Chương 99: One Sword, Ten Times the Bad Idea

The ascending passage continued narrowing while Sieghart skated toward its end. His floating Flames revealed a wall of collapsed stone less than one hundred meters ahead, confirming that he was rapidly running out of space. There was no visible side tunnel, ladder, or opening leading to another level. The miners had abandoned this section after a cave-in, leaving Sieghart trapped between solid rock and an unfinished dungeon guardian. Mellia and the others continued attacking from behind the creature.

Their spells struck its spine, legs, and exposed ribs, but hitting a moving target through a collapsing tunnel remained extremely difficult. Mellia launched barriers beneath its rear paws, attempting to disrupt its footing. Kart's damaged guardian threw rocks, while Lucia guided Hernan's summoned spears toward every opening between the monster's bones. Their attacks inflicted damage whenever they connected, yet the creature restored each fracture almost immediately.

They could only apply limited force while running, and stopping would allow the collapsing mine to bury them. Sieghart fired Spark repeatedly while maintaining his uphill movement. The electrical bolts continued paralyzing small sections of reconstructed flesh, but aiming precisely had become almost impossible. His body was sliding backward, the guardian was charging through falling debris, and the exposed core remained protected behind ribs that constantly shifted with every violent movement.

Spark naturally traveled toward the closest wet tissue rather than following a perfectly straight path. Even when Sieghart aimed between the ribs, the electricity branched across nearby muscles instead. He needed to strike the crimson core directly. Unfortunately, Spark lacked enough penetration, while his other available spells would lose too much power after passing through the ancient bones. Earth Bullet could crack individual ribs but wouldn't pierce the core.

Water Cannon lacked concentrated force, and Wind Blade risked changing direction after colliding with the curved skeleton. The guardian released another violent roar as it approached. The unfinished sound echoed through the tunnel, shaking loose stones and nearly disrupting Sieghart's balance upon the ice. It was impressive that something possessing half a throat, incomplete lungs, and no proper tongue could produce such an overwhelming noise. Mana apparently compensated for every missing organ.

Sieghart considered using Giant Fireball. One direct explosion might shatter enough ribs to expose the core, and repeated casts could overwhelm the creature's regeneration. The problem was everything behind it. The guardian's body contained countless gaps. Flames and explosive pressure could pass between its ribs, continue downhill, and strike Mellia's group while they were attacking from behind. A barrage of Giant Fireballs might also collapse the entire tunnel.

Killing the guardian would mean little if Sieghart buried himself and the others beneath several thousand tons of stone. The situation forced him to recognize an uncomfortable weakness. Despite possessing numerous magical branches, the number of useful cards available to him remained surprisingly limited. His spells worked well against ordinary enemies, but none possessed enough concentrated power to penetrate a dungeon guardian without creating an unacceptable amount of destruction around the target.

Sieghart had focused on expanding his options rather than mastering one overwhelming attack. That strategy provided versatility, yet most of those options were currently too weak to solve the problem before him. He needed something powerful, concentrated, and narrow enough to avoid destroying the entire mine. Unfortunately, he had never developed a spell fitting all three requirements. Without another choice, he would have to improvise and accept the danger.

If his attempt failed, the guardian would catch him within seconds and settle the question permanently. The end of the frozen path approached rapidly. Sieghart concentrated Wind Magic through both hands and released one final blast toward the pursuing creature. The force pushed him uphill faster than before. His boots scraped across the ice while he lowered his body, allowing momentum to carry him through the remaining distance. Sieghart reached the collapsed end of the tunnel and twisted before striking the wall.

He planted both feet, bent his knees, and used Protection to absorb the remaining impact. The frozen floor ended beneath him. With no more space to retreat, Sieghart raised both hands toward the guardian and began gathering mana between his palms. Mana Sword was currently designed for stability rather than power. Sieghart had spent years increasing the spell's duration because maintaining the construct longer was the requirement for raising its level.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. He had improved the blade's edge and durability slightly, but he had never attempted to increase its size beyond what an ordinary person could wield comfortably. That limitation had never seemed important. A sword ten times larger than its user was usually less practical than creating ten normal weapons and giving them to competent fighters. The present situation was anything except usual.

Sieghart compressed mana between his hands and formed the central structure of a blade. Instead of stopping at the normal length, he continued forcing energy into the growing construct. The weapon extended forward one meter, then two. Its translucent surface brightened as Sieghart reinforced the internal structure to prevent the oversized blade from bending or collapsing. He wanted the completed Mana Sword to become ten times larger than the ordinary version.

