Prismatic Education Begins With A Spark 40 (MTG/Multicross)

Prismatic Education 40

For a moment, the giant humanoid teetered, then fell over to crash onto its back, bringing its upper body into range for our melee fighters.

[Prismatic Magic: Red Marked Alert]!

I cast the spell for the umpteenth time, finally feeling the strain of doing so. The rest of the familia scattered, moving away from the multiple red circles that appeared on the ground. Moments later, the Goliath’s thrashing smashed those areas, but failed to strike anyone.

“SMAAAAASH” Iggy’s roar rose above the din, and his hammer blow rocked the Goliath’s head.

Impressive strike for a Level One… 

“Leon! Finish it!” Many of the others called out.

“Aye!” The blond teenager ran forward.

As though realizing the threat, the Goliath brought a hand around to cover the back of its neck.

“Cut through all the obstacles in your way!” I encouraged, causing Leon’s body to glow with enhanced light.

With a heavy swing of his sword, Leon decapitated the Goliath, a shining arc of light shearing right through both hand and thick neck, far beyond the physical length of his sword.

“Afterglow…” I heard Alfia murmur.

For a moment, everyone just stood there, panting as they watched the body. Perhaps they thought it would regenerate its head and continue fighting, but after a few seconds without any movement, Leon thrust his sword up into the air.

“Victory!” 

“VICTORY!” Many of the others echoed with cheers of their own, raising their own weapons.

“Noisy.” Alfia’s comment instantly dampened the atmosphere.

I gave her a look. “Do you really have to pour cold water on their mood like that?”

She turned her head away, refusing to look at me. “Find me later.” She instructed, and began walking to the exit by herself.

Without the sound-sensitive woman there, the festive mood returned as members of the group began talking about how well they did against the Monster Rex. Then we realized that we still had to extract the Goliath’s magic stone, which was deep in the center of its chest.

I patted Leon on the back. “Time to put that Crush ability of yours to use!”

“How about summoning those excavating automatons of yours?” He countered.

With our friendly bickering as background accompaniment, the Baldr Familia entered the 18th Floor. Sounds of amazement escaped the throats of those were treated to the sight of the place for the first time.

Warm light came from the ceiling, which was unexpected given how dark the Dungeon was usually. The source of it came from the crystals that appeared like a facsimile of the sky. Down below, similar smaller growths of crystals could be seen scattered across the landscape.

I could see forests, a great plain with minimal monster presence, even a giant lake that had small islands poking out of its mirror-like surface. In the very center of this dome-shaped crystal cavern, a giant tree stretched up high.

“Welcome to the Dungeon Resort!” Leon announced, “The Dungeon’s safe point.”

We followed behind him as he led us through the place. Though we didn’t encounter any monsters, Leon cautioned us about being wary, since they were known to wander in here from the neighboring floors. Our party finally came to a stop in one of the nearby forests.

“Good, there’s no one else using this place. Alright everyone, we’ll be setting up a temporary camp here!”

“OHH!” came the chorus in response.

Having visited this place several times before, Leon had a lot of information regarding it to share with those of us who were here for the first time. Where the recommended camping spots were, places where we could replenish our water, and where we could harvest the natural source of food that grew on this Floor. Red gourd-like fruits with amber-colored flesh, tasting so damn sweet that the name of ‘honey cloud’ was spot on. 

Then there was the makeshift town that was constructed on the biggest island on the lake, named Rivira after the female adventurer who had built it in the first place. 

It was more of a rest-stop than an actual town, for adventuring parties to make repeated trips below the 18th Floor. As such, the buildings were either built out of wooden scrap or raised tents, though there were hotels that were carved out of the cliff the town was set against. More importantly…

“What are these prices?!”
“Are you kidding me…”
“I could get a higher quality version at a quarter of this price up in Orario!”

Weapons, items, food, many things that adventurers made common use of, were being sold at heavily marked-up prices in Rivira. In some cases, there was even a one or two digit difference in the price.

“Water is expensive in a desert.” The veterans’ simple explanation said it all.

Supply and demand… and in this place, supply is the main thing, especially when it means the difference between life and death, in the Dungeon.

Even the Exchange, where people could trade in their magic stones and drop items, only paid out half the value they would have gone for on the surface. Since each person could only carry so much, it made more sense to trade off what one couldn’t carry rather than throw them away. The buyers would then travel up to Orario, where they profited massively by selling their gains.

Well, not my problem. I’ve got my own rations and stuff in my Bag of Holding. More importantly… 

“You’re going off to look for the Silence? Alright. Stay safe, Mr Roy.” Leon acknowledged the heads-up I gave him. “I’ll be guiding the others upwards tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Whether I would join that group or not was up in the air.

