How to Raise a Transcendent Archmage

Chapter 3: The Swamp of Immortality and the Monster’s Fangs

Bubble, bubble, bubble.

Ominous bubbles began to churn violently on the surface of the swamp with the turbulent current, and beneath, a dark shadow stirred, sending up sprays of water.

My hand, clutching Father’s Book, started to tremble faintly.

“Elinore…! Hurry…!”

The current grew fiercer.

Shwaaak-

And before I could even discern what was in the swamp.

Half of my face was already inside a massive maw.

‘I’m going to die.’

By the time I realized, it was too late.

The creature was enormous, but despite its size, it was terrifyingly fast and ferocious.

Just as I was about to be devoured.

Whirrr-

“Kuoargh!”

Suddenly, three thick vines wrapped tightly around the creature’s massive jaws.

“Tch, I can’t take my eyes off you for a moment!”

“Elinore!”

Crack-

With a sound like something snapping, Elinore, who had appeared out of nowhere, pulled the vines with all his might.

Only after a suffocating tug-of-war did I finally get a clear look at the massive monster writhing in the vines.

A gigantic crocodile, its head and back covered in filth and moss.

‘Deinos’

Its appearance alone was monstrous enough, but…

It seemed to be in an abnormal state, just like the others.

Its polluted appearance resembled a zombie risen from death, and its disproportionately large fangs were not just menacing but grotesque.

‘Is this another mutant…? No, is there anything normal here at all!’

“Uooooh!”

“Kuoarrr-!”

Shwaaaa-

Elinore, with vines wrapped around him, and Deinos, with its jaws wide open, grappled fiercely amidst the strong current.

After thrashing for a while, Deinos suddenly twisted its body and charged at Elinore.

“Ha! Come at me!”

Elinore spread both hands to meet it head-on.

There was no trace of fear in him.

A green glow emanated from his hands, and the swamp beneath his feet rippled, enveloping his body thickly.

To him, the wilderness was no different from his home.

“Uoooooh!”

Elinore’s roar shook the entire forest.

His body, having absorbed the surrounding swamp, had grown significantly larger.

He looked like the master of this forest, or as if the nature of this region had taken the form of a divine being.

Thud-

A massive fist, wrapped in moss and filth, struck Deinos squarely between the eyes.

“Kuheng!”

Elinore sent the charging Deinos flying.

He immediately rushed forward, grabbing its neck and beginning to corrode it.

That green light I had seen before.

The tough, leathery hide of the crocodile rapidly disintegrated, revealing the flesh beneath.

Kraaaaaa-

“Die!”

Deinos resisted desperately.

It tried to loosen Elinore’s grip on its neck by wrapping its tail around his arm.

Crack crack crack-

“Uooo-!”

One of Elinore’s arms, gripping Deinos’ neck, was slowly forced downward, while he used his free arm to relentlessly pound Deinos’ head.

With one hand wielding the corrosive green light and the other a fist like a cauldron lid, Elinore faced Deinos, who had bound one of his arms with its tail and opened its jaws wide.

The mesmerizing yet grotesque battle between the two monsters continued endlessly atop the swamp.

It was as if two different species were fighting for dominance.

Watching this, I bit my lip in anxiety.

And then.

“Don’t just stand there, run! Back there. Deep into the forest!”

Elinore’s shout snapped me back to my senses.

“Urgh!”

Tap tap tap tap-

I bolted blindly into the pitch-black forest.

At least in a forest covered with moss and dirt, I could escape, but not in the swamp.

Staying by Elinore’s side now would only hinder him.

‘Damn it-’

Sweat momentarily obscured my vision.

Not only could I not use Wail of the Banshee, which I had used once in the village, but I couldn’t cast any other spells either.

The fleeting glimpse of sublime magic granted to me.

That alone could have been a torch to protect me in the darkness, but magic didn’t work just because I was desperate.

“Kieeeeek-!”

Above my head, as I ran, I saw large bat-like wings.

The cunning creature, realizing Elinore and I had separated, came charging at me again.

I zigzagged under the largest trees I could find, diving deeper into the forest.

There must be a reason Elinore told me to head deep into the forest.

He had lived here for a long time and was a druid called a hero’s companion.

“Huff…! Huff…!”

I pushed through underbrush and splashed through shallow streams, hurriedly crossing the jungle.

Countless thorny vines tore at my skin.

But there was no time to groan in pain.

The claws swooping down from above were far more lethal than these thorns.

‘Somewhere to hide…!’

“Ah!”

As I pushed through the bushes, a massive stone wall came into view.

‘The path is blocked.’

And then.

“Kieeeeek-!”

The gargoyle’s claws grew larger before my eyes.

Behind me was a cliff far larger than the one I had seen before.

In front, towering trees with lush leaves and a charging gargoyle.

