章 19: Goblin Drops By
Jellal patiently watched the battle between the adventurers and the small horde of monsters from his perch high above. He paid particularly close attention to Silica and Mac. The old veteran had impeccable timing when it came to helping out the young duo that was fighting in the front which got him a decent rating from Jellal. Silica was chanting an incantation and gathering water mana, also putting her on Jellal's radar.
'Her speed at gathering mana is pretty questionable; maybe she's just started learning how to use magic. I wonder what would happen if I started messing with the mana she's using in conjunction with her incantation? I'll have to borrow Kira later and test it out, leaving something like that unknown is basically begging for trouble. Oh! Ice magic is it? To be able shift the water magic to ice after it's formed, not too shabby. Kekeke, there really are an infinite number of possibilities when it comes to magic.
Looks like they should be finishing up soon. Now then, how should I make my entrance? I could stand next to a tree with my arms crossed. No, I did that last time. Only a chump would reuse such a plain entrance. I know! I'll use a bat style entrance!'
Using wind magic he glides silently from tree to tree. When he reaches a tree that he deems to be close enough he stops to prepare his entrance.
Hugging the tree branch he spins around it. At the bottom of the branch he uses the claws on his toes to dig into the branch. He hangs upside down from the branch by his feet making it look like he's standing on it. Using wind magic he supports himself while simultaneously controlling his cape so it looks the same way it would if he was on the ground.
To add the final touches he sheaths his saw and crosses his arms. Sheathing his saw leaves him more vulnerable than he would like but if he didn't the adventurers might think he's going to attack them.
With everything to his liking he releases a bit of his presence which he had been concealing. Looking down at the young adventurers he shakes his head in disapproval. Even though he stopped concealing himself only Mac was able to notice him despite him being less than ten meters away.
Mac's eyes widen in surprise when he notices a presence only a short distance away. Even if he isn't the best at sensing lifeforms in his surroundings he's still a veteran that's spent most of his life walking a fine line between life and death so how could he not be shocked when something managed to sneak so close right under his nose.
His hand grabs the hilt of his sword on pure instinct as he tries to locate the culprit. His posture naturally lowers into a defensive stance proof of his years of dedication and training. When he locates the target their eyes meet giving him a familiar feeling. The toothy smirk the goblin's giving him while hanging upside down is enough to make him want to climb the tree and punch the damned thing in the face.
Releasing his hold on the tree Jellal drops to the ground. On his way down he rapidly spins doing his best ice skater impression. He uses wind magic to decelerate right as he lands on the ground. He lands inaudibly with his left foot positioned in front of his right foot while he leans back ever so slightly. His arms are extended to his sides with his elbows slightly bent as his palms face the sky at just above head level. A toothy smirk is plastered on his face as he stares at Mac with his head tilted slightly to one side.
[Kekeke, long time no see, old man. Are you sure it's safe for a geezer like you to be hanging around out here?]
The group of young adventurers only notice Jellal when opens his mouth. The frontline duo desperately try to climb up from the ground but their exhausted bodies won't listen to them and they're left kneeling while glaring at the new arrival.
Silica almost jumps in fright when she hears the familiar voice come from seemingly out of nowhere. Jerking her head she looks past Mac and spots the voices origin. A flood of memories surge into her mind as she remembers how the last party she was in had been annihilated with same effort it would take her to step on a bug. A sense of powerlessness grabs hold of her as she sinks down onto her knees.
Mac warily glares at Jellal, refusing to show even the slightest opening to the enigma in front of him. He keeps his hand on his sword, ready to react at a moment's notice if things go south.
[You look tense gramps. Am I really that scary, kekeke? If I wanted to attack your little band of weaklings I had plenty of chances when you were distracted with those monsters earlier.]
[Humph, you scary? I've met literal ants more intimidating than you. If you're not here to die than why are you here?]
[Kekeke, me die? And here I thought you were an adventurer, how could my eyes be so bad that I didn't notice you were actually a comedian? Speaking of not noticing things; you haven't noticed anything weird about this here forest recently, have you? You know, like monsters having a strange mist about their eyes, abnormal behavior, grouping together, showing up in areas they don't usually go to? That kind of thing.]
[Huh, you think I'm blind? Even if I was blind I would've noticed the monsters in the area being affected by miasma. Come to think of it I have seen something really abnormal recently. Keep this between you and me but there's this freaky little goblin with purple eyes roaming around this place. The thing is, it isn't a normal goblin but a talking one! It's unfortunate it's a goblin with no intelligence that only spouts nonsense and doesn't know how to respect its elders, hehe.]
