Chapter 325
Chapter 325
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 325
Chapter Title: Commencement (2)
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"...Huh."
Theodore let out a sound as he looked at his torn hand.
It was unexpected, but he acted as if it were no big deal.
And it wasn't bravado.
Theodore emitted high-density mana from his body, forming complex spell formulas around himself before concentrating it all into his arm.
The overlapping formulas reacted to each other, manifesting a mechanical hand made of mana particles that instantly repaired his damaged arm.
It was a composite technique blending Pure Mana School and Life School methods—a precise spell that demanded full concentration at a glance—yet Theodore handled it effortlessly, befitting his status as a Grand Master and elder of the modern magical society.
[Grenade]
Philip Lore slammed mana into his enlarged spear and chanted.
The mana, mirroring its master, surged along the shaft like an enraged stallion, concentrating at the tip before exploding and scattering fragments in all directions like a grenade.
Pababababat!!
Philip erected a mana barrier to block the incoming shards as he peered ahead.
As the dust from the explosion settled, Theodore appeared, his mana shield wrapped around him like armor, having blocked both the blast and the fragments.
He looked utterly relaxed.
"Impressive... That was your best shot, by all accounts."
"I was surprised too. Even though I'd studied every technique of the Lore family inside and out, it still caught me off guard."
"If knowing everything guaranteed victory, then bookish armchair mages would be the strongest."
Lore gripped his shrunken sword in one hand and hurled it with all his might, releasing the miniaturization spell.
Pulshion, Viking Sword, Bowie Knife, Gladius, Longsword—a variety of blades infused with mana flew toward Theodore, aiming to pierce him.
But Theodore unleashed the vast mana hidden within him, erecting a soft yet dense mana barrier like a lump of mud that caught all the incoming weapons mid-air.
"A fine attack. Infusing mana like that for a throw makes it far superior to a sloppy mana bolt. Most barriers would shatter outright. Of course, you risk a counterattack. Like this."
With a flick of his wrist, Theodore split the specially forged swords into dozens of pieces.
He then infused them with mana and sent them flying back.
"Hup!!"
Despite two ambushes failing and dozens of steel shards hurtling toward him, Philip didn't falter. He drew his greatsword from within his coat, enlarged it dozens of times with magic, and swung it with his entire body.
Kwagwagwagwagwagagak—!!!
The massive blade, akin to a structure itself, smashed through the hotel wall, moving at unbelievable speed to crush Theodore's mana barrier and counterattack with overwhelming physical force.
Though Theodore effortlessly dodged with near-divine agility.
"Do you think I've only gotten younger in appearance?"
Not content with merely evading, Theodore used the giant blade as a foothold to close the distance in an instant, forming a lightning spell in his hand that crackled brightly.
Philip discarded the greatsword and drew his axe, but he was a half-beat too slow.
As Theodore thrust out his hand, the lightning spell erupted in intense light.
Kwaaang—jijijijijijik!!
The high-voltage current, enough to melt steel, was about to scorch Philip's face when Tilda intervened, saving him.
She formed an ice shield with both hands to block Theodore's attack.
Tilda's ice not only blocked the lightning but absorbed it, even creeping toward Theodore's hand in retaliation.
"Insolent. To challenge me to a control contest."
Theodore dispelled the lightning spell and instantly switched to ice magic, interfering with Tilda's.
He was pitting ice magic against the One Master of the Scadi School.
Surprisingly, Theodore seized control of the ice magic from Tilda.
"...!"
Crackcrackcrack!!
As the stolen ice tried to engulf and bind its former master, Philip swung his axe to save Tilda.
The axe blade sliced through the air toward Theodore's temple.
Theodore evaded with beast-like reflexes far beyond any ordinary mage, widening the gap in the blink of an eye.
"Thank you for the assist earlier. One Master Tilda."
"I appreciate it too. Colonel Philip."
While keeping their distance to check Theodore, Philip and Tilda exchanged greetings and shed their cumbersome jackets.
Both had nearly fallen to Theodore moments ago, yet far from cowed, they resolved to combine forces against him.
True to their positions as leaders. Even Theodore acknowledged their spirit.
"You two truly are remarkable. In skill and willpower. Facing death and still responding like this... Which makes it all the more regrettable. Why refuse my hand? Aren't you afraid of unattainable goals and inevitable death?"
"What soldier fears death...? I'd love to say that, but honestly, I am afraid."
"Yet here you are?"
"Still, there's such a thing as principles in this world. Theodore... That second question from earlier. Are you colluding with life alchemy? With black mages?"
Philip eyed the fog barrier that had been nagging at him.
Even Theodore couldn't pull this off alone without allies.
"...You're suddenly speaking casually, Colonel Philip."
"I respected you as a great mage. No need to respect a traitor. Answer me."
Philip pressed, but Theodore didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Tilda.
"And why did you refuse? Afraid to cross that line too?"
"No. Mine's a more practical reason. The Ice Eye family values rationality."
