Chapter 9 - Extra Time
I woke up to the dazzling sunlight streaming through the window.
The days are getting shorter lately. Autumn is almost over.
I must have slept for a short time, but I felt refreshed.
No one was around my bed, so I took the opportunity to relax a bit.
I created a small water ball with water magic and swallowed it. Mmm, it's delicious.
Magic is so convenient. Once you get used to using it in daily life, having the magic-sealing bracelets on feels like a severe punishment.
What happened to the Capros?
I was just about to relax when I heard loud voices and noises.
"Lay the injured down here! They're still in good condition, we can heal them. With so many healers, there's no problem!"
What's going on?
I jumped up and moved to the large room next door. Several injured staff members and inmates were being brought in. Some were clearly in critical condition.
I made eye contact with a middle-aged staff member who had brought the injured. She looked desperate as she asked for help.
"Yukarinowe! We're in a battle with powerful magical beasts. Can you lend a hand?"
"What happened to the Capros?"
"The Capros have passed, but we killed a significant number of them. Now, more magical beasts are descending from the mountains to scavenge the corpses."
From the Romariel Mountains. This could be interesting.
Despite the injuries, I felt a mix of excitement and determination.
"There are powerful beasts among them, right?"
"Yes. Everyone is exhausted, and we have injured. Can you handle it?"
"Of course. What kind of powerful beasts are there?"
"Bright Apes. There are five of them. Be careful."
"Great prey. I'll go right away."
I'm familiar with Bright Apes from my studies.
Bright Apes are gorilla-like magical beasts covered in silvery fur. They resemble creatures like Yetis or Bigfoots.
However, their mouths protrude like piranhas, filled with sharp teeth, making them look both vicious and unsettling. They possess incredible strength, and their fur is as tough as steel.
Their beautiful silvery fur is unexpectedly light and is highly prized not only as equipment for adventurers and mercenaries but also as decorative items for nobles and the wealthy.
This sense of calm is gone.
I felt a mix of excitement and determination as I rushed back to the battlefield.
First, I observed the battlefield. Jumping onto the wall, I looked down. There they were.
I could see the facility's inmates fighting various magical beasts, numbering in the dozens.
It's a chaotic melee, so I can't just throw things around. Some are using high-speed movement tactics. That's Zenobia, overwhelming the Bright Apes.
Other adventurers are also doing well. They're taking on the bigger threats, so it seems to be working.
However, the number of lesser beasts is overwhelming, and we don't have enough fighters. In a chaotic melee, it's not practical to use large-scale magic to eliminate them in one go, and those who used large-scale magic during the Capros battle are running low on power.
Alright, I'll start by reducing the number of lesser beasts.
Here goes!
I jumped from the wall and delivered a powerful spinning kick to a medium-sized lizard beast, sending it flying.
This is close combat, something I've been looking forward to. The Physical Enhancement magic boosts my strength. There's no need to hold back against magical beasts.
The challenge is that I've only fought humans before, so I'm not sure how well I'll do against magical beasts.
From the feel of that kick, it seems I can't one-shot them with a single strike. Using special techniques might be difficult. Maybe I should aim for their necks.
The lesser beasts kept attacking without giving me a moment to think.
Avoiding a deer-like beast's charge, I dodged a snake-like beast's bite. I'll get a feel for their movements as I fight.
Magical beasts don't seem to have much intelligence; they just charge recklessly. This shouldn't be too difficult.
Avoiding the charge of a deer-like beast, I grabbed its horn, pulled it down, and stepped on its neck with all my strength.
Even a magical beast can't survive a snapped neck. It's not dead yet, but it will be soon. This method works.
I grabbed and pulled down other beasts, breaking their necks one by one. I wish I had my gauntlets and greaves.
Handling mammalian beasts was fine, but the snake-like beasts were a problem.
What can I do? They're wriggling around, and my punches and kicks in shoes don't seem to do much damage. Finding a way to use mineral magic in close combat will be an important area of future research.
Just as I was thinking about this, I noticed a woman wielding a large battle-axe.
She was surrounded by wolf-like beasts and was in a tough fight, covered in blood. She's a large, intimidating woman who is always angry and looking for fights. Despite her injuries, she was still fighting, showing impressive resilience.
This is perfect. I'll leave the snakes to her.
Dragging down two wolf-like beasts at once, I called out to her.
"Hey, you! Leave the wolves to me and take care of the snakes!"
"You don't have a weapon!?
Surprisingly, she listened without arguing. Maybe it's the life-or-death situation.
She took advantage of the opening I created, broke free from the wolves, and started attacking the snakes. She should be fine.
After eliminating the wolf-like beasts, I relaxed a bit.
"Yukari!"
Zenobia?
Just as I thought, I lost consciousness.
I woke up to the shock and pain of hitting the ground.
The frustration coursing through my mind. It hurts, it's hot, and it's hard to breathe.
