Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Secret of the Totem (4)
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Thunder Calling.
Theo chose the spell that had taken down the sandworm in one shot as his first magic.
Lightning falling from the sky in the blink of an eye wasn’t something you could spot ahead of time and brace for.
‘First one hits fast and hard, scatter their souls. Then box them in so they can’t run...’
Theo had already mapped out the full sequence of linked spells.
Artifact in his left hand, he gently closed his eyes.
The moment Hatchling Synchro synced him with the artifact, a rush of stray thoughts flickered through his mind.
-Lightning is strong...
-Falling from the sky...
-Lightning.
-Fire lightning...
There he saw the figure of an old man, apparently the artifact’s creator.
Magic circles etched painstakingly into the artifact’s core.
Having summoned Thunder Calling once before, he now vaguely ‘understood’ the imagery embedded in the circles.
‘Maybe if I probe a little deeper, I could wield real magic.’
A bit startled by the unexpected insight,
Theo slowly opened his eyes.
At the same time, he leveled his other hand at Axion’s crew, fingers shaped like a gun barrel.
“Pour down.”
Bang.
The trigger-pull motion unleashed it.
Rumble!
Lightning plunged straight down from the heavens.
* * *
The bolt from the blue was over in a flash.
Kablooey!
“Aaack!”
“W-what the hell!”
“Ambush! It’s an ambush!”
A crater gouged deep.
Dust clouds billowing out.
Wounded examinees screamed, a few scrambling for countermeasures—but
Rumble—
Boom!
The relentless lightning barrage defied any defense.
In the end, the examinees panicked and bolted every which way.
Morgann and Felix shot to their feet, faces ashen.
Burnt stench thick in the air everywhere, sparks igniting a firestorm all around.
“This...!”
“...Theo or Wellington must’ve caught wind of something.”
“No good. We escape here first, then counterattack...!”
But their plans cut short.
Lightning nailed them dead-on overhead.
“Guh!”
Kablooey!
Morgann especially, swinging his mana-charged sword to block, took a direct hit and went flying.
“Swords! You morons! Drop the damn swords first! Now!”
Felix, who’d ditched his blade a split-second after Morgann and dodged the worst, roared at the top of his lungs.
Metal was the deadliest threat right now, he figured.
Cue examinees from Plum Palace, Elder Council—even Dragon Society—frantically shedding swords, armor, every scrap of gear.
“You idiots...! Then what the hell do we fight with!”
Axion tried corralling them, but terror-deaf ears ignored him.
Lightning, ice arrows, fireballs kept hammering down nonstop.
Axion clocked it as the attackers’ ploy to strip their arms,
Too late.
Whoosh!
“N-no!”
“Path’s blocked!”
“D-damn it, where to...!”
Right on cue.
Flames ringed the area in a massive circle, sealing off escape for the runners.
Firepower so fierce, no one dared punch through.
“What do we...!”
They stamped and fretted—then
Rumble...!
Ground shuddered faintly.
What?
Felix and the rest glanced down reflexively. Hot blast wind erupted from below.
Then—
It blew.
“...!”
“...!”
“...!”
Boom-boom-boom!
Volcano-style fire pillars erupted, chased by a barrage of explosion spells.
[Waterfall of Blazing Winds], [Chain Explosion], [Sea of Flames], [Fire Lightning], [Fire Imps], and more.
Artifacts Theo had never tapped... all firing at once.
Power cranked way up via Hatchling Synchro!
Aaaah!
Screams everywhere, swallowed whole by the deafening blasts.
Spot too tight for flight besides.
Damage snowballed.
Lightning overhead,
Inferno below.
Blazing frenzy hot enough to question if this was blizzard-lashed Winter Mountains.
Pandemonium.
Perfect fit.
And.
Tap!
Theo touched down soft on the chaotic rubble heap.
Axion stood before him, drenched in blood.
Barely crawled out of blasts and bolts—one arm, one leg mangled freakish.
“You... you!”
Shaking!
Axion’s fists quivered.
Face half-charred, monstrous.
“Aim at me, and you open yourself up too. Basic stuff.”
Theo shrugged off the fury, flat.
“You really think... you’ll walk away from this...?”
“Check your own mess before mouthing off?”
“...!”
A Rose Palace cripple dares toy with me?
Axion geared up to bellow—
Slash!
Drake’s edge raked his nape first.
Spurt—
Blood geysered skyward.
“Northern Top 4 lives up to it. Dodge game on point?”
Theo sneered hard.
Guy faked a frontal block then bailed back quick.
Instinct screamed no head-on clash. Born sensor.
Left just a shallow shoulder nick.
But Axion flushed red—pride stung at ‘dodging’ a cripple’s swing.
‘It’s done.’
Theo knew: Axion no match anymore.
