How to Survive as a Mage Inside a Game-Chapter 10: Monster in the Forest (4)

It lay there, charred black, not twitching an inch.

No matter how impressive its regeneration was, if it died in one strike, it was meaningless.

Ultern clicked his tongue as he stared at it.

“Incredible, truly. You summoned lightning... I never imagined something like that was even possible with magic.”

“It was all thanks to Mr. Jeep. If he hadn’t created that opening, I would’ve been smashed flat.”

“All I did was take a hit and bounce off. I hardly deserve any credit.”

Jeep chuckled awkwardly.

I replied with a tired voice.

“Anyway, it’s my personal spell, so I’d prefer if you didn’t go around talking about it.”

“Of course! If you wish it, I’d swear a knight’s oath right this instant.”

No, that’s really not necessary.

I shook my head and stood up.

“Anyway, what a disgusting monster. Hard to believe that thing was even alive.”

Ultern spoke with a thoroughly horrified tone, and Jeep added with a grimace.

“It didn’t look that grotesque when it showed up in the village a few days ago. What the hell happened in the meantime...”

That made me freeze.

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“It didn’t look like that a few days ago?”

“Yeah. At the very least, those tentacles weren’t writhing on its back like that.”

My expression turned grave.

If Jeep was telling the truth, then there was only one possible conclusion.

‘A dark mage modified the chimera recently? Then they might still be somewhere nearby.’

At the same time, a notification popped into my head.

[A Sudden Quest has appeared.]

< Sudden Quest: Hunt the Dark Mage >

You have detected the presence of the dark mage who poses a threat to the village. Locate and kill the dark mage hiding somewhere in the forest.

This may be related to the Main Quest.

Quest reward: ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ 30,000 SP

“......”

This goddamn quest.

You want me to fight again?

I felt a sharp throb in my head. I sighed deeply.

The reward was way too high to turn down, even for a sudden quest.

And it might be tied to the Main Quest too.

I didn’t know how strong this dark mage was, but so far the quests had never demanded anything beyond my actual abilities.

‘No... that’s not even the problem here.’

I fell into thought.

Before I could even think about fighting, how the hell was I supposed to find that dark mage?

‘Maybe if I wait here, he’ll come back to collect the chimera’s corpse?’

If that were the case, the quest wouldn’t have said “locate” him.

Then, a decent idea flashed through my mind.

“...Hmm.”

That’s when Ultern groaned and grabbed his leg.

His complexion had turned an unhealthy pale-blue color.

“What’s wrong?”

When I stepped closer to check, I saw a festering wound on his leg.

Jeep frowned.

“This... looks like poison.”

“I think it brushed against that monster’s tentacle earlier.”

Apparently the chimera’s tentacles were laced with venom too.

The poison had spread more as time passed.

I quickly cast a Cure spell as emergency treatment.

A pure white light enveloped the wounded area.

Soon, Ultern looked noticeably more at ease.

“Thank you. I keep being indebted to you.”

“You two should head back to the village first.”

“What about you, sir?”

“I’ve got something to take care of here. It won’t take long.”

Neither of them knew about the dark mage or the chimera’s origins.

And I had no intention of telling them.

Ultern was injured anyway, and the rest was something I planned to deal with quietly, on my own.

They tilted their heads at the word “cleanup,” but didn’t pry any further.

They probably just figured it was some mage thing.

“Then, excuse us. Please be careful, Karl.”

Jeep helped Ultern walk as they left the forest.

Once I confirmed they were completely gone, I turned my eyes back to the dead chimera.

“Bit of a waste of SP, but... tsk.”

I pulled out another mana potion from my inventory and drank it, then took out a specific magic tome.

The very black magic tome I’d found at the Altius main branch library.

<Turning to Undead (20000 SP) – 4 Circle>

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Revives the corpse of the dead as an undead under the caster’s control.

The undead loses all will from its living days and obeys only the caster.

Does not work on corpses that are far superior to the caster’s rank or are too badly damaged.

Maximum number of controllable undead: 10

[Spend 20,000 SP to learn this spell?]

It wasn’t that I had a problem with learning black magic.

I just hated wasting SP.

After a moment’s hesitation, I made my decision.

“Learn it.”

[You have acquired the skill: Turning to Undead (Lv.1)]

After checking the newly acquired skill in my status window, I used it immediately.

Target: the dead chimera.

【Turning to Undead】

Whoooosh!

A dark aura surged up and wrapped around the chimera’s body.

It absorbed the entire energy, and then its eyes suddenly snapped open. Slowly, it rose, its charred body creaking as it stood.

Now its eyes were pitch-black, staring blankly this way, as if awaiting its master’s command.

‘Mana cost is pretty heavy.’

I climbed up onto its back in one leap and gave the order.

“Take me to where the bastard who made you is hiding. You should remember the location, right?”

* * *

Inside a dark cave.

A man was pacing in circles, gnawing on his fingernails.

The man—dark mage Luto—was losing his mind from anxiety.

“Why? Why the hell?”

His mental link with the Krurk chimera had been severed.

There was no other explanation except that it was dead.

A masterpiece he'd created by modifying the creature he’d found wandering near Hellam.

Unless a high-ranking knight had been dispatched from the lord’s castle, there was no reason that thing should’ve died.

And there was no way the lord would send such a valuable force just because a few villagers got killed.

He didn’t want to admit it, but there was only one conclusion he could reach.

“Shit... that psycho bitch really followed me all the way here...”

The Inquisitor of the Behas Cult.

That lunatic priestess who never gave up no matter how far he ran. It had to be her.

He should’ve realized something was off when the baby Krurk never returned to the cave yesterday.

‘I have to run. I already lost my strongest card—if I get caught now, I’m screwed!’

But if the chimera was dead, that meant someone had already entered the forest. Could he really escape?

Then again, if he stayed here holed up like a rat, he was bound to get caught anyway.

Luto quickly packed only the essentials while cursing under his breath.

“Damn it, damn it... I only stopped here to rest for a bit. What the hell is this mess?”

It’d be one thing if he’d gotten caught flipping a few villages like before.

This time he’d been quiet, just grabbing a few test subjects. How did it all go so wrong?

Krrrk.

“You guys hold her off if that bitch shows up here. Stall for time, got it?”

He gave orders to the other chimeras remaining in the cave and rushed toward the exit—

KWOOM!

A thunderous boom echoed from the cave entrance.

Something was stomping toward the interior, heavy and deliberate.

Luto froze in place, pale as a corpse.

Then he realized something was off.

‘It’s not that priestess... this is...’

It sounded just like the Krurk chimera’s footsteps.

The intruder’s identity soon revealed itself.

Luto’s eyes trembled as he stared.

The chimera he’d thought was dead.

And a strange man riding on top of it.

“What... what the hell...?”

In his stunned confusion, the man looked at him and spoke.

“Found you, rat bastard.”