[Really? Sounds kind of farfetched to me. Are you sure it's not your dementia acting up again? Now that I think about it you even forgot to bring your walker with you. Did you leave it at the nursing home? If you forgot your pain medication as well I can help you out. As long as your head isn't attached to your body you won't feel any pain, after all.]
Off in the distance a horde of over fifty monsters caught sight of Jellal and the adventurers. Raising howls and shrieks they chaotically rushed forward.
[Oh, looks like your friends are here. Hmm, is that your cousin over there?]
[Where? I don't see them anywhere. Are they behind that swarm of ants? You must be quite nervous, after all a small swarm of ants caused you so much trouble earlier. It must be tough being so weak.]
Even though he kept up his bravado Mac was actually extremely nervous. If he was alone he would be able to escape no problem, but right now he's taking care of a group of fledgling adventurers. How could he hold his head up high as a veteran and a mentor if he abandons them to save his own skin?
'Shit! Those brats aren't in any condition to fight. I can't take on so many of them by myself, especially if I'm trying to protect the runts. What do I do? At the very least I have to make sure nothing happens to Silica. If something happens to her it won't matter if I survive. I believe I was told something along the lines of "If something happens to my sister I'll hang you naked from a post in front of the guild before skinning you and letting the stray dogs eat you alive." Think dammit. If worst comes to worst I can grab her and make a run for it.'
While Mac was desperately trying to find a way out of the situation, Jellal calmly stood opposite him acting as if it had nothing to do with him. The young adventurers started panicking as the wave of monster closed in on them. Of the three of them only Silica had enough strength left to stand but even then there was nothing she could do to change what was to come.
She looked to Mac hoping he would have a plan to get the out of this mess. On the outside he looked calm and at ease but after spending a considerable amount of time in his care she could tell he was nervous. Knowing she might not make it out of this alive she tightly gripped the pendent her sister gave her for her birthday.
When she looked over at Mac again she noticed something odd. The goblin that had been constantly bickering with Mac wasn't paying attention to the monsters rushing towards them; instead it was watching their reactions as if this was all a game to it.
Numerous thoughts scurried around her head as she looked at the only calm individual amongst them. All those thoughts led to one point she was absolutely sure of: that goblin is confident it can deal with those monsters with ease. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
[Help us?]
The stoic Silica asking him for help was something Jellal had never expected. If anyone was going ask him to help he thought it would be Mac. His gut instinct had told him something interesting would happen when he noticed the monsters in the distance, but he didn't think it would be to such an extent. A creepy smile bloomed on his face as he shifted his gaze to Silica.
[What's in it for me? You can't honestly believe I'll step up and help you like some righteous hero. You're an adventurer right? Do you go around completing quests without asking for compensation? I'll let you know beforehand that money won't do the trick since I can't exactly use it the way a normal person would. Well, ball's in your court.]
[I'll give you whatever you want.]
[Whatever I want? Those aren't words a proper lady should say, have you really thought this through?]
[Yes.]
[Kekeke, so the little lady wants to make a deal with the devil. Alright, if you have the conviction to see your words to fruition then tell me what you seek, kekeke.]
[I seek the total annihilation of my enemies.]
Hearing the resolve in her voice Jellal breaks into laughter. His maniacal cackling reverberates through the area as the toothy grin on his face stretches wider.
He shifts his focus to the monsters that are now only a few dozen meters away from the group. His eyes turn cold and he releases an enormous amount of killing intent as he casually walks towards the horde the way you would take a stroll in a park.
The abundant water mana in the environment resonated with his mana as he strode forward. He had started resonating with the water mana in his surroundings from the moment he noticed the horde in the distance. Even though it took significantly longer than it would have if he were using wind mana, he still managed to successfully resonate in decent time thanks to the rainy weather providing an extremely stable supply of water mana along with the drizzle. With the abundance and stability of a single type of mana someone skilled at sensing like Jellal can have a field day with it.
Since he's going to be using magic in front of others it's only natural that he plans to be as showy as possible. In order to do that he needs to be discreet with his preparations. Controlling the water mana he starts to exert a small amount of control over the rain falling on the monsters from above. Discreetly manipulating the droplets he maneuvers them into the orifices of the stampeding horde.
