Third Outer World Story Series: Pumpkin Sorcerer - Chapter 12

Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

On the subsequent day after receiving a rudimentary knowledge of magic from Mizuki at Lake Accumulate, Pumpkin had finished his morning training and was beginning to do research, as usual.

“Hmm, hmm.”

Picking up grass that was as similar in color to his own magic as possible, he then danced around holding it in one hand and channeling his magic into the grass while shifting the color of the magic.

Needless to say, while being conscious of changing the color, he would also think of something to occur.

This will substantially improve the efficiency of the refining process, and there would be some sort of response if there were any breakthroughs. From what Mizuki said, it seemed that magic can be easily influenced by the will of the user.

“Fu, ho, yes, yes.”

Furthermore, a variety of dance patterns will be tested since it could be essential for the dance to be performed in a specific sequence or at a specific interval.

What? If I have time to do this, why don’t I focus on chanting, tools, apprenticeship to a sorcerer, or something like that?

It was highly likely that chanting and tools were prevalent in fantasy and that only extremely distinct and unique tools would be useful for him, so researching them from scratch would take a long time and would never be finished.

As for apprenticeship, Pumpkin had given up on that from the very beginning, figuring it would be impossible unless he found a sorcerer who was so eccentric that they were willing to take him on as an apprentice.

He was a pumpkin after all.

“Huh?”

And for a split second, there seemed to be some kind of reaction to the leaf in his hand.

The reaction was so subtle that even if someone asked about the specifics, it would be difficult to say.

“I think I’ll take this as a starting point for now.”

But he was sure that something had happened, so he tested as many dancing patterns as he could think of, one after another, starting from the place where there had been a reaction.

————-

“Fuu, hah, there I go…! Oh!”

A few hours later, as he continued to dance with occasional rehydration, the grass began to glow in his hand.

That glow was distinctly different from just pouring his spirit into it or [Overburst].

“Hmm? Ah…”

However, the intensity of the light gradually faded in front of him as he was impressed. Apparently, something was still a little off.

“But I’m almost there. Just a little more and something will happen…?”

But he was sure that he felt that he had grasped something, so he endeavored to perform the steps to make the grass shine again before he forgot that feeling… Yet before he could do so, he thought he heard the bushes surrounding the base shaking, so he turned in the direction from which the sound must have originated.

“Gumaa…”

“…”

A huge, camouflaged bear of mixed green and brown was there. Given the precision of its claws and the width of its arms, the red magic force that escaped from its hands would undoubtedly be strong enough to snap a small piece of wood.

“…”

“…”

And that bear was staring at him.

Its eyes revealed a desire to save up at least some sustenance for the winter. In other words, it had an appetite, and drool was dripping from the corners of its mouth.

That was to say…

“Hyulololoooo!!”

“Gumaaaaaa!!”

Before the bear can initiate its assault, Pumpkin quickly distanced himself from the scene by flying at high speed towards the sky.

The bear growled at him below as if to say, “Get down here,” when it realized that he had gotten away and was in a place from which it could not reach him.

Let me say it clearly…

“Who the hell would come down! The day I get clawed by you is the day I’m going to be obliterated, even if I’ve reinforced my body to the best of my ability!”

…I don’t want to go toe-to-toe with you.

In terms of total magical power, you’re equal to me or even exceed me! How can I possibly let myself go within your reach!

“Gunmaaa!!”

“Silence! [Gust Blow]!”

“Guma!”

“Tch.”

Although he fired [Gust Blow] from above at the bear, the bear shook its head as if nothing had happened, even though it had been hit squarely in the face with it.

The distance between them was one thing, but the difference in the amount of magic power between the attacker and the defender seemed to be a problem as well.

“The bear doesn’t seem to be in the mood… to just leave me alone and go home.”

The bear was watching him suspended in the air from below, waiting to see if it could possibly strike him.

Seriously, the animals in this forest are very persistent and tricky at times like this. 

“But I don’t have the obligation to fight with it seriously. Perhaps I should remain right where I am and continue my research. Maybe something will happen if I keep visualizing what I should do about the bear.”

So, with the bear hanging around below, he decided to continue his research.

Unlike him, the bear was starving. Once the bear’s hunger reached its limit, it would have no choice but to retreat.

“Mmm-hmm?”

“Gumagumaa!”

So Pumpkin set his sights on fighting off the bear that was making a racket below and continued his research from earlier.

He was so close to making something happen, and it would be worth the effort.

“Hoi hoi, hoi sa?”

I don’t care if I dance this much in a real fight, the bear would be full of openings.

“Tentero? ten-ten?”

Even if it succeeded, the dance would need to be streamlined or it would need to be incorporated into the evasion or assault itself.

“Heiheiho?? Fun, hoh, ta?”

Training and research were therefore indispensable.

“Fu, hah, there I go…!”

Assuming there was still a long way to go, he would have to start preparing for the winter. Though he didn’t even know what he would need.

“Heisa! Yoisa! Hun!!”

“Guma!?”

And at this point, the grass in his hand started to glow even more strongly than before, so he directed it toward the bear.

The bear started to flee, perhaps feeling intimidated by the volume of magic power he was emitting.

But it was too late. 

I don’t know what will happen, but something will happen!

“Oh…!”

“Gu…!?”

When the light has reached its maximum intensity, he hurled the grass towards the bear, just in case [Overburst] happened.

A flash of light was released near the bear and at the same time the grass disappeared into dust and a smoke-like substance was generated, engulfing the bear.

“…”

“Oh!?”

Eventually, the smoke cleared, and when it did…

“ZZZ…”

“…”

The bear was there, blissfully dozing off in its entirety.

…Yeah. I shall finish it off by sucking its blood in the meantime.

I will have to admit that my first drink of bear’s blood was heavenly.