"Practical?"
"I acknowledge you're a great mage, but I don't think you'd beat Merlin. I'm not foolish enough to stake my family's fate on the losing side."
Tilda spoke coldly as ice, and Theodore felt a throbbing pain like a toothache. Pain enough to make his anger surge.
It irked him so much he laughed instead.
"Hahaha... Well, can't be helped then."
With his reply, the three mages on the hotel's top floor unleashed vast mana, and moments later, giant weapons and pale ice engulfed the hotel.
***
"Krrr..."
Crack!!
A village resident—or what used to be one—with a dog's skull jammed into human skin. Oliver swung his tonfa, snapping its neck.
The chimera, unyielding to any attack or threat, collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Confirming it, Oliver turned to Kevin.
"This area's clear."
Kevin, surrounded by dozens of charred corpses—including chimeras and several presumed Life School mages—replied. He'd taken them all down alone.
"Good work."
"No problem... More importantly, are you alright?"
Oliver pierced Kevin's tangled emotions with his question.
"Hmm. I'd like to say yes, but honestly, no. I don't even know where we are."
Kevin scanned the fog-shrouded space.
Front, back, sides, even the sky—all swallowed in thick mist, impossible to navigate.
Just moments ago, they'd been at the demonstration site, but the fog had engulfed them, dropping Oliver and him here alone.
If he hadn't instinctively grabbed nearby Oliver, he might've ended up solo.
'Planning to scatter us and pick us off one by one? Simple, but effective.'
Kevin analyzed the mana, flow, and patterns in the fog to infer the enemy's strategy.
It was barrier magic physically dividing space, augmented by Spatial School spells—not amateur level.
'The scale could blanket all of Lake Village, and the formula's sophistication... Even using the lake's mana, controlling this would be... Unfathomable.'
Kevin marveled at the absurd magic, guessing who could pull it off.
Despite many skilled mages present, fewer than five fingers could handle a formula this grand.
A team effort made sense, but the fog swallowing them right after the ambush failed suggested otherwise.
Too quick for a group response.
'Or maybe one controlling it all? Even then, it'd take exceptional skill... Wait, what am I doing?'
Kevin chided his folly.
Thrown by the irregular situation, he'd acted foolishly.
Analyzing the fog and identifying the culprit was vital, but first priority was escape.
They'd downed dozens, but remained trapped like bugs.
Escape came first.
'Problem is, I can't do it alone...'
"Xenon."
Kevin called Oliver while assessing the situation and his options.
Astonishingly, while Kevin pondered, Oliver had laid the subdued chimera down and was slicing its belly open with a checkered dagger to inspect the innards.
Kevin had done plenty of dissections himself, but the circumstances made him grimace.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking something that bothered me."
Oliver, hands bloodied red from the crude autopsy, replied in his usual tone and cadence. That made it creepier—like it was everyday work.
"...What bothered you?"
"It's a modified human."
"What?"
"The internal structure matches Modified Human-C03 from Mountain Face. Seems the odd life force and mana stem from this."
Kevin eyed the chimera with a dog's head in human skin.
"Wasn't the one from Mountain Face an ox head?"
"Yes, an ox. But this is a dog... Probably for combat, not labor."
Oliver speculated, and Kevin wasn't surprised.
The Life School doing such things was old news. What surprised him was their involvement in this mess.
'I knew they were unhinged, but this? Why...?'
As Kevin pondered, Oliver voiced a question.
"That's odd, though."
"What?"
"The other chimeras feared you on sight, but these charged... Maybe the brain surgery?"
Oliver pointed to the surgical scar from temple to nape.
Possibly. The true human heart lay in the brain, after all.
"Maybe. But I think escaping takes priority."
Fearing the talk veering off, Kevin stated firmly.
Thankfully, Oliver got it, shelved his curiosity, wiped his bloody hands with his torn shirt like a towel, and stood.
The mundane motions sent a slight chill.
"Sorry, Professor."
"It's fine. I assessed the situation meanwhile... Looks like the Life School hosting the conference and the Life Alchemy Department are behind this."
Oliver nodded, having reached the same conclusion.
Anyone with a brain could see it.
"I don't know their motive, but one thing's clear: we got played. The fog itself isn't harmful, but it traps us perfectly and can shunt us wherever they want. We're in their grasp."
"Same thought here. Base barrier magic laced with Spatial School—tricky as hell."
"Exactly the problem. Can't escape without Spatial magic."
Kevin spoke in frustration. Even Spatial School mages needed aids for it—fewer than 30% could cast freely.
In a way, the trickiest barrier.
Overwhelming it with raw power to disrupt was an option, but unwise.
Exhaustion would leave them vulnerable to the next assault—or draw the mages maintaining this vast formula straight to them.
'Can't just sit idle, though.'
As Kevin sank back into thought, Oliver abruptly approached the fog, extended a hand, and made contact.
Then said,
"I think I can interfere with the magic and hijack the barrier."