irritation.

"Forget it."

"That looks more natural." Kart laughed openly this time, while Lucia covered her mouth again. Even Mellia smiled before turning toward the downward passage, where the darkness remained unnaturally quiet. The thing that had frightened the bats still hadn't appeared. Whatever occupied the deeper section of the cavern might have stopped moving, or perhaps it was simply waiting beyond the reach of their magical light. Mellia restored one of her damaged barriers and looked at the others.

"We rest until everyone recovers enough mana. After that, we find out what drove those monsters toward the surface." The group nodded, but nobody relaxed completely. The bats had been terrified enough to throw themselves against armed mages rather than remain below, and creatures that large didn't flee without a reason. Another heavy sound eventually traveled through the passage. It was quieter than before, but considerably closer. Sieghart looked into the darkness while preparing another Mana Sword.

He might have discovered how to level Summoning Magic, but the approaching footsteps suggested that he would receive an opportunity to test his theory again much sooner than expected. Whatever was climbing toward them didn't sound frightened. It sounded hungry.