Year 348 of the Great Sundering Era, 1st Month, 24th Day of the Mistveil Cycle.
Magnus ended up taking Mia's advice after their talk on the watchtower. After grabbing some food from the storage room and a bit of water to wash it down, he had gone to sleep. Not that it meant their conversation didn’t linger in his mind. Basker’s influence made it easy for him to fall asleep instantly, but tonight he spent an extra hour—maybe two—mulling over everything she’d told him. Her past. The oath she made when she was younger.
He found himself replaying every conversation he’d ever had with her, every little interaction she shared with others.
How much of it was real? How much of it was truly her? Could he even figure that out?
Eventually, Magnus forced himself to sleep before his thoughts spiraled too far. He had a habit of overthinking whenever something new landed in his lap. As unsettling as Mia’s situation was, it wasn’t something he could fix overnight. She’d been this way for years—long before they’d even met. It would have to wait until they dealt with the serpent lurking in that magma chamber.
The next morning, Magnus woke to find his academy uniform cleaned, folded neatly, and placed at the foot of his bed. He had no idea who was responsible but offered a silent thanks. The tunic and pants he’d been wearing—courtesy of Marcos after hauling him back unconscious—did the job but were nowhere near as comfortable as his Takerth Academy clothes.
After changing, he stepped through the heavy wooden door, descended the long stone staircase, and found his way into the courtyard.
Mia and the others said we’d have a meeting today, but I doubt they-
His thoughts cut off as his eyes landed on the familiar tent in the center courtyard. Everyone was already there, standing around the central table—even Hazel, who normally rested after taking the night shift of looking over the village.
Huh. I figured if no one woke me, the meeting hadn’t started yet. It’s still pretty early, but I guess I was wrong.
Magnus made his way toward the tent, his footsteps quickly catching the attention of the knights. Their sharp senses didn’t miss much. Gerald, as usual, was the first to react, waving him over with a grin.
"Nice of you to join us in the waking world, kid. Thought we’d have to plan this whole thing without ya," Gerald quipped, earning a look from Mia. He chuckled, brushing it off with a wave.
"We were just going over the ideas everyone’s pitched, figuring out what might work," Mia explained, gesturing for Magnus to join them at the table. No one objected. He might’ve been young, but thanks to him, they knew what they were dealing with—and there were plenty more reasons his presence was an asset.
"Well, I'm up now. Mind filling me in on the ideas so far?" Magnus asked, his gaze dropping to the map pinned to the heavy wooden table at the center of the tent. Everyone had gathered around it, and it was dotted with new markers, most of them near the lake where the magma chamber was located. It seemed they had been searching for alternative ways to reach the chamber without going directly through the lake. But so far, nothing promising had turned up. That made sense—despite all their questioning, he and Marcos hadn’t found a single hotspot outside that lake. If a secondary entrance existed, it was either incredibly well-hidden or didn’t connect to the valley at all.
In any case, Mia began explaining as Magnus asked.
"The first idea was pretty much the same from both Galven and Marcos. They agree that fighting the Nullfang head-on in its home territory—the underground magma chamber—is a terrible idea. Who knows how long it’s lived there? If it’s as smart as we think, taking it on in that environment would be suicide. So, their suggestion is to bait it to the surface, where it wouldn’t have the home-field advantage." Magnus listened carefully, doing his best to stay focused and not let last night’s conversation with Mia creep into his thoughts. When she finished, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"It’s a solid idea," he admitted, "but the problem is figuring out how to bait it. When Marcos and I were escaping, that thing was chasing us while I was barely conscious. But as soon as we reached the surface, it stopped, didn’t it?"
He turned to Marcos, who gave a grim nod.
"Yeah, it did."
"Right," Magnus continued.
"So, as much as I like the idea, I doubt it’ll work if we’re just exposing ourselves. By the way, did you guys name the snake ‘Nullfang’?" The question caught Mia off guard, but after a brief pause, she nodded.
"Yeah. It's based on the fact you said it could nullify its states, and Marcos pointing out its unusual fangs. Hazel came up with the name," Mia explained. Magnus glanced at Hazel and gave a small nod.
