Chapter 500: Rematch (3)
[Cold Forest Devouring Flame]
Though Oliver had cast it spontaneously, it wasn’t an especially sophisticated technique, nor was it a complete spell. It was merely a combination of two distinct techniques: [Black Magic - Creation Series: Cold Wood] and [Greedy Flame ]. Like wood and fire coming together.
Regardless of its nature, the power it unleashed was genuine, even in Oliver's eyes.
Boom!
As soon as the Greedy Flame made contact with the cold wood surrounding the area, it rapidly consumed the wood, the magical energy, life force, and emotions infused within it, expanding like a black blaze engulfing everything in its path. The flame spread uncontrollably, as if it had met with oil, rapidly surrounding the area.
And that was not the end.
The black flame didn’t just encircle Oliver and Merlin, it swallowed up the roots of the cold wood and the surrounding space, turning the land of ice into a realm of black fire in mere seconds, ignoring the unique geographical characteristics and the magical properties present.
In fact, it didn’t just ignore them; it devoured them. After all, it was a specially crafted Greedy Flame designed to consume the cold magic of the area.
The monstrous flame grew endlessly, following its primal instinct to devour everything around it, growing without limit.
That was the nature of Greedy Flame: to consume everything to sustain itself and grow stronger.
Amidst this chaotic scene, sounds of air burning, ice evaporating, and the ground cracking combined into a noise that was beyond description—like the wail of a beast.
The vast sea of flames swallowed everything, leaving nothing behind, burning both living and non-living things alike.
Thus, the land of ice at the world's end, which had never been conquered, was now occupied by the black flames.
In this scene, which could only be described as catastrophic, two questions arose in Oliver's mind.
The first question was about himself.
"Why am I unharmed?"
He wondered, having expended his Black Suit, emotional robe, and all the magic stored within his body to create the Greedy Flame. Despite the sea of towering, massive flames, he did not feel any crisis or pain.
Originally, he had intended to control the Greedy Flame to protect himself, but even without taking any such action, he felt neither discomfort nor danger... in fact, he felt quite comfortable.
The hot air that burned everything else actually melted the ice that had entered his respiratory tract, warming his previously frozen body.
"Is it thanks to the Flesh Chef?"
Oliver speculated, wondering if the improvements to his physical abilities and reflexes also granted him some resistance to fire.
"At the end, the Flesh Chef transformed into a dragon... Could that be why? Dragons are resistant to fire and heat. Still, it doesn't seem entirely right..."
He continued to ponder, baffled by his intact condition despite anticipating some degree of self-damage for the sake of striking Merlin effectively.
"Of course, this is equally perplexing."
His second question involved Merlin, who was also standing unscathed within the sea of flames that could evaporate the body's moisture merely by being nearby. However, unlike Oliver, Merlin was clad in a magical barrier.
"Dragon Skin. A spell that grants absolute resistance to fire. It's not just a protective barrier; it actually replicates a dragon's skin through magic."
Merlin, wrapped in a translucent, scale-like armor made from carefully woven magic, explained.
Oliver nodded in understanding, having read about this spell before. It was indeed the true Dragon Skin spell.
The proof was in Merlin’s presence; even in a black sea of flames that not only melted but evaporated the icy terrain, he stood proudly.
However, there was still something that Oliver could not understand.
“How can you use Dragon Skin? As far as I know, Dragon Skin is a unique magic that can only be wielded by those with dragon blood. Are you a descendant of dragons, sir?”
“Not at all... My lineage isn't as grand as you think. This is the power of the Previous Archive.”
Oliver glanced at the ancient book in Merlin's hand. The book emanated the same magical energy that Merlin was currently using.
“So, the Archive... It grants access to the powers of previous generations.”
“Precisely.”
Merlin’s response clarified everything for Oliver. Even though he had used Dragon Skin, Greedy Flame was no ordinary fire. It had been designed to consume Merlin's magical energy and the cold wood, giving it an overwhelming advantage over Merlin’s own magic.
That meant that even the Dragon Skin couldn’t completely block the Greedy Flame if it was fueled by Merlin's own power.