I instantly understood what had happened when I saw a Bright Ape not far away.
It must have attacked me from behind. The left side of my ribcage was in a terrible state. I couldn't breathe properly, and my body wouldn't move. I'm in trouble. I might pass out again.
But the thought of ending here and the instinct to survive urged me to fight on. I can't let myself be killed by a mere elite.
I won't die here!
Despite the haze in my mind, I focused my will and started gathering magic power. I couldn't move my left arm, so I endured the intense pain and reached for my left side with my right hand.
Imagining.
As a potion specialist, I can heal any wound.
Bones, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, fat, and even the genetic blueprint of the body. The amino acids created by magic would regenerate all the cells according to the blueprint, even replacing lost blood.
My potions can do anything. Everything will be back to normal.
I focused all my strength and released the magic power.
As the potion touched my body, the pain faded as if I were under anesthesia.
The potion was absorbed, healing my wounds, not just on my left side but all over my body.
I regained full consciousness.
It hadn't been much time since I was thrown, but Zenobia had been protecting me from the Bright Apes and other beasts.
She saved me. Without her, I wouldn't have had the time to heal.
I got up and checked my condition, especially my left side. Everything seemed fine. I'm ready to fight.
"Zenobia, thank you. You bought me the time to heal. Now, I'll take this one*.
"You will? Are you sure?"
"Of course. I won't make the same mistake again. You can take care of the others*.
"Be careful, don't overdo it*.
If I'm attacked, I'll attack back. Even if it's a magical beast. This one is mine.
Looking around, the number of remaining beasts had significantly decreased. Everyone was heavily injured, but the end was near.
I'll focus on the Bright Ape in front of me and leave the rest to the others.
The Ape, with its piranha-like mouth, was drooling and roaring, a clear attempt to intimidate.
It worked, but I wasn't scared. Instead, I felt a surge of combativeness.
Despite its intimidating appearance, it had nearly killed me. But fear was replaced by a burning desire to fight.
It was a humanoid beast, about two meters tall, making it easier to fight than the reptilian ones. I would use techniques I hadn't tried before and finish them off.
The Ape, after its intimidatory roar, charged straight at me, fists and feet pounding the ground, much like a gorilla.
It swung its right arm wildly as it approached, but I easily dodged. It then swung its left arm in frustration.
"Ha!"
I ducked under the swing, grabbed its arm, and delivered an elbow strike to its armpit.
The fur seemed tough, but it must have hurt, as it let out a pained cry. It tried to pull away, but I held on tight, delivering more punches to its side.
It then tried to grab me with its right arm, but I ducked and countered with another elbow strike to its armpit. It swung its left arm again, but I caught it and struck again, clearly annoyed.
It backed off, growling and roaring again.
The fur was tough, but the damage was minimal. But that was fine. I didn't mind. In fact, I welcomed it.
"This isn't over. Give me more!"
I grinned ferociously.
Time to test just how tough this fur is.
I charged at it, fully confident in my ability to dodge and counter. I delivered precise and powerful strikes, using not just my fists and elbows but also my knees and feet, targeting its upper body.
Gradually, its movements slowed, and it started to avoid my attacks.
The surface of its body showed no visible wounds, but the damage was accumulating. Even without visible cuts, the muscles and bones were taking a beating.
If I could deal enough damage, I could kill it with my bare hands, although it might take some time.
I realized the potential of my Physical Enhancement magic and how much stronger I could become with more practice.
It was time to move to the next phase.
I focused on its lower body, specifically its left knee.
The thick, fur-covered legs and joints looked tough, but they could still be damaged. Avoiding its wild swings, I delivered powerful kicks to its left knee.
Before it could break, it dropped to one knee. My plan was different, but it's fine. Next.
It tried to resist, but it was futile. I delivered a high kick to its temple, followed by a barrage of punches and elbow strikes to its unprotected face, turning it into a bloody mess.
Finally, it crouched down, covering its face like a child.
This wasn't the end for such a vicious beast.
I circled behind it, grabbed the arms holding its head, and forced them apart, stretching its shoulders and elbows to their limits. I then performed a suplex, slamming its head into the ground.
The sickening sound of bones breaking echoed around me as the Bright Ape's arms were completely shattered and its head hit the ground with a brutal impact.
Instead of the Ape's voice, I heard someone else's scream.
Looking around, I saw that some onlookers had been watching my fight.
"That's a bit much, isn't it? It must hurt!"
"I'm starting to feel sorry for that beast!"
"Is she really using her bare hands? This is getting scary!"
They were making all sorts of comments. I felt a bit deflated but still went to finish off the Ape.
As I was about to deliver the final blow, Zenobia approached.
"Just checking, are you okay?"
"Yes, just a bit tired.
"I've never seen you fight so seriously before. Impressive. Without a weapon, you took down a Bright Ape!"
"Well, I could have done better with equipment.
"True. Even just some gauntlets would have made it easier