Given the size of this Floor, finding a single woman among everything would have been a nearly impossible task, especially if Alfia didn’t let anyone else know where she was going. Except I had alternative search methods to fall back upon.

Sitting on my staff, I flew over the uneven ground and any obstacles in my way, tracking Alfia’s lack of a mana signature, which stood out in a place like this. As expected, she picked out the most secluded, quiet spot she could find, in the thick depths of the forest. Finally, the foliage opened up to reveal a small pond, along with the person I was searching for.

“Gospel.”

I instantly reacted. “Counterspell.” 

As her sound-based spell fizzled off into nothingness, the two of us faced each other. One man, one woman. One standing on land, one standing in water. 

One clothed, one naked. 

“...how long are you going to keep staring?” Alfia demanded, her voice icy.

Her hand, stretched out in a spellcasting gesture, returned to cover her chest.

I closed my eyes and turned my back. With my body concealing my hand movements, I made a rectangular shape with my thumbs and index fingers. The memory of what I had just seen was displayed in there; a dazzling silver princess bathing in a still, sparkling pond, firmly burned into my mind.

Thank you for this wonderful memory.

Then a fist struck my body, sending me crashing into one of the trees surrounding the pond. “Forget it, or I’ll hit you.”

You already did! I gasped for air, feeling pain wrack my body. 

Later, we sat in a clearing, as I examined her covered body for any changes. She threw out a few threats for my indiscrete act, but I could tell that there wasn’t any fieriness in her words.

“So…” I finally asked as I observed the image formed by the steel ball’s spin, “What made you decide to accompany us?”

“Your growth… I was curious.” She said simply.

“Uh huh. Did you find the answer you were looking for?” I responded, touching my fingers to the exposed skin of her back and pouring some healing magic through the contact.

“...you were not pushed far enough.”

I got a foreboding premonition from the way she delivered that verdict.

…

Then again, she did have a point. I didn’t really fight much against the Goliath, but just focused on supporting the rest. I definitely wouldn’t have Leveled Up from that, I thought to myself as I followed Alfia to the great tree in the center of the Floor.

The two of us were going to go further down, to the 19th Floor and beyond. I had already sent a message to Leon, so that he knew not to wait for me. 

The entrance to the next Floor was set at the base of the giant tree, which was why the next area was named after it: the Great Tree Labyrinth. The appearance lived up to the name as well; the walls, ground and ceiling were made out of wood, as though it was a whole different maze within the tree itself. Lit by luminous moss covering various surfaces, rocky walkways stretched across the open space, rising above and occasionally descending to the dense forest that covered the base of the Dungeon Floor.

More importantly, the monsters within this space were another level of danger yet again.

Shield-Arcane-Water-Arcane-Water-Fire-Fire!

I enchanted myself, moments before the flames hit. While I wasn’t burned, the heat still stung. 

“Marill!” I ordered. 

“RILL!” 

Piercing shots of water rammed the firebirds, knocking them out of the sky. With a spin and a slam of my staff on the ground, I raised several rock spikes, piercing them and many of the ground monsters. Some of the mushroom-like monsters nearby shook, scattering their poisonous spores. Likewise protected from it by my self-enchantment, I quickly dealt with them with my own fire spells.

“Weak, weak, weak, you have no heat!” I chanted, sending ink darts into the remaining ones.

They stumbled, shivering and twitching as I sapped their strength and body heat simultaneously. After that, it was easy to finish them off.

Easy? As if. I frowned as I focused the Arcane beam into a narrow laser, piercing through the hard carapace of a Mad Beetle. The monsters here are no joke.

“Adequate,” Alfia judged my performance critically, “Now show that you can keep it up.”

My tiredness made me say something I wouldn’t normally have said. “As my princess commands.”

“Gospel.”

I spun off to the side, letting the spell shoot past me, wiping out the monsters in the distance.

“Don’t sass me with your noise.”

“Aye, ma’am.”

Her air of intimidation intensified. “Do NOT call me Madam.”

This time, I nodded instead of answering. Sensitive about her age, I see.

For adventurers, it was said that Status couldn’t be improved overnight, but skill and tactics were a different matter. Being thrown into battle against monsters over and over under Alfia’s watchful eye helped me grow quite a lot. When my stamina started to flag, we returned up to the 18th Floor to rest, trading off some of the loot to replenish our supplies. Then once I was rested and ready, we descended once more, repeating the process.

Just like that, days passed. And I found myself getting closer to Alfia. With how much time we spent in close contact with one another, how could we not? She had determination in spades, but there were a few mild interests as well. Eating was one of them, even if she couldn’t stomach too much. I willingly shared some of my pre-prepared food with her.