However, since the magic surrounding Merlin wasn’t actually his own, but the power of the Previous Archive, the flame couldn’t consume it.
“Sigh... You are indeed formidable, sir.”
Oliver genuinely admitted. Despite using the cold wood to exploit Merlin's magic, limiting his movement with the forest, and launching an inescapable, unblockable attack with the Greedy Flame, Merlin managed to fend it off effortlessly. It was indeed frightening.
“I find you terrifying as well. To think you would launch such an attack in what was supposed to be a sparring match. It breaks my heart.”
“I’m sorry. I thought such measures were necessary for the attack to connect, but it seems I failed.”
Merlin shook his head.
“No, you did succeed. Using the power of the Previous Archive means that I couldn’t have stopped it with my own abilities alone.”
Merlin’s words were true. While Oliver lacked Merlin's magical control and experience, he had creatively utilized a mixture of emotions, magical energy, life force, and druidic magic to turn Merlin's own power against him, catching him off guard in what could have been a fatal strike.
Although Merlin’s mastery of the Previous Archive was impressive, Oliver was at a loss for his next move. Despite the various techniques and flexible strategies he had employed, he ultimately failed.
In most similar cases, he had succeeded, so the failure left him uncertain of how to proceed.
He considered taking control of the Greedy Flame again to press Merlin, but it was impossible. The issue was not a lack of firepower, but an elemental incompatibility with Dragon Skin.
Had his body been in perfect condition, he might have managed to attack directly through the surrounding flames to create an opening, but the burning pain in his right arm restricted his movements.
“I need to find a way to deal with this pain quickly. It’s far more troublesome than hunger, and it’s even hard to sleep.”
Oliver considered using another magic or black magic to subdue Merlin but soon dismissed the idea. The overwhelming sea of flames would likely burn away even his attacks, making them meaningless. On the other hand, extinguishing the Greedy Flame would also expose him to Merlin’s attacks.
While he was caught in this dilemma, something suddenly fell onto his shoulder.
“...Snow?”
Oliver murmured as he looked at the white snowflake on his shoulder, and after a few seconds, he came to his senses.
It was impossible...
How could it snow in a sea of flames so intense that it burned the very ground? And yet, in that moment, the impossible became reality. Snowflakes began to fall, one by one, into the towering inferno that extended beyond the horizon and seemed to reach the sky.
“This is the essence of the Skadi School, Eternal Snow (만년설). It’s a magic created by a hero from the distant past, known as the Dragon Slayer of the Ice-Eye Family,” Merlin said.
Oliver observed the increasing number of snowflakes around him. The snow, devoid of any physical threat, calmly and steadily subdued the power of the flames, cooled the heat, and reclaimed the space.
“A Dragon Slayer?” Oliver asked.
“Indeed. Do you know why dragons went extinct?” Merlin asked suddenly.
Caught off guard, Oliver responded reflexively, “Wasn't it during the Little Ice Age, about 400 to 500 years ago? Because of the cold. I read about it in history books at the library.”
“That’s correct. It was a terrible time. The temperature dropped by two or three degrees, which may seem insignificant, but it disrupted everything—farming, fishing, and led to famine, disease, and extreme weather. Countless people perished, nations rose and fell, and even dragons, which once threatened humanity, disappeared during that period,” Merlin explained.
Oliver nodded, recalling what he had read. Although the temperature shift appeared small, its impact was indeed far-reaching, marking a significant turning point in history. The extinction of dragons removed a significant threat to humanity, allowing civilization to gradually flourish. In many ways, the golden age of magic and industry could be traced back to the fall of the dragons around 400-500 years ago.
“But it wasn’t solely due to the cold,” Merlin continued. “Although it was the critical factor, humanity also played a part by launching a large-scale counteroffensive against the weakened dragons.”
“A counteroffensive?” Oliver repeated.
“Yes. Led by the Archives, numerous warriors, mages, and even military forces from various countries began attacking the dragons. The spell known as Eternal Snow was created during that time,” Merlin said.
