CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!

My Obsidian Steed gallops through the snowy path, and I have a steady leash on it, my fierce gaze staring at the gaping chasm etched on the mountain wall. Its mass is indescribable, like a fatal wound on the Mountain's peak.

It's strange.

I never noticed it, or the cavern beyond it, during my previous times here.

'Was this Ciel's arrangement?'

Discarding the thought as unnecessary, I simply charge forward, completely consumed by a great determination to save everyone. I am deeply tempted to use Clairvoyance so I can confirm everyone's safety, but that would strip me of the ability to use Frontflow for another hour.

That isn't a risk I can afford to take.

Every hour or so, the Obsidian Steed returns to its normal form, and I need Frontflow to constantly activate it. If I opt for Clairvoyance, I won't be able to make much progress when it comes to travel.

My speed isn't enough, so I have to rely on the Obsidian Steed.

However, after using Frontflow to affect both myself and this Armament, I have discovered a flaw with its mechanics. The 'hour' it lasts in is calculated by the time experienced in Frontflow.

Essentially, if I replace my Minute Layer with my Hour Layer and use the Obsidian Steed, then after this Conception ends, the Obsidian Steed returns to its normal form, since an hour has passed according to my use of it.

To reactivate it, I have to wait until the cooldown period—a few minutes—elapses before I can reactivate the Conception.

It's an inconvenient arrangement, but it's the only method I currently possess.

Still, I can't complain thanks to the speed.

Thanks to it, despite just concluding my match with over fifty Direwolves, I have already returned to the cavern. Unfortunately, even at the entrance, there are what appear to be hundreds of Direwolves.

Their numbers make my earlier experience feel like playtime.

'Thankfully, Frontflow is still on…' At this moment, I enter deep thought and rapidly consider my options.

I can either choose to ignore these Direwolves and advance so I can save those who are trapped inside, or I can slaughter them before proceeding.

Doing the former will allow me to reach everyone faster, but it will also make their rescue more difficult, since the entrance, which I suspect is also the only exit out of this one-way cavern, would be blocked by Magivores.

I can imagine that Ciel has all kinds of arrangements in this Cavern.

If she's certain that I won't survive this experience, I have to brace myself for a great threat. I will likely not be able to protect everyone in the face of such a threat, and the most I can do is create an escape route for them.

But if I do not eliminate these Direwolves now, they will only be trapped while I am occupied with whatever awaits me inside.

So…

'Although I need to hurry to rescue them, I have to make sure the path is as safe as possible, so that my efforts won't be in vain.' I sigh deeply, my hand tightly gripping Frost Bite's hilt. 'Forgive my delay, everyone. Please hang on for a little longer.'

With Frontflow activated, the Direwolves are sixty times slower than I am, and the same applies to their attacks.

Although they already spotted me a distance away, a second to them is about a minute to me.

They can't keep up with my speed.

"This makes things easier…"

While controlling the Obsidian Steed, I ascend to the air, easily dodging all the Air Blasts that have now arranged themselves on my path below.

Then, I make the vessel twist in the air, allowing me to hang upside down while it flies forward.

My blade hangs steady in my hand.

Death comes.

Not for me… but for these pitiful adversaries of mine known as Magivores.

Their blood immediately freezes as I slice through the army with relative ease, encasing their bodies in blocks of ice. Although hundreds are blocking the path, all shooting air blasts to occupy the air, everything is moving so slowly that I have more than enough time to react to everything while dealing counters.

But this doesn't mean I can relax for even a moment.

Frontflow doesn't last forever.

And after this Conception is over, it will take me some minutes—almost seven—to completely recover. It used to be ten, but that number has noticeably reduced over time. I have to get rid of as many Magivores as I can before that period elapses.

Also, from this point on, I should resort to using Frontflow in shorter bursts.

In essence, replacing my Second Layer with my Minute Layer.

The cooldown period is much shorter.

I'll have a Minute while others experience a Second. The cooldown is also only about thirty seconds, so I should be able to manage.

It's also a good thing I brought a considerable number of Potions with me on this trip.

Those three especially.

Clear Mind Potion, Blood Flow Potion, and Energy Revitalization Potion.

Without them, I would probably hit my limit pretty soon.

But, thanks to these Potions, I should be able to last for a considerably longer period. Ciel should know this, since I told her some things regarding my Leviathan journey, including these three Potions and their effects.

Thus, I should be even more careful about what exists inside this Cavern.

'Will there be a horde of Cadre 4 Magivores? Even now, I'm only seeing Cadre 3 Magivores blocking the entrance…'

Cadre 2 Magivores are too weak, so Ciel must not have dispatched them for this carnage.

Cadre 4 ones are too powerful, so they are likely waiting for me inside.

Let's not waste any time and just kill them all.

SWOOOSH!

SWISH!

VWUM!

Right as Frontflow concludes, I pierce the heart of the last Direwolf, turning it into an icy statue before it collapses and shatters on the ground.

"Haa… haa…" Exhausted sighs slowly leak out of my lips.

I need to consume Potions.

While I quickly drink the Potions to restore my strength, I realize just how difficult this venture will likely be. Although it has only been about an hour since everyone was attacked, it has been several hours for me already, since I have used Frontflow a few times already.

Moving forward, I will be experiencing a Minute per Second for multiple events, which will keep stacking up my experience as time passes.

It is likely that I will spend an entire day in total in the span of a few hours.

Going that long without rest, while also exerting myself to eliminate all of these Magivores, will certainly be an extremely difficult venture. However, I can't stop now just because of its evident difficulty. It's not a hopeless situation, since I have my Potions.

Plus, if I can overcome this situation, I can restock in Lumian Town before returning to fight Ciel.

Let's not think too much… Just one step at a time.

I'll win.

I just have to keep going!

After advancing further into the cavern, I meet my next batch of Direwolves.

The cooldown period of Frontflow hasn't been consummated, which means I have to face all of them in regular time. As inconvenient as this is, I hold no complaints and simply brace myself for what is about to unfold.

The Direwolves before me are barely a hundred, far less than the ones at the entrance.

But, there is a problem.

'A Cadre 4 Magivore is present.' I sigh deeply.

'This is bad.'

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