Chapter 233: The Wizard Academy's Forbidden Troll Transformation Great Witchcraft
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 233: The Wizard Academy's Forbidden Troll Transformation Great Witchcraft
The attacks from the Witchcraft Turrets pierced through the shield held up by the Wizard Tower, constantly forcing me to retreat from the tower's immediate vicinity.
Compared to those eerie, unpredictable witchcraft and curse effects, I was more interested in the shield the Wizard Tower had deployed. Rather than a shield, it was more like a one-way barrier.
A shield intended for protection inevitably interferes with outgoing attacks; this usually means the protected individual is also hindered by their own defensive spells. Consequently, there are generally several ways to circumvent this limitation. For instance, non-omnidirectional shields allow one to cast spells through gaps, or "triggered" shields only activate in a specific direction upon detecting an incoming spell effect.
The Mana Shields and Shield Blessings I used were basically based on that second principle.
Now, however, I was witnessing a third type: a one-way defense. The attack-recognition system involved here had to be incredibly sophisticated.
Perhaps it was because I’d previously felt my own defensive measures were lacking, but I found myself paying extra attention to various protective methods lately.
Can you imagine keeping the enemy out while still being able to strike them from within? It was a caster's dream.
Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to study such techniques. Still, I couldn't help but marvel—the strange and wondrous methods of Wizards often produced effects even more miraculous than those found in spellbooks.
I wondered if the Witch Academy had any spellbooks like this. If they did, I wanted one. Even if it was just a Basic Consumption Spellbook, I’d find a way to modify it into something formidable. There was no helping it; the foundation of this type of defensive spell was simply too good. It was worth the effort.
But I couldn't stay preoccupied with such irrelevant thoughts for long.
"Now, let's see just how tough your Wizard Tower's shield really is!"
As I reached the edge of their shield, the Wizard Apprentice in charge broke into a cold sweat. There was only one of me, yet their attempt to use such large-scale suppressive fire was proving ineffective and extremely wasteful. The primary purpose of a Wizard Tower was to handle being besieged by a crowd; that was where it truly excelled.
"You think you can break this shield alone? Pure delusion!"
Though the Wizard Apprentices spoke with feigned ease, their hands didn't stop moving. Every offensive witchcraft they could muster was hurled at my head.
I didn't hold back either. I slammed my newly mastered Focusing-Style Fireball Spell directly against the shield.
Instantly, a massive shockwave rippled across the giant barrier. The shimmering energy waves were so intense that I could see the shock in their eyes even through the shield.
However, I was the only one who knew that the strike hadn't actually dealt any devastating damage. The shield relied on its massive volume to distribute the concentrated damage, dispersing it into rings of energy.
"Tch... I thought she had some grand trick up her sleeve. She still can't break the shield, can she?"
"Is that really what you think?"
I looked at them with a smile. If they only saw the surface of that strike and not the implications behind it, then I had seriously overestimated the lot at the Wizard Academy.
They were worse than the students from the Holy Angel Academy or the Afuhemi Academy. I didn't see a single trace of the qualities a top-tier student from a premier academy should possess.
If a single strike could reach that level of intensity, then I had to wonder: how would they handle the dual technique of "Floating" + "Focusing"?
Though I had never tried it before, it didn't mean I couldn't do it. I just needed time. This also meant that even without Tan Han, I could break this shield myself if given enough time.
Yet these Wizard Apprentices were still mocking me for failing to break their shield with one spell.
I was the one who should be laughing. There’s always some ignorant fool who inadvertently tickles my funny bone.
I finally understood how Tan Han had managed to break the shield with so many people even without using an Over-consumption Spellbook. It was simple: you just hit the threshold of what it could withstand. It was quite straightforward.
It seemed I had overestimated them. As they say, things always sound more mysterious when you hear about them from others; you only realize how pathetic the enemy is once you test them yourself.
Thus, I modified my originally flamboyant plan for a heavy assault. It truly became a solo siege. Tan Han would strike when the moment was right, and the most important thing was the timing. Who was to say my actions wouldn't create the very opening she needed?
Without hesitation, I activated both the Practical Learning Spell and the Spirit Spell · Unity of Knowledge and Action, entering a state of "Combat Insight."
"Keep attacking her! The rest of you, watch the perimeter for ambushes!" Lucien gave the order, and the few remaining Wizard Apprentices sprang into action.
But what they thought would be a momentary breather turned into the beginning of their nightmare.
I no longer confined myself to dodging suppressive fire on the ground. Instead, I took to my broom, weaving through the air from multiple angles to pile on the pressure. Simultaneously, I was searching for the shield's optimal breaking point.