At the same time, she relaxed a bit more around me, though not in an obvious manner.

“I’m going to wash. Don’t you dare peek, or I’ll kill you.” With that remark, Alfia headed off to the nearby pond.

I looked at the partially-filled piece of paper on the piece of stone we were using as a table. She really is a Monster of Talent…

With my diligence in performing body-tempering, it was natural for Alfia to realize that it was how I grew stronger so quickly. I offered to teach her, and she accepted. I knew she would figure out how to call upon magical light faster than Leon, but I didn’t expect it to be this fast. Perhaps it was her Level Seven abilities at work, but even then, she could still write a whole paragraph out, which was more than what Leon could do in the entire time he spent so far.

Sighing, I turned to my current work project, which I was focusing on since I couldn’t do my usual research while in the Dungeon. Our efforts had yielded quite a number of Drop Items, not to mention some of the harvestable items that the Dungeon used to try and lure greedy adventurers into danger with. I was experimenting with them, to see if I could turn them into something useful.

A staff that collects and channels light… Once again, the memory of a boy who wielded a key-like blade came to mind, though this time he was older. What sort of mystical weapon is it that can change forms…?

I looked up from my work when Alfia returned, and stared. She had a towel wrapped around her body, but made no move to further cover herself up, even though it left quite a lot of skin exposed.

“What?”

“Nothing. I thought you’d be more prudent about covering yourself up in front of me.”

“You’re not like that sexual-harassing geezer of a god, who keeps trying to grope me,” Alfia said as though it was an answer, before adding, “I didn’t want to wear a sweat-soaked dress.”

I nodded and did my best not to stare, enduring until she finally got dressed in her usual black clothes.

One night, when the light from the crystal ceiling dimmed and we settled down to sleep, I asked her why she stayed so close to me when she disliked the ‘noise’ of magic. Her answer was that she didn’t mind mine as much as she initially thought, but refused to elaborate any further.

Floor by Floor, we went deeper. I handled most of the fighting with my magic and summons, while Alfia only stepped in when things got too difficult. We finally came to a stop in front of the entrance to the 25th Floor, a small tree hollow that’s coated in crystal matter.

“You’ve adapted well,” She told me, “But after this threshold, it will be dangerous to proceed any further without proper equipment. So we will just explore the next Floor for a bit before turning back.”

I nodded to signal my understanding. 

To be honest, I could feel my limits at this depth already. Even with my Planar Link skill helping me adapt to the terrain of the Great Tree Labyrinth, I could tell that my inner light was warning me against taking any more risk than I already was. To advance further, I needed to be Level Three, or at least have a proper team.

At least I got a Green mana bond out of this place… Along with a few mana templates of the monsters here.

We proceeded to the passage, and emerged out onto a crystal cliff. Just like the first time I saw the 18th Floor, the 25th Floor was an amazing view to witness.

Giant waterfalls poured down into the center of the area, extending down several Floors. The misty spray of water created a shimmering rainbow, which flying monsters such as harpies and sirens flew through, singing their high-pitched songs.

Alfia grimaced. “Noisy…” 

“Let’s get this over with so you don’t have to stay too long here then.” I suggested.

The real labyrinth was behind the walls surrounding this waterfall cavern, with multiple walkways and passageways forming relatively safe routes for one to descend downwards. 

Alfia opened her mouth, but her head suddenly snapped to the side, focusing on something from below. “Hide.”

I didn’t hesitate, darting behind one of the large crystal growths that formed the equivalent of boulders on this floor. She joined me an instant later, murmuring an explanation as the reason for her warning came into view.

A blue dragon, a rare monster from the lower floors, was ascending through the open air. More than five times my height in length, it looked like it was almost swimming. However, the more eye-catching trait about it was the multicolored light trail in its wake. It was remarkably beautiful, and explained why it had another nickname: the aurora dragon.

“...I intend to defeat it, but I need your help.” 

I glanced between the monster and Alfia’s serious expression. “Alright.”

She moved right away, stepping out from behind the crystal. “Gospel.”

The cannonblast of sound rammed into the dragon, slamming it against one of the rock outcroppings decorating the waterfall. For a moment, silence reigned.

Then every monster turned aggressive and began heading for us. As the sirens and harpies altered the course of their flights, I noticed the blue dragon’s eyes turn a furious red, and it broke free of the crater it had landed in to join the rest of the horde coming at us.

As much as I’d wanted to say something to Alfia about aggroing the entire mob like that, I chose to focus on thinning them instead. 

Tapping my mana bonds, I began summoning everything I could to even the scales, focusing on ranged attackers like the insectoid Gun Libellulas that could shoot spikes. While they took a moment to acclimate to their new existence, I launched my own set of elemental attacks.

