And so, after learning about it from Darga, I came to see this so-called "calamity" for myself. Not that I really needed to ask Darga about it. The mutant known as the "calamity"—a massive turtle-like monster—was so enormous that it was visible as soon as I stepped outside the city.

I had heard it was huge, but this thing was far larger than the dragon I defeated before. It's not an exaggeration—it truly is mountain-like. Its massive shell, overgrown with moss and vines, seemed to prove its 300 years of existence.

Yeah, defeating a monster of this size without using magic? Impossible. To be honest, until I saw it in person, I thought, "If it doesn't fight back, maybe I can take it down with continuous attacks." But this? No way.

How should I put it…? I feel like a dog challenging an elephant, or maybe a mouse challenging a dog. Size-wise, that’s about right, or maybe even worse. The sheer size of its body is a tremendous weapon in itself. And the fact that magic doesn’t work against it? That’s just cheating!

"Damn it! My power doesn’t even scratch it!"

"Damn, my weapon’s chipped! What kind of hardness is that?!"

When I got to the feet of the calamity, I saw about ten people gathered there. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be adventurers or knights. The claim that it doesn't retaliate seemed to be true—they kept slashing at its face and eyes with swords and axes, yet it showed no reaction at all.

As I finally got a good look at the calamity’s face, it was unmistakably a turtle. Just its head alone was over 30 meters long, giving an idea of its overall size.

Its movement, however, was astonishingly slow, even for its massive size. It might even be slower than a normal person walking. At this rate, it would take quite some time before it reached Luxeria’s city.

"You lot can’t handle this—step aside. I’ll take care of it!"

"Wait, aren’t you… the Ogre Slayer Drain?!"

"What?! You mean that A-rank adventurer, Drain?!"

...Huh? There’s someone here I recognize. If I remember correctly, that’s Drain, the guy I fought alongside during the last mutant incident.

Back then, it was a smaller monster, so Drain’s signature greatsword wasn’t very effective. But this time, his greatsword is perfectly suited for the enormous creature. Could it be…?

"Watch this! This is the power of a current A-rank adventurer!"

Known as the Ogre Slayer, Drain earned his nickname by… well, let’s skip the details.

Giinng!

"What the—?!"

The mighty greatsword swung down with all his strength, but it didn’t pierce the mutant’s flesh. Instead, it was deflected by its outer shell.

"My partnerrrr!"

The tip of Drain’s greatsword snapped off and flew into the air. Seriously? The creature's hide is so hard it can even break such a sturdy weapon?

"Ugh…" Drain crouched, clutching his broken greatsword. He must’ve had a deep attachment to it—his devastation was so palpable that no one dared speak to him. Not even I could bring myself to say anything…

Now then, what should I do? With that massive body and immunity to magic, I’m pretty much out of options. That said, since it doesn’t fight back, there’s no reason not to at least test an attack.

However, Drain is here, and I’d like to keep my identity hidden. That means… time for my usual mask. I should probably use a different set of armor than what I normally wear, too.

"Hey… who’s that guy?"

"Pfft, what’s with that weird mask?"

"And he’s carrying a staff, even though magic doesn’t work!"

Wearing a fine suit of armor, a black mask, and carrying a magic staff—yep, this is the same outfit I used when I snuck into the royal castle and intimidated the first and second princes.

"Please step back."

"Whoa, what’s with that strange voice?!"

"This guy’s seriously bad news. Hey, let’s move further back."

"Yeah, good idea."

...Well, as long as they back off, I don’t care about the reason. Even Drain has moved far enough away while still sulking over his sword. Looks like I’m good to go.

"Alright, no need to hold back against this thing."

Standing before the calamity, its enormous size and presence are overwhelming. For now, I’ll just try hitting it with all the spells that seem like they might work.

"Thunderstorm! Windstorm! Icicle Storm!"

"Whoa, what the hell?! That guy’s casting some massive spells!"

"Crap, let’s move even further back!"

Damn, no damage at all. Even three mid-tier spells in succession couldn’t scratch it.

Its magic-nullifying ability seems real—lightning, wind, and ice storms vanished just before hitting the calamity. Judging by how the spells activated normally, it seems to have a power that specifically nullifies magic in its vicinity.

Thanks to those spells, the adventurers and knights have moved even further away. Drain has finally gotten up and backed off as well. Alright, time to escalate and try a higher-level spell.

"Lightning Caliber!"

Bzzzzzzzt!

An advanced lightning spell strong enough to incinerate even the monsters of the Forest of Destruction. Surely, this will—

"No good, huh…"

Before me stood the calamity, unchanged and unscathed, continuing its slow march forward. Even an advanced spell didn’t work. This thing really is the worst possible matchup for a grand mage. A grand mage is someone who has mastered magic, but if magic doesn’t work, that makes things way too difficult.

I can only hope its magic-nullifying ability has a limit or has weakened after 300 years.

In that case, there’s only one thing left to do—use the most powerful spell I’ve never cast before.

"Ultimate Grand Fire Magic: Inferno!"