For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Chapter 12: Dungeon O-S (5)

A vast marshland.

In the center, there was a massive tree, broken from the middle, its head stuck in the ground.

In front of the broken tree, a white frog could be seen submerged in the swamp.

Its bulky physique was probably three times that of any Big Mouth I’d seen before.

Especially its head–it was so large that it made me think it could probably swallow a small house whole.

With a size and ferocity to match, this Big Mouth emitted a sense of intimidation on a different scale than before.

And that creature was none other than the boss of the Gef Dungeon, the Big Mouth King.

Facing such a creature, Carla strained herself.

“I’ll kill it! I will kill it! Then I don’t have to drink anymore, right? Please don’t stop me, Master!”

I looked at Carla’s swollen belly and nodded.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Thank you…!!”

Regardless of my nervous reaction, Carla happily gathered mana.

Woong–

The flow of mana was on a completely different level compared to the Fire Balls she had been using.

In fact, the magic that Carla was about to use was intermediate-level magic.

If low-level magic was used for one-on-one battles, intermediate-level magic was the kind that determined the outcome of small-scale battles.

There were exceptions everywhere, but generally, that was the case.

Anyway, Carla was a mid-level mage. If she went all out, she could use intermediate-level magic.

With that level of firepower, she could inflict fatal damage on the boss.

However, when a mage went all out, it meant they needed a long time to cast, so someone needed to protect Carla.

As previously discussed, I, who had been hiding behind Carla, stepped forward.

The Big Mouth King, sensing the unusual flow of mana, glared at us and flicked his tongue.

“Gwreeeegul?”

As if scoffing…

‘You think you can?’

…a mocking cry echoed.

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m being ignored by a frog.”

To be fair, I deserved to be ignored.

I couldn’t even properly manipulate mana, let alone cast magic. From its point of view, I must not pose much of a threat.

Still, I had my reasons for stepping forward.

“Gwreeeeeet–!!”

As if aiming to pierce through Carla, who was chanting with me, the Big Mouth King’s tongue shot out rapidly.

I boldly exclaimed in front of it,

“Even if that’s the case, you can’t ignore the power of money!”

Ring of Protection

Five times a day, it automatically casts a shield spell in response to the wearer's danger.

Guardian's Necklace

Three times a day, it casts a Force Shield spell in response to the wearer's will.

Shield Mark Bracelet

Once a day, it automatically casts a Force Shield spell in response to the wearer's danger.

Three translucent shields appeared in mid-air.

With the pre-written Shield Scroll, I was protected by as many as four layers of magic.

While a Shield was a basic universal defense spell, a Force Shield was an intermediate-level specialized physical defense spell.

To be honest, it wasn’t easy to acquire.

Magic tools embedded with intermediate-level magic were the most expensive and in-demand on the market.

From the high-level onward, they were treated as national strategic materials and were strictly managed.

Unless an adventurer who obtained a high-level magic tool as a dungeon raid reward put it up for auction, it was virtually impossible to acquire one with money.

Since endgame equipment wasn’t sold in stores, it seemed trivial back in my gaming days.., but there must have been a plausible reason for that.

At any rate, I should be able to hold out for a while with this.

If the Big Mouth King knew how to use magic, it would be a different story. Fortunately, it was a purely physical-type monster.

Thud!

“Grrueeek?!”

The tongue that flew at me with fierce momentum was stopped by a barrier in mid-air.

Its sharp tip squished against it, and drops of acidic saliva dripped down the translucent wall.

The Big Mouth King seemed momentarily startled, perhaps not expecting its attack to be blocked.

However, it quickly assessed the situation and promptly retracted its tongue.

Then it began to charge toward me, waddling with its short arms and legs.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Because of its abnormally large head, the frog couldn’t jump and was slow to change direction, but…

I absolutely couldn’t underestimate the power of its charge.

Once it gained momentum, it was surprisingly fast, and with the bulk of a boss-level monster added, it was even more formidable.

Kwaang!!

Crack-!

A large crack appeared on one of the Force Shields.

It looked like it could shatter with just a touch—quite precarious.

“Sigh.”

I knew that the magic from magical tools was less effective than spells cast by a mage, but I didn’t expect to use up one charge already.

As the Big Mouth King backed off to charge again, I reactivated my necklace to reinforce the Force Field.

I then glanced back to check on Carla’s chanting.

“——————”

Carla was incessantly murmuring, her staff clutched in her arms.

A large magical circle was drawn beneath her feet, and intricate shapes and letters filled the circle from the outside in.

Judging by the pace at which the magical circle was forming, we should be able to hold out if I blocked a few more attacks.

With that thought in mind, I shifted my gaze back to the front just in time to see the Big Mouth King start charging at me again, having put enough distance between us.

Its massive head rapidly closed in.

Kwaang!

Blocked again, but the creature didn’t stop and continued to charge.

Kuuuuuung!

Boss-like, it knew that my barrier was strong but would eventually break with enough attacks.

Kaaaang!

It was the right call. The power of my magical tools was running out, slowing down the shield reinforcement.

Kwaang!

The frog’s horizontal pupils sent an ominous glare toward Carla.

Perhaps it was betting that it could simultaneously destroy both Carla’s magic and mine with one more hit.

But that was where it was wrong.

Why would I have confidently suggested tackling this dungeon with just the two of us in the first place?

