After getting to a relatively far spot, we're now ready to roll. Though...

''What's wrong?'' Liana pats my butt a few times, seeing me not triggering the explosion right away.

''Wait a second.'' I reply.

Okay, now that I think about it, each cluster shell has ten pellets, and each can explode up to 6% of the power of a Gungnir. So 60% total. That itself is fine because I don't think the explosion would reach the town, but I'm worrying about the possibility of stray debris flying all over the town. There's no guarantee that I will be able to stop all of the debris.

'''' ... ''''

So the solution here should be to explode the pellets one by one.

''I'll make it safer.'' I let out a sigh. ''Wait here a bit.''

But flying there would take quite a bit... Let's just try teleporting. I've been practicing this for a while, should be fine.

So I create a door-shaped portal in front of me, carefully, of course. And then approximate the destination by sending a string of mana there... Got it. This portal would take a bit longer to make, and I'll have to link them as well.

''T-Teleportation?!'' I hear Sara exclaims behind me.

''Tch, such a monster.''

''Agreed.''

Stop badmouthing your successor, will you?

''Phew... Alright, got it.'' I let out a sigh after finishing linking my portal. Let's check it once more.

I conjure a simple metal rod and shove it through the portal, then pull back. Intact. It's good.

''Whose daughter do you think I am?'' Not forget turning around to smug them a bit. Hehe.

Right after that, I jump into the portal, and the scene before me suddenly changes, I am now standing in front of the crater. I cancel the portals and jump into the crater, picking up the black cluster shell before launching myself into the sky.

''Phew, nice.'' I mutter, breathing in the fresh air up in the sky, which is completely different from the dusty air below.

I then start to take apart the pellets from the shell, and soon enough, there are ten small Lapis marbles in my hand, filled with undiluted mana from me.

Let's start with two pellets first, I think it will take much more than ten to get to 150 meters.

*****

The life of the cat-kin clan was all going well. With the Felidae house leading the clan, they had found moderate economic success and their political power as a state of Ranka was rising noticeably. Fifteen years ago, the couple who were the heads of the Felidae house unexpectedly passed away in an accident, leading to their only daughter - Dara Felidae, and her wife Nikki replacing them.

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Dara was capable and ambitious, too ambitious, one might say. She wanted to bring her clan to the very top, surpassing even the fox-kin clan and the lion-kin clan, which were the two clans who had the most influence over the political state of Ranka. People rejoiced. It's not like they were dissatisfied with the previous heads, they just welcomed the idea of growing their town.

But then, out of nowhere, disaster struck. Their town was suddenly invaded by more than twenty red dragons. Houses were burned down, people were dying. Had it not been for the powerful elven couple and the Church's aid, they would surely have perished.

However, the nightmare wasn't going to end just yet. Right after the dragons were repelled, a drought greeted them instead of peace. And it prolonged for so long that people began to raise suspicions. Although the authorities never announced the cause of the disaster, people gradually pointed to one hypothesis.

'It's a Super Core.'

Suddenly, it clicked. It explained everything they were curious about. That said, opinions were divided. Those who didn't care for the Core and wanted to leave eventually did so when they couldn't convince the Chief, while those who coveted the Core and those who couldn't decide, or were tied down by family members remained.

A resistance was born not long after the first wave of people left. They wanted to get their family members, regardless of their intentions, out of the town as quickly as possible, even if it meant that they would have to fight the ruling family.

Just like that, a decade passed.

By now, the number of people remaining in the town is only half of what it was before the attack. They are honestly... Tired. It would not take more than a decade for the town to be abandoned by its own people.

It's not helping that a few days ago, they witnessed a giant figure, as tall as a mountain, advancing toward their town. Needless to say, they were all on the verge of having a mental breakdown. Fortunately, the monster was defeated by the elven couple, or so they think. Afterward, the authorities tried to calm them down, but the people were still restless.

''Here they are again...'' A person mutters, looking at the sky where four dragons and numerous comet-like lights are flying everywhere, along with the people of the town.

On top of all that, the dragons were spotted again, once two days after the figure incident, and once more today. Some people are freaking out right now, they know it. Not everybody can handle this unholy amount of madness in their lives.

One batch down, another batch down, and silence. Right when they think it's all over-

'''' !!! ''''

-a blue explosion erupts from the excavation site.

''What the hell?!''

''Someone go get the guards!''

''Aren't they the ones doing this??''

They are not.

''Ah, right.''

But somehow, they begin to think that this is just a way of digging more efficiently, which is technically true.

ROARR

More dragons spawn, then immediately shot down by blue rays bursting out from a person floating in the air.

BOOM

And the explosions continue.

Just like that, they all watch in silence as the blue smoke, the blue rays, and the myriads of magic that the dragons are unleashing create a colorful and loud show that no one particularly wants to see, really. At this point, they don't even know what is going on anymore.

''Isn't that way more dragons than normal...?''

''Ei, don't worry about it. They can handle them.''

Some of the more unhinged members even begin to bring out snacks to watch the dragons being shot down, it's their revenge after all.

Eventually, after a good ten minutes has passed, the explosions seem to have died down. Everybody waits in silence, some gulp nervously, thinking that the Core might just finally be excavated.

'''' ... ''''

ROARR

Suddenly, a roar even louder and more ferocious than the previous ones combined can be heard.

''Huh?!''

''Where are they?!''

''Behind!''

One by one, the people turn around and begin to cower in fear as a whole army of red dragons, more than forty in number approaches their city from afar.

''N-No...!"

It seems to them that the nightmare from more than a decade ago is repeating itself.