As several of my Floating Evocation spells manifested, the so-called suppressive fire began to reverse. Under my constant experimentation, my mastery over the combination of Floating and Focusing grew more refined.
My "Floating Cannons" were truly becoming Laser Floating Cannons.
"Idiots! Stop her, quickly! Her methods are getting stronger! If her attack power keeps scaling like this, she’ll hit the barrier's critical defense threshold!"
"Do you think this is some RPG where you level up by killing mobs? This is an exchange competition! How is she constantly improving like this?"
"The fact is her attack power is steadily rising! Are you doubting me?"
"I'm not doubting you, but I can see the state of the shield better than you can!"
"Then I'm dropping the shield and using the Heterogeneous Lightning Great Witchcraft."
"Are you insane? That Great Witchcraft has a limited number of uses. Don't you think it's a waste to use it on just one person? Besides, that move is far more effective as a deterrent than in actual combat. If she has a countermeasure..."
Lucien questioned the exchange Wizard in a low voice. Even though he was furious, he instinctively knew not to let this information leak, keeping his tone hushed.
"Then should I drop the shield and let you fight her directly? You need to understand that there's a difference between a Wizard Tower's barrier being deactivated voluntarily and being shattered. Last time it was shattered, the barrier generator was damaged. Do you understand what that means? This time, even a single little Witch can shake our barrier!"
Down below, Lucien, the team leader, was already arguing with the frantic Wizard Apprentices inside the tower.
Although Lucien didn't have much authority as the leader, it was a time of crisis, and both sides were showing some restraint.
"No, this Witch's arrival is too abnormal. If the shield drops, can you guarantee no one else will ambush us?" Lucien remained adamant about not dropping the barrier.
"The detection Wizard tools show no suspicious moving heat sources nearby. The range is sufficient. Even if there is an ambush, we'll have enough lead time to pre-heat and reactivate the barrier."
"Moving heat sources... Moving heat sources! Is that thing even reliable? You're gambling with our lives! Do you know the consequences of a mistake? The Witch in front of you... she just brought down the birdmen's floating island! And she hasn't even used that terrifying move from before yet! Do you hear me?"
"Then she must be at her limit. Her stamina and mana must be heavily depleted. Even recovery potions aren't omnipotent. If you can't handle a Witch like this, you'll lose everything at the Wizard Academy after this competition ends."
Hearing those words, Lucien didn't doubt their truth for a second. Even if he returned with the results already decided and the Academy didn't penalize his performance, this guy's mentor definitely had the influence to ruin him... The Wizard Academy was just that cruel.
He had seen the dark methods of the Wizard Academy firsthand, so he knew he had no choice.
"I've prepared a potion for you in the Wizard Tower. If you truly can't win, use it. Don't be afraid; this is a Witch's dream. You won't actually die."
"You said all that just for this?"
Lucien returned to the Wizard Tower and found the so-called potion. After a weak protest, he fell silent.
This was one of the casting materials for the Forbidden Troll Transformation Great Witchcraft, used in conjunction with taboo witchcraft.
More importantly, this transformation was "irreversible." One would gradually lose their sanity during the process because a mere apprentice's mental power and willpower could not withstand the surge of power from a "Troll" transformation.
However, before he lost consciousness, his combat power would undoubtedly see a massive increase.
Lucien took the potion and comforted himself. It's fine. I'll just commit suicide at the last moment... Everything will go back to normal after I die. It's just losing one life. At this point, the score didn't matter to him anymore.
What mattered was his attitude. He had to show that the current outcome wasn't due to his incompetence. He had to minimize the Academy's negative evaluation of him.
If he went as far as using this method, he could truly claim he had "done his best."
With that, he left with grim determination.
* * *
By now, my spell attacks were becoming increasingly fierce, and I could tell the shield was about to give out.
Tan Han, observing from a distance, saw the same thing. She had been waiting for the right moment to shatter the Wizard Tower's shield, but now it seemed she wouldn't even need to act.
Tan Han also noticed that this shield was weaker than the one she had encountered before. She had her theories as to why, but they were irrelevant now.
After this, the Wizard Tower would be toppled. Whether their barrier strength would decrease the next time it was used after being shattered didn't matter anymore.
"Witch! To be able to push me to this point... you have earned the right to be proud!"
The Wizard leader's shout suddenly caught my attention. I didn't know why he had run back inside only to come out and talk big, but I figured he was about to unleash a trump card.
"Let me be the one to end your myth of immortality!" Lucien growled, downing the potion in one gulp. He immediately used the power of witchcraft to digest it, completing the so-called Forbidden Troll Transformation.
