Chapter 11: This body is a magician.

Something writhing in the darkness where one couldn’t see an inch ahead.

Strange sounds of wind and screams echoed from all directions.

The cold air felt against the skin was chilling enough to freeze the bones.

It was a gruesome place, strongly reminiscent of a horror game.

“What a troublesome place.”

Walking a few steps along the path, a nightmare formed of shadows emerged from the darkness and lunged at Edelin.

Each time, she was busy swinging her staff to chase the nightmare away.

‘This will be endless if I just keep going.’

The shadow nightmares constantly watched, aiming for the weaker spots in the light.

If a player had been holding a torch, multiple nightmares would have quickly consumed the torch’s relatively weak light.

Then they would have instantly torn apart the torch-bearing player.

It was only because the orb of light Edelin summoned was incomparably stronger than a torch that they didn’t dare attack.

If not, Edelin, like other players, would have been devoured by the nightmares.

“It seems best to deal with them before moving on.”

By adjusting the intensity of the light orb, Edelin instantly grasped their weakness.

True to their name, Shadow Nightmares were mindless creatures born of fear and hunger.

Their method of hunting adventurers passing through here by instilling fear…

Was identical to that of goblins living in a small forest.

Thus, they weren’t particularly difficult opponents for her to handle.

She deliberately lowered the intensity of the light slightly.

The shadow nightmares reacted immediately.

– Kieeeeeek!

As if spotting prey, they rushed towards her at once.

Three shadow nightmares were visible.

The first nightmare stretched out its hand, using its smoke-like, writhing body, trying to drag her into the darkness.

With the hand not holding the staff, she struck the part presumed to be its head.

[ – Unfortunately, it seems this is the end for High School Girl-chan.]

[ – Shadow Nightmares are ghost-type, seems she doesn’t know physical attacks don’t work.]

[ – How would she know lol]

[ – Now she’ll freeze from the chill and get dragged into the darknessㅠㅠ]

Whack!

With a crisp sound, the shadow nightmare’s neck area bent towards the floor.

Due to the impact, its form dissipated as if scattering smoke.

Where the shadow nightmare had been, the ground froze over from the intense cold.

[ – ???]

[ – How did physical damage work?]

[ – Why isn’t she freezing?]

[ – What the. Is it a bug? Or is her equipment just really good?]

The experience of an Archmage who had witnessed countless magical experiments and numerous life forms.

Simple experiments and their appearances.

Having observed the patterns of their mana with her own eyes and seen through their true nature.

Dealing with them wasn’t very difficult.

Knowing they were opponents immune to physical attacks.

She just needed to infuse her body with mana, turning the physical strike into a magical attack.

– Kieeeeek!

Simultaneously dealing with one, she moved her staff to stop another nightmare.

The orb on the staff flew towards the shadow nightmare in front, while the mana imbued in the staff targeted the vital point of another.

One shadow nightmare, unable to stop its charge, became a sacrifice to the light.

The nightmare struck by the staff similarly vanished in an instant.

This entire process took less than ten seconds.

[ – ….]

[ – ….]

[ – Betting against her~! Let’s go!]

Chaos erupted in the chat window.

‘Tsk.’

Despite dispatching three shadow nightmares in such a short time, her expression wasn’t particularly bright.

The viewers watching might not know, but there was something they were forgetting.

The fact was, the mana she possessed was merely at the 2nd Circle level.

And calling it 2nd Circle was generous; since she had forcefully broken through using Spirit Herbs, it was only equivalent to the late 1st Circle.

Mana is consumed even when defeating nightmares.

Mana is constantly consumed just maintaining the light.

The condition to clear the 1st Gate was to cross the city center and pass through the gate.

In this place swallowed by darkness.

There was no safe place to rest.

If her mana ran out, she would likely become a shadow nightmare like them, or…

‘I might freeze to death.’

Judging by the intensity of the chill they emitted upon death, she couldn’t carelessly step outside the light.

This entire situation arose because she had entered a gate designed to be cleared by a party, all alone.

That was also why the Training Center existed in front of the 1st Gate.

A gate with the concept of overcoming fear in a terrifying, darkness-shrouded location while building bonds with party members.

If she had formed a standard party as intended.

With the various equipment provided based on the number of members, like lamps and torches lit sequentially as they advanced…

Most nightmares wouldn’t even dare to attack.

However, that didn’t mean the 1st Gate was easy either.

[ – You foolish underdog bettors. The 1st Gate doesn’t only have Shadow Nightmares.]

[ – lollll You haven’t forgotten the Shadow Curse, have you?]

[ – It’s appeared, hasn’t it?]

[ – Still seems manageable, no?]

[ – That’s based on a party lol]

After passing the shadow nightmares that constantly gnawed at one’s nerves, trying to extinguish the light…

New monsters appeared.

