Page 161 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
Overhead, the meteor could now be seen in broad daylight. It had become bigger by day and brighter by night, until it was a concerning celestial body taking up a permanent spot in the summer sky.
“I’m just saying, for a ball of rock crashing toward us, it’s very pretty.” Sir Tully shaded his eyes from the sun, squinting as the light reflected on the snow all around us. It hurt from the glare of the snow.
The paladin was right. Whatever the meteor was, it was magical in nature and shimmered beautifully. The tail was a glittering arch, and with my high-level perception, I could focus until it was as clear as looking through a telescope. The comet’s magic pulsed in different colors, while the tail that trailed behind it looked like golden glitter from a child’s art table.
Julian trudged through the snow to stand beside me. “What did you see?”
“I think they’re going to deal with the meteor soon. If we wanted to prepare,” I told him.
I had my [Map] open, and Servalt, specifically the Mages Tower, was suddenly highlighted yellow from [Sooth Area]. A game scenario was playing out there, and I knew which one.
“What wouldweneed to prepare?” Jeffry asked; he was right behind me in the line.
“Umbrellas,” I said, pulling out my own. “Healing potions, and a shield in case there’s debris from the explosion?” As I spoke, there was a suddenpopfrom the south that echoed across the hills. High above, glowing magical writing in intricately crafted mana circles appeared one after the other, all in a line toward the meteor. Each ring was a hundred steps across, at least.
The mana to power the spells was enough to mana burn a dozen elite mages, and it was only possible because Master Thomas had been draining his own min-max mana supply into crystals every day for months.
I opened my umbrella as a bullet of water half as wide as the spell rings burst through the magic circles, hitting the meteor. It exploded in an eruption of mana that lit up the sky like a second sun. I let out a painful grunt and covered my face.
[Divine Heal] hit me with Julian’s shield, repairing the damage to my eyes.
“I don’t think that umbrella is going to protect you from the meteorites,” Sir Pram pointed out.
“I thought that six months of rain harvested from Servalt would evaporate into mist like cloud seeding and cause rain clouds to form overhead, then I’d look smart with my umbrella all ready to go,” I told the selkie, still holding my umbrella in case I was right.
“It doesn’tfeellike it’s going to rain,” Sir Tully noted, rubbing one eye from his own healing experience.
“Everyone’s a critic,” I said, one hand on my hip. “Why don’tyoutry being the oracle for a change?”
“Don’t encourage him,” Visha said, poking the paladin.
“I’d rather hit things,” Sir Tully replied, hefting his new war hammer onto his shoulders.
It made sense that the comet fell three weeks before the Fall Ball—Henrietta would need time to go and collect the fragments before the celebration. I could only imagine Master Thomas doing something completely wasteful and making it into a dress made out of starlight or fashioning it to a symbolic ring.
If I found one, I’d take it to Grand Duchess Calisto; that woman would knowexactlywhat to do with a potent mana rock.
I said that, but I still owed her a pile of Master Crystal research that I’d told myself I’d give her months ago.
“We’ll wait until the debris falls,” Julian said, “and then it’s back to hiking.”
“I don’t think it will land anytime soon,” Jeffry told the duke. “It if takes a few days to walk across North Sumbria, it should take a few days,at least, to fall from the Void space.”
Between my dislike for math and this being a magical world with unknown physics or gravity, I was willing to believe almost anything. And Jeffry sounded sure of himself.
I put away my umbrella.
Julian nodded. “Then we can keep walking. Jeffry, fly ahead and make sure there isn’t anything unpleasant waiting for us.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Jeffry smiled, happy for any excuse to use his flight ability. “Right away, Your Grace.”
“Alright, everyone,” Julian addressed us. “March.”
Jeffry flew back in a hurry.
“Julian!” he exclaimed, slipping into an informal address in his excitement. “You can see the dungeon from the hill! We’ve found it!”
CHAPTER 88