"It’s fitting," he agreed. This creature was unlike anything else. Even though Mia and the others didn’t know about glitches, they were experienced enough to recognize this wasn’t an ordinary monster or mana beast.
"Names aside, the kid’s got a point," Gerald chimed in.
"Baiting it out would be great, but I doubt the damn thing would fall for it. And if we mess up even once—if something happens to whoever’s playing bait—it won’t fall for it again. Then we’re the ones in trouble." No one seemed to disagree, not even Galven or Marcos. Their idea might have been the safest on paper, but it was also the hardest to execute perfectly on the first try.
"In that case, what’s your plan?" Magnus asked, shifting his attention to Gerald.
Gerald grinned.
"Simple. We’ve searched this valley high and low, talked to the villagers more times than I care to count, looking for an underground cave system. It's only after you showed up, that we learned about the magma chamber under the lake. But I’m willing to bet it’s the only cavern in this area. And if that’s the case, then we can take it out. That way the Nullfang won’t have anywhere to hide." Magnus squinted at Gerald, disbelief creeping onto his face as he turned to Mia.
"Is he suggesting..."
She nodded.
"Yes. Gerald’s plan is to send someone down there to destroy the magma chamber and collapse it in on itself. Based on what Marcos told us, it already seems like a pretty unstable environment because of all the mana, so it might work," she said with a small shrug of acceptance.
"But isn't that dangerous?" Magnus asked, his concern clear.
"Someone would have to be down there in the magma chamber to trigger the collapse. Probably right in the center of it. The chamber would cave in on top of them, and I doubt they’d have time to escape, especially with the Nullfang attacking when it notices them." Gerald was the first to respond.
"Whoever triggers the collapse will likely be trapped for a while, yeah. They’d have to dig their way out or wait to be rescued. But even with all that mana saturating the area, our auras are strong enough to shield us from the collapse itself." He sounded confident, and while the plan was a bit loose on specifics, Magnus could see the logic. Knights’ aura defenses were practically impenetrable on a physical level. A mountain could fall on them, and their biggest concerns would be running out of air and not being able to move under all that weight.
Well, that and keeping their willpower intact after seeing themselves buried alive under a mountain. But that shouldn’t be an issue for a Master-level knight.
"Alright, fair enough," Magnus conceded. He then turned his attention to Hazel.
"What about your plan?" Hazel straightened slightly, his tone measured.
"Personally, I think any strategy where we fight the Nullfang directly is too risky, as Marcos and Galven said. I propose setting a trap. One of us leads it into an ambush where the rest of us can strike it simultaneously, using as many varied attacks as possible. The idea is to overwhelm it in a single blow and hope it can’t nullify everything at once." When Hazel finished, Mia nodded in agreement.
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"I personally think Hazel’s plan makes sense. Mine is similar but with one major difference. Hazel wants the ambush on solid ground to minimize risks. I’d prefer to do it while the Nullfang is in the magma. That way, it would be forced to focus its null-state ability on whatever state allows it to move through things, leaving less opportunities for defense." Magnus tilted his head, considering her variation. He could see the merit, but also the downside. Trying to deal with this thing while it's in the magma would limit their footing, making it harder to maneuver or recover if something went wrong or they needed to avoid it.
"So, what do you think, Magnus?" Mia asked, drawing his attention. He blinked, surprised, then pointed to himself.
"You... You’re asking me?"
"Of course," Mia replied.
"Aside from Marcos, you’re the only one who’s encountered the Nullfang directly. We’re working off second-hand information, but you’ve seen what it’s capable of. Plus, that spell you cast on it gave you insight we don’t have. Who better to ask?"
"Right..." Magnus muttered, leaning on the table with one hand, tapping rhythmically against the wood. After a bit, Magnus looked down at the map, his thoughts churning.
Well, I had a basic plan in mind before, but after hearing all their ideas... maybe there’s a way to combine them.
After a few moments of silence, Magnus straightened and offered a surprising suggestion.
"What if... we do all of them?"
The table erupted in mixed reactions. Marcos frowned immediately.
