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#060. Encounter (1)
The huge clump of dust that rose at the end of the horizon looked like the breath of an earth giant.
The road, of course, covered the long horizontal axis on both sides, and it was approaching us at a rapid speed.
“Rockdeer.”
Veronica muttered in a very nervous voice.
It was a herd of deer, probably numbering in the thousands, running towards us, kicking up a cloud of dust.
This was no ordinary herd of deer.
The body was gray, and the skin was cracked in all directions like cracked earth.
“That’s right. I’m sure. Cracked skin. No, it’s more like a peel. I’ve seen it in books.”
Philip said in a bewildered voice.
“What are those kids doing? Are they deer? Why do they run so fast?”
“It’s not dangerous. I know it has a gentle personality. Its rock-hard shell is only for the purpose of protecting itself from predators. However, the great migration period is still far away… .”
The great migration period of rock deer is said to be between October and November.
It is said that they move to the grassland area where vegetation will grow again when the new rainy season begins.
Ray took Veronica’s word for it.
“Something must be happening. Probably behind those guys.”
The situation was urgent.
The earth-shaking roar grew louder and louder, making my heart race, and the distance between me and the herd of Rock Deer was getting closer in real time.
A fleeting moment.
Ray analyzed the situation with the feeling that time was passing slowly.
The current vehicle speed is 166 km/h.
‘A U-turn is impossible.’
There is not enough time to brake and slow down to a point where a U-turn is possible.
Even if you succeed in making a U-turn, you will be caught by a herd of Rock Deer before you can accelerate again at the speed you have reduced to the max.
And if you get caught.
‘Your life is in danger.’
The vehicle would be overturned and crushed beyond recognition by hundreds of pairs of hooves.
Even if you manage to survive in there, you will suffer fatal injuries that will render you unable to move for a while.
‘Even a frontal breakthrough is impossible.’
The last battle with Walter confirmed that it is possible to designate objects as targets for strengthening magic.
You can increase the durability of your vehicle by using ‘Metalization’, but even if you use up all the mana in the ring, it won’t be able to stop that number of Rock Deers.
All that remains is to turn the steering wheel left or right to get out of the path of the oncoming herd of rock deer as quickly as possible.
And based on the current location, the end of the rock deer herd was closer to the left.
As soon as the judgment was completed, Ray’s time accelerated again.
Whirlyrick──!
I slowed the car down a little and turned the steering wheel to the left.
Magically amplified the power.
“Veronica. Prepare your defenses.”
“Bar, guard? Where?”
“Open the right window. Deploy the shield. Centered on the vehicle. Hemispherical. Three meters in diameter. Adjust the arrangement of the elements so that the shield follows the vehicle.”
Veronica nodded.
The situation was confusing, but Ray’s instructions were so detailed that I was able to immediately understand what to do.
Wheeing─!
The right window is open.
A large amount of white mana gushed out from Veronica’s outstretched palms.
Woof──!
Soon a wide, transparent membrane formed, covering the entire vehicle.
It was protection.
A protective shield made using white mana with blocking, regeneration, and absorption elements as its main components.
Philip stammered and shouted.
“Oh, it’s coming!”
The vehicle that has left the road is currently traveling 30 degrees to the left.
Ray continued to turn the steering wheel to keep the vehicle from overturning.
And at the end of the distance with the rock deers.
bang!
There was a sound like a bomb exploding.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The defense moved with the vehicles running diagonally, and the Rock Deers that collided with it were thrown high or thrown up high.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Pour out all your mana. Repair the defenses. They must not be broken.”
“It’s already like that!”
Veronica broke out in a cold sweat.
Due to the girl’s efforts, the defense was cracking here and there and was barely being repaired.
Ray asked.
“How long can you hold out?”
“At this rate, I won’t be able to last even thirty seconds! I’m still in the first circle! Gyaaaah!”
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“… … .”
Actually, I didn’t know that the reason I was holding on now was because Veronica specialized in defensive magic.
The current situation was no different from a huge barrage of bullets being fired at the defense.
‘We have to get out. Before Veronica’s mana runs out.’
