Death March — Fixed

“Aze, please be very careful.”

“I’m fine, it’s not even my first time.”

 

While Lua looks very worried, Aialize is full of confidence.

 

We’re going to start experimenting with locking the jellyfish into differing types of cages.

 

Originally, I didn’t expect it would be fine for the top of the clan to tag along, even if it was just a formality, but they said, “Optimal.”

 

Apparently, the World Tree regards High Elves as part of it. Aialize also said that, unlike the case with the jellyfish, the High Elves have been like that from the beginning.

 

From what she said, she can make the World Tree think that several people with her are also part of it, but since this experiment involves the use of Magic, it’s better to have as few people as possible.

 

So, I’m the only one who’s going with her to observe the experiment. I’m not complaining, since I want to go, but is it fine for Lua to stay behind?

 

Aialize blushed when I asked her the reason for making me accompany her, but she told me that a Hero who could battle the Black Dragon would be fine even if the jellyfish went amok--please stop with the misleading gestures.

 

“Te, err, have you finished your preparation? Let’s go then.” She was going to call my name, but she couldn’t do it in the end, which is quite cute.

 

With a smile, I grasp the hand of the slightly flushed Aialize. She jumps out into space, while getting slightly panicked. I also follow her using Sky Drive, at a speed so that our joined hands won’t be separated.

 

Outside the membrane is the vacuum of space--

 

Umm, Aialize?

 

It’s slightly painful, you know?

 

I can’t breath. My face and hair have started to become covered with a light coating of frost. I don’t feel like this is anywhere near enough to kill me, so I check my status--my Stamina and Health have just been decreased by a tiny amount, and Rapid Regeneration is working fine, automatically healing the damage as it comes.

 

I was certain that Aialize would use some kind of Wind Magic.

 

To create a comfortable space, I Invoke Canopy. There’s not enough air, so I take one of the oxygen filled balloons out of my storage and release some of the air into the Canopy--it’s pure oxygen, so I mix only small amounts with the C02 I breath out, and other gasses that seem to have come out with me. As C02 overpowers the rest, I will release some more oxygen into the Canopy.

 

I breathe a sigh of relief.

 

>>Skill: Spacewalk Acquired.

>>Skill: Survival Acquired.

 

I got a good Skill, which I max-out the skill levels, and activate. Well, I would have loved a Skill like ‘Ether Operation’, or something too.

 

Sky Drive is usable in space, so I’ve decided not to use Spacewalk.

 

‘What’s the matter?’

‘I wasn’t able to breathe.’

‘Umm, didn’t I tell you? You can’t breathe in the Void, so, be careful okay.’

 

You’re rather late there, Aialize.

 

‘And also, you shouldn’t use too much Magic. There aren’t many Spirits here, and Magic itself is thin, so it’s hard to recover Magic Power.’

 

She then explained that I should go to the nearest World Tree Branch if I need to recover my Magic Power. The Magic that has been collected from the Ether overflows and rushes along the branch--but I need to be careful not to actually touch the branch itself, since the massive flow of power generates enormous heat--and the twisted ‘special’ space can cause havoc.

 

Come to think of it, we’re talking as though it’s normal. It’s probably Telephone Magic, but Aialize doesn’t have the Space Magic Skill, so how is she able to use it?

 

‘Aialize, can you use Space Magic?’

 

‘I-I learned this Spell a long time ago, the Skill was lost over time, but I can still use the simpler version even now. If I’m in a place with a lot of Spirits, I can also use the difficult ones.’

 

I wonder what she meant with ‘The Skill was lost over time’?

 

But, since we’ve gotten closer to the jellyfish, our time for talking is over--I’ll ask her about it when she comes for dinner tonight.

 

***

It’s huge.

 

The jellyfish in front of me is one of the overage ones, only level 30, but it’s even larger than Heiron, the Black Dragons--3 times as large if the tentacles are included.

 

‘First, I’ll try cages from Space Magic, okay.’

 

Although Aialize said Space Magic, she actually chants Spirit Magic. While there aren’t really any Spirits in the Void, it seems that she brought them along with her from the Observation Area earlier--it’s the kind of shrewdness that doesn’t seem like her at all, but it’s most likely the result of many failures in the past.

