The Book Eating Magician Chapter 272:

Chapter 272 – Karul Plains (3)

Exactly four days afterward…

‘…Demonstrating my skills, is that it?’

Theodore unfolded the order sealed in wax and read the words inside .

The search of the eastern canyon on Karul Plains and all other operational areas would be left to Captain Theodore Miller . It was obvious, but the fact that he was entrusted with this power meant he had to take responsibility .

Theodore needed to personally prove that he and his men were worthy .  Benedict’s clear handwriting stated the order . It had been less than a week after the 31 members of the group was selected .  Considering the special circumstances, this wasn’t a normal command .

The eastern canyon was much more favorable to Andras than Meltor since it was closer to the empire . Therefore, the defense systems like watchtowers had long been established . It wasn’t a place which could be attacked with only 30 people .

“How interesting . ”

However, Theodore grinned after burning the letter .

“It seems like the headquarters are making a bet on what we can do in the canyon . We will either run like a pony with my tail on fire or die like a canary in the mine . ”

Theodore and the 30 members of the unit had already arrived at the entrance of the eastern canyon and were in the middle of a discussion .

If the features of the terrain were ordinary, then simple navigation magic would be sufficient .

However, this wasn’t the case with Karul Plains . It had been hit by massive amounts of magic and aura for centuries, so the mana of the plains itself was chaotic . Navigation magic which spread far beyond the user’s body wasn’t effective in Karul Plains .

Amidst the plains, the eastern canyon was very deep and full of chaotic mana, preventing the scope of the search range from increasing .  Therefore, the eastern canyon had fallen into the hands of the empire .

It was a fatal terrain for magicians, since the field of view and space was narrow .

With a narrow space of 40 or 50 meters, this was a distance which the elites knights of Andras could narrow in two breaths . It was an environment where attack and defense weren’t possible . Thus, Meltor was hesitant to dig deeper into the eastern canyon .

“Well, isn’t this good?” Theodore looked around at the silent members and pointed toward the dim canyon . “Let us defeat this notorious place . ”

Theodore was one step ahead of everyone else as he placed his hand on the floor of the canyon . He didn’t hesitate any longer .  Navigation magic couldn’t look at the rugged terrain which the empire occupied . However, Theodore had another way to explore this terrain .

‘Mitra, please . ’

[Hoing! I will look!] Mitra was summoned and responded vigorously before entering the ground .

The ancient earth elemental, Mitra…

After swallowing the seed of the world tree, she had acquired the power to communicate with vegetation, making her effective on Karul Plains . Even if this wasn’t like the Red Plateau, there weren’t many weeds and trees inside the canyon .

Mitra moved through the terrain at a fearsome rate .  Gluttony called it a ‘rader,’ but Theodore didn’t understand that word . Was it forgotten ancient magic? He didn’t know to know right now .

“…Okay . ”

Less than 10 minutes later, a map of the eastern canyon was drawn in Theodore’s mind .  He knew the location of Andras’ watchtowers, the patrols, the sniper points, and the camp at the end of the canyon . Theodore wouldn’t be a magician if he didn’t know how to attack after all of this .

“William . ”

“Yes . ”

Perhaps it was due to the vacancies that William answered politely, and Theodore proceeded to organize a separate unit for him .

“Take 10 people with excellent mobility and move according to my instructions . Use stealth . Destroy the enemy watchtowers and sniper posts without being discovered .

“I will destroy the watchtowers and sniper posts . ”

“And Para . ”

“Yes . ”

Paragranum came forward in the female avatar, and Theodore gave her another mission .

“Use the excellent alchemists to create obstacles in place . Make it look as natural as possible, like real rock walls . ”

“Aha,  are you trying to beat the patrols?”

“Correct . There is another purpose as well, but… it is for later . ”

It was a strange strategy which divided the small number of 30 troops into three groups .  However, Theodore was convinced that this was the best way .  He could see the future, and this strategy was supported by Alfred’s experience in his head and body . Then the 10 remaining people accompanied Theodore into the heart of the canyon .

“William, Para, and I will go in order . ”

Like a seasoned veteran, Theodore waved his hand with cold eyes .

“Go!”

 

*     *     *

To put it plainly, there was nothing more tedious and annoying than guarding the military boundaries . The soldiers had to stare at the canyon for hours at a time to see if the enemy would approach . This repeated several times before concentration fell to the bottom .

Robin of the 12 Imperial Army strongly agreed with such views .

“Damn, why would the Meltor guys come to this **** canyon? There wasn’t even a proper battle here in the last war,” he cursed .

Robin shivered in the cold wind blowing through the canyon, as he berated Meltor and everyone who had placed him here .  If he didn’t do this, he would fall asleep .  It had been less than an hour since his shift started . There were still two hours until the next person would take over his post .

“It is a little cold, so can’t they give me a blanket or let me leave an hour earlier? At this rate…”

Then it was at that moment…

Puk! There was the piercing sound of wind .

“…?” A hole appeared in this neck, and Robin wasn’t even able to moan before he died .  It was the 5th circle wind magic, Gale Gimlet .  Gale Gimlet had a narrow range, but its penetration ability was better than that of some 6th circle magic . There were few better means of attacking in the darkness .

A transparent figure muttered, “This is the 22nd one . There are 17 remaining watchtowers and 34 snipers . ”

The voice that flowed out was certainly William’s . Following Theodore’s instructions, William climbed the cliffs with his men and secretly subdued the snipers and watchtowers .

The imperial knights were experts who were skilled in bow techniques, and they were one of the reasons why the eastern canyon was known as a dangerous area . Without them, this canyon would’ve already fallen into Meltor’s grasp .

Paragranum and her people were also active .

“On this side, there will be a rockfall, with evenly mixed sand and soil . ”

Under Theodore’s guidance, they created walls which disguised as natural objects .

