Minefield -4

I can't afford to wait—I activate a healing crystal in my dazed consciousness and begin treating my wounds immediately.

"I knew you'd come here. I've prepared accordingly. I'm glad it worked out so well. You must have quite the confidence in your own abilities—or perhaps you're just underestimating me."

With that, Noiman extends more ice.

Taro is completely overwhelmed.

"All that's left is freezing your core body temperature, and it'll be complete. You seem to dislike the idea of your own developed technology being used in war—why is that, exactly?"

With victory already certain, Noiman couldn't stop muttering to himself.

"Because it's war? Because people die? Or perhaps... because people are being used? To win, we kill enemy soldiers. Nations use soldiers to achieve victory. In the end, it all comes down to one's perspective—nothing more. To claim that using your own technology is excessive pride is absurd, Taro."

As he spoke with a triumphant glare, cracks appeared in the ice block engulfing Taro.

Noiman, shocked, leapt backward dramatically.

"Isn't this strange? I clearly heard that magic stones and magical items were coming from both hands... This liquid, I see now—it's liquid magic stones. Heh, one can't really talk about others' flaws, can one?"

As Taro fell to the ground, still pinned within the ice block, he managed to pull out the liquid magic stone.

Liquid magic stones possess the ability to transmit magical essence.

It doesn't matter if magic stones or magical devices aren't physically touched—what matters is that they're connected through magical essence.

Thanks to Neumann's monologue, I'd had enough time to recover.

All that's left is to activate the lightning attack and shatter the ice block...

The ice block collapses rapidly due to the sudden destruction. Partially shattered fragments crack the fragile wall surface.

"You're right—maybe I was overconfident. It's only natural to assume there could be traps, isn't it?"

I activate my wind magic and increase its power. A powerful vortex forms within the room, lifting ice and stones and spinning them around.

"Alright, let's go at it again."

Noiman similarly summons a vortex.

Both lift ice and stones in the same manner. Once they reach sufficient power, the two vortices collide.

The ice blocks filling the room shatter and scatter in all directions. Everything is lifted into the air, hurtling through the room at high speed, destroying everything in its path.

It's infuriating, but Noiman's words hit the mark.

Indeed, I was careless. Then this time, I won't be.

Drawing my crossbow, I nock a special bolt.

Charging it with lightning, I fire it straight at Noiman.

Noiman blocks the attack with the massive gemstone on his left arm. The arrow is firmly embedded in the gemstone, but fails to pierce through.

For a brief moment, violet lightning flickers across the gemstone...

But electric current doesn't flow easily through an ordinary gemstone.

The arrow becomes lodged deep within the stone and cannot be pulled out, yet Noiman shows no sign of concern.

Crouching behind the large humanoid gemstone, Noiman prepares for further attacks.

The two tornadoes vanished, and the room cleared up.

The room was littered with broken, shattered, and scattered debris.

It had originally been a hastily constructed mining site.

Its construction was flimsy, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

Yet, they couldn't leave this place just yet.

There was an enemy they had to capture right in front of them. Noiman reached for another special arrow.

This time, I’ll hit him. I’ll pierce Noiman and stop him at all costs. Increase the power in the crossbow.

Electricity leaked out around the area.

Not yet!

But the arrow never reached Noiman.

Noiman used the human-shaped spirit stone he was hiding behind to unleash a mighty flame. The arrow was swallowed, and a massive fire filled the room.

"Can you really take that attack again and again?!"

He hurls vast amounts of wind with both hands, grumbling. The torrent of flames halts its motion, but the momentum doesn't wane.

Not yet!

If this continues, I'll eventually be overwhelmed by the heat and scorched. I have to weaken this intensity further!

There's melted ice caused by the intense heat.

I continuously gather this moisture and hurl it at the flames, generating massive amounts of steam in the process.

Neumann uses another nearby human spirit stone to further amplify the firepower.

Gather moisture from throughout the room, prepare a large amount of water, and launch it with intensified wind power.

The water, superheated to extreme temperatures, instantly changes state, transforming into gas. This causes a massive explosion known as a steam explosion.

The shockwave from the explosion sends both combatants flying backward.

That's not all. The shockwave, vibration, and heat affect everything within the room.

The entire excavation site trembled violently, large rocks rolling down from the ceiling, and the soil collapsed.

Damn it! It's collapsing!

Taro, barely keeping consciousness, instantly made his decision.

Head for the exit now!? No, too late.

If that's the case, there's no choice but to break through the ceiling.

He began gathering plasma in his right hand. With less time than usual, he had to gather more than ever.

Panic rising.

Focus.

A massive boulder tumbles just behind his head.

Sweat drips down.

Focus.

Gathered! He raises his right hand as if striking the ceiling.

From his raised hand, a blinding flash erupts, melting, blasting, and destroying the entire ceiling.

Not yet—still no sky in sight. Gather more plasma.

"Ooooooohhhhh!"

Responding to the involuntary cry, the flash grows thicker and more powerful, blasting away the ceiling's rock layer.

A vibration and light were seen that could easily be mistaken for an eruption starting from the ground below.

The hole is open!

Taking advantage of the brief glimpse of sky, they ascended using a wind spell and escaped to the surface.

When they looked at the spot they emerged from, the ground had collapsed inward, as if the very room they had been in had caved in.

Given how it collapsed, Alex should be alright? A knot of worry tightened in their chest.

Yet, they couldn’t keep worrying about someone else.

A short distance away from where he emerged, a boulder was blown apart, and a man stepped out.

It was Noiman.

He was still alive after all.