That meant increasing its length, width, density, and total mana content simultaneously. The handle formed near Sieghart's hands, but it was far too large for him to hold conventionally. He kept both palms pressed against the pommel and controlled the weapon through continuous Mana Transfusion. The blade stretched across the passage like an enormous spear. Its incomplete tip remained transparent, while waves of unstable mana traveled along the unfinished edges.

Creating something that large was taking its sweet time. Sieghart's mana remained infinite, but his ability to shape and stabilize it possessed very clear limitations. Every additional meter required more concentration than the previous one. The weight wasn't physical yet, but maintaining the construct placed a growing pressure upon Sieghart's mind. The guardian noticed that he had stopped moving. Its exposed core pulsed brighter, and the creature accelerated.

Its claws destroyed the remaining frozen floor while its shoulders tore through both walls. Sieghart continued forming the sword. He couldn't divide his attention enough to use Spark, Wind Magic, or another spell without risking the entire construct collapsing. The giant blade reached half of its intended size. Mana poured into the unfinished edge, slowly creating the thickness necessary to survive a direct collision with the guardian's skeleton. The creature crossed the final bend.

Fewer than fifty meters separated them now, and the tunnel shook violently beneath each of its steps. Sieghart remained still. Sweat formed across his forehead while his arms trembled from the mental strain, although the weapon itself remained suspended before him. The sword reached sixty percent completion. Its broad edge extended nearly across the entire passage, leaving barely enough space between the blade and surrounding walls. A direct attack would be impossible to evade.

Unfortunately, if the weapon passed through the guardian, Mellia and the others remained somewhere behind it. Sieghart angled the sword slightly downward. If he missed the core or pierced the entire body, the construct should strike the floor before reaching the others. That adjustment reduced his chance of hitting the target cleanly. It was still preferable to accidentally cutting his temporary companions in half while attempting to save them. The guardian closed within thirty meters.

Its empty eye sockets remained fixed upon Sieghart, while the crimson core absorbed every fragment of unstable mana escaping the unfinished sword. The absorption accelerated the regeneration of its muscles. More flesh spread across its shoulders, and one partially exposed leg completed itself while the creature continued charging. Sieghart gritted his teeth. His attempt was feeding the guardian again, but stopping now would leave him without enough time to create another plan.

Seventy percent of the Mana Sword had taken shape when the creature reached twenty meters. The incomplete tip flickered, while several cracks appeared across the unstable center. Sieghart calculated the remaining distance and understood the obvious conclusion. He had started too late. The guardian lowered its head and prepared to leap. Its jaws opened, revealing enormous teeth surrounded by newly formed muscle and dark red veins. Then several glowing projectiles entered the passage behind it.

Hernan's summoned spears flew between the guardian's ribs from different angles. Lucia's remaining scout corrected their trajectories during the final instant, guiding them toward the crimson light. Two spears struck bone and shattered. The third passed through an existing fracture and hit the core directly. A metallic crack echoed throughout the tunnel. The guardian flinched as its rear legs lost strength. Its charge became an uncontrolled slide, and the red glow inside its chest flickered for the first time.

Sieghart saw the opening and grinned.

"So you can be useful when you try." Hernan couldn't possibly hear him through the collapsing tunnel, but insulting the older boy still helped Sieghart concentrate upon the final portion of the spell. He forced more mana into the damaged sections of the sword. The cracks closed, the unstable center solidified, and the blade resumed growing toward its intended length. The guardian recovered and planted its claws against the floor.

Its core pulsed violently, destroying the summoned spear still embedded within its surface. It raised its skull and resumed accelerating. The brief interruption had granted Sieghart only several additional seconds, but those seconds were everything he needed. The Mana Sword reached eighty percent, then ninety. Its completed edge emitted a pale glow bright enough to illuminate the entire passage and erase every nearby shadow.

Sieghart reinforced the tip, compressed the interior, and adjusted the angle toward the opening between the guardian's ribs. The weapon was too large to swing, but it didn't need to be swung. He only needed to launch it forward. The guardian crossed the final ten meters. Its jaws opened, its forelegs left the floor, and its enormous body prepared to crush Sieghart against the collapsed wall. The giant Mana Sword finally stabilized.

Sieghart planted both feet, pointed the completed weapon toward the glowing core, and gathered every fragment of control he possessed for one direct launch.

"Let's see you absorb this."