Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage's Book - Chapter 14

“My magic is all used up…”

“You crazy idiot.”

Berating Gospelt wouldn’t improve the situation, and Sylvia knew that. But seeing the dire wolf, it was clear that this idiot had summoned it. And now he was out of magic?

“Light wind at my feet!”

Sylvia quickly chanted a spell. It was an acceleration spell to make her body lighter. The fear that had paralyzed her was shaken off by Gospelt’s pathetic admission. Using the summoned wind, she lightened her steps. She was confident in her stamina, agility, and speed. If need be, she could at least save herself.

“Roar!”

The dire wolf didn’t just stand idly by. The distance between them was about three meters. It let out a short roar. When it stomped its foot, the remaining distance became meaningless. Gospelt squeezed out the last of his magic to chant a defensive spell.

“Protective wall of magic!”

A thin wall appeared between him and the monster. Opting for basic magic, the spell was passable at best. The dire wolf swung its front paw at the wall without hesitation.

“Damn it!”

Gospelt’s magic tore like paper. The hastily chanted spell couldn’t fully block the dire wolf’s attack. Sylvia, seeing this, kicked off the ground without hesitation. With a single leap, she perched herself on a high branch. Now all she had to do was turn around and run…

“Help me!”

“…Damn it.”

Sylvia cursed inwardly.

‘Why is it always me cleaning up after others?’

The dire wolf was classified as a mid-sized monster. While not all monsters followed this rule, their size often correlated with their strength. Though she was confident in close combat, she’d never faced such a large opponent alone. Could she handle a mid-sized monster by herself?

“Move!”

Her actions were quicker than her thoughts. She kicked the charging dire wolf in the neck.

‘Damn, it’s like kicking a boulder.’

There was no time for complaints. She had to continue chanting her spell immediately. Compressed air shot out from her palm, hitting the dire wolf’s jaw with a sharp sound.

“Yelp!”

The monster let out a yelp like a puppy and stepped back, glaring at her. Though she landed a surprise blow, it seemed she hadn’t inflicted any serious damage. Meeting the eyes of the enraged monster, she realized this was no small fry.

With a low growl, the dire wolf crouched, tensing its muscles, ready to pounce at any moment. Sylvia quickly prepared her next spell.

“Whirling winds… Aah!”

The dire wolf attacked in the gap while she was chanting. It was the moment when a mage was most vulnerable.

Sylvia narrowly avoided the claws. If not for her quick reflexes, the swift attack could have been fatal. A red scratch appeared across her collarbone. The monster’s assault didn’t end with just one strike. Sylvia was barely dodging the continuous, threatening swipes.

‘Someone, please help!’

“Binaeril, over there!”

From her vantage point on Binaeril’s back, Rike was the first to spot the scene. Binaeril quickly assessed the situation from a low hill. Gospelt was in a panic, and Sylvia was precariously dodging the attacks of the massive wolf.

“Piercing arrows of ice!”

Binaeril aimed his spell between the dire wolf and the two students, hoping to drive the beast away. The dire wolf, sensing the attack, stepped back. An ice spear embedded itself where the wolf had been standing.

“Growl.”

The wolf was not pleased by the new interference. Its ferocity was evident as saliva dripped from its jaws. Sylvia, exhausted, collapsed onto the forest floor, both her stamina and magic at their limits. There was no time for reflection. Rike rushed to Sylvia’s side.

“Buy me some time.”

“It’s a mid-sized monster, a dire wolf.”

‘I know.’

The imposing presence of the monster was unlike the small ones they had been hunting earlier. Binaeril cast the same spell again to firmly establish himself as the wolf’s primary target. This time, he aimed directly between the creature’s eyes. The dire wolf caught the ice spear in its jaws and shattered it, demonstrating who was predator and who was prey.

Binaeril felt a light thrill. The week’s intensive training had not only increased his stamina but also refined his control over his magic. He could now manipulate his power with greater precision.

‘How much magic can you lend me?’

– If it’s like the spell you just cast, I can manage several more.

Borrowing magic from Veritas had its advantages. Binaeril only needed to envision the spell, and Veritas would supply the power. This allowed him to cast spells with minimal chanting.

Binaeril visualized his next move. He planned and inflated his imagination like a balloon.

He stomped the ground. “Rise up, explode.”

Binaeril knew he didn’t need to be bound by set chants. Without warning, the ground under the dire wolf rose into a cylindrical shape. The beast was thrown to the side, letting out a painful groan. Binaeril dashed forward, using the moment to his advantage.

Boom!

The cylindrical stone structure suddenly exploded with a loud bang. Fragments of the shattered rock embedded themselves into the wolf’s hide.

