Witch Taming System-Chapter 48: Disorientation

"Frostnova."

To avoid ending up like last time, where his body had been pushed to its limit and left unable to move, he chose Frostnova.

It wasn’t as taxing on his mana compared to Starstream, and in a situation like this, conserving what he had left mattered more than anything else.

Though there was another option. Another spell he had obtained after forming a contract with Mei.

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➤ Mei la Blanc

[Unlocked Spells:]

∎ Cursed Mark

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Lancel had already tested it once. It was a damage-over-time type of spell, something that needed time to accumulate and to slowly eat away at its target.

And that was exactly the problem.

In this situation, where every second mattered and every opening was fleeting, there was no room for something that dragged on.

He needed to end it right now.

Using Cursed Mark here would only drain his mana for no real gain. So he didn’t even consider it any further.

"Frostnova."

The moment the word left his lips, mana surged and froze over in an instant. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Crackle——!

Ice burst outward, crawling along the ground and climbing up the Darkmaw’s limbs. It locked into place, seizing its movement.

Its massive frame was caught mid-motion, held in place by layers of frost. The ice creaked under its sheer force as the Darkmaw resisted, trying to push back against the restraint.

It wouldn’t hold for long. At most, a few seconds before it shattered through.

But Lancel had already accounted for this. Frostnova worked to stall the beast while his dagger moved to strike.

"...Stay still."

Slash! Slash! Slash!

His dagger sank in deep when the opening appeared, then withdrew just as quickly. Then, he followed up with a measured series of light strikes before he pulled away and reset the distance.

Then the frost came again.

Just as Lancel was about to deal the finishing blow, something struck him from behind.

"Ukh...!"

When he came to, what he saw was a Fangscale Lizard that had grazed its claws at his back.

"Huh?!"

The impact disrupted his movement and forced him forward, his balance breaking for a second as his back burned from the graze. It wasn’t deep, but it was enough to interrupt the flow he had been maintaining.

When he collected himself and turned, he immediately saw what had interfered.

A Fangscale Lizard.

The situation didn’t make sense.

The Fangscale Lizard had just saved the Darkmaw.

Different species weren’t supposed to cooperate like this. There was no reason for one to intervene on behalf of another.

Especially not for a Darkmaw. A creature that didn’t discriminate and would kill anything in its range, regardless of what it was.

But when the Darkmaw broke free from its frozen restraints, it didn’t turn on the Fangscale Lizard.

It didn’t even acknowledge it as a target.

"...."

Something was wrong here.

Dealing with a Darkmaw alone was manageable. Up until now, he hadn’t even taken any real damage, and the pace of the fight had remained under his control.

But a two-against-one situation, especially with a Darkmaw involved, wasn’t something he could afford to take lightly.

If it had been two Fangscale Lizards, he could have dealt with it. That much was still within reason. But adding a Darkmaw into the mix changed the balance entirely.

It wasn’t something he could handle cleanly without committing everything he had.

Lancel understood that much without needing to test it.

"...Tch."

If this had been him in the past, then maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. Maybe his skill alone would have been enough to cover the difference, to force a way through regardless of the disadvantage.

But that wasn’t the case right now.

At this moment, in a grounded fight like this, Lancel knew he would have to expend far more than he was willing to risk here.

So he looked for a way out.

The moment he turned his attention, the Fangscale Lizard cut him off.

Crash——!

Its tail came down exactly where he had been a second ago, forcing him to avoidd the strike and reposition.

"...!"

The next moment, he felt movement behind him.

Lancel dropped low, recoiling just enough to avoid what came next. The answer revealed itself without needing to look twice.

Another Fangscale Lizard.

Ever quick on his feet, he created distance in a single sequence. His movements flowed into one another before he landed, steadying himself as he reassessed the situation.

"...What the hell is going on?"

A Fangscale Lizard working with its own kind was normal. That much didn’t need questioning. But two of them... along with a Darkmaw?

"B-rank quest my ass..."

This entire area wasn’t something meant for a B-rank party.

It was a hazard zone.

A Darkmaw in cahoots with Fangscale Lizards and whatever else might be lurking within the fog wasn’t something any standard party could handle without suffering losses.

Unfortunately, the request would have to be marked as a failure.

Lancel came to that conclusion as he assessed the situation for what it was rather than what it was supposed to be.

There was no reason to force himself into a fight that had already crossed the line of what this quest should have entailed.

A procurement quest? Bullshit.

This wasn’t something he was willing to risk his life for.

Not for a supposed B-rank quest that even he, an A-rank adventurer, couldn’t say with certainty that he could handle this alone without paying a price for it.

So Lancel turned and bolted without much to think about.

"Sigh... another red mark on my record..."

Since returning to the work of an adventurer, his results had been two failed requests and three successful ones.

"...Is the fog getting thicker?"

His gaze narrowed as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. The visibility had worsened without him noticing, dulling his sense of direction.

He adjusted his path, trying to retrace his steps.

But something felt off.

When he thought he was heading back the way he came, the surroundings didn’t match. The landmarks he had expected weren’t there.

Lancel turned, then turned again.

He recalled the marks he had left behind. An experienced adventurer didn’t walk into a maze like this without preparation. He had already accounted for disorientation and had already set a path for himself to follow back.

And yet, no matter which way he went, it led nowhere.

The more he moved, the more it felt like he was circling the same space and repeating the same direction without ever making progress.

"...Am I lost?"

It didn’t take long for him to accept that he was lost.