Chapter 343: Battle at the Lake (1)
"Ugh…!"
For the first time today, Theodoor groaned in pain.
To use spatial magic in such a way...
However, the assault didn’t end there.
Several ominous zombies emerged from the portal magic that had torn apart his body, attaching themselves to his wounds and immediately self-destructing.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a trivial matter, but the wounds created by the portal had worsened, allowing a powerful shockwave, searing heat, and vile disease-type black magic to penetrate directly into his nervous system.
The intense pain, rivaling the worst toothache, combined with the unnatural symptoms caused by the black magic, left Theodoor feeling as though he had been truly hit hard for the first time in decades.
But even this suffering paled in comparison to the magic Dave had just demonstrated.
Not only had Dave absorbed and endured the Lightning Strike he had cast, but he had also seized control of it. More astonishingly, Dave had split his perfectly unified emotions and magical power into two separate entities. It was an act far beyond mere skill or talent.
It was like trying to extract dissolved salt from water with bare hands.
This wasn’t just about ability; it was closer to the realm of divine authority.
And there was more to marvel at.
Controlling the mist to transport Theodoor here was another feat that defied the laws of magic.
While taking control of the mist that Gretel was manipulating might have been achievable for an exceptionally skilled mage, moving the accumulated magical power of thousands of people over decades via portal magic was supposed to be impossible.
Normally, to traverse a portal, the amount of magical power consumed should correspond to the size, weight, mass, and energy of the object being transported. But Dave had simply ignored this rule.
Even if the magical power he separated from the Lightning Strike was immense, it was still nothing compared to the force of the punch Theodoor had thrown.
In other words, Dave had transported him here with significantly less magical power than required.
Though it might seem insignificant at first glance, it was a miraculous act that overturned the laws of magic—something only a transcendent being beyond human comprehension could achieve.
Only beings who had surpassed humanity could accomplish such things.
"Raaahhh!"
Theodoor roared, channeling his magic to expel the disease-type black magic that had invaded his body, and then moved his massive arm to grab his target.
If he could just seize that man, he would transcend the limits of humanity set by the gods.
But Oliver moved faster.
He pierced through the black smoke left by the suicide puppet and approached Theodoor, using the emotions wrapped around his body to forge a sword and slashing Theodoor’s shoulder.
Since the sword was forged from Theodoor’s own emotions and had a clear, definitive image, it unleashed extraordinary power, instantly severing Theodoor’s arm. As a result, the fist imbued with overwhelming magical power was reduced to a lump of flesh, plunging into the lake and creating a massive water column as it fell alongside Oliver and Theodoor.
Boom—!!!
As the enormous water column rose, the vast lake trembled violently, and the water that had shot into the sky rained down like a torrential shower.
The lake, which had been surging with waves, seemed to be calming down in sync with the sound of the rain, only for another explosion from beneath the surface to cause another enormous column of water to rise.
From within that water column, two figures emerged.
The Grandmaster of the Life Magic School, Theodoor, and Oliver, the personal employee and troubleshooter of Dave from the Tower of Magic.
The two of them stood on the water’s surface, using their magic as if they were standing on solid ground.
"Incredible… I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this unsettled," Theodoor said, speaking to Oliver, who was staggering to his feet.
By coincidence, Oliver felt the same way.
He had relentlessly attacked even while clinging to Theodoor underwater to seize the opportunity, but Theodoor had simply overpowered him with overwhelming magical energy and emotions, pushing Oliver back. Now, Theodoor was already healing himself.
No, it was far beyond mere healing.
Using a magic-formed arm created in midair, Theodoor was reattaching his severed waist and regenerating his lost limbs.
This level of regeneration had only been seen in high-ranking black magic practitioners, such as puppeteers or flesh chefs, or their apprentices.
"...Have you transformed black magic into Life Magic techniques?"
Oliver asked, observing Theodoor.
"Impressive. Most mages don’t show any interest in black magic."
Oliver spoke sincerely.
Regardless of the current situation or his personal feelings, Oliver genuinely admired Theodoor’s research capabilities and skills, especially how he had refined black magic into his own techniques. It was something worth emulating.
"And… you're the strongest person I’ve faced since the Elder."
"The Elder? …Who are you talking about?"
"I’m talking about Elder Merlin. Merlin of the Archive."
"Merlin... Have you fought him?"
Theodoor asked, his tone curious rather than suspicious.
It was then that Oliver suddenly recalled that the two were friends.
Merlin had mentioned it before when helping him at Martel.
"Yes… though to be honest, it wasn’t really a fight. He was just gauging my level. I was no match for him."
Oliver remembered when he had fought Merlin in the frozen land. As he said, he had been completely outmatched.
But Theodoor showed interest in his words. At the mention of Merlin’s name, the atmosphere shifted.
There was a mix of familiarity, old inferiority, and impatience—a complex relationship between friends.
"What led to you fighting Merlin?"
"...It’s a long story, but he said he wanted to evaluate my worth. He said that power defines value."
"That sounds like him… or does it? Either way, what was his evaluation?"
"I almost barely passed."
"Almost barely?"
"Yes. At the very end, he said I did well enough to pass."
"Ho… What did you do to satisfy him?"
Theodoor’s curiosity burned intensely.
"I don’t remember exactly. I smoked a Filgaret though…"
"A Filgaret? That drug?"
"Yes… It was a special Filgaret made with a beautiful light, and I used it by extracting my emotions at the time… But I don’t remember much after smoking it. I even had a strange dream."
