The Book Eating Magician Chapter 356:
Chapter 356 - Pandemonium (3)
―――――――――――――!!
At the sound of the thunder, the people gathered in the darkness blocked their ears, while the shower of light blew away the darkness .
The lightning that poured from the sky was literally a divine punishment . One blow, ten blows, one hundred blows . . . A number of thunderbolts, that couldn’t be counted with the human eye, struck . The monsters, that had only been injured by the warriors’ swords, now let out pained screams as the lightning pierced through the fog and burned the surface of the earth .
Kwaaaaah!
Kieeeeek!
Even the monsters outside of the normal biological framework couldn’t overcome the pain eroding their nervous system . The monsters let out deathly screams and collapsed to the ground . There was no way for their recovery ability to help, and they quickly turned to charcoal . The monsters killed by thunder fell to the ground and burned fiercely .
Chiiiik!
The solid soil melted like clay thanks to the boiling bodies . Of those left, a few had major seizures before falling silent . It took only 10 seconds for the 20,000 monsters to be destroyed . That was the amount of time it took for the thunderstorm to pour out from the magic circle which Theodore had created in the sky .
“ . . . ”
“ . . . ”
“ . . . ”
In front of the mountain of monsters that had become charcoal, the whole world was soaked in silence . Those who had been desperately fighting the creatures a few minutes ago looked up at Theodore and Aquilo with pale faces . The horrible monsters that filled the horizon had been killed in a few blinks of the eye . It was a situation that didn’t seem realistic .
Theodore didn’t know their dismay and let out a sound on the hill, “Kuk!”
It was because he felt strong sensations from consuming such a huge amount of magic power . If he wasn’t tensed up, he might’ve sat down directly on the spot . The consumed magic power was quickly restored . However, it wasn’t possible for him to link several ultimate spells or talk quickly yet .
‘It is a good thing I experienced it before meeting the right enemy . ’
He might be the best magician at the moment, but Theodore’s experience as a transcendent was still immature . If he didn’t know what he was lacking and met a transcendent enemy, he might not be able to use ultimate magic to defeat the enemy . Theodore would’ve died in a few seconds with a feeling of powerlessness .
「 Blow, wind . 」
After a short reflection, Theodore blew away the remnants of the monsters in front of him . There was no smell of blood due to the thunder, but there was the burning smell coming from the dead bodies .
“Aquilo, fly up . ”
“What? Ah, yes!” Aquilo responded one beat late as the remaining monsters came into sight . There were as many as 20,000 . It was a number capable of forming two armies . There were still more monsters in the nearby mountains, but now there was none attacking the ward . It was why Theodore had defeated the leaders first .
‘By the way, it is quite good . I didn’t know it when I saw it from a distance, but the ward is more efficient than magic . Shamanism can’t be ignored . ’
Theodore examined the ward and raised his evaluation of modern shamans by a few stages . They might not be the same as Seimei but the current generation of shamans wasn’t inferior to magicians of the same level . It might be worth exploring in earnest .
Tak .
The moment both of them landed on the ground . . .
“S-Stop right there!” The voice was filled with obvious fear .
Theodore turned around to see a middle-aged man in a military uniform looking at him . It didn’t take long for Theodore to find the uniform in Seimei’s memories .
‘Dao . . . ist? It is a different type of shaman from an onmyōji . ’
It wasn’t common in the East Continent, but it was said there were many of them in the middle empire . Unlike shamans, daoists were those who pursued becoming a **** . There were many hypocrites, but the tendency itself was toward religion . Theodore relaxed his wariness and spoke to the daoist who was being guarded by two people, “Who are you?”
“I-I should be the one saying that! How can you use that type of lightning treasured object? I can’t open the ward until you confirm your identity!”
“Treasured object?”
It seemed that this daoist thought that the ultimate magic wasn’t from Theodore’s ability but an artifact . This was a normal reaction . In this age where no one was a transcendent, people wouldn’t be looking for transcendents .
‘Well, it doesn’t matter . ’ Theodore was convinced by the rational misjudgment and didn’t feel the necessity to unravel it .
He didn’t know why this daoist was in the Baekun Mountains, but the Baekun Mountains were under the jurisdiction of the Fairy Dance Lee family . As long as Lee Seol didn’t interfere directly, no one had the authority to stop Theodore . However, it would be annoying if he broke this ward .
‘Let’s see . ’ Theodore reached out his right hand and touched the ward .
“W-What? Stop touching it before you get hurt?” The daoist was surprised by Theodore’s boldness .
However, Theodore was busy analyzing the ward with a transcendent’s insight .
It was similar to the ‘building path’ of the Art of Yin and Yang Written Treatise, but it was slightly different . The blockade was based on the user’s perception . It wasn’t strong enough to stop master level intruders, but it had the ability to stop people from entering with force .
However, the ward had a common weakness .
‘If it doesn’t recognize the object as a target of rejection, then the exclusion function won’t be activated . ’
It was the same as a password that was commonly used in the army . If a person could trick the identification method of the ward, they could come and go freely . This was the method Theodore was trying now .