 

When she finishes chanting, a cage constructed from six rippling ‘boards’ surrounds the jellyfish. It’s tentacles were too long, and were cleanly cut off, wriggling as they continue drifting. It seems that they will eventually fall into the deeper recesses of the planetary gravity-well and burn up in the atmosphere.

 

I quickly grab the squirming tentacles with Magic Hand, and put them into storage.

 

The imprisoned jellyfish is squirming and struggling, but the others aren’t reacting.

 

We then imprison others into cages constructed from Light and Nature Magic--both of which can imprison their targets as efficiently as the cage of Spacial Magic.

 

Fire, Shadow, Darkness, and Gravity Magic all cause damage while imprisoning the Spell’s targets, so we don’t try them.

 

Earth, Water, and Wind Magic require more Magic Power to construct, because of the lack of corresponding Elements up here…the jellyfish quickly absorb the cages and continue their business.

 

Some jellyfish approach our position, so Aialize uses some of her Wind Magic to put them asleep, and we take a slightly further position.

 

While we were moving, the Nature and Light Magic cages were destroyer--the former lasted two hours, while the latter lasted for three. However, even after five hours, the first of the Space Magic cages is still functioning.

 

***

We had some free time while we were waiting for the cages to break, so I did various experiments, after getting permission from Aialize.

 

First, the Bug Wiper--unfortunately, it has no effect.

 

When I used Magic near one of the jellyfish, within the Magic Absorption Field, Aialize looked slightly surprised. I do, however, notice that the MP consumption was a tiny bit higher when I used the Magic.

 

I continue on with an experiment about physical attacks, to take on the jellyfish.

 

The Fairy Sword cuts the tentacles without any resistance, it is low-leveled after all. The Ant Javelin that I filled with Magic Power and threw at the jellyfish is unexpectedly easily caught by its tentacles, and got eaten.

 

It looks like it may be easy to poison them.

 

The last thing for me to test is the Bell of Fear Magic Tool.

 

This Magic Tool isn’t one that was made in the present days, so I can’t read the explanation from the Menu. I can guess though, from the few words that I can read, but I’m not too confident that I can use it well--I was, however, able to identify the Command Phrase, so I just decided to try it.

 

‘Be afraid of me.’

 

Wow…

 

The jellyfish within 3km are attacking each other with electricity and tentacles like they’ve gone mad.

 

Grabbing Aialize, I pick her up in a princess carry and quickly escape outside the range of the Electricity attacks.

 

We arranged beforehand for Aialize to put the jellyfish to sleep with her Wind Magic--but she’s only making strange, confused noises in my arms, ‘ahh, oh’, while blushing…and not using Magic.

 

Oh, it seems that I forgot that she’s someone who doesn’t seem to be able to deal with close physical contact.

 

Leaving Aialize floating in a safe area, I hurry back to where the jellyfish are. I was worried that the World Tree was going to attack, but it seemed tricked and didn’t seem to want to interfere if they fought each other.

 

I quickly cut up and gather the jellyfish tentacles--I have no idea what I will do with them, but they can unleash Magic attacks, enhance Electric Magic, and are very strong, so I might find a usage.

 

I quickly make a bulky clay cage with Earth Magic, a bronze cage, and one made from transparent ice.

 

Aialize and I go back to the Observatory.

 

I leave, after asking Jia and the others to observe and record the time required for the Space cage, and the three I constructed. If either of the physical cages can hold the jellyfish for a day, even the Elves could probably deal with the pests by themselves.

 

As an apology, and to soothe, the still slightly flustered High Elf, I ask Lulu to make omelet rice for lunch today.

 

When Arisa made a request for me to draw a heart using tomato sauce on her food, handing me the sauce bottle, everyone asked the same. So I did. Aialize looked envious when she looked at everyone’s illustrated food--so I drew a cartoonish image of the World Tree on hers. I will ignore her small pout, she will make do with this.

 

Nea began begging Lulu to make curry--when she found out that I had bought 80% of the spices from the Duchy Capital, and gathered the remaining 20% from Nea’s stores.

 

Lulu looked at me with questioning eyes, she seemed to want to try it. I agreed to her with a nod. Leading to Aialize cheering and Nea enthusiastically embracing the now-blushing Lulu, hugging her and jumping around a bit--I would have expected a 500 year old Elf to act more mature.