In deep focus, I stared at the glowing sword that I held before me.
I was channelling magicules into the blade causing the first 4 of fifteen runes on the blade to light up. Furrowing my brow, I attempt to funnel more magicules into the blade hoping the 5th rune would be set alight. Unfortunately, about halfway to the 5th rune, the blade's resistance rose above my ability to command magicules and caused me to gain a headache.
Unable to focus any longer, my control slipped and the blade stopped glowing. With a deep sigh, I sheathed the sword and sat heavily on the ground. During the past week, I had continued trying to attain [Magic Sense] and had managed to create another [Explosion] spell tablet.
However, frustrated by my inability to grasp [Magic Sense] I had given up and focused on my magic sword instead. In case channelling magicules into the sword would cause a fire explosion, I had begun testing the sword outside the village in the forest. There I sat, a bit unsatisfied with the magic swords enchantments.
From what I could tell, each of the first four runes simply made the sword sharper. With how durable the blade was and using all four runes, I was able to make a deep gash in the trunk of a tree with very little strength on my part.
The sword was very valuable. However, I was simply disappointed that it could not summon meteors or cut light or cause any other flashy magic phenomenon. Things that other swords made by the master smith could do.
As boring as a very sharp and very durable sword was, I could not help but be happy that it was such a practical sword. Don't get me wrong, summoning meteors was cool, but it was also high;y impractical. Especially for me whose goal is to protect the village and not destroy the landscape.
Seeing as the sun was beginning to set, I began walking back to the wall's entrance into the village. However, as I walked I spotted something unusual from the corner of my eye. My eyes widened and I immediately activated [Blazing Feet]. Taking five large leaps, I find myself in front of the self-appointed guard of the gate.
" Hey! Magnir what are you-" Startled the boy began to question my sudden appearance.
" Run! Run into the village! Tell everyone to run! There are cyclopes coming!" I said as I began shoving him through the gate. Seeing my panicked look, he understood the direness of the situation and began running while shouting for others to run too.
Just as I saw the cyclopes slowly lumber out of the forest, I pull the lever to close the gates even though I knew it was a useless action. The cyclopes were about five times taller than the average human and were muscular as well. The only weaknesses that I could think of were their singular large eye.
Seeing that the monsters were taller than the wall itself, I began running to the right of the wall and stopped where I felt I was safe. Safe from the impending explosions of course.
Pressing myself flat against the wall, I watched in full view the frantic villagers running away from the wall. Some of the more dumb ones seemed to be carrying things with them causing them to lag behind. I watched as the village head himself tried to escape with what looked to be a chest overflowing with cheap jewellery.
Shaking my head, I instead prepare myself for the incoming cyclopes. The moment I saw the head of what looked to be the leader of the cyclopes over the wall I began channelling magicules into the hidden spell tablets. How did I know he was the leader? He was the tallest of the lot.
" WE ARE FROM THE CLAN OF GAWKGWAK. HUMANS!!!! WE HAVE COME FOR OUR REVENGE! DIE!!!!" The leader roared out. As he did, he got into a stance and held the huge tree-like club up to strike down the wall.
Just as he began to swing his club, I activated the spell tablets and enjoyed getting the full view of the leader's look of surprise and despair as he spotted the large rust-coloured magic circles appear. However, I immediately cringed when the headache I already had intensified and began pounding.
" RETREAT!" The cyclopes leader called out right before two large booms rang out in succession. I watched with glee as I saw the monster's legs get shredded by the explosion and began running towards the falling monster.
While the group of monsters were distracted and stunned from the ear drum bursting sounds of explosions, I ran up to the head of the leading monster who had fallen on his face and unsheathed my sword.
Following the feeling I had when fiddling with my sword before, I activated all four of the runes I could activate on the sword and swung down detaching the giant head from the monster's neck. I smiled with bloodshot eyes as the headache intensified further due to me straining my magicule control.
When the smoke cleared, the cyclopes stared in shock at their fallen leader and me, the human who was standing next to his severed head. Through the ringing in my ears, the rush of blood, the pounding of my heart and the mind break headache I was experiencing, I felt a drop of blood drip from my nose onto the ground.
Having already formulated a simple plan, I began laughing out loud like a madman.
" HAHAHAHAHA! I AM MAGNIR FLARE! YOUR LEADER WAS WEAK THIS SHALL BE AN EASY SLAUGHTER!" I shouted with all the bravado I could muster. Three of the closest cyclopes flinched while the others roared at me.
Making a split-second decision, I activated [Blazing Feet] and rushed towards the smallest of the 3 cyclopes who had flinched. While holding my sword tight in my right hand, I held one of my stone tablets in my left. As I ran toward, the monster I felt more of my hot blood drip from my nose.