“Oh... I see,” Oliver remarked with interest, now understanding the history behind such a powerful magic. It wasn’t hard to believe; after all, Eternal Snow was effortlessly quelling even the devouring Greedy Flame. It was a spell that had essentially ushered in humanity’s era.
“A grave mistake, really,” Merlin added.
“What do you mean, sir?” Oliver inquired.
“Just what I said. Everything in the world exists for a reason. When humanity eradicated dragons without considering the consequences, the balance and harmony of nature were inevitably disrupted. Most of the Archives, myself included, consider it a grievous mistake.”
Oliver thought carefully for a moment.
“Then why did they slay the dragons? The Archives wielding such power couldn’t have been foolish.”
Oliver was spot on. Those Archives had been chosen to inherit the knowledge of previous generations, and while they could make misguided choices, they were not fools. After all, a fool could never bear the weight of the Archive’s legacy.
Merlin answered, “Because even with near-limitless knowledge, humans cannot escape their nature. They are foolish and emotional... and that’s why they act despite knowing it will lead to bad outcomes.”
The answer left Oliver feeling puzzled. Initially, he thought Merlin was sharing this information to provide background on the magic and its history, but now it seemed like there was another reason. The problem was that he couldn’t figure out what that was.
Just as Oliver was about to inquire further, Merlin spoke up first.
“More importantly, do you intend to continue?” Merlin asked, standing against the backdrop of falling Eternal Snow.
The seemingly ordinary snow was not only extinguishing the Greedy Flame by half but also restoring the scorched ground to its original state. It was a magic that could even influence the natural world. Though it was magic, it felt like something beyond that—like gazing upon the Burnt One, an entity akin to a demon.
“Yes, I will continue,” Oliver replied, exerting his control over the remaining Greedy Flame.
Sensing the threat posed by the Eternal Snow, the flame quickly submitted to Oliver’s will, converging towards him. It instinctively understood that the only way to survive was to cooperate with its caster.
The Greedy Flame gathered at a single point around Oliver.
Merlin then used magical chains to seize nearby ice and hurled it toward Oliver.
The massive block of ice arced through the air.
Oliver quickly augmented his quarterstaff with a Black Javelin spell and struck the ice, shattering it into five pieces mid-air.
As the shattered ice landed on the ground, magic circles immediately emerged, surrounding Oliver. Ice chains shot out from each fragment, binding his torso, arms, and legs, and pulled him in multiple directions.
Thud... Hiss!
A heavy sound echoed, followed by the sizzle of scorching metal submerged in water. The ice chains, as solid as steel, bound Oliver and extinguished the Greedy Flame. The ice was a decoy; the real trap was the magic circle.
“Aaargh!” Oliver screamed as he struggled. Unfortunately, one of the chains was wrapped around his burned right arm, intensifying the excruciating pain.
It was a mistake that could happen in the midst of a sparring match.
However, upon hearing Oliver's scream, Merlin sensed something was wrong and immediately attempted to release the chains.
Oliver hoped he would. With the Greedy Flame nearly extinguished and himself immobilized, his defeat was apparent. He just needed relief from the pain in his arm—
Clang!
The ice chain binding Oliver’s right arm broke with a sharp sound, not due to Merlin’s intervention but for another reason.
Turning his head, Oliver saw the unraveling bandage on his right arm. Beneath it, charred skin and twisted flesh were visible. To his surprise, a faint but clear glow emerged from the wound, radiating heat strong enough to melt even the falling Eternal Snow.
Suddenly, flames erupted from the wound. Sensing something dreadful, Oliver instinctively yelled at Merlin to flee.
Right at that moment, white flames burst free from his control and spread in all directions, before suddenly freezing in mid-air, like a painting. It was an incredibly strange sight—flames that moved yet were still.
Following his instincts, Oliver looked towards Merlin, who had deployed ten books into the air and was now casting a spell. A vast magical array spread out in the air, isolating the space occupied by the white flames.
Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the white flames crumbled away and vanished into the snow.
“I made a mistake,” Merlin said, addressing Oliver after averting a catastrophic situation.