"What?"
"I said, we do all of them," Magnus repeated, calmly. Mia’s brow furrowed as she held up a hand to stop Marcos from interrupting again and spoke herself.
"Magnus, we can’t do all of these at once. Maybe if we had more people, but adding soldiers to the mix would just mean casualties. Just trying to combine Gerald’s and Hazel’s plans leaves only four of us to launch an attack." Magnus smirked and shook his head.
"That might be true if it were just you guys. But I’m here. Everyone knows magic is a lot more versatile than aura," he said, confidence evident in his voice. Then, leaning over the table, he began to outline what he thought was a feasible plan.
"Firstly, Gerald's idea to collapse the magma chamber is solid—it forces the Nullfang to surface," Magnus began.
"Even if it can phase through solid objects, it’s still a living creature. It should still need to breathe, which means it can’t stay submerged or moving through solid material indefinitely." Before he could continue, Marcos interrupted.
"But Mia just told you that-" Magnus cut him off with a raised hand.
"I’m getting to that. Yes, collapsing the chamber would require one of our Master-level knights—Gerald, Marcos, or Mia—to be the one to launch the attack. That would leave us short a knight to deal with the Nullfang on the surface. Not ideal. So instead... I’ll do it." His declaration was met with stunned silence, the expressions around the table ranging from shock to skepticism.
"Wait, what? You’re going to do it yourself?" Galven asked, his confusion mirroring everyone else’s.
"Yeah, I’m not so sure about this, kid," Gerald added.
"Bringing down that chamber would take a lot of firepower—not to mention a tough shield to survive the collapse."
"And it’s dangerous from start to finish," Mia chimed in.
"Anything could go wrong down there, and we’d have no way of reaching you or even knowing if the plan had failed." Magnus remained calm.
"I’m aware of the risks, but I’m confident I can pull it off. And as for firepower..." He paused, glancing around the table.
"Trust me, I have a technique that can vaporize the entire magma chamber, let alone collapse it." He knew how far-fetched it sounded. Mages generally focused on precision and complexity over sheer destructive power. While their spells could rival or even surpass the raw force of knights, it was uncommon—especially among Master-level mages—for their power to match the sheer physical devastation knights could unleash. Exceptions existed, of course, like the war mages of the Batis Military, who were specifically trained for large-scale destruction.
"Look," Magnus continued, "you’ll just have to trust me on this. I wouldn’t lie about something like this—it’d be a death sentence if I did."
Marcos studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright, let’s hear the rest of your plan." Magnus gave him a grateful nod before continuing.
"The next part builds on the other ideas. Once the magma chamber collapses, the Nullfang will be forced to surface. We’ll have our fastest and strongest stationed directly above the collapse zone, ready to act. That’s where we’ll lure it." Mia raised her hand slightly, prompting Magnus to pause.
"You think collapsing the chamber will affect above ground? It’s fairly deep, lots of solid rock between it and the surface."
"It will," Magnus assured her.
"The attack I’ll use will make sure of it. When it happens, the Nullfang will have no choice but to surface—right where the knight will be waiting to act as the lure, baiting it into the exact position we need."
"And where is that, exactly?" Galven asked. Magnus pointed to a spot on the map.
"Here." He tapped a flat area in the meadow, far from the lake and isolated from major features except for a few small mounds.
"Why here?" Galven pressed.
"Because we can’t let it reach the valley walls. If it does, it’ll have the advantage—it can escape not only into the ground but into the walls. If it gets that far, we’ll never catch it. It could disappear into the Verdant Woods entirely. Keeping it in the valley’s center is critical." Galven nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
"Once the Nullfang surfaces, the knight acting as bait will draw it to the ambush point. To ensure the plan works, they’ll need to feign weakness—slowing down, stumbling, or anything that makes them seem vulnerable. Predators like the Nullfang are drawn to prey they think they can easily take down." He clapped his hands together for emphasis, the sharp sound echoing through the tent.