But no matter where I looked, back, front, left, or right, there was only Rock Deer, so I couldn’t tell where I was.
Ray rolled down the driver’s window and used a strengthening spell on himself.
And then he spoke to Philip, who was sitting in the passenger seat.
“Philip, you said you’ve never driven before.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah.”
“Learn now while you have the chance.”
Ray let go of the steering wheel and quickly climbed out the window and onto the roof of the car.
─Hey, wait a minute! If you, if you let go of the handle right now!
“Move over. Hold on tight to the steering wheel and just step on the accelerator.”
The car, which had been swaying from side to side and slowing down, returned to its original state.
I was so nervous that I couldn’t hear any more voices from inside.
Whioooooo───!
The cold wind brushed my skin.
The last speed Ray checked before exiting the vehicle was 132 km/h.
If he had misstepped and fallen, he could not easily guarantee his life or death.
Ray maximized the output of his lower body muscle strengthening magic.
And then I slowly raised my upper body, which had been lowered, and regained my center of gravity.
Ray, who was finally able to stand on both feet on the roof, quickly looked around.
‘There must be two thousand, no, three thousand.’
Doo doo doo doo doo doo────!
Then a gunshot was heard.
When I turned my head, I could see a dozen mountain vehicles chasing a herd of rock deer.
Every time the guns mounted on the vehicle’s roof fired, the Rock Deers at the end of the group rolled on the ground.
“… … .”
I thought I had a rough idea of the situation.
Ray calmly turned his gaze to determine the vehicle’s current location.
─Oh, where are you? How long do I have to run?
“Keep going. You’re almost there.”
The vehicle was now almost at the end of the horizontal axis of the Rock Deer herd.
A little more running would have put me out of the path of this herd of hard-skinned deer.
Dismissed!
Of course, this assumes that the defense will hold out until then.
─I can’t do this anymore! I’m running out of mana!
Veronica’s fidgeting voice could be heard from inside the car.
Fired! Fired!
Now the rate at which the defenses were being restored was not keeping up with the rate at which they were being cracked.
Ray drew red and white mana from the ring.
Woof─!
The red mana that started from the ring spread throughout the vehicle through the boy’s soles.
It was a ‘metallization’ targeting objects.
In the worst case scenario, if the shield were to break and a rock deer were to rush in, the vehicle would not immediately flip over.
Even if it can’t handle it, it will probably be able to withstand a few collisions.
Next, white mana gathered in the boy’s palm, ready to be released.
‘I can’t use as wide a range of protection as Veronica.’
What you can do.
What you can’t do.
These were things that had already been clearly identified through numerous experiments.
All the wizards’ rings I’ve seen so far have contained between ten and twenty different elements.
But in his case, it contained almost every element that exists.
The fact that one refinement has been carried out.
Another thing is that the composition ratio of the elements is different.
Except for two facts, it was no different than having all the mana in the air contained in the ring.
All elements can be used.
You can use all types of magic without restrictions.
That was an unprecedented advantage in the magical world, but in other words, it also meant that it was not specialized in any field.
That’s why Ray couldn’t use the same level of protection as Veronica.
Because most of Veronica’s ring was occupied by white mana.
As if reflecting the nature of a girl who was always concerned about others, considerate, and sometimes not hesitant to devote herself.
Of course, Ray excels in the perfection of magic itself, but the difference in the amount of mana that can be used is absolute.
Of course, it wasn’t a big problem.
Later, it was a problem that was solved by increasing the number of rings and the storage capacity of mana itself.
Dismissed!
─Tutu, it’s open!
─Gyaaaah!
The Rock Deers, who had stepped on their fallen comrades, were about to crash into the vehicle.
Woof─!
Ray’s defense was activated.
The shield, which unfolded into a hemispherical shape like Veronica’s, managed to barely cover the vehicle.
─I, I’m alive, eww!
bang!
However, the car was swaying back and forth.
This was because the gap with the guard was narrow, so the impact of the collision was directly transmitted to the car body.
Then, far away, Ray noticed a single individual among the group of rock deer.
‘Blue…?’
