Vol 4 Chapter 6

As Kapros had sprung out too quickly for them to see clearly, both confusion and surprise appeared in Kran and Un-o's eyes as they looked at him.

"Did you use a sword?"

"Yeah."

As Kapros nodded in response to Un-o's question while wiping his chin, where red bodily fluids had gathered after flowing down his face, with his sleeve, Kran's incredulous cry burst out.

"Did you really kill it? A mage actually used a sword? Wow! Kap has finally succeeded even at this!"

Despite having helped with Kapros's sword training before, Kran seemed newly surprised at the fact that Kapros had succeeded in defeating an enemy with a sword.

"This is really... This is truly..."

"It wasn't just with the sword. I'm a mage, after all."

Kapros added, seeing that Kran seemed somewhat shocked at having his domain as a swordsman invaded. Although this calmed Kran a bit, he still couldn't completely hide his surprise.

"It's your first kill with a sword, right? Weren't you scared, being unfamiliar with it?"

What did this guy take him for?

Even if he couldn't use a sword, as long as he had mana left, Kapros was still a mage. He could dodge with Blink even if an enemy came right up to his face, and he could cast or block magic as needed.

"No. It's fine."

"That's impressive."

"We-well... I guess your true nature when fighting... that kind of thing matters too..."

Unlike Un-o, who was purely surprised, Kran immediately changed his expression to a serious one and muttered, causing Kapros to narrow his eyes.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all. Hahaha."

"..."

Kran seemed to think that Kapros's personality during battle was very different from usual, but in reality, it wasn't that different. Kapros had always enjoyed the thrill of competition, and he just stayed calm in everyday life because there was no need for such excitement.

He wanted to say this, but he couldn't speak to Kran, who was already running away with a playful smile, seemingly remembering how he had been thoroughly hit by Kapros's magic in a similar situation before.

"Sigh..."

Then, should he try dealing with the next ones without using any magic other than Blink? If so, he'd need to time the Blink and attacks well. Before he knew it, his mind was once again considering attack patterns and effects, and a refreshing joy that he hadn't felt in a long time was welling up inside him.

***

After the release of the third video of THE MIST Episode 3, stories began to circulate among users at some point.

'Monsters seem to have become much more violent lately. It's incredibly hard to hunt even once... It's difficult to go on a light hunt alone... Is this the developers' intention to encourage party hunting?'

'A dungeon that was definitely there yesterday has disappeared today! What's going on?'

'It's an unsafe time for traveling on foot. Please use warp portals whenever possible.'

The gradual awakening of monsters and changes in dungeons and maps, which most hadn't noticed, were growing to the point of affecting gameplay that had been peaceful and unchanging until now. However, contrary stories were also circulating just as much.

'Have they recently patched clerics or something... The power of priest and paladin classes seems to be getting stronger?'

'The rising new force. The number of mage users is increasing! - Magictopia Guild of Zagreb -'

'Regarding the rumor of seeing an elf in the desert city of Bala Monyak...'

Most people didn't realize the strange connection between these changes because they were too slow, and passed by thinking they were separate issues. But the continent was changing. Very slowly, continuously, as choices and stories repeated.

Kapros, sunk into a much deeper unconsciousness than ever before, began to slowly recall the name and implementation of magic from that dark and quiet point.

'A storm of freezing ice. Blizzard.'

Soon, as the empty space began to freeze with a crackling sound, the temperature dropped chillingly, and wind started to blow. It was the simultaneous action of ice and wind. The sensation of an ice shard brushing past his cheek as it began to whistle by felt eerie.

And the moment he opened his eyes,

Whoosh!

He saw an ice storm sweeping through the not-so-wide swamp. It was a fantastical scene that could have been mistaken for a place of only snow and ice if not for the dead grass and trees. Although the storm, raging like mad, threatened to flip his hair and robe inside out, he was so captivated by the sight before him that he hardly noticed.

'Grrrr!'

'Grrk!'

Crack, crack, boom!

It was almost pitiful to see dozens of mud monsters freezing solid with cracking sounds as they struggled and screamed. As Kapros was feeling satisfied watching Blizzard demonstrate the untouchable power of nature, he saw Kran running around with his sword below, overreacting as if he was cold, even though it was a game and he shouldn't feel much cold.

"Waaah, it's cold! I'm flying away! Kap! Stop it, Kap! Save me!"

"They seem to be frozen enough now."

"Hmm."

Kapros was currently standing on a cliff much higher than the swamp, looking down at the manifested magic as if it were someone else's business, while Un-o was beside him, nocking three arrows to his bowstring.

Both Un-o and Kapros had come up to the cliff to attack from a distance and were not affected by the magic, but Kran, who had been dealing with the mud monsters that kept reforming no matter how much he cut them below, was inevitably caught in Blizzard's area of effect.

Anyway, since sharp-eyed Un-o said they were frozen enough, it probably meant they were now frozen to the point where they would shatter and die with just a light touch, without reforming.

'I guess this is enough.'

"Stop."

Kapros concentrated again, putting effort into imaging to make Blizzard disappear. However, perhaps because it was Superior's magic, Blizzard didn't vanish obediently and resisted. It was only after a long while of effort, enduring to the limit as his eyes and head felt like they were about to burst, that it finally subsided. As if reluctant to leave, it disappeared in a ferociously torn manner, like a fierce beast giving one last defiant roar before departing.