It wouldn’t have another chance.

Whoosh!!

A powerful storm arose behind me.

Was it because of the extreme concentration of magical power? Or because Carla and I shared the same mana core?

Thump thump.

My heart started to race as if it were sprinting, and the recently stabilized minor core began to resonate, asserting its presence.

Sensing that something was off, the Big Mouth King started to hastily retreat instead of charging, but it was already too late.

Carla’s murmuring grew louder, eventually filling the entire area with a clear shout.

“…This is a light that cannot be veiled, a flame that burns eternally. No one can dare to resist!”

Carla, having completed her chant, raised her staff above her head.

And then the subsequent incantation…

“[Prominence Flare!]”

The words, imbued with power, became a sentence of judgment.

Hwarruk.

A small flame flickered above, in the sky.

What was once a fire no brighter than a matchstick devoured Carla’s magical power and incantation, rapidly expanding its size.

Bigger, brighter, hotter.

Until it became a small sun that descended onto the earth.

“Wow…”

The burning heat and brightness were blinding, but I couldn’t look away from the spectacle before me.

Prominence Flare.

A magic I knew of intellectually.

Instead of special effects like explosions or ongoing damage, it excelled at pure flame damage—an incredibly potent mid-level spell.

In games, it was simply a useful area-of-effect attack for sweeping away monsters vulnerable to fire, but…

Seeing Prominence Flare in reality far exceeded my imagination.

“This is insane.”

Of course, I did give Carla a magical tool to maximize her magic power.

But even so, I had no idea it would be this intense.

My slack-jawed astonishment was brief.

Carla slowly lowered her staff, and…

Hwarruk.

In response, the small sun descended.

“Kweeek!!”

The frightened Big Mouth King scampered even faster, but there was no chance it could escape with its stubby legs.

The sun that had fallen, tracing an arc, landed precisely on the back of the creature.

Whaaaaak!

An immense heat was released all at once, bleaching the surroundings white.

The boss, Big Mouth King, became a pile of ash without even a chance to scream, and the surrounding swamp began to evaporate instantly.

And then, belatedly, a scorching hot wind swept through the area.

“Wait a minute…!”

If the mere aftermath was this intense…

I hurriedly pulled a Shield Scroll from my inventory and tore it open.

I positioned myself in front of Carla, bracing for impact.

…

……

…….

Nothing happened.

“???”

Somehow, neither the heat generated by Prominence Flare nor the resulting hot wind were affecting my location.

Not even the sound of wind could be heard.

As if in the eye of a typhoon, I unconsciously tilted my head in confusion.

Squeeze, squeeze.

A small hand tugged on my back.

“Umm… Master?”

“Hm?”

“Starting with all mid-level spells, they include defensive incantations and aftermath control measures to ensure the caster isn’t affected.”

“……”

So… she was saying that tearing that Shield Scroll was completely unnecessary?

With a touch of embarrassment and bewilderment, I glared at Carla, who offered a sheepish grin in return.

“Hehe… I forgot to tell you, but you were trying to protect me just now, right? As always, only my Master could… Uwaa…”

I pinched Carla’s cheeks from both sides, pulling them outward.

“From now on. Make sure. To tell me. Things like that. I was really surprised.”

“Yes… Ahahaha…”

With every emphasized word, Carla nodded her head vigorously, pronouncing her agreement in a squeaky voice.

While it wasn’t completely satisfying, it looked like she was reflecting on her actions. After a few more pinches, I finally let go of her cheeks.

“Ooow… That hurts…”

Rubbing her red cheeks, Carla let out a crying sound.

It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had just cast that incredible spell.

However, the surrounding area, which was once a swamp, had turned into a plain covered with ashes.

Was the only exception the spot where we were standing?

The sense of awe, amazement, and pounding of the heart I had felt earlier was not a hallucination.

“Was mid-level magic always this strong?”

“No, it’s not. Normally, it’s about half as powerful as what you just saw.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It was possible thanks to the magical tool you provided!”

That was quite impressive.

But in H&A, there was no such thing as power without a cost.

Magic-embedded magical tools came with drawbacks such as a hefty price and usage limitations.

For example, the buff-type magical tool that Carla was wearing had a fitting penalty like increased mana consumption.

“Carla, how much mana did you use?”

“Three times the usual amount? No, maybe four times.”

“And how much mana do you have left?”

“……”

Carla averted her gaze.

“Carla. This is an order. [How much mana do you have left?]”

“Uh, w-well.”

Although Carla hesitated for a moment, as if trying to resist, she eventually had no choice but to confess.

“…I, uh.”

“What did you say?”

“I’ve used almost all of it.”

“Didn’t you fill up all your mana with a potion?”

“I had used all that mana.”

“……”

“……”

There was a moment of silence.

Well, it made sense. All the mana of a mid-level wizard went into that, so the effect would naturally be this much.

I looked at Carla, who kept trembling and avoiding my gaze.

“Carla.”

“…Yes?”

“Do you want to take another mana potion?”

Upon hearing my half-joking words, Carla’s complexion paled.

As if her legs had given out, she plopped down onto the floor.

Then she hugged her puffed-up belly with both arms and curled up.

“Master! Anything but that potion! Please… please show some mercy just this once!”

I mean, the way she was saying that in that position was kind of awkward, you know?