Pajijik!
The level of the ward was quite high, but it couldn’t dispel the power of Theodore who had reached the apex of a mortal . His magic reached into the core of the ward in an instant and confirmed the ‘identification’ function .
‘Those who are known and those who are unknown . It is a standard procedure . ’
In other words, the ward blocked any unknown presences . If so, adding an exception to this rule was enough .
【 Except for Theodore Miller and his companions . 】
Theodore added this sentence and grinned . Now the ward would recognize him .
“Aquilo, hand . ”
“ . . . Do you think I am a dog?”
“It’s not like that . And you are more like a cat than a dog . ”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?” Aquilo murmured but held Theodore’s hand .
Then he stepped through the translucent circle .
Wuuong .
Theodore unquestionably passed through the ward!
“T-This is ridiculous!” Apparently, it was so shocking that the middle-aged man’s mouth dropped open, and he sat on the ground . He shouted as he saw Theodore and Aquilo get closer, “S-Superhuman! A great master . . . ”
“Hoh . ”
It seemed ‘superhuman’ was the word used to refer to transcendents . Perhaps Theodore’s ability was correctly measured when he passed through the ward . It might’ve been better to break or bypass the ward then . Even if magic evolved in different directions, there was no difference in where they reached . The daoist master lost his soul, but the crowd suddenly parted .
“-Theo!” A beautifully dressed lady with braided hair ran toward him .
It was Lee Seol who had grown after five years . She hadn’t neglected her training, and her steps were moderately excellent .
“Seol . ”
“You finally came! I knew you would!” Seol used the running momentum and hugged him . She was someone who had to grow up prematurely at a young age . Theodore smiled bitterly and spoke as she hugged him, “You’re safe . I’m glad . ”
“Hehe . ”
“You have gone through a lot as head of the family . You are truly capable . ”
“I am undeserving of your words . ”
Theodore saw Lee Joonyoung appear behind Lee Seol and said, “Congratulations on becoming a master . ”
Lee Joonyoung had crossed over the wall of a master during the time in which Theodore hadn’t seen him . The once violent momentum had calmed down . Lee Joonyoung was now like the sky that could change at any time . This was the path that the martial artists of the Fairy Dance Lee family pursued .
Maybe it was due to Lee Yoonsung’s teachings but Lee Joonyoung had solidified his position as the backbone of the family .
“There is a lot to talk about . Let’s go inside . ”
“Yes!”
“I will follow your words . ”
Lee Seol laughed cheerfully and walked toward the mansion with Lee Joonyoung and Theodore . Then Theodore realized something and turned back .
Wuuuong!
The daoist master was looking at him with astonishment . Other people might not know it, but the daoist master could sense it .
“I supplemented some lacking parts . I increased the shielding ability against remote projectiles and encouraged the vigor of those inside the ward . The burden on you is less because it is connected to a nearby dragon vein,” Theodore explained .
“ . . . Thank you, great one,” the daoist master said .
“The title is a bit burdensome . I also have something to talk to you about, so follow me . ”
“Yes . . . ”
The daoist followed Theodore, while the villagers belatedly cheered that the village was safe . As if responding to their mood, the wall of the ward emitted a gentle light .
* * *
Theodore sat in the parlor of the Fairy Dance Lee mansion and drank tea while exchanging greetings . There were a few things he wanted to ask, but he refrained from speaking . In any case, the person who should explain had already been decided .
The daoist realized this relationship and didn’t hesitate . “I am called Tae Rang, in charge of enforcing the laws of the Kunlun . In order to overcome the difficulties faced by the central empire, I visited to see assistance from old members of the Fairy Dance Lee family . ”
“Kunlun?”
“Yes . It is a fabled place that the daoists devoted their lives to gaining entrance to . It is rare for anyone to come down from the mountain, but the recent situation is too serious . ”
Theodore nodded . ‘The group of daoists was more powerful than I thought . Since he’s a lawkeeper, this daoist must have excellent skills . ’
It meant that the power of at least three masters was secured . The daoist, Tae Rang, hesitated for a moment at Theodore’s nod before suddenly getting up and saying, “Before I explain the rest of the matter, can I say something to the great one?”
He fell on both knees and bowed, then he pleaded, “Please calm this tribulation! I heard it is an inevitable disaster but a superhuman beyond the laws of causality can overcome it! Please show mercy to the people of the center!”
“Tae Rang . ”
“Those who came before were very supportive, but destruction is upon us!” Tae Rang lifted his head as he talked .
Theodore was surprised by the helplessness, self-doubt, and despair on the middle-aged man’s face . The strife in the middle empire was enough to make a shaman with master level ability feel despair .
“Tae Rang,” Theodore called him once more before sighing . “Let me hear your explanation . ”
Theodore placed the cold cup of tea to his lips and sensed it would be a long story . Despite becoming a transcendent, he still had a mountain of work to do .