Chapter 137: Airy Disturbance (1/2)
Mike quietly snuck out, not wanting to disturb any of his companions. He needed space to experiment with this idea of his. Leaving the dorm, he headed to the fairly deserted section of campus that he'd already used a couple of times for similar purposes.
While walking, he took a moment to re-examine the new category in his [Status] which gave him the idea in the first place.
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- Intermediate Air Magic (Tier 2, Rank 1) –
One of the most basic forms of Elemental Magic. Air Magic allows the user to create and manipulate wind and air. It is characterized by its speed and constancy of motion, providing strong offensive power, mild defensive strength, and some utility. Higher skill levels increase the mana efficiency and power of the magic produced.
Rank 1 Effects: Oscillation
- Oscillation –
Due to a greater skill in the fine manipulation of air, practitioners are able to create minute movements in wind, causing vibrations. These vibrations can in turn be used to create sound.
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At first he figured that, at the very least, he could work on creating some kind of music producing magic. Otherwise, he was mainly unimpressed with the new effect gained at first. However, while he was in the middle of copying the spells into his new Grimoire (journal), he had a sudden epiphany.
Finally finding the clearing where he discovered Aerosense, Mike concentrated his mana and started the newly improved chant.
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”Do we really need to be out here as well?” Marcus complained, not relishing the idea of wandering the deserted sections of campus while there were monsters on the loose. As a junior instructor of the Magic Department, and one of the few capable of using detection magic, he was forcibly volunteered to join the guard in sweeping the University. Marcus had barely survived the attack on central campus, as the dragon's appearance prevented him from being impaled by a woman dressed as a waitress.
He would be the first to admit, that his marginal talents in Arcane Magic didn't lend themselves well to combat. So, after being rejected by the Mage's Guild, he'd eventually managed to land himself a position as an assistant instructor at the University. He'd assumed his life would be set from that point onwards. However, he had been dragged into a major military conflict and after barely surviving, was forced to hunt monsters. Life was just so unfair.
Luckily, he'd managed to convince Brad, his friend and colleague, to come with him. Brad had some experience serving as a military mage, and would therefore be much more useful if they actually found one of the monsters. Marcus was depending on him almost exclusively, since he didn't have much hope for the guards. They'd let the attack happen in the first place, after all.
Brad sighed, ”Yes, Marcus. We need to be here. According to the reports, they released at least twenty Tier 2 monsters into the campus. So far they've only caught fifteen. Do you really want a student running into one of them?”
Having the decency to look a little shamed by his friend's reprimand, Marcus nodded, ”I know, but I'm not like you. Just thinking about running into one of those things is giving me the creeps.”
”Don't worry about it, I'll protect you if we get into trouble.” The combat mage replied with a reassuring smile.
”Thanks, Brad, you're a real-”
Marcus stopped when his passive life detection spell triggered. ”I think I've got something.”
He whispered a quick chant to help narrow down his field of detection. Whatever was triggering his senses was big. Terrifyingly so. He could feel his heart starting to pound, and his breath coming quicker as the panic threatened to overwhelm him.
”There,” he said quietly, while pointing into a copse of trees, ”It's about 30m that way.”
After he determined that the creature wasn't moving, the trio of University Guards took the lead, weapons at the ready while Marcus and Brad followed after.
[Oh gods, please don't let me get killed and eaten by some kind of terrible monster…]
Another life sign suddenly entered his scanning radius, heading directly towards the monster at a quick pace. Judging from the size, it seemed like a person. He quickly whispered his revelation to Brad. ”There is someone up ahead who is moving towards the monster. We got to do something.”
”Shit.” Brad replied, before issuing a quick command to the guards. ”Forget about stealth, we're moving forward at double time. We have a person to save.”
So confident and authoritative were his orders, the guards snapped quickly into action before they remembered that they technically didn't answer to the mage. By that point it was too late, as they were already crashing through the underbrush.
The five of them broke into a clearing just in time to witness the confrontation between the two parties. A student, judging by the clothing was in the midst of casting an Air Elemental spell at the monster, which appeared to be a spider of titanic size.
With long, slender legs and a gossamer carapace that reflected the afternoon sun, it could almost be considered pretty, if it wasn't so terrifying at the same time. Eight red eyes were fixed on the student, as is flashed forward in a sudden rush. Fanged mandibles dripped unidentifiable fluids as they worked excitedly.
The guards broke into a sprint, trying futilely to reach the student. Brad started casting his own spell, but it would take too long to complete. There was nothing left to do, but watch the tragedy occur. Or so Marcus thought.
With a mournful howl, a ball of rapidly spinning wind appeared in the young man's hand, about 0.5m in diameter. Looking up at the monster with a slightly surprised expression, as if this was the first time he even noticed it, the youth simply pointed the ball in the spider's direction.
The howl increased in pitch and volume as the wind ball impacted on the spider's head, and then kept going. Marcus didn't really understand what happened until he saw the ball hit a tree behind the spider and start carving a hole through it. The winds seemed to be eating their way through the material. In less than a second they had bored their way through the spider and into the forest behind it.