"This is..."
I watched as he consumed the unknown substance. I didn't know what it was, but I could feel a surge of power rioting within his body the moment he drank it.
Then, his body underwent a visible, hideous transformation. His muscles writhed as if mutating, looking like countless demons trying to burst out of his skin. To use the phrasing of those Holy Angel types, a "filthy" power was running rampant inside him.
The most shocking part was that the Wizard was still alive despite this aberration!
I gained a new appreciation for a Wizard's tenacity. However, I couldn't wrap my head around this mutation.
In just a few moments, his body ballooned to several meters in height, his Wizard Academy uniform shredded by his massive frame.
"This is the taboo of witchcraft power. Now, feel the strength of a Troll!"
Lucien's voice had become deep and manic, stripped of the rational madness typical of Wizards.
At this point, I felt he belonged more in the Fallen Academy or the Lesser Demon Academy. Could witchcraft... really go this far?
It was somewhat like a transformation spell, but he likely wouldn't be able to change back. This wasn't just a spell effect; it was something acting directly on his physical body.
Then, to my astonishment, he charged straight at me.
I wasn't shocked by his charge, but by the fact that the shield barrier had been abruptly deactivated!
Well, that certainly saved me some effort. Tan Han really wouldn't need to show up.
In the next instant, I flew higher on my broom to evade. I looked down at the clumsy-looking brute, preparing to enjoy the sight of him being unable to reach me, when he suddenly crouched to build power and leaped. The height he reached in that single bound made my pupils shrink in shock. He was coming right for me.
"Holy—" I blurted out in disbelief. You can jump this high into the air?
What kind of terrifying physical stats were these?
The joy I felt from the shield disappearing vanished instantly.
Still, I managed an emergency response.
An explosive Fireball Spell only caused a small wound and some impact, but the next second, the wound on his body healed instantly.
Seeing this, I subconsciously swallowed. Why is everyone so overpowered lately? Does everyone just love going berserk?
Even the Floating spells I had designed for the shield were doing nothing more than "chip damage" against him now.
His terrifying regenerative ability was his most formidable defense. Flesh that was blasted apart by spells reshaped itself like playdough.
In this state, "flesh" no longer seemed to be made of muscle cells and blood transporting nutrients; it was more like "consumable material" for repairing his body. It defied the most basic biological common sense, interpreting life as a monster molded from meat.
Even I found this troublesome. This was a completely different kind of pressure from what Archie, the Holy Angel, had given me. The former was a massive, frightening Holy Light Source Spring—suppression on the level of absolute power. This was suppression through physical recovery—an infinitely healing flesh monster. The mere thought was chilling.
Furthermore, through my Spirit Vision, I hadn't yet found a core similar to what one would find in a standard transformation spell.
Perhaps I simply didn't understand this specific witchcraft, or perhaps it had transcended the level of a spell effect entirely. No wonder he called it "forbidden."
"This is power! Witch, where's your arrogance now? Where's your composure? I see fear on your face! All you Witches are going to die!"
"The ones who are going to die... are you."
At that moment, I actually calmed down. Facing this creature that could only be described as a monster, I remained unmoved.
It wasn't that I lacked the means to deal with him, but the price would be high. This had exceeded the level of what a High-consumption Spellbook could handle; I needed something more powerful.
Fire Rain Domain. With the Fire Rain Domain, I could subject him to omnidirectional suppressive fire. Combined with Fire Element Resonance, it wouldn't just be suppression anymore—it would be cremation.
Since you're so good at regenerating, let's see you recover after being burned to ash.
After all, at this level, physical destruction was no longer enough. I needed the Fire Rain Domain because I required a massive amount of energy to counteract and neutralize the surging transcendent power within his body. It was that power giving him such terrifying combat strength. Who knew how long it would take for him to exhaust it? The best way was to neutralize it for him.
But now, it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
I looked at a single snowflake that had drifted down onto my finger...
In the next instant, a massive figure appeared in the sky. Holding a terrifying ice spear and trailed by countless ice spikes, she pierced straight through Lucien's massive body.
A frigid aura carrying the terrifying chill of Ancient Remnant Ice instantly transformed the Wizard Tower's surroundings into a frozen wasteland.
The troll Lucien had become was impaled. His massive body was instantly frozen by the Ancient Ice. Even so, one could still see the shock and madness frozen into his features.
"Perfect timing! Let's take down the Wizard Tower together!" I shouted to Tan Han, giving her a "nice teamwork" gesture.
Of course, that shout was also for the benefit of the Wizard Apprentices.