[D.C] Ch 15: Cycle Summon— Alfia

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A moment later...

The goblin was dead. Very dead.

Its body dissolved into a foul black mist that faded into the air, leaving behind only a small crystal—barely the size of a fingernail.

A magic stone.

Magic stones were the dungeon's gift to adventurers.

Orario had built its prosperity on these stones, using them to craft all sorts of items and equipment, then selling them across the world for profit.

That's how the Labyrinth City grew rich—one step at a time.

And that's why the Guild bought up every single magic stone and drop item adventurers brought back from the dungeon.

Tucking away his Thousand Feather Wand, Klaus bent down and picked up the faintly glowing pale-green crystal.

"…You've gotta be kidding me."

"This tiny thing's all I get?"

Klaus was dumbfounded.

"Can I even get 100 valis for this?"

To put that in perspective…

A decent meal at the Hostess of Fertility tavern? Easily over 1,000 valis—per person.

Even a simple fried potato ball from a street cart ran you 30 valis.

So yeah…

Making money clearly wasn't going to be easy.

Adventurers with no combat talent had no choice—they had to risk their lives in the dungeon just to afford daily life in the city.

"..."

After pocketing the magic stone, Klaus paused, eyes thoughtful.

He came down here today to kill monsters and earn enough cash to treat Hestia to dinner tonight.

Thinking it over, he figured he'd need at least 2,000 valis before heading back.

If one goblin's stone sold for 100 valis, that meant… 19 more to go.

"Alright. Just 19 more goblins, huh?"

His fingers twitched, itching to test out his strongest defensive magic again.

Klaus had discovered something interesting.

This golden magic barrier from [Feather of Fantasia] had an incredibly strong repelling force.

Whether it was a physical hit or a magic attack—it bounced the damage back double to the attacker.

Like that goblin earlier—it hit him with all its strength, only to be sent flying by its own force.

Klaus could reflect both magic and physical attacks. With double the damage!

Of course…

It had its downsides too.

Its power depended on Klaus's own magic, stamina, and—most of all—his level and physical stats.

Right now, at Level 1, Klaus could just barely tank hits from a Level 5 monster.

But if he went up against something like that raging minotaur from the Deep Floors—Level 7? His body wouldn't stand a chance.

There was another interesting note—

His spell Feather of Fantasia was an area-wide group defense spell. He could cast it on multiple people at once, or even turn it into a large barrier that covered a wide zone.

However… That came at a cost.

The more he expanded the barrier or added targets, the faster his magic drained.

Especially with the wide-area version.

That kind of shield could only block one big hit—it couldn't stay up forever.

Still, the stronger Klaus got, the longer his barrier would last. His magic's duration and strength scaled with his own abilities.

"…No good."

"Even if I can protect myself now, I'm still way too weak."

"I need to find a way to power up—fast."

A fierce gleam flashed in his eyes. Klaus made a silent promise to himself: he would get stronger.

Because he knew.

If he ended up facing a boss like the black Goliath, one of those monstrous punches would send him—and his shield—flying into oblivion.

Yeah, he'd rather not find out firsthand.

He came to this world to enjoy life, not get his face flattened.

---

"Yee-ah! Yee-ah!"

"Gabu-gabu!!"

Suddenly—

A pack of goblins burst out from behind him, screeching as they charged.

One of them even had a nasty-looking spiked club.

Klaus spun around and counted quickly.

Ten goblins.

"Nice. That's nine more taken care of."

He looked at them like someone watching lab rats.

"Perfect chance to try out an attack spell."

With that, he stepped forward and raised his wand.

Klaus calmed his breathing, focused, and began chanting a Lightning-element spell.

The Thousand Feather Wand absorbed his magic, and the skull's eye began glowing with an eerie blue light.

The staff's shaft shimmered, faint blue particles gathering around it like stardust.

"—Lightning that gallops across the sky, strike down my chosen enemies!"

"Lightning Feather Oblivion!!"

A huge blue magic circle suddenly bloomed on the ceiling above.

Its range was massive.

As the final word left his lips— Blue lightning rained down with a deafening roar.

Each bolt slammed into a goblin like divine judgment, their bodies completely torn apart by the sheer power.

Even the floor cracked beneath them.

BOOM!!!

The entire corridor trembled from the blast.

The walls caved in, stone flew everywhere, the ground scorched black, and thick clouds of dust filled the air.

The spell's destructive power was insane—Klaus himself nearly got caught in it.

Thankfully, he'd activated his magic shield just in time.

If he hadn't…

In a narrow space like this, he might've zapped himself to death.

...

A few seconds passed, and the dust finally began to settle.

The corridor was a disaster—utterly ruined.

It looked like a battlefield. No, like a ruin.

And the ten goblins? Completely gone.

The magic stones they dropped were probably buried under all the debris.

"…That was…"

"…way too strong."

Klaus stood frozen, stunned even by his own magic.

Even he was scared.

That was the combined effect of [Devil Frenzy], [Demonic Tyrant Aura], and the Thousand Feather Wand—several buffs stacked to boost his output.

The spell's power? Probably on par with a Level 4 adventurer's.

"…Great."

Klaus's lips twitched.

"So all my loot… gone just like that?"

He came to a fast, painful conclusion—

Yeah. Casting high-level AoE spells in tight corridors? Terrible idea.

Sighing, he shook his head and moved on to test his third spell.

—[Reincarnation Cycle Summon]

Anyone who'd seen Naruto would know about Edo Tensei.

Klaus's version… wasn't too different.

Gripping his wand, he steadied his breathing and began a long, solemn chant.

"——O supreme god of the underworld, I beseech you!…"

"—I offer the lives around me as tribute."

Midway through the incantation, he could already feel it—his magic and mental energy draining fast.

A black magic circle slowly began forming in front of him.

"—In return, grant me your mercy, and with your mighty power…"

"—Bring my beloved back to life once more!"

"Reincarnation Cycle Summon!!"

As the chant ended—

Two-thirds of his magic, spirit, and stamina were instantly drained.

Klaus bent over, gasping for breath, using his wand to support himself.

Still… he hadn't passed out.

Inside the pitch-black summoning circle—After absorbing a massive amount of magical energy…

A stunningly beautiful woman began to rise slowly, her figure emerging from the darkness.

As her face became clear—

Klaus froze.

It was—The Monster of Calamitous Talent—the Silence.

Alfia.

.

.

.