The mana and water accumulate both on and inside their bodies while they remain none the wiser. The monsters make it to within five meters of Jellal but unfortunately for them he's already formed magic inside their bodies and all around them without them knowing.
[Total annihilation? So be it. I seek that which is absolute … arctic flash]
As he makes up a name for his attack he blows out steaming cold air and activates the magic. In an instant all the water magic he had accumulated freezes and transitions to ice. The monsters are attacked by an intense cold both inside and out zapping their bodies of all heat.
In a fraction of a second the area of the forest around Jellal and the monsters turns into a frozen wasteland. The drizzle that had been falling turns to snow fluttering down gently. The previously wet ground becomes a sheet of ice covered in frozen plants and grass. The trees and their leaves are covered in icicles being dyed a brilliant white. Most impressive of all are the ice statues dotting the winter wonder land. The monsters are frozen mid stride, mouths snarling as if time had stopped.
Jellal lifts his right arm horizontally across his chest. His hand forms a fist and bashes at the air in front of him with the right side of his fist. His fist stops with a loud thud as if it had collided with an immovable object. Cracks break out from around his fist as if space itself is crumbling. As if on que, the frozen monsters crumble to dust, completely annihilated.
Of course for the most part this is an elaborate ruse. In order to make it appear as if he had frozen even space Jellal hammered his fist against an invisible sheet of ice no bigger than his fist. With the proper thud made he used ice to form a thin cobweb of "cracks". To finish things off he violently vibrated the ice magic in and around the monsters' bodies causing them to shatter and crumble.
With his performance complete he released the magic. Instead of changing things back to how they were before he chose to leave the area frozen and let it unthaw naturally. Even if it's not great for the environment it should do wonders for his image.
Mac, Silica, and the frontline duo stare at the scene in front of them in disbelieving shock. The horde of enemies they had been so desperately trying to find a way to deal with was completely annihilated in an instant. To them it was unfathomable that he could decimate a horde so fast that they could blink and miss it. The frontline duo rejoiced thinking about how lucky they were to be so exhausted that they couldn't stand when this freak popped up out of nowhere. If they were in better condition they surely would have attacked him and the inevitable result doesn't even need to be said.
[I hope little lady Silica isn't the type to go back on her word. Whenever I decide what I want don't forget, you said "whatever I want", kekeke.]
Silica didn't know how to respond after what she just witnessed. Even though she didn't plan on reneging her promise she had already decided to find a way out of it if the other party asked something inappropriate. Now that she's seen how powerful he is she could feel deep down that she can't wiggle her way out of it even if he asks her to do something terrible.
Regardless of the differences between them the adventurers gained a newfound respect for Jellal. Since he helped them in their time of need they even formed a little goodwill toward him despite him being a goblin. Of course it would have been more than just a little if he hadn't only acted because of the deal he made with Silica.
Seeing that he wasn't getting a response a lightbulb flickered on in Jellal's head. Walking over to Silica, he pats her shoulder firmly with his hand and gives her a knowing smile.
[I understand. You're so overwhelmed with joy knowing you owe me one that you can't speak. I know the anticipation waiting for me to tell you what I want must be killing you but you have to be strong and endure it for now, okay.]
And just like that the goodwill and respect they had in his regard crumbled to dust faster than the monster popsicles did when he finished his performance. They wanted to believe it was all an act and he didn't actually have such a gargantuan ego but the passion in his voice and the emotions he displayed on his face said it was genuine.
A long ways away, not too far outside the city, a single person blitzed forward in the direction of Jellal and the adventurers. The tall yet lean figure navigated the trees and terrain expertly and they rushed ahead. No matter what obstacles stand in the way their course is always aimed directly at the odd group as if they've homed in on them.
After nearly twenty minutes of running at full speed without rest the distance between them has shrunk considerably. Continuing on as if she hasn't heard of fatigue, an immense worry mixed with an intense resolve fills her face as she desperately charges ahead hoping to arrive even a moment sooner. As she runs her right hand firmly grasps the pendent she wears around her neck.
With his sharp senses Jellal is the first to notice something on a collision course with them. Unfortunately the direction they're approaching from is filled with thick brush so he can't get visual confirmation of what's coming. With the speed its moving it won't take long for it to arrive so he starts preparing wind mana just to be safe.
The rustling of brush and constant intense footsteps grow louder tipping off Mac followed by the rest of the group. Not far away a disheveled figure bursts through the brush breathing heavily. Seeing the woman everyone's eyes widen in surprise.
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