Time to end it swift.
He stepped forward—
Whoosh!
Dust shroud broke. Six examinees burst through.
“Theo Ragnaarrr!”
“Dare make us look like this?”
“Dieeee!”
“I’ll kill youuuu!”
Dragon Society crew, banged up big and small.
Here to save Axion, looks like.
[Activating ‘Skill: Hatchling Synchro.’]
Theo unleashed telekinesis.
Targets: foot-level pebbles, rock shards.
Sharp bladed bits vortexed wide, then flung like darts.
“Urk...!”
“Gahk!”
Clang!
Examinees never dreamed gravel attack—botched blocks, crumpled.
Even blockers ate Theo’s follow-up sword clean.
Slash!
Ray crashed the party late.
Dragon Society, Elder Council, Plum Palace alliance? Combat-ineffective. Instant.
‘Slipped away meanwhile?’
Theo huffed dry laugh at Axion’s empty spot. Distracted blink.
Sacrificed his whole squad for self-preservation.
Dragon Society never had legs.
Crackle—
Theo flared [Lark’s Wingbeat], gave chase.
Badly hurt guy couldn’t flee far.
* * *
‘Theo Ragnaarrr! I’ll kill you! Somehow, I’ll kill youuuu!’
Fleeing the scene, Axion gnashed teeth over and over.
When?
When’d it all unravel.
Preps perfect.
But snag snowballed, unstoppable.
“Felix, Morgann...! Yeah. Those idiots. If they’d just done their jobs...!”
Not just them.
Dragon Society, Orient’s moron pack—ankle-biters all.
Bottom line.
Everyone but him botched their roles. His disaster.
‘Exam zone out. Hit the exit, reset all. Dragon Society from zero, Theo Ragnar...! Assassins, whatever—dead man.’
Ed’s plea?
Unclaimed Primordial Dragon relic?
Screw that.
Pride first.
Then Axion snapped head up.
Low ridge ahead.
Exam zone border there.
Central Intelligence examiners’ turf.
Ed’s orders drop point.
Reach it—no more threats.
‘Almost...!’
Hope dashed quick.
“Fleeing this far just to hole up here?”
“...How?”
Deadpan voice.
Spine-chill deadpan.
Axion stiffened, whipped around frantic.
Long hair whipping mountain gust.
Theo.
“Run where you will, same story. Kangaroo glued to mommy’s pouch. Nailed you.”
Axion’s mug crumpled ugly.
Grit!
“Right. Let’s see how long you keep it up.”
Axion yanked every totem stashed inner insulated pocket, smashed ’em.
Rumble—
Quake hit. Magic beasts, monsters spawned round Theo and Axion.
“Meant to trap you in a pit... but whatever. Here or there, same diff.”
Grooo—
Purple demon-type Rank 5 beast among ’em.
Three-meter bull-head horror.
Minotaur.
“Saviors close for me. You? Curse the bitch who popped out a wreck like you, Rose Palace reject.”
Backup plan gold.
Theo’s doom, sealed.
Chaos calls? Nearby examiners swoop in. No sweat.
But.
“Cornered to hell, wits gone too? Axion?”
Theo eyed his monster ring cool as ice.
Planted Drake’s blade groundward, hand drifted to waist Moon White Sword.
“What?”
“One-shots we hit you with... never wondered how I stockpiled without firing mine?”
“...!”
Worst-case gut-punched Axion’s brain.
Too late.
Click—
Moon White Sword un-sheathed.
Flash-crack!
Lower right to upper left.
Moon White Sword slashed diagonal.
Grooo.
Hatchling Synchro roused Moon White Sword’s thoughts.
Deep-buried griffon essence stirred natural.
Hunger. Thirst. Gluttony. Savage.
Endless-feast beast bellowed.
Moon White Sword quaked fiercer than ever.
Why Theo skipped one-shots, bagged summons nonstop.
Any beast? Griffon snack-size.
Once black-dragon-side trauma-giver griffon now Theo’s trusty tool.
More.
Thunderflash Quickdraw.
Five shards banked—Theo laced sword faint lightning.
Lightning: fierce, swift, brutal.
Griffon savage? Match made.
Plus Dragon’s Three Claws.
Plum Palace Lord’s Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom, Ray’s Ice White Dance Flow.
Clashing traits fused, amped light-ray.
Slash—
Diagonal first claw mowed monster bulk,
Vertical second claw speared Minotaur skull.
Grooo!
Minotaur clubbed light aside—lost arm price.
Then,
Horizontal third claw pulped Minotaur dome ruthless,
Chased panicked Axion rear.
“Y-you... relic awake already...?”
Uncle Ed’s white whale?
Thoughts snuffed.
Light-wave seared sight white.
Pupils pure terror-white.