Infinite Mage [Remake]-Chapter 166: The Reversal of the Law (Part 3)

After advancing ten meters, the smell of blood grew stronger.

Tess, her tension rising, was about to tell Shirone to slow down when suddenly the cave shook, and blunt pillars shot out from the walls. Their speed and size were enough to crush a human.

Shirone's group reflexively stepped back.

From a distance, it looked even more bizarre. Dozens of pillars had shot out from the cave walls, crisscrossing each other.

Shirone shouted, "Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?"

Amy replied, "Yeah. I think we're fine. Shirone, you?"

Shirone said, "I'm fine too. Was it a trap?"

Tess said, "No. There's no sign of artificial modification in the cave. Besides, if it were a trap, the activation point would've been much later."

Tess was right. If they had really wanted to kill them, they would've lured them to an inescapable point before triggering the trap. But the pillars seemed designed to deter entry, shooting out from the front.

Shirone asked, "If it's not a trap, then what is it?"

A boy's voice came from the end of the cave.

Clove shouted, "Reveal yourselves! This time, I won't miss!"

Shirone extended the Shining light to illuminate the interior.

A boy who looked about the same age was crouching with his hands on the ground. Behind him sat a burly man with a tough appearance, his legs stretched out, and blood visible between the fingers covering his stomach.

It was Guardrak, the guide to Noor's Sanctuary.

Guardrak, looking over Shirone's group, said to his disciple, "Clove, I told you not to use earth magic in the cave. If the ceiling collapses, we'll die too."

Clove slowly stood up after hearing his master's words. However, the wariness in his eyes did not disappear.

Shirone felt a familiar sensation from their conversation, as if he had returned to his original world. Although he couldn't understand the Noor's language, the pronunciation and intonation were similar to the common language of the continent.

Kanya approached them and spoke in the Noor's language.

"You're a Noor, right? We've been looking for you."

"Oh? So, you're the proud divine subjects. What brings the Mecha, who despise exploration and adventure, all the way here?"

"Of course, it's to reach Noor's Sanctuary..."

Kanya paused mid-sentence and checked Guardrak's condition. He was smiling, but his complexion was pale.

Blood was flowing from his stomach.

It was strange. What could have caused an injury in the Whirlwind Serpent's valley, where only one Law existed?

"You're hurt? Don't tell me the Whirlwind Serpent..."

"No, it's not the Law. It was the Kergos."

The word "Kergos" caught the attention of Shirone's group. At first, they thought they had misheard, but as Kanya brought the Noor's language to the surface, their conversation began to translate.

"Kergos? They came all the way here to hunt?"

"This place isn't inhabited by heretics, so there's no hunting to be done. They were targeting us. Fortunately, it's not a fatal wound, but if the bleeding continues, I don't know what will happen."

Shirone interjected into their conversation.

"Did you just say Kergos? What did they do?"

"The Kergos are another race of divine subjects. The Whirlwind Serpent's valley is a safe place because no monsters live here, but it's also a route frequently used by heretics trying to reach Noor's Sanctuary. Where there's prey, there are always hunters."

"So, the Kergos hunt heretics."

"They'll probably catch up soon. Their tracking abilities are excellent. Plus, they use giant techniques. Like Tess, they can find this place by scent."

Shirone guessed that the giant techniques were Schema. If so, this wasn't the time to chat.

Arin attempted telepathy directly with the Noor.

"Can you take us to Noor's Sanctuary?"

Guardrak and Clove's expressions turned bewildered. Even though the language was incomprehensible, the meaning somehow became clear.

"What are these kids? Is this a fairy's ability?"

"No, they're from the Earth Kingdom. They use magic like you. Though it might be a bit different. They are descendants of the Noor's."

Kanya tried to present Shirone's group in a way that would make the Noor accept them warmly. Surviving in Purgatory even a little longer requires joining the Noor's community.

"What, so they're mock humans?"

Clove's gaze toward Shirone's group turned disdainful.

The Noor's were a curious race, which made them the most Law-breaking race in heaven. Thus, they knew more forbidden secrets than the Mecha.

The same was true about the Earth Kingdom.

The Earth Kingdom was said to be a shadow of the perfect world of heaven. Therefore, the humans living there were nothing more than mock humans modeled after the humans of heaven.

In Clove's mind, Shirone's group was inferior to anything in heaven. The gap between the Noor's and mock humans was as vast as that between the Creator and the created.

"We mock humans. What's that?"

Ignoring Shirone's question, Clove pointed to the backpacks placed along the wall.

"Hey, you. Come here and carry one bag for each of you."

There was no need for a lie detector. Clove's tone was laced with contempt. His arrogant stance, chin held high, made Amy snap.

"Why should we carry your bags?"

"Isn't it obvious? We need to escape."

"So why do we have to carry them?"

"Because you're mock humans. Without us, you wouldn't even exist. You should follow us with gratitude."

Clove took it for granted that Shirone's group should obey his commands.

At the same time, he puffed out his nostrils and fiddled with Amy's hair, as if sizing her up.