"...I’m very curious. What did you do to make that Merlin pass you? And why don’t you use it now? …Do you not have any more of that special Filgaret?"
"No, I have some."
Oliver replied, tapping the inner pocket of his jacket.
The Filgaret was second only to his quarterstaff in importance, so he always kept it with him.
Theodoor tilted his head in confusion.
"I don’t understand… Then why don’t you use it?"
"I only have two left… so I’m saving them."
Oliver replied, recalling the beautiful light created from Duncan and Seamus. Despite living in Landa for several years, he had only been able to secure this small amount of the light. It was far more precious than money.
However, something in Oliver’s explanation seemed to trigger Theodoor’s deep-rooted inferiority and impatience, sparking a serious anger.
His magical power surged like a volcano, and the emotion of anger seeped out of his body like steam.
"You're saving it, despite fighting me, the Grandmaster of the Life Magic School…?"
"I’ve only managed to obtain three over the course of four years."
"You said you used one against Merlin, didn’t you?"
"Yes, so I have two left. Ah…"
Oliver belatedly realized what Theodoor was implying and explained further.
"Hmm… While Theodoor is certainly as strong as the Elder, I thought I could manage without using it this time. I meant no disrespect."
Despite the sincerity of Oliver’s words, Theodoor remained silent, his overwhelming rage intensifying. After all, Oliver had unknowingly touched a sore spot—one that had plagued Theodoor for his entire life, as he constantly compared himself to Merlin.
Oliver hadn’t meant it that way at all, but that only made Theodoor’s anger burn hotter.
It felt as though everything he had done to close the gap between him and Merlin was being invalidated.
"‘Barely manage’? …I’ve been going easy on you to assess your power, but it seems you’ve been looking down on me this whole time…!"
In a fury, Theodoor unleashed a torrent of magical energy and emotion, causing the entire lake to quake.
It was like standing in the presence of a magical power plant—an immense and terrifying force that no single person could possibly generate.
Looking at the storm of magical energy raging around Theodoor and the waves violently crashing over the lake, Oliver spoke.
"I haven’t been looking down on you, Theodoor. Your physical strength and magical power are greater than anyone I’ve ever seen."
"Of course. This body was created through countless studies, all to fight Merlin. If my magical power is like this lake, then your emotions and magical energy are no more than a single cup… So, how do you plan to fight me without using the strength you showed against Merlin? A talentless brat like you, who was only born lucky?!"
With that, Theodoor manipulated the magic surging in all directions, using it to control the earth and create multiple massive serpents.
A resounding rumble echoed as the enormous, earth-formed snakes emerged from the surrounding forest, their appearance as imposing as buildings.
Each one exuded a level of intimidation on par with the giants Seamus had once summoned.
They weren’t just enemies to fight—they were disasters to flee from.
Oliver watched them quietly and then knelt on one knee.
"This is why I came here… Extraction."
...
"Master! Master! Master…!"
Philip barely opened his eyes to the sound of Terrence's loud voice.
“Ugh…”
As soon as he regained consciousness, pain welcomed him, and Philip groaned, still confused about what had happened.
"It hurts."
"I'm glad it hurts. That means your nerves are working properly. Here, give me that… Yes, this…! Master, drink this."
At Terrence's urging, a bitter liquid was poured into Philip’s mouth. It was a potion.
Philip instinctively swallowed all the potion that entered his mouth.
"Alright… Everyone, get over here and lift him! We need to move the master!"
At Terrence’s shout, Philip felt several hands grab him, lifting him up.
Standing over two meters tall, Terrence moved sluggishly, and in the meantime, Philip’s vision cleared enough to see what was happening around him.
"Terrence, who are these people…?"
Philip asked, looking at the group carrying him.
"Students rescued by Kevin and Zenon... This might hurt a little."
As soon as they set Philip down, Terrence injected him with a needle-tipped ampoule into his arm.
A sharp wave of pain surged through Philip again.
“Ow… What the hell…? Ah, my arm’s gone.”
Philip commented, looking at where his severed arm had been. Apparently, the golem prosthetic arm had reached its limit while he was unconscious, and now there was nothing left.
“At least it’s a relief. Considering you were already weakened from losing your arm… When you fell through the ceiling, I really thought you were dead.”
“A head of the Roar Family can’t just die like this… But did Kevin stop Theodoor? Since they rescued the kids?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean, you’re not sure? Isn’t the fact that you’re treating me now proof that things have settled?”
It was a reasonable assumption.
Healing the wounded usually happens after the battle is over. On top of that, the kidnapped mages had been rescued.
However, reality wasn’t so simple, and Terrence seemed at a loss for words, struggling to explain the irrational situation he found himself in.
His mouth opened and closed awkwardly, clearly unsure of how to put it.
Sensing something amiss, Philip asked him, "What happened while I was unconscious?"
"Black lightning and a massive fist… Hah… It’ll be easier if you see it for yourself."
Terrence sighed mid-explanation, then helped Philip outside the now-ruined building.
Once they stepped outside, Philip immediately noticed something strange.
"...Where has the mist that surrounded this place gone?"
"It disappeared all of a sudden."
"Disappeared?"
"Yes, but that’s not the issue right now. The real problem is over there."
Supporting Philip, Terrence pointed toward the lake at the village’s center.
There, an earth-formed serpent the size of a five-story building was locked in battle with a serpent made of ice with a human face, each biting at the other.
In addition to that, ominous black lightning and fiery pillars surged from the ground to the sky in violent bursts.
It looked like a battlefield—or more accurately, a vision of hell itself.
Philip muttered to himself, “Oh my God…”