A forced combat trigger, designed for the trainees’ first battle where they must fight while protecting the light.

[ – There it is!]

[ – Welcome, Cursed Adventurer lol]

[ – Underdog bet? Yeah right lol]

[ – This looks a bit different from the curse mobs I remember?]

[ – That’s probably because if you go alone, it doesn’t fit the concept, so they ramp up the difficulty.]

A group of Cursed Adventurers, welcoming Edelin as she walked along the path, blocked her way.

Fitting the adventurer concept, a sturdy tanker guarded the front.

A mage provided support from the rear.

A rogue offered support next to the tanker.

They were all unfortunate NPCs whose bodies had been taken over by shadow nightmares.

The difference from the standard difficulty was…

Their equipment and abilities weren’t those of ordinary novice adventurers passing the first gate.

They possessed the skills and gear of skilled adventurers.

Not only was it difficult to face multiple opponents alone…

But as they were an adventurer party, they attempted coordinated attacks.

While the tanker blocked the front, the swift rogue tried to get behind the player.

And the magical attacks occasionally flying from the rear utterly drained the spirit of any player trying to pass the gate.

The extremely harsh condition of not letting the light be extinguished even while fighting!

Many renowned streamers had challenged this, but only a tiny fraction had succeeded.

“Hmm… Zombies?”

Spotting the NPCs standing still like corpses in the darkness, Edelin…

Stopped advancing and chanted a new spell.

Just what kind of monsters were these creatures living in the darkness?

「 … Shine. Light 」

Half curiosity.

Half caution.

A small orb of light flew forth amidst complex emotions.

The orb of light sped towards the Cursed Adventurer party and reached them.

The adventurers showed no reaction whatsoever to the light.

However, Edelin’s magic acted as a trigger, finally awakening them from their slumber.

Apparently judging it as an attack.

The tanker at the front roared, banging its shield.

“So light isn’t their weakness.”

Starting with the roar, the Cursed Adventurers began to move.

The tanker at the very front raised its shield and blocked Edelin’s path.

[ – The mage lost her distance, right?]

[ – What can you possibly do now?]

[ – That would be dying!]

[ – lolll The limits of a mage.]

A mage can’t do anything if the distance is closed.

This was common sense in the game, and the main reason mages traveled in parties.

Therefore, most covered this weakness with defensive items or auxiliary artifacts.

But Edelin obviously had no such items.

[ – Hey guys, did you forget what we saw at the Training Magic Tower?]

The tanker’s heavy sword swung down towards Edelin, aiming to cut her in half.

It was a clean movement, devoid of unnecessary actions.

But she had already anticipated the attack’s path and moved first.

“The sword’s path is excellent, but your stance is sloppy.”

The former Archmage had even been acquainted with a Knight Commander in the past.

While she didn’t know much about swordsmanship, she wasn’t entirely ignorant either.

Just as she swung her mana-infused staff, aiming for the relatively undefended thigh…

Klang!

With the screech of metal on metal, the staff was deflected.

The rogue had somehow approached and covered the tanker’s opening.

“Excellent coordination. But isn’t there one fact you all seem to have forgotten?”

Knowing they couldn’t understand her words.

She felt exhilarated by the battle, which felt like real combat after such a long time.

“This body is that of a mage.”

Snap.

As she snapped her left fingers, the spell she had memorized internally activated.

Fireball, a 2nd Circle Fire-type magic, materialized right before the knight’s face.

KWAAAANG!

With a small explosion, the tanker was instantly pushed back.

Unfortunately, it didn’t inflict significant damage upon them.

With tremendous reflexes, the tanker had pushed the rogue behind its shield and minimized the damage by adopting a defensive stance.

As the distance widened, a Fireball, the same 2nd Circle magic, flew from the enemy mage.

“Interesting.”

Coordination is excellent, but meaningless if it doesn’t hit.

The easily dodged Fireball flew past her.

– Kieeeeek!

As the Fireball passed behind her, the shadow nightmares lurking in the darkness shrieked.

“Well now. It seems I shouldn’t drag this out.”

In front, the Cursed Adventurers possessed by shadow nightmares.

Behind, shadow nightmares waiting for the light to go out.

Caught in a dilemma, a battle where she could neither advance nor retreat easily.

She picked up the tanker’s sword from the floor…

The one it hadn’t managed to retrieve while busy defending.

“Do you think you have the advantage in the darkness?”

Checking the mana level near her heart, Edelin raised the sword and slowly approached them.

“Allow me to correct your mistaken assumption.”

Edelin gripped the sword with both hands.

Clank.

Perhaps taking the loss of his sword as a disgrace…

The knight once again charged towards Edelin, thrusting his shield forward.

The rogue followed close behind.

Chiiiiing!

Ignoring them completely, Edelin swung the sword down into the empty air.

At that moment.

The sword began to glow.