Chapter 68 – The City of Sidera
As we approached the designated point, we gradually slowed our marching pace.
The magic power crucible here was less than half as concentrated as what was needed for an 『Teikou』 to fully form, and there was no certainty that any mutants had taken root—but that was no reason to let our guard down. We couldn’t afford to charge in recklessly while some of our members were already exhausted.
We transitioned from a full sprint to a steady jog, allowing everyone to catch their breath. When we were about one to two kilometers from the coordinates indicated by the detection device, an unsettling feeling crept over me.
「Grrrr…」
「You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you?」
I turned to Chocola, who was growling behind me, just as Karen, leading the group, issued a warning.
「Everyone, stay alert. …There’s no sign of life.」
「…!」
Noah, Parker-san, and Karsch-san all sucked in sharp breaths.
They had realized what that meant.
Normally, the forest would be teeming with animals.
Small creatures should have been scurrying through the undergrowth or nesting in the treetops.
But now—nothing. Not a single trace of movement. Across this entire stretch of land, at least several hundred meters in radius, there wasn’t even the faintest breath of life.
The meaning was obvious.
Something dangerous lurked ahead—something so fearsome that even the smallest creatures had fled in terror.
「…Berde-dono once told me that in situations like this, the best thing to do is run.」
Noah muttered under his breath, his expression tense.
「This is as bad as it gets, huh?」
「Mutants are still living creatures. They hunt prey and consume it. Which means… this kind of blatant presence isn’t normal. Even when they lose their reason, their instincts should still function.」
A predator that doesn’t suppress its presence cannot hunt effectively. Even mutants, as deranged as they were, usually concealed themselves, silencing their aura to lure prey into a false sense of security.
That meant there were three possible scenarios.
A creature that hunts like a wyvern or griffon—closing in at extreme speeds from beyond the target’s perception range before snatching it away.
Or perhaps, a powerful monster lurking nearby, engaged in a territorial dispute with the one ahead.
Or worse—one so mutated that it has lost even the instinct to hunt properly.
「Whatever the case, we should proceed with caution. …Chocola, can I count on you?」
「Bark!」
We shifted formations.
Chocola and I took the lead, Karen covered the rear, and the others moved between us.
Suppressing our magical presence, we advanced slowly, relying on Chocola’s nose to guide us.
The damp, overgrown forest pressed in from all sides, the ground beneath us soft and clammy.
The soil held a high moisture content. That might actually work in our favor.
『Way of Love Witch』—Parker-san’s unique magic revolved around mud, a fusion of earth and water. If she could manipulate the mire, then wet terrain was an advantage.
Silently, we pushed aside branches and crouched low in the undergrowth, tension thick in the air.
Chocola sniffed the air, his nose twitching, then let out a low growl and came to an abrupt stop.
Beyond him, buried in the murky miasma of magic power—
It lay sprawled out before us.
If I had to describe it, I’d say it was like a cross between a newt and a weasel.
Including its tail, its total length reached around seven meters.
It was about a meter wide.
A flat body, short limbs, a long tail. Its features were unmistakably mustelid—
Or rather, it was likely a mutated variant of one.
Its slimy hide glistened, and beneath the occasional gaps in its skin, a deep red underbelly peeked through.
Only its head and tail retained patches of fur, while its back bristled with a dense layer of crystal-like growths.
Frankly, it was unsettling to look at.
「A newt and a weasel… a newsel.」
「…Sui?」
「Nothing, never mind.」
Karen shot me a deadpan glare.
Come on, mixed-trait mutants like this needed proper names for convenience.
「Still, why do you always come up with such ridiculous names?」
「Would you stop reading my mind?」
Karen picked up on my silent grumbling and hit me with a follow-up jab.
「…Well, anyway. It’s strong, but it’s also pretty worn down.」
The newsel lay curled up with its eyes shut—likely asleep.
Yet the chaotic magic power radiating from its body was wild and unrestrained.
If its magic was this unstable even in sleep, then it had already lost control over it.
In other words, its mutation had progressed significantly.
That meant it was fairly powerful, but also that its lifespan was nearing its end.
This was a textbook case of a creature that had steeped itself in a condensed magic power crucible, only to reach an inevitable demise.
Left alone, it would die.
Not right away—perhaps in weeks, maybe months.
The real question was whether the magic power crucible it called home would dissipate before then.
One thing was certain: the Newsel would eventually perish.
What remained uncertain was whether its death would trigger an elemental detonation, further refining the magic power crucible.
Even if that happened, the odds of the crucible persisting were low.
But if it did persist—
If another creature settled here, mutated, died—
And if that grim roulette spun five or six more times, with every outcome landing in the worst possible slot—
Then, and only then, would this place give rise to an 『Teikou』—a Demon King’s birthplace.
「Well, no matter how low the odds, we can’t just leave this as it is.」
We had to slay the Newsel and scatter the magic power crucible.
That would stop the roulette from spinning entirely.
This was why we had set up the observation device, why we had sent familiars into the sky.
With Chocola standing guard, I glanced over my shoulder.
Meeting each of my companions’ eyes in turn, I asked,
「Its magic is strong, but its vitality is weak. Taking both into account, I’d rank its threat level as upper-mid for a mutant. It wouldn’t be out of place in the depths. …What’s the call?」
Noah, Parker-san, and Karsch exchanged glances.
Then, after a shared nod, Noah met my gaze and, on their behalf, answered.
「I won’t say we have no doubts… but let us handle this.」
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