"Not bad for a mock human. How about coming to my house? Don't you want to live safely in Purgatory?"

Amy's eyes turned sharp.

Divine subjects, mock humans—such issues were part of this world's mindset, so she could let it slide. But touching a woman's body had nothing to do with heaven; it was just bad manners.

"Take your hands off me. I might just blow you away."

"Haha! You? Me? Well, I guess mock humans can use a bit of magic. But it won't work on me."

"Enough, Clove."

Hearing the anger in his master's voice, Clove backed off.

Only then did he sense the atmosphere. Shirone's group was glaring at him with murderous intent.

"What? What are you going to do about it?"

"Clove, we don't have time. Are you trying to get me killed here?"

Realizing his master's injury, Clove hurriedly supported Guardrak. Leaning on his disciple's shoulder, Guardrak stood up and apologized on Clove's behalf.

"I'm sorry. Even I've never seen mock humans before, so I didn't handle it well. Anyway, you're humans too. I'm Guardrak. We need to leave this place soon. Will you help us? You seem to have come here to reach Noor's Sanctuary too. We'll guide you."

Guardrak, at least, was a proper mage. Apologizing in front of his disciple wasn't easy, but he knew cooperation was essential for survival, whether they were mock humans or not.

Shirone's group also judged that staying longer would be dangerous, so they silently shouldered the backpacks.

They arrived at a place where pillars, Clove's creation, were entangled.

Clove, supporting Guardrak, had to sweat profusely to get through.

Amy snorted. It was satisfying to see him struggle with her magic, but his lack of foresight made her question his intelligence.

Shirone, ignoring Clove, pondered the magic he had cast.

The magic of summoning pillars from walls was both violent and dynamic. However, he thought it would be highly inefficient to replicate it using his own methods.

The mechanisms of ancient magic were different. Lost in thought, Shirone asked Guardrak, "What kind of magic is this?"

Clove interrupted with a mocking laugh.

"Haha! What, you can't do this? This is ridiculous. Earth magic is basic."

As he spoke, he winked at Amy.

"I could teach you, though."

"No thanks. I don't want to trouble my friends."

Clove's face turned red at the jab referencing the earlier situation.

Guardrak was also curious about Shirone's magic. Mock humans with unique magic.

As far as he knew, the sphere of light Shirone was holding was a magic impossible to manifest here. The cave was a domain of darkness.

Unless he had contracted with a light spirit, but the lack of activity suggested otherwise.

"Hmm, it's hard to explain. You don't use this kind of magic, do you?"

"We have magic that utilizes earth attributes but not magic that makes pillars shoot out of caves."

"The principles might be different. We borrow the power inherent in nature to cast magic. Fire magic where there's fire, water magic where there's water. Clove used earth magic for the same reason. Though he didn't seem to consider the risk of collapse."

"No, Master. I was really desperate back then."

Clove tried to explain, but Shirone's group wasn't even listening. They were busy communicating through the mental channel and had no time for others' nonsense.

-Magic that borrows the power of nature. Quite unique.

-The destructive power was impressive too. The magic Clove used would be quite advanced in our world. Yet he pulled it off easily. Even though he's a bit of an idiot.

Amy added to Canis's comment.

-The advantage of borrowing natural power isn't just its strength. One person can manage multiple elements. Unlike us, who specialize and train in one field.

Arin pointed out the downside.

-But it lacks versatility. It's constrained by the environment. If the desired element isn't around, you can't cast the magic.

In summary, ancient magic was wide-ranging, powerful, and capable of handling various elements. However, it was heavily constrained by the environment and could be completely blocked in certain situations.

Heaven's magic and Earth's magic. Which was more efficient remained an open question.

As they exited the cave, Kanya turned to Guardrak and asked, "Where is Noor's Sanctuary?"

"I can't tell the Mecha that. At least I know that it's not here. We need magic to get there, but it's impossible here. Follow me."

At that moment, Lena, who had received a signal from the drone, checked her retinal vision and shouted.

"Sister! We're in trouble!"

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Kanya also closed one eye and received the information transmitted by the drone. A group was approaching the valley at high speed.

"Oh no, it's the Kergos! We need to hurry!"

A look of resignation appeared in Guardrak's eyes.

"No. It's too late. Their sense of smell is incredibly sharp. They've caught the scent of blood."

No sounds of approach could be heard yet. But if they had caught the scent of blood, at least one of them was a master of sensory skills.

"What do we do? What do we do, Master?"

Clove stomped his feet anxiously.

Guardrak had no brilliant ideas.

According to Lena, there were about twenty pursuers. Guardrak was injured, and Clove lacked combat experience. If they clashed now, it would be a massacre.

"What if we do this?"

Everyone's attention turned to Shirone.

The Kergo's pursuit team, riding black horses, galloped across the stream.

Their eyes, clad in crimson armor reflecting the sun, gleamed like freshly forged swords.

The captain of the pursuit team raised his hand to halt the advance as they reached the cave.

"Halt! They're inside the cave!"

Led by the captain, the twenty subordinates stopped. A woman with a ponytail rode up beside the captain.