Vol 3 Chapter 55

"This... was following your eyes?"

Kran's scorched voice came from the right.

- Whoosh!

"Whoa."

Kapros, who had reflexively almost looked at Kran, gritted his teeth as he saw the flames that had started to move to the right following his gaze. While Kran was screaming, Un-o approached from the left.

"Doesn't magic follow the caster's will?"

Un-o's voice also hadn't completely lost its surprised tone.

Kapros tried to control the red flames that had obediently stopped and were burning in front of him by visualizing the movement path in his mind as he always did.

"...Move back."

- ...

"...To the right. No, to the left... no..."

- ...

But no matter how desperately he imagined it moving while visualizing the path of movement, the flames wouldn't budge. As they remained motionless as if they would never move again, the moment Kapros unconsciously tried to turn his eyes to the side once more,

- Whoosh!

"Kap!"

The flames slid along his gaze as if they had never been still. Seeing this, Kapros glared at the flames in disbelief, and only after a long while was he able to answer Un-o's question.

"...This doesn't seem to be following my will."

"Then how do we get rid of it?"

"..."

After hearing Un-o's words, Kapros mentally wished for the flames to disappear, but they didn't.

"Huh?"

He felt a choking sensation. This had never happened before. For Kapros, who had never failed to control magic no matter how difficult it was to learn since mastering it, this situation was becoming more and more of a heavy shock as he realized it.

He tried again, glaring at the fire, but the result was the same. And again, and yet again after that.

"..."

For a moment, Kapros felt both sides flinch simultaneously, probably due to how his expression had changed. How much time had passed like this? Trying to keep his body straight as it began to tire, unable to look at anyone for fear of accidentally turning his eyes and causing harm, Kapros desperately wished for just one thing with his aching mind.

'Please... just disappear!'

- Whoosh...!

And only then, the red snake-like flames that had persisted for hours vanished like smoke, as if by magic.

Kapros stood blankly, not feeling like he had actually dispelled it, when simultaneously, sighs of relief burst out from both sides.

"Whew...!"

"...Phew..."

Even Un-o, who tried to act nonchalant, seemed to have been quite tense. And a moment later, Kran and Un-o moved like lightning to a spot behind Kapros, out of his line of sight.

"What?"

As Kapros turned around, Kran waved his arm with an awkward smile.

"Kap. Sorry! I'll follow from here! Is... is that okay?"

"..."

Kapros looked at Un-o with eyes that said, "I get Kran, but you?" Un-o bowed at a 90-degree angle.

"...I apologize."

...Right. You'd be in trouble with your livelihood if you're not careful even in the game.

Kapros didn't feel like getting angry. Wasn't it because of him, who had tried foolishly and failed, that the two had only suffered harm?

At first, he had thought about asking Yoon Seok-ho again, but the more he thought about it, the less it seemed like a bug. The 6th circle was completely different from the 5th circle and below. And Superior's magic, which he had said was on a different level even among 6th circle spells. Although he hadn't tried it, Blizzard would clearly unfold in the same situation as Inferno.

If so, there was only one conclusion. Something was lacking.

It seemed clear that an image wasn't so necessary for activating magic, but Kapros couldn't quickly grasp what else was needed beyond that.

What on earth had been lacking...

While lost in thought, Kran and Un-o, who had returned, tried to speak to Kapros, but when he didn't respond properly, they soon fell completely silent. And so they had walked day and night continuously.

"...Kran."

When Kapros opened his mouth for the first time in four days, Kran, who had been silent for a moment, responded in surprise.

"Huh? Yeah?"

"How far is it to your destination?"

Kran quickly opened his mouth with a moved expression.

"Ah... Russil village is almost right next to us on the map. I think we'll arrive soon."

Once he started talking, Kran soon brought out related information in a bright voice.

"From what I found out, it's such a small village with mostly novice users, and there's no notable dungeon, so it's an extremely unpopular village. Haha... But when we arrive, we should see some quest hints somehow, right?"

"I suppose so."

"Kap. Are you okay now?"

"...What do you mean?"

Even though Kapros knew what Kran was asking, he questioned back, and Kran smiled while examining him.

"You've been lost in thought because of that magic from before. Seeing that you've come to your senses, you must have sorted things out to some extent, right? You're not the type to just stay like that for no reason."

"..."

Although the time they had spent together was long if you considered it long, and short if you considered it short, Kran had grasped Kapros's state over the past four days very well.

"I've only realized that I need time for now."

"What's that? The Kap who always came to conclusions in one go spent all that time thinking hard, and that's all?"

"..."

What do you take me for?

At that moment, Un-o, who had been walking silently beside them, quietly spoke up.

"...Isn't that the village over there?"

As Kapros turned his head, he indeed saw something like a jagged fence poking up in the distance between the hills of the prairie. Kran exclaimed with delight.

"Finally!"

And with that, he ran ahead alone like an excited puppy, quickly burying the conversation they had just had. As Kapros inwardly chuckled, watching that innocent figure running with his blonde hair glittering in the sunlight and his armor shining brightly, Un-o approached from the side.

"From now on, even if you have things to think about, don't do it alone."

"What?"

Kapros inadvertently asked again, doubting if he had really heard what Un-o just said, and Un-o quickly turned his head.

"...I'll go ahead."

"You..."

Kapros watched Un-o's retreating figure as he quickly went ahead, closing his mouth that had been about to call out to him.