Chapter 17 — Zegfort Hamel
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Kael Grenfort:
Five days had passed since we set out on our journey.
Eleven more days until we reached the city of Estes. Just five days. Yet within those five days, I had grown bored to death.
In my past life, I never had this problem. I could sit motionless for hours, for days. No boredom, no restlessness. Only stillness, only calculation, only plans.
But now…
Now I felt different. As if I would die if I didn't move. As if every cell in my body demanded action. Was this something natural to children? Or was it related to the mana core?
Thinking deeply… I believed it was physical. Not spiritual. This small body had its own needs. It wanted movement, play, running, exploring the world. And I was forcing it to sit, to wait, to be patient.
The result — this torment.
Ahh… — I sighed.
Sedric was sleeping again. He hadn't slept the night before, it seemed — probably kept watch on the road. Now he was slumped against the wall, a book in his hand, fast asleep.
Hmm… tomorrow we leave the forest region. We'll cross the Kabuz Desert — all the way to the mountain foothills. A desert.
Heat. Sand. More heat. More sand.
Wonderful… — I said to myself sarcastically.
Alright, calm down. Focus on my own work. I'm overthinking — that's not good.
I closed my eyes. Regulated my breath. Felt my mana core.
Meditation.
I needed to become stronger faster. Then I'd find answers to my questions faster. Then I'd be able to protect…
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Father and I ate together.
In silence. He read a book, while I tossed fish into my mouth and thought.
Maybe if I talked more? Or acted a little cheeky?
In an instant, Father flicked his finger — my voice vanished.
Again!
I opened my mouth — nothing. I shouted — silence.
It has something to do with air. Vacuum magic, probably. Hmm…
Father looked at me, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
No matter what, he's just making fun of me.
Joker Sedric.
Damn… — I closed my eyes and shook my head.
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The next day. Afternoon.
The desert.
We left the forest and reached the desert. Sand — yellow, endless, stretching to the horizon. The sun — scorching, the sky blue, not a single cloud.
"Ohho… this desert must be huge," I said to Father.
He looked at me. "No. On a world scale, it's very, very small."
"Hmm…" — I said thoughtfully.
In fact, this planet is much larger than our Earth. Perhaps twice as large. And this desert… is just a tiny part of it.
I was amazed. How vast was this world? How many secrets, dangers, discoveries were hidden within it?
This thought swirled in my mind.
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Suddenly — the ground shook.
At first, a light tremor — as if someone far away had struck the earth with something heavy. Then stronger — the carriage shook, dishes rattled. Then — the whole earth began to tremble.
Everyone panicked.
The surroundings plunged into dust and chaos. People screamed. Horses neighed. Carriages collided.
"Kael, sit still! Don't move!" — Father's voice was loud and firm.
He raised one hand — a wave of mana spread out. The carriage and we lifted into the air. Wind magic — Father held us suspended. Below, the earth shook, people ran, carriages overturned.
And at that moment —
From the middle of the caravan, something enormous burst forth.
The earth split. Sand erupted like a fountain. And from that fissure — a creature about fifty meters long, as thick as a carriage, rose.
It looked like a snake. But it wasn't a snake — its mouth was round, its teeth curved inward, and around its mouth spread membrane-like folds.
A Death Worm.
I had heard this name somewhere before. In my past life — in fantasy novels. One of the great villains. But this wasn't a novel. This was life. And it stood before us.
A horrifying sight. Sand, blood, screams, and that creature — as if the earth itself had grown angry.
Even Father's eyes showed a flicker of fear. Brief, but clear.
"Ohhh, damn it! This wretch — a Death Worm! Did it have to cross our path?!" he said with anger.
Then he moved.
Father carried the carriage further away — through the air, above the sand, to a safe distance from the creature. Set it down.
"Don't move!" he told me.
And flew back.
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Sedric Grenfort:
Ohhh, damn it! Did it have to appear on our road? I even have a contract with them — otherwise I would have just flown away.
I thought to myself.
Alright. I've put Kael in a safe place. Now I need to minimize the damage. If possible — defeat it.
I sent out a mana wave — to alert the other mages to prepare for battle.
Their mana waves returned. Only four of them.
So one has already died. Damn.
"All mages, gather!" I shouted, amplifying my voice with magic.
By calling them, I also intended to draw the worm toward myself. As few casualties as possible.
The worm lunged at me.
Fast. Too fast. A fifty-meter body shouldn't move at such speed — but it did.
I thrust my hands forward. My mana passed through the earth, reached the roots. Tree magic.
Thick vines erupted from the ground — strong, sinewy, like serpents themselves. They wrapped around the worm. For a moment — it stopped.
I raised my other hand. Wind Dagger.
Invisible blades formed in the air. I hurled them at the worm. One, two, ten, twenty — each precise, powerful, sharp.
But it was useless.
No matter how much magic I used — the worm's black hide was nearly as hard as diamond. The blades struck its body, shattered, faded, disappeared.
The other mages arrived. They too unleashed their spells — fire, ice, light, darkness. But it was useless. After a few seconds, the worm tore through the vines.
I stepped back.
Strong. Too strong. Ordinary spells won't work.
I brought my hands together. Gathered mana — all my strength. The air grew cold. Frost began to form on the sand.
A massive ice sphere.
I hurled it at the worm. The sphere spun through the air, growing larger, radiating light.
The worm dodged.
