There were Faith points obtained from all the believers and temples on the continent, but at the same time, there were also Faith points being consumed by the players at every moment. Generally, where and how much to invest these Faith points were predetermined.
However, a problem arose when it came to investing Faith points on the fourth continent. Players of the Pantheon, including Sung-Woon, always considered the possibility of a worst-case scenario; since they had to save up for it, they couldn’t invest a significant amount of Faith points. Therefore, the resources to be spent on the fourth continent needed to be limited to what could be earned from the fourth continent itself.
Wisdom said, “But what if a creation alone isn’t enough?
“Then we have no choice. We’ll have to use more Faith points.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to use sufficient Faith points to secure our win from the start?”
Sung-Woon replied, “Do you think it’s a close call?”
“To be honest…yes. It’s not enough power to be confident with. It’s also unknown how much power that Ashurada possesses.”
Sung-Woon said, “But if we fight safely every time, we’ll surely fall behind the other players.”
Especially since the opponent they were facing now, the Great Ashurada, was a Dragon, and there were additional Faith point penalties when a player faced a Dragon. In Sung-Woon’s view, it would be a waste to pull cards that they believed would secure them victory against the Dragon, and honestly, they couldn’t be certain that they would work. In their current level ranges, even a player using Hierophany would be challenged to face a Dragon at Ashurada’s level.
“Simply pushing on with force could ultimately be a waste.”
Wisdom mumbled, “Is he saying to believe them as much as they believe in us?”
The fight on top of the halted Moving Castle continued.
***
The torches lit by the people shone amid the dust soaring several meters high.
-How dare you…!
Above the light, the Great Ashurada raised its body and lifted its head. Overall, the Great Ashurada looked like a sauropod. The length of its body seemed relatively short compared to its very long neck. However, there weren’t many people bold enough to comment on its unusual proportion.
The head that soared about thirty meters high was embedded with a pair of yellow eyes, and they shone like ominous binary stars that called for the end of things as described in the ancient prophecy. And the Dragon’s freely bending fingers and sharp claws were more than enough to make that prophecy come true.
Above Ashurada’s head, a silhouette resembling a red crown appeared.
Mazdari shouted, “It’s magic!”
Then Hekab—the large beetle who was one of Night Sky’s creations and the gatekeeper of the pantheon—exclaimed.
-I know, Wizard of Night Sky!
The distance between Ashurada and Hekab was roughly a hundred meters. Considering the sizes of the giants, it couldn’t exactly be described as a great distance, but in Mazdari’s perspective, it was enough for Hekab to charge and stop Ashruada’s magic. However, Hekab’s strategy was different from what Mazdari thought.
Hekab stuck its horns under a boulder by its feet, which was about its size.
Rumble.
Mazdari couldn’t even imagine a boulder that big moving, but move it did. Hekab raised its head, lifted the boulder from the ground, and threw it toward the Dragon.
-…!
The large boulder struck the Dragon’s body after half a rotation.
Thud!
The impact of the boulder hitting the ground sent the small bricks and broken stones of the Moving Castle flying, and the propelled currents of air swept over Mazdari and Vasen Lak Orazen.
Vasen came down from the top of the tower and said to Mazdari, “Mazdari, I should go bring the expedition team.”
“…Do you think the gunpowder will be useful?”
Vasen nodded.
“Of course. That Dragon blocked the explosion through magic.”
“…I’m pretty sure you saw the same thing I did.”
“The Dragon blocking it means that it wouldn’t have been able to withstand it if it got hit. Even though its skin looks thick, it’s still a living being and will surely have softer parts, so guns will work.”
Mazdari turned around and looked at Ashurada.
“Alright. I should see if I could be of any help to that guardian. I’ll try to buy as much time as possible.”
“Will you be alright?”
“I think it’s something I have to do even if I won’t be.”
Vasen smiled and didn’t say anything else.
Mazdari watched Vasen running off for a moment, and then he recalled the list of spells that he remembered. Mazdari’s left hand spoke up to Mazdari.
-You’ve gotten yourself involved in something crazy again, haven’t you?
‘It seems so.’
-Do you know that there wasn’t any real falsehood to what that Dragon said?
‘I suppose that might be the case.’
-And do you also know that the Dragon tried to persuade you?
Mazdari knew this too. The Dragon seemed to be trying to persuade him even now. If he sided with the Dragon in this fight, the direction of the fight could change.
‘That’s a good idea.’
-What?
***
Ashurada barely caught the boulder that Hekab had thrown at it. There seemed to be no great damage done, but both of Ashurada’s front feet were trembling after catching the rock without being prepared for it.
-How dare you, a mere beast raised by gods…!
However, Ashurada wasn’t able to talk for too long. In the short time that Ashurada caught the rock, Hekab had charged toward Ashurada, shortening the distance between them.
-Hrrmph…!
Hekab charged to stab Ashurada in the side, but Ashurada caught Hekab’s horns with its feet. There was a brief battle of strength. As Ashurada began to be pushed back little by little, it eventually gave up on engaging in the battle head-on and pushed the horns aside. This allowed it to avoid a direct stab by the horns, but Hekab skilfully turned its head to the side and made Ashurada fall over.
…Thump!
