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“……!”

The place I moved to, along with the fairy-type monster, was a world filled with an astonishingly dense magic power. It felt like I was suffocating, but a high concentration of magic was the perfect environment for a mage. Hong Yu-ri quickly adapted and smiled.

“…This is.”

No, this must be the fantasy world. While savoring the rich magic, Hong Yu-ri opened her eyes to a pulling sensation.

“What…?”

As she directed her gaze where she was led, the scenery reflected in her crimson eyes was one she would never forget, even if a lifetime passed. The bluish magic visible to the naked eye, the emerald sea floating in place of the sky, and countless magical beasts embroidered beneath it—all of it was so beautiful that even Hong Yu-ri, who considered herself unimpressed by most things, couldn’t help but be spellbound.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

Baek So-yul smiled broadly, almost boastfully. Her demeanor, usually calm, felt oddly youthful, making Hong Yu-ri chuckle in disbelief.

“Why are you bragging?”

“Well…”

Unable to admit she saw it in a dream, Baek So-yul smiled and fumbled for words. Fairies were flying and chattering from afar in this fantastical world.

“Is that a big fairy?”

“No! That’s a human!”

“Wow~! Are you a human?!”

The words were incomprehensible, but there was a strange pattern to them that made it clear they were a language. And as those creatures approached, Hong Yu-ri couldn’t contain her shock.

“This is…”

A fairy-type monster—one that is supposedly hard to find even in a lifetime—was flocking around like dozens or hundreds. As they stood there, flabbergasted, a fairy flew up, prompting the dragons to follow in a limpid display.

“This is the fantasy world.”

With the wolf’s reassuring words, Hong Yu-ri gulped. The sight mirrored the city she was familiar with, so she understood what Alpha meant by a mirror-like world.

“There’s a dungeon here? In a place like this?”

“Yes. That’s why we needed Baek So-yul.”

“…Can I really be of help?”

With a hesitant voice, the wolf nodded.

“Yes. As I said, the magic inside the dungeon will be incredibly denser than here. First, adapt to the magic of the fantasy world. I’ll tell you the rest as we walk.”

“Even denser than this?”

Seeing her disbelief, the wolf chuckled, recalling his first time entering that dungeon in the fantasy world when it nearly overwhelmed him. Of course, he didn’t expect Hong Yu-ri and Baek So-yul to feel the same way.

“Yes, much denser.”

Having completed its flight, the fairy nodded as if to confirm. Then, they heard the sound of hooves approaching from a distance. Just when both thought their surprise had ended, a large white deer appeared—their beautiful appearance made Hong Yu-ri and Baek So-yul gasp unintentionally. The approaching white deer glanced around before speaking in a dignified voice.

“Is what you brought it?”

“Exactly.”

—I can’t understand a word. This was only natural, but the wolf was chatting casually with the deer.

“Teacher… What’s that?”

“I don’t know. It seems like we can understand each other.”

An extraordinary sight of a black wolf conversing with a white deer. Soon, the white deer turned its head and looked at them, causing Hong Yu-ri to frown. Its scrutinizing gaze made it seem like recognition dawned, and it murmured softly.

“Wizard… I think it resembles more of an animal than him.”

It was certainly a comment about them. Hong Yu-ri tried to avoid looking at the wolf as she responded.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but could you speak so I can understand? And what on earth is that supposed to mean?”

“…It’s the fairy language. It was talking about you.”

“About us?”

The wolf nodded and explained about the beings living in the fantasy world, known as spirits or magical beasts. This white deer, called Bairok, was among the most distinguished and remarkable of them. Hong Yu-ri nodded. The ability to speak indicated a certain level of intellect. Moreover, the magic felt emanating from it was beyond that of an ordinary monster. It could potentially even be close to A-class.

“So, it has intelligence? Like you?”

“More than me.”

That response came out without a moment’s hesitation, making Hong Yu-ri frown. It was certainly true that the mythical being called Bairok had exceptional intelligence. She wanted to try talking with it, but there seemed to be no way. Of course, while it wouldn’t be impossible to send a message through Alpha…

“Teacher… Are you okay?”

Regardless of her questions, she felt great physically. The fantasy world was saturated with rich magic, which was akin to a drug for a mage. Feeling a mild euphoria, Hong Yu-ri clenched her fists.

“Not bad. How about you?”

She felt an urge to use magic right away. When she asked, Baek So-yul smiled.

“I’m good too.”

In addition to magic, the dragons and fairies were especially curious about her. Baek So-yul, wearing a pleasant smile, hurried to catch up with the wolf.

Observing their backs, Hong Yu-ri sighed. Since she didn’t know how to return, she had no choice but to act with Alpha. Just as the clan leader said, she needed to overcome her fears.