Clutching Father’s Book in a final act of defiance, I pressed my back against the stone wall.

“…?!”

Suddenly, I opened my eyes inside a cave.

***

A pitch-black darkness settled heavily.

The desperate struggle against the gargoyle moments ago felt futile, as when I closed and opened my eyes, the gargoyle was gone, and I was in a dark cave.

“That damned Magridon, making these monsters go berserk!”

Elinore, appearing out of nowhere, growled softly in the darkness, cursing.

I couldn’t grasp exactly what had happened, but it was clear that Elinore had saved me.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes…? Yes…”

“Those creatures were always ferocious, but they’ve become even more savage since Magridon awoke. If he starts sending his demonic beasts in earnest, things will get even more troublesome.”

After checking on me, Elinore immediately began chanting another spell.

Fireflies emitting green light rose from his body, fluttering about and illuminating the dark interior of the cave with his gentle gestures.

A stark contrast to earlier.

In that moment, he truly embodied the image of a druid tenderly caressing nature.

“Come in and sit, Jinred’s son. Since they’ve only just awakened, they won’t be able to move aggressively right away. …And you brought that book with you.”

I looked up at Elinore, covered in flowers and mud.

“Is this book important? They did try to take it-”

“Hmm, that’s right… Jinred probably didn’t tell you.”

Scratching his head for a moment, Elinore pointed at the book with his thick hand and said.

“It’s a kind of grimoire.”

“…A grimoire?”

“Yes, a book inscribed with magic. In the past, they were called tomes or arcane texts. And…”

It’s the root cause of bringing demons to this continent.

Elinore’s voice turned chilling for a moment.

“I don’t know when this mysterious thing first appeared on this land. All I can surmise is that, since ancient times, it has been teaching humans magic on this continent.”

“Teaching humans… magic…”

“Yes, yours isn’t the only one. It’s a relic that whispers the truths of magic to its owner, enabling them to master more spells.”

A relic that, in itself, poses no harm to humans.

“But great power, by its very nature, attracts the attention of monsters. And power breeds greed and malice in humans.”

Those who first learned magic used it to create hierarchies and establish power.

Magic, monopolized by a small elite, strengthened and solidified their authority.

Soon, that greed spread to other regions and other mages.

Those who mastered magic desired more spells, greater power.

They fought, plundered, and even considered waging wars to achieve it as natural.

When greed and malice pervaded the continent, it became nothing less than a delectable feast for demons.

So enticing and delicious that they crawled out of hell to manifest on this continent.

“After sealing the Great Demon in the last war, Jinred, I, and other comrades relegated grimoires, demons, and angels to the realm of fairy tales for that very reason. Since most greedy mages died in the war, the task wasn’t too difficult.”

“Then why are the demons reappearing now?”

“It likely means that those coveting the power of magic are growing in number again. Probably… in your village, your mother was one such person.”

Since they hadn’t completely eradicated grimoires and mages, they knew a day like this would come eventually.

“It feels a bit sooner than expected, though…”

Since the grimoire Jinred used to seal the Great Demon wasn’t taken, there was time to prepare.

“First, we need to unleash your mana here. You’re too unstable right now to use the grimoire’s magic, and if you’re not careful, you might end up exploding.”

“Here?”

“Yes. By the way, your name is?”

“Claude… sir.”

“Good, Claude. Follow me. Ironically, while magic caused demons to run rampant, we need magic to defeat them.”

I followed Elinore and the fireflies across the cave.

The cave was empty, faintly shimmering with the light of the fireflies.

“Magic is divided into five categories.”

Elinore began explaining, saying he’d cover only the basics.

“Elemental, life, spirit, space-time. And the attributeless, mana, which doesn’t fall under those. What you need to learn right now is mana-based magic among them.”

“I used a spell called Wail of the Banshee before. Is that mana-based magic too?”

“No, Wail of the Banshee is a spell tied to soul and spirit. The reason your mana is unstable now is because you recklessly drew on the grimoire’s magic without being prepared.”

“Then-”

“If you tried to learn another spirit spell now, your body would literally explode.”

The thought sent a dizzying wave of fear through me.

Unfazed by my state, Elinore led me through a narrow passage at the back of the cave.

To a large cavern where a white waterfall cascaded down.

We stood on a cliffside rock facing the waterfall.

“Sit here.”

As I sat cross-legged at his command, I felt Elinore’s cold touch on my back.

“I’ll infuse the essence of nature into your body to stabilize the instability. Then, the stagnant pool of your mana should naturally find its flow. Remember that feeling well.”

I nodded.

The flow created naturally, like the waterfall cascading above.

I felt like I vaguely understood what it was like.

“Let’s begin. It’ll hurt a lot… Just endure it.”

“Yes… Yes…?”

Thud-!

“Arghhh!”

With the sudden onslaught of pain, my mind flashed wildly.