**Chapter 32: The Fire-Swallowing Beast**

"Hey! You did that on purpose, right? Absolutely on purpose!" Gasen shouted directly at Linton. If it weren't for Barry pulling him back, he might've been blown to bits by Linton's fireball. This was already the second time, and Gasen was starting to suspect that Linton was targeting him specifically.

"Hey, how could you doubt me like that? I'm your uncle, you know. Why would I mess with you?" Linton spread his hands and said, "I told you, it's the fire staff. It's messing with my spellcasting..."

"So you know your spellcasting is faulty, yet you still cast such a dangerous skill right behind me?" Gasen yelled.

"How is that my fault? Even if I cast a single-target spell, it's still drawn to you. You've got some innate magic-attracting constitution. That's on you," Linton replied.

"What the hell kind of 'magic-attracting constitution' are you talking about? I can't believe this nonsense!"

"This usually doesn't happen. Maybe there's something wrong with your magic training," Barry chimed in from the side.

"See? I told you it's your problem," Gasen said.

"You're talking nonsense! Do you even understand magic? Do you know what magic even is?"

"Enough! You're saying there's no problem after what just happened?" Gasen retorted.

"This is the unique magic system of the Meloway family. It's based on randomness, a whimsical romantic flow of magic..."

"The Meloway family never produced any mages! Can you at least consider me when you're making things up?" Gasen shouted.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Linton shouted back.

"Is that really the issue here?"

Barry, standing nearby, was truly starting to feel a headache. Both of these guys had talent, but they were just too much to handle.

"Both of you, shut up," Barry said. "What are we going to do about the wildfire?"

The area was engulfed in flames, with trees ablaze everywhere. The situation was getting dangerous for them since they were in the center of the forest fire. The temperature around them was rapidly rising, and thick smoke was starting to surround them. Fortunately, none of them were ordinary people; otherwise, they wouldn't have lasted this long.

"Aren't you a mage? Hurry up and put out the fire," Gasen said.

"Do you have any common sense? Mages specialize in different elements. Do you think protagonists in novels know every type of magic? Fire and water magic are in conflict, you know," Linton responded, though it was just more nonsense. The truth was, he hadn't learned any water magic yet. If he had, he could've used it.

"What kind of common sense is that?"

"Which is why I said you don't understand magic."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing," Barry interrupted with a headache. "Since we can't put out the fire, let's get out of here."

In this world, no one had much concern about protecting the forest. If a fire started, it would just burn. Since they were far from the city, it wouldn't cause much danger, so running away wouldn't get them into any trouble. 

Gasen still had a lot of complaints but, seeing the current situation, he decided to stay quiet and leave the area first.

Just as the three were about to leave, Barry suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look behind them. Seeing him halt, Linton and Gasen also turned to see what was going on, and what they saw left them stunned.

A creature resembling a deer appeared in their view. The deer had a transparent body, radiating a faint purple glow around it. Its antlers were green and shimmered with a beautiful light.

It was clearly no ordinary magical beast. With the forest fire raging, most creatures had fled the area. Even the previously seen one-horned bear had run away, yet this deer had mysteriously appeared as if it had intentionally come here.

While the three of them were still processing this strange sight, the deer seemed indifferent to their presence. It stood in the middle of the fire, lowered its head, and appeared to take a soft breath. Suddenly, Linton noticed something like smoke starting to gather toward the deer and being sucked into it.

At that moment, Linton realized that the surrounding fire seemed to diminish. The flames weren't being extinguished but instead looked as though something was draining them. It appeared that the deer was absorbing the heat, or something similar.

"Do you see that?" Gasen asked, stunned.

"Yeah, if I'm not mistaken..." 

"Fire-Swallowing Beast – Delphina?" Barry said in a questioning tone. It was clear that he hadn't actually seen one before.

To be honest, none of them expected to encounter such a creature here. While they were still in shock, the Fire-Swallowing Beast had already extinguished all the flames around them. The beast didn't seem to notice the three of them, and after finishing its meal, it turned to leave.

"Catch it!" Barry suddenly shouted. "This is what the Third Princess has been looking for."

"Is it strong?" Linton asked.

"No idea," Barry replied. "It's a legendary phantom beast. No one knows its exact strength."

"Does your Third Princess want it alive or dead?" Linton asked.

"I don't know," Barry shook his head.

"What's the point of you if you don't know anything?" Linton muttered.

Gasen, on the side, was speechless. He couldn't believe Linton was talking like that to the captain of the renowned Maple Leaf Guard.

Thankfully, Barry ignored Linton's comment. Seeing the Fire-Swallowing Beast about to leave, he had no time to argue and drew his sword, charging straight at the beast. Whether dead or alive, they had to catch it first.

Barry moved with lightning speed, quickly closing the distance between himself and the Fire-Swallowing Beast. But just as he was about to catch up, the beast seemed to sense something. It turned its head instantly.

Without making any particularly dramatic move, purple light suddenly erupted around it. Barry immediately sensed danger, and his instincts as a seasoned warrior told him to dodge. He kicked off the ground, leaping to the side.

With a thunderous roar, a beam of purple light slashed through the ground, splitting it open. Linton and Gasen, who had been about to assist, stood frozen in shock, staring at the devastating scene.

However, Barry wasn't fazed. Mid-air, he twisted his body, pushed off the ground, and closed the distance again, raising his sword to strike the beast's head.

With a sharp clang, the unexpected happened: the Fire-Swallowing Beast blocked the sword with its antlers. Barry's confident strike didn't leave so much as a scratch on the beast's horns.

Now Barry was a bit shaken. He hadn't held back on that strike. But just as he hesitated, the Fire-Swallowing Beast lunged forward, its antlers piercing Barry's abdomen with a sickening squelch. Blood gushed out.

"Lord Barry!" Gasen shouted in panic, drawing his sword and preparing to charge.

"Whoa, whoa, you're going to get yourself killed," Linton warned. He could tell this Fire-Swallowing Beast was no joke. If Barry couldn't handle it, Gasen didn't stand a chance. Just as he was about to grab Gasen, someone suddenly shouted, "Thunder Spear!"

Linton turned and saw a spear-shaped lightning bolt shoot toward the Fire-Swallowing Beast. However, the beast merely glanced at the spell and didn't react.

The bolt struck the beast accurately, but it seemed to have no effect. The lightning flickered briefly on the beast's body before vanishing, leaving the creature unscathed.

This "Thunder Spear" spell, which sounded so impressive, didn't even scratch it. Linton quickly spotted the caster—a young girl of about seventeen or eighteen, wearing a gold-trimmed robe and holding a staff. She was clearly a mage, and the spell had come from her. Beside her stood another girl, dressed in armor and holding a sword—a warrior type.

It wasn't hard to guess who they were. Linton had a good idea based on their appearance, and they were quite pretty, which matched the main feature of the people they were supposed to be looking for.

But there was no time to confirm identities. The phantom beast was still raging, and Barry was still impaled on its horns. They had to deal with this situation first.

The Fire-Swallowing Beast was proving to be a formidable foe. Linton wasn't sure they could defeat it, but he was confident he could save Barry.

Yes, defeating the beast seemed unlikely, but saving someone? That, Linton could handle. He stepped forward swiftly, overtaking Gasen. Gasen was surprised—how was Linton, a mage, running faster than him?

The Fire-Swallowing Beast noticed Linton's approach. Now clearly enraged, it turned its attention to him, preparing what looked like a spell.

"Now!" Linton suddenly shouted, his eyes spinning with a wheel-like pattern. "Illusionary Technique: Eternal Fall!"

(End of Chapter)