Soil was piled up in a 10-meter-tall heap to look like a landslide . They also created artificial landforms which couldn’t be overcome with an aura user’s extraordinary abilities .

Unlike the other attributes, this earth magic dealt with mass . Even if the magic power maintaining it was exhausted, the finished result would remain unchanged . Some magicians might not be good at it, but the results of the alchemy, which Paragranum had assisted with, was literally perfect .

“What, this…? Was this way originally blocked?”

“It was clearly an empty space yesterday . ”

The patrols were confused and turned around .

“It looks like a landslide has happened . ”

“We’ll have to modify the map . Record what you see . ”

“The patrol route should change?”

“It can’t be helped . We’ll have to report it to the higher-ups later and find a new path . ”

The efficient paths of the patrols had been rendered inefficient and inaccessible .

It was a feat which wasn’t possible unless the terrain was fully understood . Both Andras and Theodore’s magicians would never think of the possibility that Theodore could see the entire canyon . If they knew it was happening in real-time, they would freak out .

Theodore knew whenever William’s troops destroyed a watchtower, and he knew every time a patrol went around a blocked road .

‘Thus far, it is going as planned . ’

A dark smile appeared on Theodore’s face .  The watchtowers and snipers were dealt with, and Paragranum had diverted the patrols .

This was already sufficient for headquarters to call it a big achievement . The mobile magicians and alchemists were elsewhere, while Theodore was with troops who specialized in destructive power . There was a reason he had come up with this combination .

“Captain, that…!”

“Don’t be surprised, Sylvia . That is our destination . ”

Theodore looked away from Sylvia’s frightened face and stared at the faraway blue-black iron wall .  It was the permanent post of the Andras army in the eastern canyon .  After exploring with Mitra, he discovered that the defense system of this campsite was the poorest .

‘But the magic barrier is perfect . 4th circle magic will scatter before reaching it . ’

The walls of the barrier were made of the great metal, titanium, which only great magic could destroy .  It was a mysterious metal that was mined in an unknown place . Shields and walls made of this ore scattered mana, and the strength of the metal was also comparable to that of adamantium .

The metal was unsuitable as a weapon because it didn’t accommodate aura like adamantium . However,  if it was made into a facility or huge shield, it would have the power to endure ranged firepower, which was the biggest advantage of a magician .

–It isn’t comparable to adamantium .  It can’t be helped .  People in this era aren’t familiar with it .

‘What do you mean?’ Theodore responded to Gluttony’s unexpected words .

It felt like information he shouldn’t miss .

–Did you call it ‘Titanium’? It is a metal made by mixing adamantium with other materials through a special process .  Its resistance to magic is excellent, but the disadvantage is that it can’t be processed with magic and there is a limit to its utilization .

‘Golems or artifacts can’t be made from it?’

-Well, in the same context .  It would be necessary to consume a large amount of rare adamantium, yet magicians in the Age of Mythology could easily penetrate the defense .  So, it is a metal that didn’t see much light in ancient times .

This was an explanation which couldn’t be found in any book . Theodore kept listening as he devised a way to attack this camp .

–By the way, the existence of that metal is questionable .  Paragranum might know how to make it, but it isn’t an alloy that can be figured out just by digging it up .  There is probably another grimoire in the Andras Empire .

‘That isn’t a problem I can worry about now . What is its weakness?’

–There are two big ones .

Theodore listened to Gluttony’s description and rotated his seven circles without hesitation .

Kuooooh!

With such a large-scale gathering of magic power, the phenomenon was naturally huge enough to be seen by the distant imperial army .  Theodore ignored the bewildered gazes of his members as he decided on a strategy to take advantage of one of the two weaknesses .

First, there was attack magic which contained mass projectiles .

‘Maybe magic like Meteor Fall . ’

Meteor Fall…

Meteorites were rocks which were pulled out of the atmosphere and fell at terrific speeds, and the role of Meteor Fall was to summon such meteorites .  The speed and firepower were amplified by the gravity of the planet . Magic resistance had no effect before falling meteors .

However, Theodore wasn’t yet in a position to cast Meteor Fall, and the other mass magic was Volcanic Shell . However, that wasn’t enough to crush the iron wall .

Therefore, he chose the second method .

‘Overwhelming firepower that the titanium can’t endure!’

Theodore’s gathered magic power shook . The power swirled around him, and the clouds overhead scattered, causing the area around him to be strangely calm .  It was a natural disaster in human form .  Theodore was a 7th circle magician, but this magic event was like something created by an 8th circle magician .

“All troops! Cast your biggest attack spell with me!” Theodore yelled out the command while activating a feature he hadn’t used for a while .

‘Memorize . ’

The ability allowed him to store his desired spell and use it without casting, and he could now store seven spells . It was possible, but Theodore’s magic power hadn’t been able to completely control two or more great magics .

‘…But now, it is possible!’

His memories of the East came to mind . In the three months he’d spent there, Theodore had been able to properly train his mind and body .  The full acquisition of the Fairy Dance filled an empty spot in his body and magic .

He couldn’t use all seven slots, but three or four was possible!

Memorize .

Four Slots Open .

Quadruple Inferno .

Four fire pillars rose . The power of one pillar was enough to burn down a town, but now four fire vortexes equal to one great magic roared like mad dragons .  The clouds which got hit by the mana had already disappeared .  The heat was enough to melt the rocks in the distance .

Theodore’s eyes were bloodshot with extreme concentration as he managed to control it—Rage of Ragnaros! The fire which had appeared at Magnus’ summoning had just been recreated .  Then the vortexes of flames started to move .

The high temperatures melted steel like it was butter, while the birds in the distant sky died from the heat .

The tremendous force of light burst against the walls of titanium .