"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The sound of the drum spinning and firing blended with the echo of my ragged breathing. With each shot, the MG-Tyrant 001 spat bullets with the intent to tear Lity apart, but all it managed to do was ricochet against the invisible barrier protecting her.
On impulse, I remembered the potions I had stolen from Kirkou, and with a swift motion, I pulled one of the fire potions from my belt. The small bottle was hot to the touch, and its bright red liquid pulsed with explosive power. Without a second thought, I hurled the potion toward Lity, hoping that, somehow, it would penetrate the barrier.
"Boom~~"
The explosion was deafening. A wave of fire filled the air, and for a moment, I thought I might have actually hit her. However, when I looked again, I saw Lity standing in the center of the explosion, her form engulfed in flames but completely unscathed. She looked like a goddess in the middle of the blaze, utterly unharmed, and I realized that the barrier was truly indestructible. My heart tightened. What else could I do? The weight of helplessness was starting to sink in.
Suddenly, Lity raised her hands toward me. A foreboding feeling struck me, and before I could even react, the virtual lab’s voice rang out again in red tones.
["Move your head to the left..."]
That was all I needed. The urgency in my mind made me turn immediately, moving my body to the left with reflexive speed. As I did, I felt a strange wave of air beside me—something was bending the space around me. My stomach twisted, and before I could process what was happening, I looked to my side and saw something that nearly made my heart leap out of my throat.
Space had shattered before me. A dark spatial rift pulsed in the air, like a crack in the fabric of reality. The air seemed distorted, as if space itself was being twisted and shaped by Lity’s power. A sensation of extreme cold enveloped me, and the magnitude of what she was capable of began to shake me.
"Shit!" I exhaled, cold sweat dripping down my forehead. I looked at Lity, and then everything made sense. She controlled space and shadow.
I knew what that meant. Lity wasn’t just able to create these spatial rifts—she could manipulate the space around her. She was a peak-level tier 3 acolyte, making her one of the most powerful in her field. I was dealing with a space mage, and that changed everything. She could bend space as if it were nothing.
I remained silent, watching the distortion in the air, thinking about how the virtual lab had saved me once again. If it weren’t for it, I would already be dead. The realization that my life was at risk never left me.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Then, I realized that my weapon was beginning to overheat. The sound of metal straining and sizzling brought me back to reality. I couldn’t keep shooting like this, not without a better strategy. If I didn’t act now, I’d end up killing myself with my own weapon.
In a desperate move, I stopped firing and turned around, running as fast as my armor would allow.
"You can’t run from me, worm!" Lity’s voice cut through the air like a sharp blade. The venom in her words made me feel the weight of her wrath. I had to keep running. I had to stay alive. Covering my head with my arm, I ran as fast as I could in my armor.
Behind me, Lity’s attacks intensified. I could feel space distorting, the air around me bending in impossible ways. Whenever her spatial attacks got close, my virtual lab already knew what was coming.
Without thinking, I pushed myself to move even faster, making a sharp turn at the last second, dodging just in time.
Lity seemed to catch on, and her frustration was becoming palpable. Every failed attempt to catch me only fueled her rage. She knew something was off, and now she was sure that I wasn’t just lucky. I had some kind of ability—an ability she couldn’t fully comprehend but one that made her want to destroy me even more.
No ordinary enemy could dodge her attacks, let alone a tier 2 acolyte like me.
.
.
.
I ran like a leopard, every muscle in my body burning with effort. Steam hissed from the springs of my armor, now heating up from overuse. My chest rose and fell frantically, air rushing in and out of my lungs as if I were breathing fire. But I couldn’t stop. Not while that damned woman was still behind me.
Lity still floated above, pursuing me relentlessly. Every time I tried to evade her, she simply adjusted her trajectory, following me like a hawk chasing a rat. I knew I wouldn’t be able to shake her off. She was too fast, and her spatial rifts shortened any distance in an instant. I also wouldn’t make it to the Tower of Mount Sol before she caught up to me. If I kept running like this, sooner or later, she would get me.
Then, in the midst of my desperation, an idea surfaced. A dangerous plan. But it was my only chance.
With a sudden realization, I abruptly changed direction, veering to the right and sprinting straight into the depths of the forest. The metal of my boots slammed against the damp earth, and branches cracked against my reinforced armor as I forced my way through the dense foliage. I knew exactly where I was heading.
The habitat of the Mud Phantom.
This part of the forest was unlike any other. The putrid stench of sludge and stagnant water clung to the air, making it difficult even to breathe for ordinary people. The ground beneath my metal boots grew wetter, sinking slightly with every step I took. Thick mud mixed with decomposing debris, while tufts of grass sprouted chaotically as if trying to escape the rot.
The murky water moved slowly, almost as if it were alive, with half-rotted branches floating on the surface, occasionally sinking as if something were pulling them under. But that wasn’t the worst part.
The wails.
The sound coming from that swamp was something… wrong. Low, distorted moans echoed through the air, like the cries of condemned souls trapped there for eternity. It was a sound that chilled the bones, that could make even the bravest hesitate. Cold sweat trickled down my spine, and I had to muster all my willpower to keep moving forward.
Within this swampy area, which stretched for nearly thirty square miles, lived many different groups of Mud Phantoms. Smaller groups consisted of only seven or eight members and usually resided in the more remote regions. Meanwhile, larger groups could number up to a hundred and occupied the central part of the swamp forest.
As demons, Mud Phantoms possessed only basic intelligence. They were usually formed from humans who had accidentally drowned in the swamp. Although they had once been human, their minds were now consumed with intense hatred and resentment toward all of humanity.
For months or even years, they lingered on the swamp’s shores. The moment a living human drew near, they would lunge, biting into their prey’s flesh and dragging them into the depths to drown them. Through this method, they ensured their population continued to grow.
Their appearance closely resembled that of a gaunt human woman. However, most of their muscles were missing, and their skin had turned pale from constant immersion in the murky water. Add to that their decayed, mold-covered bones, and they looked like walking corpses. While most were naked, those who had lived better lives as humans might still wear a tattered dress, though always so faded that it was impossible to tell its original appearance or even its color.
Disheveled, filthy hair; twisted, pitch-black claws; razor-sharp fangs—these were all typical features of a Mud Phantom.
On land, their combat ability was weaker than that of giant scorpions, but in the swamp’s muddy waters, their combat power doubled, making them capable of going toe-to-toe with venomous land sharks. Furthermore, within certain larger populations of Mud Phantoms, those that had survived for a long time could even develop a leader who had mastered certain elemental abilities. These unique Mud Phantoms possessed intelligence on par with Apprentice Acolytes.
Put simply: if mages were willing to grant these Mud Phantom Leaders their freedom, it was possible for them to give birth to a new breed of Mud Phantom Acolytes.
But, unfortunately for them, this was a world ruled by mages, where sorcerers had seized absolute dominance. Thus, the evolution and development of almost all other species were reduced to nothing. So, no matter how intelligent or wise a Mud Phantom Leader became, when faced with a mage in a superior position, they were nothing more than precious experimental subjects or material sources to be slaughtered without hesitation.
Today, the peace of the Mud Phantom’s habitat was shattered—by me and by Lity.
I was the first to enter. Anyone could see that I was an engineer. My impressive steam armor made that clear, but beyond that, the magical aura rippling from my body exposed my identity without a shadow of a doubt.
Panting, I recklessly shouted as I ran for my life:
"Luxiria!… You miserable bitch! Hiding in the mud like a rat… Come out already! Luxiria… You pathetic slug… You spineless monster…"
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