"When it reaches the designated area, that’s when we spring the ambush. Everyone launches their attacks at once, as varied as possible just like in Hazel and Mia’s plan. If we succeed, we kill it in one coordinated strike—no prolonged fight." It was a bold, almost overly optimistic plan, but it was clear Magnus believed in its potential. Plans rarely went perfectly, and everyone knew that, but as Magnus spoke, Mia found herself nodding slowly, her mind turning over the details.
"Well, it could work... Even if it doesn’t, it still gives us a chance," Mia said, circling the area on the map that Magnus had pointed out earlier with her finger.
"You said the Nullfang still needs to breathe—it’s a living creature. That means it also needs rest. If our initial attack fails, we can turn it into a battle of attrition." She paused, glancing at the others before continuing.
"Keep it locked in this area through combat until it tires out. No monster on this continent can outlast a Master-level knight’s stamina. And while wearing it down, we can keep searching for ways to hurt or kill it. What do you all think?" Her question drew thoughtful expressions from the group. Gerald was the first to speak.
"Well, it’s a plan. But it still hinges on the kid carrying his part to the finish line. If he doesn’t, the whole thing falls apart, and we lose our mage." Magnus didn’t respond. There wasn’t much he could say to convince them further, and he certainly couldn’t demonstrate the technique he planned to use—not unless he wanted to accidentally torch the entire valley. The only reason he planned on using it at all was because they would be underground.
"Even putting doubts aside about whether he can bring the magma chamber down, it’d still be better if one of the Master-level knights went," Marcos said, his tone matter-of-fact as he directed his words toward Magnus.
"Whoever does it has to travel down through the lake’s tunnel alone, and a knight could get there a lot faster than you."
"He’s got a point," Hazel added, glancing at Magnus.
But Magnus shook his head slightly before correcting them.
"Actually, I’m the better fit for that now. After nearly drowning when we swam through the tunnel, I took precautions. It’s not a new spell exactly, more like a modification of an older one I know. I’m using it in a slightly unorthodox way, but it’ll let me stay underwater indefinitely without needing air. As for the pressure, I’ve got spells to handle that too. And since I won’t be stuck in a mana construct this time, I’ll be able to essentially fly through the water." His explanation was smooth, blending truth with lies seamlessly. His so-called spell modification was his newfound ability to revert his blood to an oxygenated state. His resilience to water pressure came from his enhanced skeleton. As for moving through the water, he could push off it just as he did with air.
The force required would be greater, but the Command Console’s absolute force was enough to move oceans, let alone slice through water pressure.
"You modified a spell in a single day?" Marcos asked, skeptically impressed.
Magnus shrugged.
"Well, I am the youngest Pseudo-Master level mage in Takerth Academy’s history." The reputation of being an exceptionally gifted mage was a convenient shield. It let him attribute unexplainable feats to his 'affinity' with magic. Even Marcos, who clearly sensed Magnus wasn’t being entirely truthful, couldn’t argue outright.
"You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?" Gerald muttered with a groan, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I suppose so," Magnus replied with a faint smirk before turning his attention to Mia.
"In the end, it’s your call, Mia. It’s a rough draft, but I’m confident I can make this plan work. I just need everyone on board." Mia studied him intently, her gaze meeting the unwavering certainty in his amber eyes. He looked utterly sure of himself—a glimmer of the same confidence she had told him he didn't have back before they left Arlcliff City.
Trust, huh...
The word echoed in Mia’s mind as she closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh. When she opened them, her voice was steady.
"Alright, Magnus. We’ll go with your plan." Magnus exhaled softly, a small sigh of relief escaping him. But before he could respond, Mia continued.
"But I don’t want to leave anything up to chance or drag this out. The longer we wait, the more likely the Nullfang makes its move before we do. So we’ll act in two days. During that time, it’ll be on you to refine the plan and make sure we all know what we’re doing. Got it?" Her gaze swept across the table, making it clear the directive was for everyone.
"Yes, Captain!" The others replied in unison, their acceptance immediate and unwavering.
Mia turned back to Magnus.
"Can you handle that?" Magnus deliberated for only a moment before nodding firmly.
"Positive." Mia smiled, the expression carrying a hint of warmth.
"Good. Because we’re trusting you on this."