Chapter 148: Forced Breakthrough (2)
uAu“Still, I hope they make it here. Right, Yuna? I’m dying to see the expression on that brat’s face when he sees me.”yUu
6St“Please, let me go. Send me home.”woh
4IFWYuna knelt before Marsha, pleading. The attitude of the subordinates alone made it clear she was the top authority in the organization.zHr
b5Zc8lH“It’s okay, don’t be scared.”lMzqu
hdu1MzX“Does that mean you’ll send me home?”vIecqh1
E3enLA“Of course. It’s chaotic outside right now, so I’ll send you home once everything settles down. But, I have a small favor to ask, could I?”4Uq9b
dnZn“What kind of favor?”oVm
rDhMarsha approached Yuna and gently stroked her head, causing Yuna’s eyes to gradually close and her focus to blur.I44
eGGZXKy“What? What’s happening?”kwO
Gl8Yuna didn’t even realize she had closed her eyes as she lost consciousness to the ringing in her ears.lwg17M6
GUa4Catching Yuna as she was about to fall forward, Marsha looked down at her tenderly, then turned away with a cold smile.BcEx0l
kVBT4V7“Let the fun begin.”sdJymoi
T4R7Kp* * *IsM
iXwFalcoa’s men were rough and violent. It seemed fear was foreign to them as they took hits with their bodies while swinging their swords recklessly.drDnD
sJdC“Attack with the Wind Force Formation! Charge!”c5g
xMSNaORTheir main strategy was guerrilla warfare. They alternated offense and defense in a zigzag pattern, distributing their stamina efficiently, which was horrifying for Shirone’s group, who had no experience in war.7CqN
mWvHowever, the essence of guerrilla warfare lay not in ambush but in retreat. It seemed they had no intention of engaging in direct combat.giUpZY
IbBFRf7“Disengage the Wind Force Formation! Retreat for now!”wxRdN
fHLg“Where do you think you’re running to!”zPHZPgH
sL1aQzAmy hastily unleashed a series of Flame Strikes. In an instant, the enemies lit up and transformed into flashes of light, soaring into the sky as the air tore with a high-pitched sound.KSk
8WyVcot“Ugh, so annoying! We lost them again.”RykLMyZ
tToAs Amy stomped her feet in frustration, Rian comforted her by patting her shoulder.6BL
7BBg“But they’re also fighting with all their might. Their numbers are increasing, so Yuna should be safe for now. That’s good for us.”HHe
7XV5MShirone turned to his friends and said,l1pr
TsE8C“Let’s assess our condition first. Anyone injured?”Zeu
5ancPi9It was crucial to visually confirm any injuries. In a neighborhood scuffle, a bloody nose might be noticeable, but in life-threatening combat, the abundance of endorphins could mask the pain.Cn633wT
vAKXdQAfter checking each other’s physical state, they all breathed a sigh of relief, realizing there were no significant issues.7DtIE
sYrTOjBut the enemies were also unharmed. Despite their best efforts, the enemies would vanish like ghosts at crucial moments.5y4E
Q3JAzV“We haven’t taken down a single one yet. This will disadvantage us in upcoming battles.”FJXr
f4V2zAmy shared her analysis so far.uSGZPen
xtjplNK“I’ve been watching, and I think there’s a secret to the bracelets they’re wearing. They must be magical devices that trigger spatial movement.”fFa
kMfXtZPShirone skeptically asked,rz8TbdT
waZ“Is that even possible? It’s different from magic bullets. Spatial movement is a magic that moves the mage. Without a Spirit Zone, setting a destination and even activating it would be impossible.”qvUF
DTnAmy also had her doubts about this. But strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely impossible.DrdlFUy
31UIJ“Maybe… it could be linked with magic circles.”DHy
6taOAnBMagic circles are diagrams that imprint special images in space to emanate magical power independently. Thus, even non-mages could utilize magic with the help of magic circles.rt0uqB7
5bgwC6u“Of course, it’s impossible to cast spatial movement with a magic artifact alone. But if it’s linked with a magic circle recorded in a specific location, it’s theoretically possible.”RN5SAAr
imEZgzbUnderstanding the concept of magic, Shirone nodded. However, Tess was concerned about something else.nPQCh5f