“Yelp!”

The dire wolf let out a pitiful whine and was thrown a distance away. Its cries from the rustling bushes indicated its position.

Binaeril reinforced his previous visualization and stomped the ground again. The dire wolf was only about 15 meters away. As stone rubble rose again from the direction of its wounds, the wolf tried to flee in the opposite direction. But this was within Binaeril’s plan as well. The wolf’s paws got stuck in the muddy ground, making it hard to escape. Although it managed to pull its front paw free, it couldn’t avoid the next attack. The stone wall struck its wounds again.

“Yelp!”

A more pitiful cry escaped the wolf’s mouth. It had already lost its fighting spirit. As it tried to pull out its hind legs and escape, Binaeril had already closed the distance. The dire wolf was too consumed by pain to notice his approach.

– If you keep using spells like this, you can only cast two more times!

‘I need to finish this with the next attack.’

Hearing Veritas’s complaint, Binaeril snapped a nearby branch and infused it with magic. “Sharp spear of frost.” He created an ice spearhead at the end of the branch. Direct force seemed like the most reliable option.

He aimed at the injured side of the wolf and thrust the spear with all his might. The wolf’s hide was already tattered from its wounds. The ice spear pierced its flesh and stabbed into its innards, though it wasn’t long enough to go all the way through. However, it was enough to end the fight.

The dire wolf collapsed without even a death cry. Its massive body hit the ground with a resounding thud. Rike and Sylvia, who had recovered enough to watch, were awestruck by the efficient hunt. From the start to the finish of the battle, not even two minutes had passed. Binaeril’s judgment was swift.

‘A hunt.’ This wasn’t a struggle or a duel; it was a one-sided hunt. Even after the dire wolf fell, no one spoke. There were no victory cheers, just a profound silence.

“Wow…”

Gospelt’s faint exclamation was lost in the rustling of the bushes.

“Phew…”

Binaeril began to relax his tense body and mind. Cramps hit his calves as pain set in. It made sense, given that he had fought immediately after carrying Rike.

“Ouch! It hurts!”

Binaeril clutched his leg and rolled on the ground as Rike and Sylvia approached.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve got a cramp! A cramp!”

The charisma he had displayed moments ago vanished. Sylvia grabbed his leg and bent his toes, a disdainful look accompanying her action.

Veritas’s laughter echoed in his mind. The muscle pain was intense, but his mental exhaustion was even worse. The short but intense series of complex spells had taken a toll. As his tension eased, his energy drained away.

– Get up, Binaeril. You need to find the magic stone in the wound you made.

Magic stones were rare. Not all monsters carried them.

Even for hunting a high-level monster, it was rare to obtain a pure magic stone of this quality. Binaeril forced himself to stand up. 

‘What’s this?’ 

He focused on the sensation at his fingertips and pulled out a hard object. 

“Gasp!”

It was a pristine, jet-black magic stone, gleaming with an almost ethereal clarity. Instinctively, he knew it was of the highest quality, far superior to the ones found in smaller monsters. 

“What’s that?”

“A magic stone!”

The two girls, who had been watching Binaeril’s actions curiously, gasped in shock.

“A magic stone?”

Gospelt, who had been hiding awkwardly, approached upon hearing this.

“Hand it over!”

“Are you crazy?”

The two girls stared at Gospelt in astonishment. He flinched momentarily but quickly puffed out his chest and made his claim with shameless audacity.

“That monster was summoned by me. You couldn’t have caught it without me, so it’s mine.”

“What nonsense! You were no help and just lay there while Binaeril did all the work.”

“I could have caught it without his help!”

Sylvia squinted at him with contempt.

“You were begging for your life, and now you want to take credit?”

Rike nodded quietly in agreement.

“Because of you, I almost got hurt too. If Binaeril hadn’t helped, we all would’ve been dead. Can’t you see that?”

The argument among the three didn’t reach Binaeril’s ears. Veritas’s intense voice was resonating within him as he discovered the magic stone.

– Give it to me.

– Hand over the magic stone.

‘Why? Why do you want it?’

– The magic stone is a pure concentration of magic. If you give it to me, I can increase your magic power.

In its natural state, a magic stone contained the ferocity of the monster, making it a dangerous substance that could corrupt the mind. Therefore, it needed to be specially processed before…

– That’s all nonsense. Give it to me now!

Veritas’s tone was uncharacteristically urgent. He even began to try to control Binaeril’s body through their fused connection.

‘W-what?’

The magic stone was pulled towards Veritas, who was attached to Binaeril’s waist.