Chapter 40 – Flash

Compared to any monster I had fought before, the Goblin King was on a different level.

It had shocking strength that allowed it to easily uproot trees.
Merely being grazed by its attack could result in a fatal blow.

The shockwaves caused earth and boulders to fly. You would be gravely wounded if you were hit by them.

…In that case, it was important to not get hit.

‘Spell Boost.’

In this world of acceleration, I dodged the attack.

Luke and I had become bait, luring the enemy in so that the others could chip away at it with magic fire.

Numerous magic circles were activated.
They showed practiced coordination.
The magic attacks of the other Royal Magicians exploded like thunder.

However, after the smoke enveloped the giant, what appeared then was most shocking.

In spite of so many attacks, we had not made a single scratch on it…

Even if this was a monster that could destroy cities, it should not be this tough.

It must be a mutated type then.
Its skin must have changed, and it had acquired powerful magic resistance.

“What should we do? We cannot beat it simply with brute force.”

Said Luke. And so I answered.

“Leave it to me. I have an amazing idea.”

The sapphire blue eyes were filled with emotion.

“Tell me.”

I nodded.
And so I told him my plan.

“If our enemy has high durability, then we just need to keep hitting it with our greatest firepower until it can bear it no longer. This is the best plan that can be applied to all situations.”
“…I was an idiot for expecting anything from you.”
“What!? But it’s a brilliant plan!”

I thought it was so perfect.

As I protested, Luke said,

“I’ll give the orders, just like I always do. You follow me.”

While I was not satisfied with this, I was a very mature person, and decided to accept it for his sake.
Besides, whenever we fought together, Luke had always been the one to think of strategies.

“Focus your magic on its eyes. Blind it.”

And so I unleashed my magic as ordered.
Perhaps the eyes were not as tough as the rest of it.
It blocked our attacks with its arm, and then thrashed at us with the great tree.

However, that was what Luke wanted.

In the corner of my vision, behind us, a lone knight was moving at such a speed that I could barely follow.
Clearly, this was no ordinary person.

It was the commander of the 2nd Unit, handpicked by the crown prince himself… Bismarck Alstreim.

Immediately, I activated my magic.

‘Spell Boost.’

It was support magic that accelerated the speed of your target. And I cast it on the Unit 2 Commander.
If he moved faster, then his attack would become more powerful as well.

His body accelerated.
And with his honed swordsmanship, he cut through the tough skin of the goblin.

In the same instant, Luke unleashed magic into the small crack that appeared in the skin.

‘Paralyze Bolt.’

A flash of light.

The beauty was entrancing.

The electric attack grazed the nose of the commander, and shot straight towards the wound.

Most people might have missed it.

But as someone who had spent so much time using magic, I could tell.

His control of the magic was practically inhuman.

The amount of sweat and effort that had gone into doing it…

The giant’s movements became visibly slower.

To be able to paralyze such a huge monster with one hit…

Luke Waldstein, you are a genius.
You worked harder than anyone.
And that’s why you reached Adamantite Rank so quickly, and are way ahead of me.

Perhaps I never would catch up with him.

Still, I was not going to give up.

I wanted to compete against him, like I used to. I could not help but wish for it.

And so…

Luke had turned to me, and was trying to say something.
But before the words could reach me, I knew what to do.

In order to get as close to Luke as I can, I had to use everything that I had now.

I would catch up to him, no matter what.

With this resolution in my heart…

‘Wind Blast.’

My magic seemed to have a cleaner trajectory than usual.
It was probably because I had just seen Luke’s magic.

I usually just relied on strength when shooting it, but this time, it was just a little more refined.

Even if it wasn’t as skillful as Luke’s magic, my cannonball of wind shot towards the small gap in the wound.

A thunderous roar, and dust rose into the air.

The giant’s body shook violently.
Then its knees bent.
The ground trembled.

It wasn’t a lethal wound.
However, as the fight continued, it would become more and more serious.
After all, it was already sluggish from the paralysis.

And just like that, the tide had changed in our favor.

It would not take long for the battle to end now.

The other magicians and knights attacked viciously.
The explosive attacks of the Unit 2 Commander flashed in the air, and eventually, the giant stopped moving.

Next to me, Luke smiled.

“Impressive.”

I realized it then.
Luke would be a Magus-rank magician in the near future.

I didn’t want to lose.
I wanted to be his equal again.

…In that case, I had to be a Magus-rank as well.

It was such an outrageous goal, that some would laugh at me.

But I would still try.
And so I kept this big dream locked away in my heart.

That one day, I will be able to compete against him on equal ground again.

It was a wish that I would not say out loud just yet.

Next Chapter

Expelled From a Black Magic Item Craftsman Guild I Was Picked up as a Royal Magician