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"Hrrrrrmm!"
The air trembled, and the airflow began to churn chaotically.
Megumin's body surged with berserk Magic Power, like an invisible hurricane stirring the surrounding air. The frantic twisting of the air caused friction, sparking bursts of electricity that flickered dazzlingly.
"—— A darkness darker than black, O Shinku, merge with me. The moment of awakening has arrived. Fall into the realm of illusions, form the invisible distortion, and appear——"
The magical incantation echoed from Megumin's lips, reverberating in the air.
At that moment, layer upon layer of magical circles appeared on the staff Megumin held high, each spaced at intervals, forming an intricate geometric pattern. The dazzling, magical light illuminated the entire pasture.
Suddenly, the space itself began to wail, distorting the scenery of the pasture.
"——!"
Sensing the overwhelming Magic Power resonating in the space, Fang Li lost all composure. He quickly scooped up Aqua, who was still clinging to him and wailing, and vanished from the spot like a phantom.
Meanwhile, Megumin's voice echoed across the field.
"Explosion!"
The layered magical circles in the air flashed brilliantly.
"BOOM—————!"
A deafening roar, accompanied by a terrifying explosion, engulfed the entire pasture.
The flames surged like a berserk tidal wave, carrying an appalling impact that swept across every corner of the pasture.
Where the flames passed, the ground cracked open with a crisp sound, even melting under the terrifying heat.
The shockwave, laden with massive Magic Power, reached the nearby forest, knocking down trees like dominoes. Some were uprooted entirely, reduced to rubble in the inferno.
The pasture was transformed into a scorched wasteland under the horrifying explosion.
As for the White Wolf pack that had been on the field, they didn't even have time to scream before being incinerated, leaving no trace behind.
The inferno raged on for what felt like an eternity.
Only after a long time did the flames and shockwaves finally begin to subside.
When the dust settled, all that remained was a desolate expanse of charred earth.
The scene resembled the eruption of an underground volcano, leaving behind a massive crater in the pasture. Glowing embers illuminated the molten rock.
Fang Li, holding Aqua, appeared outside the pasture and stared at the devastation. He was finally struck with astonishment.
"This is explosion magic?"
How incredible.
"This power surpasses even the fourth rank, reaching the third rank!"
"Is this really something a novice adventurer like Megumin can achieve?"
The day before, Fang Li had seen Megumin's adventurer card.
Megumin was a Level 6 mage. Her physical stats were inferior to Aqua's but far surpassed Kazuma's, especially her Magic Power, which was only second to Aqua's.
And Megumin's only skill was explosion magic.
A Level 6 mage, despite her prodigious Magic Power, could already cast magic rivaling the third rank?
What will she be capable of once she gains more levels?
"Hahaha!"
Megumin stood on a rock, gazing at the wasteland before her, and burst into triumphant laughter.
"Behold! This is the explosion magic I've dedicated my life to mastering! The pinnacle of magical truth! Tremble before me, mortals!"
But her laughter abruptly stopped, as if she had run out of energy.
"Au…"
She slid off the rock and collapsed to the ground, face-first.
"Ugh… My Magic Power…"
The great mage Megumin lay motionless, just like the day she fainted in front of the Guild due to hunger.
"Waaah… Waaah…"
Aqua, still in Fang Li's arms, continued to cry.
Meanwhile, Kazuma, who had been hiding behind a tree, was now buried under a fallen tree, his body twitching for a moment before going still.
——
Fang Li looked at his companions, then at the scorched pasture, and remained silent for a long time.
"I think I can already see how this will unfold…"
——
"Why?!"
At the Adventurer Guild's counter, Aqua slammed her fist on the desk, protesting loudly.
"Why can't we receive the reward?!"
Kazuma and Megumin joined in, voicing their complaints.
"That was a high-difficulty quest worth a million Eris! I was counting on that money to pay back Fang Li for the equipment he bought for me!"
"I haven't earned anything in ages! Why are we being denied the reward?!"
The three of them gathered in front of the Guild counter, venting their frustrations at Luna.
Luna could only force a smile and glance at Fang Li with a pleading expression.
Fang Li, standing behind the group, sighed and said, "Just tell us what happened."
"It's… well," Luna began with a bitter smile, "you can't receive the reward because the commission person's pasture was destroyed. The damage exceeded the losses caused by the White Wolf attack, so the Guild used your reward as compensation and gave it to the client. Additionally, you all need to pay a damage fee of 10 million Eris."
Upon hearing this, Megumin's expression froze. She slowly turned around, clearly intending to flee.
"10 million…"
"Ah… Aaah…"
Kazuma and Aqua looked as though they had been struck by a devastating blow, staring blankly into space.
Only Fang Li seemed unfazed, as if he had anticipated this outcome. Without even looking, he grabbed Megumin's collar, preventing her escape.
Then, Fang Li turned to his three debt-ridden companions with a calm smile.
"Split the debt equally. Do you have any objections?"
His serene smile sent shivers down the spines of Kazuma, Megumin, and Aqua, who nodded in unison like puppets on a string.
Just then, Luna seemed to recall something and added, "Megumin-san's magic also injured someone. You should go see her."
Upon hearing this, Fang Li and the group froze in shock.
(End Of This Chapter)
PS-"For every 100 power stones, I'll release one bonus chapter (Current-37)!"