PrE“Is this feasible for a fallen mercenary group? From what I know, magic circles require a tremendous amount of manpower and money. Plus, spatial movement is a high-level magic, right?”P67
SibycSw“That’s correct. It’s probably a mid-level magic circle. Drawing just one requires the labor of at least five mages working all day, but they could manage it. Falcoa monopolizes all the Lupe. The mercenaries we met at the ruins said the same. The profit margin of Lupe is enormous. They fortified their base by selling drugs. If that’s the case, then all this makes sense.”ha2QnTl
e0bCYq“How much did those bastards earn by selling drugs? A single magic circle wouldn’t cover such a range.”AbdJ73B
xE2Tess’s point was valid. Based on her question, Shirone reviewed the battles they had fought.CKwX3H
1fB6JAThe first battle took place in a valley where they first saw the enemies retreat. There was also a retreat in the forest, and now, here, they used spatial movement again.wlsKaVZ
pzS“In my opinion, to cover the distance we need to travel, there must be at least hundreds of magic circles drawn.”nURcV
Gteclf“Hundreds?”OORS8tg
cvClp8Tess was stunned. A mid-level magic circle that requires a day’s work from five mages. If there were hundreds, how much gold had been scattered on this land?FKRHi
wBQIF“Would they really waste so much money? Just a few circles would suffice based on the distance. If there are indeed hundreds of magic circles, we’ll never be able to catch them.”lakp
piW4QbTess’s realization hit her suddenly.XQjPc
CrNL14“Ah! I see!”Xyc
viI4“Exactly. Now you get it? They’ve made it impossible to catch them under any circumstances. They’ve networked the entire northern forest. If we continue like this, we, being outnumbered, will tire first. We won’t even reach the summit before collapsing.”tZMb0
IOtTheir disdain for those who fortified their base with drug money grew stronger. Yet, now was the time to find a solution rather than dwell on emotions.DBU9uNz
oxVLQc“So, what do we do now? How about erasing the magic circles as we go? If the enemies keep escaping no matter where we fight, charging in recklessly won’t help.”jmX9m
qGihhiHAmy shook her head. Tess’s suggestion was logical, but another issue remained.5aKh
0sWWY“That’s difficult. A magic circle is a record etched in space. To remove it, you can’t just erase the drawing; you have to obliterate the space. If we do that for hundreds of circles, it could take days.”OJy0
OMfVUnderstanding the situation, Tess bit her lip. It’s crucial in a fight against a group to reduce their numbers. But the enemies had preemptively blocked that strategy.lQu
UursAShirone, surprisingly, supported Tess’s suggestion.1LL
G5xFl“Let’s try destroying one. I’ll give it a shot.”4aBjk
XaZT“Even if we destroy one out of hundreds, what difference will it make?”EIV
rXLFOf“Our position might not change, but their thoughts could be different. If they went through so much effort to build this network, wouldn’t they consider even the loss of one magic circle significant? They might even gather to defend that spot.”uChcl
GREHq8E“Ah, a high-level psychological strategy!”1lz59
VOfTess quickly grasped Shirone’s plan. War is often seen as a power game played with money, but the side with more funds isn’t always the winner. Human psychology plays a complex role in warfare.XKX
kK18YeWThe more one has to protect, the weaker their resolve. For instance, investing 100 gold to train an elite soldier is futile if they’re not utilized, ending up as a waste.iaITBQs
OJv2oThis scenario often plays out in real wars.z6daq
VDLDespite pouring money into preparation, the fear of losing their investment prevents the use of elite soldiers, leading to defeat by cheaper forces.Bu4l
NvFAmy analyzed Shirone’s strategy. If they can’t chase the enemies, then draw them in. This was the most plausible strategy given the circumstances, though it didn’t solve the original problem.0bnihV