The high moisture content makes for useful terrain! Calculating the coordinates and required values, I generated fogbanks of freezing mist in the air around us.

The monsters flying through those were weighed down by the ice that formed, making them easier targets for my Arcane beams. They released shrieks as they died, exploding from the buildup of Arcane energies and damaging those around them.

“Be careful of the dragon’s breath!” Alfia warned.

Noticing the open maw directed towards us, I quickly dodged, just in time to avoid a blinding aurora beam that engulfed the spot where we stood moments earlier. A few of my summoned creatures were destroyed instantly by it.

My eyes widened as I took in the effects. It’s not heat or laser. It’s a freaking Prismatic beam!

Just like the Prismatic Spray spell I learned in Strixhaven, this dragon’s breath was a combination of multiple colored magics, each one inflicting a negative effect. With my observant eyes trained to recognize magical phenomena, I could recognize fire, acid, lightning, poison, cold, and corrosion, all together at once.

A thrill went through me. This encounter was going to be meaningful. I could feel it.

In response to its attack, I fired back beams of my own, but the dragon swerved and darted through the air, using its powerful speed to dodge. Even my summoned monsters’ ranged attacks and Alfia’s spells were dodged, only clipping it slightly. In the meantime, it continued to harass us with its breath, decreasing the amount of support fire we had.

It’s cutting down our available standing space too! I thought worriedly. At this rate, we’ll be forced to fly, and there are still the other monsters to handle!

“Gospel.” My companion fired off several shots, targeting a wide area, before speaking again, “Lugio.” 

Alfia’s spells suddenly exploded, catching dozens of the monsters in the blast area. Amid the scattering ash, the blue dragon was still very much alive and active. Another breath built up in its mouth, preparing to blast us again.

At that moment, perhaps encouraged by Alfia’s display, I chose not to dodge, but instead drew on White mana, infusing it with dabs from the other colors.

“Come on then!” 

“Idiot! Don’t-!”

“It’s fine!” I called back, brandishing my staff before me as my grimoire floated by my side. “I can take it!”

[Prismatic Magic: Purifying White Citadel]!

The dragon’s aurora breath slammed against the glowing white structure that appeared around us. I poured my magic into the spell, sustaining its effects against the destructive corrosion that sought to destroy it and me.

“Endure, endure, endure, let no harm befall,” I chanted, “White Light, shine bright, all will be fine!”

My body glowed brightly, the few wisps of energy that penetrated through failing to affect me in any way. 

Eventually, the dragon grew fed up with being unable to penetrate the barrier, and descended upon me,  intending to crush me physically with its fangs and claws.

However, it had forgotten about the other person present. Alfia appeared underneath it, one hand placed almost gently against its belly.

“Gospel!” 

BWOOONG

The blast sent the dragon slamming upwards into the root-like ceiling, blood bursting from several wounds.

I let the citadel fade, but my staff was already brimming with multicolored energy, ready to unleash the next spell. Around my feet, a large magic circle glowed, further enhancing the energy I was about to unleash.

“My turn.” I jabbed my staff upwards.

[Prismatic Magic: Prisma Breaker]

My released beam struck true, ravaging its blue-white scales with multicolored light. The dragon hide, normally able to endure all sorts of attacks from Level Three or Four adventurers, blistered and seared away beneath my destructive magic. A single weak roar was all the dragon was able to make, before its life expired.

Cutting off the beam, I stepped out of the way, letting its body crash onto the ground. Moments later, it turned into ash.

“You destroyed the magic stone.” Alfia pointed out.

“So I did. But look.” I sent a small wind with a wave of my hand, scattering the pile of ash. “There’s a Drop Item.”

A multicolored gem lay there, a representation of the aurora’s dragon ability to release prismatic breaths.

Alfia bent over and picked it up, opening her eyes to examine it. Then she walked over to me-

And punched me in the stomach. Hard.

“Stupid fool. Don’t worry me like that.”

Even as I gasped for air through the pain, I couldn’t help thinking that the glimpse I caught of Alfia’s expression that moment… had been very cute.

Afterword: In some ways, Roy’s Stat growth is pretty broken. Still not as awesome as Bell’s, even with his body-tempering spell that’s Skill-enhanced.  However, he did put in the effort, so it makes sense that he should be rewarded for it. The aurora dragon is a monster that appeared in volume 19, and I thought it was a fitting enemy to beat for a Level Up.

Anyway, next chapter will be the departure from Orario, followed by a whole new world! I actually wrote out this whole chapter in the space of time since uploading the last one. Hopefully my muse continues to keep up this rush of creativity!