With a single twist, its body slipped past the sphere. The sphere struck far away, exploding — fragments of ice scattering in all directions.
And the worm lunged at me.
My eyes widened. I couldn't react in time. I was tired. My mana reserves were nearly exhausted.
Its mouth — huge, black, endless — opened before me.
And I was swallowed.
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Kael Grenfort:
"No!"
I didn't hear myself shout. Didn't feel it leave my mouth. I only saw — Father disappearing into the worm's mouth.
The remaining mages froze. Their eyes held terror, disbelief, despair.
"No, commander!" someone shouted.
I just stood watching. Unable to do anything else.
Impossible. One of the strongest people I've ever seen — and my father in this world. My only father. To die like this?
No.
No, it can't be.
My heart raced so fast I felt it might burst from my chest. My hands trembled. My breath grew short.
What should I do?
The other mages didn't know what to do without their commander. They looked at each other, panicked. Some thought of fleeing, others just stood staring at the worm, waiting.
I made a decision.
I'm not strong enough. But at least I can give them orders.
I leaped out of the carriage and flew toward them. The air was hot, sandy, hard to breathe. The closer I got to the worm, the stronger its pressure became. As if an invisible weight pressed down on my shoulders, each step grew heavier.
I reached them.
"Mages!" I shouted. My voice was loud, firm — I didn't recognize it. "Spread out! We need to stay scattered!"
One mage looked at me. Disdain and disbelief on his face.
"Who do you think you are, little boy? Giving us orders?!"
I couldn't answer.
At that moment — the worm lunged again. That mage turned to face it, preparing a spell — but it was too late.
The worm swallowed him.
The remaining mages froze. Then — someone stepped back. Then another. But I shouted at them:
"Scatter and take formation! Now, if you have any spells that can control the enemy — use them!"
They looked at each other. Hesitated. Then — one nodded. Then another.
"Okay!"
They began casting.
One — water chains. Chains of water wrapped around the worm's body — for a moment, two, three. Then they broke, but the worm seemed to slow.
Another — slowing spell. The air grew heavy, the worm's movements became sluggish.
A third — some kind of time-affecting spell. Colors shifted on the worm's body, as if it had moved a few seconds forward or backward.
"Hold it as long as you can!" I shouted. "Create ground for more people to escape!"
They kept casting. Chains, nets, gravity fields — all trying to restrain the worm.
And at that moment —
A hole appeared in the worm's abdomen.
Small. Then it grew larger. Then larger still. Black blood oozed out. And from that hole — someone burst forth.
Father.
His clothes torn, his face bloodied, but alive. Breathing. Moving.
"Father!" I shouted. My eyes filled with joy.
He came to me. Placed a hand on my shoulder. Breathing heavily.
"Father, I…" — I said, gesturing toward the worm.
He looked at me. Then raised his hand. With magic, he hurled me backward — toward the carriage.
Flying through the air, I looked back. On Father's face — exhaustion. Deep, heavy, endless exhaustion. And something else — fear.
It was clear he wouldn't survive another such ordeal.
I landed. Near the carriage. I looked — the worm swallowed another mage.
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Sedric Grenfort:
"All attack spells, now!" I said. My voice was hoarse, weak, but steady. "I'll handle the control!"
The remaining mages — only two of them now — looked at me. They were tired, scared, but not defeated.
They unleashed their spells. Fire, ice, light — everything at the worm.
I sent out mana waves, trying to predict the worm's movements. One step forward, one step back — like playing chess.
But the worm was fast. Too fast.
It appeared before me. Its mouth — huge, black, endless.
Time seemed to slow.
Each second stretched like a thousand years. The worm's mouth opened — slowly, gradually. I stepped back — slowly, gradually. Mana gathered in my hand — not enough.
One more time. I'll try one more time.
But I knew. I didn't have the strength. The worm's mouth drew closer. There was no way to resist.
Kael… Forgive me…
And at that moment —
Time truly stopped.
Everything — sand, air, the worm, the mages, me — froze. As if someone had frozen the world.
In milliseconds — between the worm and me, a figure appeared.
Tall. Holding nothing. A smile on his face.
He flicked one finger.
Just that.
One movement.
The Death Worm — that fifty-meter-long, diamond-hided creature that had devoured countless people — turned to ice on the spot.
Real ice. Glittering, cold, dead.
I blinked. Opened and closed my eyes. Was this real? A dream?
"Wow… is it really you? Hard to believe," I said.
He looked at me. A warm, slightly mocking smile on his face.
"Ohho, hello, Sedric."
His voice — as if speaking to his own younger brother or nephew. Casual, warm, a little humorous.
His ears — like a human's. But two small horns protruded from his forehead.
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Kael Grenfort:
All the mages — and I — flew toward them.
There stood Father and a stranger. A stranger, yet somehow familiar. The mana around him — I had never felt such power. As if the entire desert's mana was concentrated in one of his fingers.
He looked at us. Smiled.
"Hello, children," he said softly. His voice gentle, yet every word could be heard from afar.
"Ohhh… before I introduce myself, I forgot something," he said.
And he flicked his finger once more.
The Death Worm — that block of ice — crumbled like grains of sand. Small pieces, then smaller, then dust, then — ash. It rose into the sky and faded in the wind.
"There," he said. "Now, let me introduce myself…"
He puffed out his chest and announced loudly:
"My name — Zegfort Hamel."
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