nUh“We’re in a situation where we have to consider efficiency. I didn’t mention it because I thought destroying magic circles wasn’t an option, but neutralizing their effect is much more complicated than you might think.”CogFO9
OcVRian thrust his sword into the ground with force.gKI0Or
xRL“Can’t I just tear the ground apart with my sword until the magic circle disappears?”0nip0u0
YxPwP“That wouldn’t be enough. The magic circles we see are just symbols representing concepts.”4DoH
u1olsRealizing what Amy was trying to say, Shirone defined it clearly.NPgS546
burPKqn“So unless we destroy the space to the extent that the magic circle’s concept disappears, it won’t vanish?”Opw6
HnapW5“Exactly. That’s why there are mainly two ways to destroy a magic circle. Use Pure Magic to neutralize the concept itself, or smash the magic circle until the concept breaks down. The former is impossible for us, and the latter requires time.”rLbM65C
Qn1Tess understood why Amy was skeptical about this approach.Dk54
mk1i4P“So it comes down to this. The effort to destroy one magic circle is less efficient than just pushing forward?”00uC513
cz1U7C“Right. It’s better to continue towards our destination as is if we can’t destroy one within at least 10 minutes. The basic intention of using the enemies’ psychology is good, though.”4sm
ymDhc93As the necessary information for the strategy was shared, they became more silent. In such cases, it was best to follow one person’s decision. Rian looked at Shirone, seeking his decision.rnS
qp8IJJo“What do you say, Shirone?”jBM
WNjShirone was inevitably conflicted. With a hostage involved, it was best to move quickly, but being too eager could jeopardize the rescue mission itself.zTAUr
pA5uH1Z“Let’s destroy the magic circle. I’ll try.”TS5B
GiB0wujAs Shirone voiced his decision, Amy looked at him in surprise.i4vr
6DDShirone, known for his insight, wasn’t one to gamble on low odds, but he didn’t ignore chances either. In her view, the probability of destroying a magic circle within 10 minutes was less than 10%.Gwt3
QTgqg“Are you sure? We don’t have magic that can do it in time.”Ap0nBe5
xz8zShirone’s most potent spell was undoubtedly the Photon Cannon. But even embedding mass into light wasn’t enough to handle the weight of the earth.pwgXb
XZe8Potentially, rapid-fire could destroy one within 10 minutes, but the mental energy expended would disadvantage them in future battles.ej1
0HlAAnother possibility was laser magic, but Amy was skeptical about that too.yqEQLr
SdcctLaser magic, which concentrates energy locally to induce molecular vibrations, has the advantage of destroying material regardless of durability but is limited in scope.khZ4
2XnTF“I’ll try. I have an idea.”lybzcYi
l1HOfAmy couldn’t imagine how Shirone planned to destroy the magic circle, but it was best to trust him. His intuition rarely led astray.fYL
THffIf someone like Yiruki was here, perhaps a more accurate conclusion could be reached, but in his absence, any deviation from Shirone’s expectations could only be deemed as force majeure.r41
1wdvWith that realization, Amy nodded and said,L52qtlO
vR42Fe“Alright. Then Tess and I will move as one team, and Shirone and Rian as another. We’ll maintain a 50-meter distance between us. Let’s use Teleportation to scour the surroundings for the magic circle.”Dpn
A1ZJ“Got it, but be careful. Focusing too much on the distance might lead to collisions with other obstacles. Teleporting through the forest is dangerous.”ZJS
IE4CEven Shirone, a Teleportation specialist, needed high concentration to traverse the forest. However, Amy retorted somewhat brusquely, annoyed by Shirone’s caution.xKN
8LW2“Who are you worrying about? You’re not equating me with those Supernatural Psychic Science Research Group kids, are you?”fUh
uuXvp3Although her words were meant to ease Shirone’s concerns, they weren’t entirely incorrect. Amy, having mastered The Bridge That Cannot Be Crossed and possessing Red Eyes, was unlikely to encounter accidental collisions.PKdXPLN
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