A dust cloud rose again. Ashurada lost its balance, but quickly rolled its body over and used its front and back feet to get up again.
-You!
However, Ashurada didn’t charge at Hekab because it knew that it wouldn’t be able to win if they got into another battle of strength.
-Physical strength is rooted in savagery anyway.
Ashurada took a deep breath and puffed up its cheeks. In the game version of The Lost World, this was known as Breath, a spell that Dragons used.
Hekab had somewhat predicted what type of breath spell Ashurada would use based on the simulation battle in the second conference room, as the players had enough data to infer the Dragon’s abilities from its appearance.
‘The area around its mouth is brightly glowing. Fireball! In that case…’
Hekab charged at Ashurada again. Just as Hekab had expected, Ashurada indeed let out a fire breath. The massive fireball shot at Hekab directly.
‘That’s useless!’
Although the fire flickered fiercely on Hekab’s exoskeleton, it soon cooled down and disappeared. Hekab appeared to be nothing special other than being strong and hard, but that simplicity itself was its weapon.
Sung-Woon knew that this kind of weapon would be needed someday.
-How is that possible…!
The Great Ashurada took a few steps back to gain some distance to use more magic, while Hekab tried to seize the chance.
-You can’t escape!
However, Hekab’s fierce charge was stopped short.
-…?
A small being stood in front of it.
-Wizard, what are you doing?
Mazdari appeared in front of Ashurada and Hekab. 𝑖𝘦.𝑐ℴ𝘮
As Hekab couldn’t go forward, worried that it might stop on Mazdari, Ashurada stopped and said.
-You’re the Wizard. Are you a Garuda?
Mazdari slowly walked to Ashurada.
“Yes, Great Ashurada. I have come to ask you a question.”
-Interesting. I accept your question. What’s causing confusion within that little head of yours?
“Is everything you told me at the tower true?”
Ashurada laughed in a low voice and glanced at Hekab. Noting that Hekab wasn’t moving, it said.
-Yes, it is all true.
“Well, in that case…”
-There’s no need to ponder for long, Wizard.
Ashurada extended its long neck and went toward Mazdari.
-If you change your heart and truly have the courage to stand against the gods, then I will teach you not those poor parlor tricks of yours, but true magic.
Hekab took a step forward.
-Wizard!
However, Hekab couldn’t go forward any further. A translucent wall appeared in the air, blocking Hekab. Ashurada had used Magic when its front foot touched the ground.
Mazdari said, “But how can I believe that? What if you’re no different from the gods?”
-Hm, alright. I’ll teach you one spell right now… Listen closely, so this secret doesn’t get out…
Ashurada’s head slowly came down until it was right in front of Mazdari. Instinctual fear gripped Mazdari as he came face to face with the giant that could swallow him whole without even chewing first. However, Mazdari was someone with strong will, and he had continuously put in effort to keep his instinct from taking over him after becoming a Wizard. So even in fear, Mazdari was able to move his body.
“What’s the secret?”
-The secret is…
Right then, Mazdari extended his hidden left hand.
The Dragon immediately reacted.
Cone-shaped flames poured out from Mazdari’s left hand.
Ashurada raised his head in an instant. Though its lower jaw had been grazed, the flame didn’t seem to have caused significant damage.
‘The goal was to buy time anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’
Ashurada said.
-You tricked me.
“Isn’t it true that you didn’t fully believe me until the end either?”
Ashurada was about to respond, but after seeing Hekab charge toward it, it growled.
Mazdari’s surprise attack wasn’t quite successful, but it managed to disrupt Ashurada’s focus on its magic.
However, the Great Ashurada didn’t seem to plan on getting attacked by Hekab the same way again.
-…
Ashurada, who had been using magic without reciting spells until now, began murmuring a spell that not even Mazdari knew of.
Then Hekab shouted while charging toward Ashurada.
-Small being, get down!
Unfortunately, Hekab’s advice was futile. The moment Mazdari got down, the Dragon’s front feet touched the ground. In an instant, Mazdari, Hekab, the trees in the ground, all the soil caught by the intertwining tree roots, and the bricks stacked on top of them shot into the air.
‘Is this a reverse spell…!’
Mazdari felt his body rotating in the air and saw the ground falling to the sky. He had only fallen into the air for a few seconds. Then he and Hekab regained their weight, beginning their descent.
Mazdari, who had risen hundreds of meters into the air, saw the ground getting closer and thought to himself, ‘This will be hard to survive.’
However, Mazdari’s vision caught a glimpse of something white then, and he felt pressure as something wrapped around him while regaining a sense of stability from his contact with the ground.
“Huh?”
Lying on the ground, Mazdari realized that he was tightly wrapped in a spider’s web. A giant white spider looked down at Mazdari and used its blade claws to cut the web wrapped around him.
-Are you alright, Wizard?
It was the white spider, Hillove.
“Yes, I’m fine. But Hekab…”
-You don’t need to worry about that.
As Mazdari raised himself up and lifted his head, he could see Ashurada using its front legs to flip Hekab over again. The guardian was now on its back.
“What a mess.”
Then came Vasen’s voice.
Mazdari turned to see Vasen and the gunners appear on the hill.
Vasen then made eye contact with Mazdari and said, “You did good, Mazdari.”
.