The skin visible between the shells had a bluish tint.
But there was no time to think deeply.
Ray, returning to the passenger seat through the opposite window, spoke to Philip.
“Philip. Change seats.”
“okay!”
Ray, back in the driver’s seat, gripped the steering wheel tightly.
Then the vehicle’s shaking became relatively stable.
“Good job, both of you.”
“It’s been ten years, really.”
“… … .”
Veronica had no answer.
He just looked at the rock deers crashing into the window with his face turned pale.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Advancing was not easy because the range of protection was reduced.
Additionally, the lack of visibility caused confusion in the sense of direction.
Ray didn’t slow down even for a moment though.
Because the moment you stop, only death awaits you, and you know that the high ground is not far away.
‘I can’t last long.’
The ring’s white mana was being consumed at a violent rate.
Probably the limit is about 10 seconds.
‘… Then, rather.’
Ray pressed the accelerator all the way down to increase the car’s speed to maximum.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The number of Rock Deers crashing into the defense with him increased dramatically, and the white mana of the ring also depleted at a faster rate.
And not long after.
“Bar, it’s outside!”
The scenery appeared through the car windshield.
Just before they could escape the herd of Rock Deer, the durable shield broke and the last Rock Deer rammed into the back of the vehicle.
thud!
Thanks to the metallization that had been applied in advance, the body of the car was not dented or anything.
However, due to the recoil, the vehicle slid quite a distance and made several rotations before finally stopping.
*
“Everyone… are you okay?”
Philip, who was stuck under the passenger seat, struggled to get out and asked,
“I… think… I’m okay. Ugh…!”
Veronica, who was lying face down in the backseat, looked like she was going to vomit at any moment.
“It’s okay. Me too.”
Ray was fine.
Squeak─ bang!
I got out of the car right away and checked the road.
In the distance, a herd of galloping rock deer and mountain vehicles chasing them could be seen.
If I had stayed there, the body would have been crushed beyond recognition.
There is no need to even mention what happened to the people who were on board.
Philip and Veronica followed behind Ray, who was thinking of the canned food that had been flattened by his foot.
“What the hell is going on?”
“They look like hunters. If you look over there… .”
On the road where a storm had once swept through, dozens of rock deer lay lying like fallen leaves.
The three people got back into the vehicle and got out, moving towards the road.
“oh my god….”
“That’s ridiculous….”
The situation seen up close was even more dire than I had imagined.
The rock deers were gasping for breath, their shells cracked and split, as if they would break at any moment, and blood was splattered all over the road.
Ray walked slowly and examined the rock deers.
Behind me, I could hear the gloomy voices of Philip and Veronica.
“What should we do? Because of us… .”
“No. We had no choice. If we hadn’t broken through, we would have died.”
In fact, the collision with the guard itself did not have a significant impact on the lives of the Rock Deers.
The rock-hard shell absorbed most of the shock.
Even those that fell down and were trampled by their fellows’ hooves did not suffer much damage from that alone.
The broken shell would naturally regenerate over time.
─Goooooo.
─Kuruk. Gulp.
However, the individuals at the very back of the group were the problem.
The guys were either dead or on the verge of death, their skin and shells pierced by the hunters’ persistent bullets.
‘I don’t think a normal bullet would be able to penetrate that shell.’
The bullet holes in the Rockdeers’ bodies were much larger than the normal ones Ray knew.
It appeared to be a specially made bullet.
In that case, the opponents were likely to be those who specialized in hunting these types of animals.
─Guwuk. Guwuk.
─Gurrrrrr.
I continued to walk among the groaning rock deers.
The emotions that were trapped in the vessels of these dying beasts were black fear and dread.
Those primal emotions were much more colorful and deep than those of humans, and Ray couldn’t take his eyes off them.
Boooo …
At that moment, the sound of a car was heard from afar.
When I raised my head, I could see some of the hunters’ vehicles returning.
The image was also reflected on the retinas of the fallen rock deers.
At that moment, a single colored mana began to quickly fill up the guys’ vessels.
It was red mana.
As red as the blood they were shedding.