Chapter 14: This is called mana utilization.

Kairos Continent.

A hidden wipe mechanic existed in the 1st Gate.

The established strategy figured out by people was to gather the maximum number of members allowed by the gate.

If the inside of the gate became too bright due to too many people…

[ Delicious prey has walked right in, kikikik. ]

The hidden wipe mechanic boss of the 1st Gate would appear.

The King of Shadow Nightmares.

Countless users and streamers, thinking it was a hidden trigger, challenged the boss to defeat it.

But it was an impregnable boss that had never been conquered since the game’s release.

Annihilation due to an overwhelming power difference.

[ – How are you supposed to beat a boss designed to be unbeatable in the first place?]

[ – And alone? It’s absolutely impossible based on the mechanic lol]

[ – Still, maybe it’s possible precisely because she’s alone?]

[ – And so the underdog bettors dream their happy dreams…]

Pitiful chat messages flooded in from viewers who thought the outcome was already decided.

Perhaps, if it was the genius High School Girl-chan, could there be a different variable?

They held onto not even the slightest sliver of hope.

They knew just how immense the overwhelming power difference shown by the King of Nightmares was.

[ Are you surprised to see this body’s true form? ]

Far from surprised, she was merely contemplating how to deal with it.

Edelin once again kicked off the ground with swift movements.

Reacting to Edelin’s quick response, the King of Nightmares formed its hands into multiple whip-like strands and lashed out.

She weaved through the gaps with quick perception, closing the distance.

‘It’ll reach!’

The boss’s hand grazed her face as it passed.

A drop of blood trickled down her cheek.

Overwhelming attack power where even a single proper hit would be fatal.

‘But it’s meaningless if it doesn’t connect.’

Slice!

Her sword, having reached the boss, slashed downwards diagonally.

[ – Did she get it?]

[ – lolololol]

[ – Still someone holding onto hope lol]

There was absolutely no sensation of the sword cutting anything.

It felt like slashing through empty air.

Miss!

[ Kikikikik. Inferior human. Did you think I was the same as the other shadows? ]

The sword had definitely cut through the space where the boss’s body was.

The difference from other shadow nightmares was…

The boss’s body dissipated like smoke right before the sword made contact.

‘Are physical attacks ineffective?’

Once might be a coincidence.

Needing more information, Edelin swung her sword at the boss’s body multiple times from the same spot.

The boss’s body scattered like smoke, and countless Miss! icons appeared.

This proved that physical attacks did not work.

‘Then what about magic?’

The boss’s hand, turning into a sharp awl, flew towards her.

She moved out of the way with a back step.

Black awls embedded themselves numerously into the floor.

「 Freeze · Air 」

The boss’s hand froze along with the floor due to Edelin’s magic.

Observing the reaction of the boss, now unable to move freely, Edelin…

Noticed that magic was effective to some extent.

[ Kraaaaaaaahk! ]

Facing the boss, which was writhing in pain from its frozen hand, she swung her sword and cut off the frozen hand.

Damage 1!

With a crackling sound, the boss’s hand and the floor shattered.

Despite the loud scream and destroyed body part, the damage number that appeared was pitifully small.

[ – Boss is overacting so hard lololololol]

[ – 1 damage lololololol]

[ – If it’s 1 damage even with a crit, how little must that hurt lolololol]

Even without seeing the damage numbers, Edelin also knew the boss was exaggerating.

Because the boss’s face was smiling.

[ How is it, inferior human? No matter what you do, you cannot kill me. ]

The boss looked down on Edelin confidently, smiling.

The weak power it had gradually accumulated since the game’s release had become immense.

Granting it formidable strength that no one could harm.

Looking at the boss lost in its arrogance, Edelin pondered for a moment.

Against a boss impervious to both physical and magical attacks…

How could she win?

Fleeing was not an option.

Having already accepted the quest.

Needing to find out what happened to the Magic Tower.

She absolutely had to succeed.

‘How?’

The question in her mind wouldn’t readily disappear.

[ Is it over already? Why not try a little harder? I’ll take anything you throw at me. ]

Perhaps thinking Edelin, standing still and assessing the situation, was frightened…

The boss let out a grotesque laugh.

‘This all stems from a lack of information. Therefore.’

Recalling the principles of mages, she began to chant a spell once more.

There is no result without a cause.

Everything begins from a cause.

Research and investigation. Discovery. The principle underlying everything.

「 … Shine. Light 」

If you don’t know…

Do something, observe the result, and deduce information about the opponent.