‘How long do you plan to keep being scared?’

Gritting her teeth, Hong Yu-ri quickly followed behind. She was determined to conquer her phobia in this fantasy world.

***

“Strange…?”

That was Bairok’s impression of Baek So-yul. Her acceptance of magic made her seem closer to a magical beast than a mere human. —That thought kept swirling in her mind as they headed towards the dungeon.

“By the way, it’s my first time seeing you like this.”

“……”

“Hehe. Don’t you think looking like a pup isn’t so bad?”

It was the first time Baek So-yul showed such a childish demeanor in front of Bairok. Whether she liked it or not, she was making an effort to avoid reverting to her true self since Hong Yu-ri was around. There would be no choice but to do so when fighting the Volcano Ceratops, but before that, they needed to deal with Hong Yu-ri’s phobia as quickly as possible.

“Did that guy just smile?”

“The guy…” The thought made me chuckle inwardly. It was only natural not to understand the words exchanged with Bairok, as they spoke in fairy language. It was a bit of a hassle to act as a translator in between.

‘Maybe I should just take her to the queen…’

I shook my head at the nonsensical thought. That would be no different than mistaking hospitality for entitlement.

‘…Is it impossible to teach fairy language?’

Since I only knew it through a skill, it seemed rather difficult. As they finally arrived in front of the dungeon, I looked back and burst out laughing. The dragons and fairies were still following behind. —More precisely, they were trailing right behind Baek So-yul. They probably wouldn’t follow all the way inside, but perhaps that was connected to how the fairy seemed to be particularly fond of her when she first saw Baek So-yul.

“……Let me say this first. The magic inside the dungeon will be much denser than you think, so you need to be careful. If it’s too much, we will retreat immediately.”

Even Hong Yu-ri, who looked displeased, nodded, and Bairok was the first to step into the dungeon. Once they crossed the border, the scenery shifted.

The desolate city disappeared, revealing a chilly snow-covered wasteland. After deploying detection, it turned out to be a dungeon that wasn’t as threatening as expected. It was comparable to a dragon’s wasteland or perhaps a bit less. Slowly, a figure began to emerge from the dungeon’s edge, and at that moment, Baek So-yul appeared.

“……!”

If I felt cold, how cold would she be? Her chin was quivering. Though the human realm was also winter, she was wearing thick clothes, but it clearly wasn’t enough for this freezing cold. As I initiated Transformation, Baek So-yul extended her hands as if warming them by a hearth, exhaling white breaths.

“It’s c-cold.”

“Is the magic bearable?”

“Yes… that’s okay.”

I nodded at her displaying no real signs of discomfort. Not only that, she was absorbing magic like a sponge, reminding me of what Bairok had said—how she resembled a magical beast. Then, as she stepped forward, Hong Yu-ri entered the dungeon and made a grimace.

“What the…?”

That sudden curse suited her perfectly. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the concentration of magic or the cold. As she shivered, I asked out of concern.

“Are you alright?”

“—Mind your own business.”

That response came after a pause. Was she trembling from exhaustion or the cold? After waiting a moment, she began absorbing magic, and I was astounded. It appeared to be the latter.

“But this place…”

An endless snowy landscape—frightened by the cold, the fairy clung to Bairok like a scarf instead of revealing her true form.

“Kyuuuu~”

Seeing the duo initially appear to be okay, I was ready to head out, but in that brief moment, I felt Baek So-yul’s magic surge and clicked my tongue.

‘As expected…’

Bringing Baek So-yul to the fantasy world was the right choice. If it were to come to this, shouldn’t I bring Euna along as well? Surely she had talent and could have aided in absorbing magic too…

Rubbing her frozen hands, Baek So-yul approached and hugged me.

“…I think I’m starting to feel a bit better.”

I didn’t mind the sudden embrace, but Bairok’s drowsy eyes felt somewhat burdensome.

“Ha. This is playing around.”

Shooting an amused derogatory remark, Hong Yu-ri began walking ahead.

“So, we just need to wrap this up and deal with this Volcano Ceratops or whatever, right?”

With steps straight and spirited—

“Then this dungeon…!”

—She fell deep into snowy depths. As she collapsed, it didn’t take long for an avalanche to occur, revealing a large ravine.

“This is the Frost Ravine. It hasn’t been like this before; it seems snow has piled up over time.”

“…Please say things like that sooner.”

“My apologies. I forgot.”

When I grabbed Hong Yu-ri with my tentacles just as she was about to fall, she was already limp. …Looks like physical contact was still a stretch for her. Sighing, I looked down into the dungeon that needed to be cleared—the deep, deep Frost Ravine.

 

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