"Alice... can fly?"
Lefiya stared, utterly stunned, at Alice floating in the air.
Flight magic simply didn't exist in Orario. No one possessed the latent potential for flight, so the Falna couldn't develop such a spell.
Magic that allowed for brief hovering did exist, of course.
But that couldn't truly be called flight magic. Those spells just manipulated wind power to stay airborne for a short time.
Like Ais's 'Ariel,' which wrapped her in wind for short-range, low-altitude leaps.
The Hermes Familia's Asfi Al Andromeda could fly.
But that was only because she'd created a pair of flying boots, a one-of-a-kind item in all of Orario.
It was why Asfi had earned her title.
Yet Alice was just... floating.
She wasn't using wind to lift herself. It was as simple and natural as picking up chopsticks to eat.
Though Lefiya could tell Alice was using mana to fly, the sheer instinctiveness of the act was astonishing.
Lefiya was amazed.
So was Ais, but her surprise was mixed with a hint of longing as she looked at Alice.
"How?" Ais wondered quietly.
"We have to get Alice to teach us this after we get back," Lefiya declared.
While Lefiya and Ais were reeling from the fact Alice could fly, Alice herself was focused intently on the Goliath.
Compared to the giant, Alice seemed incredibly petite, and Shanghai and Hourai even more so.
"Shanghai, Hourai, fall back. You can't handle this one as you are now. This is my fight."
Feeling the pressure emanating from the Goliath, Alice made her judgment.
Right now, Shanghai and Hourai were about as strong as a Level 3, just like her. But they were dolls, different from her. Their growth depended on their materials and her craftsmanship.
Against the Goliath, their materials just weren't enough. If they took a direct hit, the mana circuits inside them would overload instantly, and the dolls would burn out.
So, Alice had no intention of letting Shanghai and Hourai face the Goliath with her.
When she told them to return, she actually sensed a feeling of reluctance from the two dolls.
Alice smiled faintly. 'Next time. Before we face the next enemy, I'll upgrade you both. So just for now, be good.'
She waved a hand, and a gap opened up. Shanghai and Hourai returned to the space within.
And at that very moment.
A powerful gust of wind pressure slammed towards Alice.
Alice raised a hand, and a magic circle instantly materialized in front of her.
THUMP!!
The Goliath's massive hand swatted at her, hitting the magic circle square on with a dull, heavy sound. The impact sent Alice flying backward.
"ROOOAR!!!"
Though Alice was sent flying, the Goliath let out a deafening roar, filled with pain and fury.
A hollow hole now pierced the center of the palm it had used to strike Alice, from which fresh red blood freely flowed.
Alice, having been swatted away.
Adjusted her posture mid-air and came to a stop, hovering at a distance from the Goliath.
[Gold Sign: Rugged Cone]
A massive metallic cone, etched with a pattern like a spiderweb, floated into existence beside Alice.
Clearly, the moment the Goliath attacked, Alice had used her Seven Luminaries magic to create it.
The Goliath had slapped right onto the cone, which punched a clean hole straight through its palm.
The effect was quite satisfactory.
However..
"Still not enough firepower.." Alice frowned, watching the Goliath roar in pain.
The deeper aspects of Seven Luminaries Magic involved profound laws for each attribute.
As a beginner, all Alice could manage were basic magical attacks related to each element's properties. The more advanced applications were still beyond her grasp.
Thus, the 'Metal' attribute attacks were the most powerful offensive magic she currently possessed.
Even so, her metal attack had only inflicted significant damage by using the Goliath's own force against it. If she had to strike on her own, she wasn't sure she could even pierce its hide.
"What thick skin.." Alice muttered, her brow furrowed. "Guess I'll have to use a little trick then.."
Alice's offensive power was near the peak of Level 3, just barely scratching Level 4.
The Goliath, equivalent to a Level 4 adventurer, had a body tough enough to withstand Level 3 attacks. Alice's power was just enough to break through its defense.
But the Goliath's recovery speed was formidable. Even the hole freshly pierced in its palm was already starting to heal.
As its wounds mended, the Goliath grew even more enraged, its movements becoming quicker and more agile.
It bellowed loudly, swinging its fist down towards Alice like a massive hammer.
Seeing the attack coming, a sharp glint flashed in Alice's eyes.
"Metal & Earth: Perilous Shot."
Channeling the mana within her, she wielded the Seven Luminaries. The Metal attribute formed spherical pellets, while the Earth attribute created gunpowder to load them.
The Seven Luminaries magic: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Sun, Moon.
Right now, Alice had mastered the basics of the first five attributes. Through them, she could generate attacks related to their nature. Both the gunpowder and the metal pellets were magically conjured from mana.
Using her vast mana reserves, Alice instantly created over a hundred of these metal pellets.
Just then, the Goliath's fist descended to within striking distance of Alice.
Unhurried, Alice raised her hand, aiming at the Goliath.
"Sun Sign: Ammunition Enhancement."
"Mana Charge: Basic Barrage."
Imbued with additional mana, the gunpowder-filled metal pellets shot forth like a curtain of fire, slamming into the Goliath's arm.
The 'Sun' and 'Moon' attributes could enhance attack and defense, respectively.
Amplified by the 'Sun' attribute, the hundreds of pellets digging into the Goliath's arm...
At the same time, the Goliath's fist, carrying immense wind pressure, reached a point less than ten meters from Alice.
In response, Alice allowed the wind pressure from the punch to push her backward, and she slipped into a gap she had just opened.
Just before disappearing completely into the gap, Alice issued a command.
"Perilous Shot, detonate!"
--+--
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