She poured a massive amount of mana into the small light orb she summoned.

The light orb grew larger and larger as mana flowed into it.

It grew large enough to brightly illuminate the entire room.

‘If it’s composed of the same substance as shadow nightmares, then light is likely also a weakness.’

Shadow nightmares hate the light.

A light orb created with the thought that it might work against their king.

[ Excellent. Such powerful light in a place with nothing. ]

On the contrary, the boss seemed even more pleased.

[ To think you’d actually help me. How thoughtful, eh? ]

“…!”

Pain struck simultaneously with the feeling of something piercing her right thigh.

Lowering her head to find the source of the pain…

The boss’s sharp hand had somehow pierced through her leg.

[ If you thought I would dislike the light, you were gravely mistaken. I thought you’d be different from other inferior humans…. ]

The boss grinned mockingly.

[ Is stupidity a racial trait? Isn’t it? ]

Schlick!

As the sharp hand was withdrawn, blood flowed from the hole.

Her mind momentarily grew dizzy from the pain in her leg and the blood loss.

She realized her mistake.

“Damn it. I didn’t think of that. I was foolish.”

Shadow nightmares, essentially mob-level enemies, had the trait of disliking light.

But reflecting on the actual properties of shadows revealed the opposite.

What is a shadow?

When light grows stronger, darkness also deepens.

Because the shadow’s size and intensity had strengthened…

She hadn’t even been able to perceive the boss’s attack.

Instead, she had ended up strengthening the boss.

“Interesting.”

Even in this overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation, she didn’t lose hope.

If one experiment fails, try again with a different hypothesis.

She canceled the light orb, which no longer needed maintaining.

‘Huh?’

Something peculiar caught her eye.

As the light slowly faded, a single sword mark became clearly visible.

A mark as if pierced by a sword, right in the center of the boss’s body.

It precisely matched the location where the Circle was.

‘Now I finally understand how to defeat the boss.’

It nullified physical attacks.

It nullified magical attacks.

A boss thought to have no weaknesses.

A single small hint sparked an idea on how to overcome the boss.

Edelin slowly dragged her feet towards the boss.

[ What’s this? Giving up? Entertain me a bit more. ]

“Wait just a moment, and I’ll show you something interesting.”

[ Hah? Who said I’d wait…. ]

Edelin cut the boss off.

“You have no intention of killing me anyway, do you?”

Flinch.

The boss reacted as if struck by the truth.

“If you intend to possess my body or whatever, wouldn’t it be better if my body were in better condition?”

The writhing hands, which looked ready to pierce her entire body at any moment, became still.

[ Are you trying to make a deal with me? Even if you show me something interesting, I have no intention of letting you live. ]

“No. Since this body is destined to be devoured by you anyway, there’s something I wanted to try as a mage. Could you wait just for that short while?”

[ Kihahahahaak. Both the human I ate before and you. Humans called mages are a funny race. Fine. A brief moment is acceptable. ]

The King of Shadow Nightmares decided to simply watch Edelin.

Edelin’s steps halted on the frozen floor where a part of the shadow nightmare had been cut off.

‘I can only hope my hypothesis is correct.’

A piece of the boss’s hand, frozen and severed.

She picked it up with one hand, examining it this way and that, then began manipulating mana.

Creating a path through the frozen ice, guiding the boss’s fragment towards her own body.

She guided the path.

The boss’s essence slowly writhed, entering through her fingertips.

“Cough… This hurts like hell.”

She suppressed the boss’s essence rampaging inside her body with a mental fortitude that felt close to snapping.

Compared to the mental strength endlessly endured and trained to take the college entrance exam…

And the mental strength developed as a mage, this level of pain was nothing.

‘The hypothesis is correct!’

Using her own body as a conduit, she infused the boss’s essence into the sword.

The boss’s essence, not significantly different from mana.

[ Is it over now? I can’t wait any longer! ]

Swept up by Edelin’s unusual atmosphere, the boss rushed towards her.

Edelin didn’t resist.

She watched calmly as the boss came towards her.

‘Now!’

Allowing the boss to enter her body through the smallest possible area.

She stretched out her hand not holding the sword, stopping the boss.

[ Kuhahaha. It’s too late to resist now! Now that I’ve entered your body, your body is mine…. ]

The boss’s voice, gleefully being sucked into her palm, trailed off.

[ Wh-what are you doing, human!! ]

“What else… It’s called mana manipulation.”