Chapter 173: Impossible! The Embodiment of a Magic Cannon
Lightning tore through the air and trees, and the smell of burning filled the air. In that instant, the world seemed to fall silent.
Quinn Esai and the Gray-robed Mage, who had been in a standoff, both turned to Tang Zheng with guarded expressions, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"Fifth-Tier Magic... from this little brat?" The Gray-robed Mage's light-brown eyes widened.
To be able to use Fifth-Tier Magic meant that the boy had already stepped into the Heroic Realm, but how was that possible!
The terrifying fluctuation of magic power in the air had yet to completely fade, as if to tell him that what had just happened was real.
The problem was!
This brat had clearly displayed faith-based magic at first, and he had even summoned a Fourth-Tier Monitoring Dominion Angel.
Fourth-Tier faith caster magic?
Fifth-Tier arcane magic?
To master two such high-level spellcasting abilities meant that the black-haired boy before him had definitely surpassed the "Heroic Realm" and entered the "Aberrant" level.
"This is impossible!"
The Gray-robed Mage roared, his voice nearly cracking as he subconsciously took a step back.
Across all the human nations, the number of individuals who had openly reached the "Aberrant" level could be counted on one hand. Perhaps there were others of that level hiding in the shadows, but it couldn't possibly be this absurdly young, black-haired boy.
In contrast to the shocked Gray-robed Mage.
Quinn Esai, on the other hand, calmed down immediately. He quickly had the large aqua-blue lizard shield him, his deep red pupils flickering with suspicion and doubt.
The reason he was able to calm down so quickly was that he had seen a truly powerful existence, one that could not be described with words.
It was a suffocating aura and oppressive feeling that could be felt just by being watched by that entity!
The people of this otherworld couldn't accurately judge their own or others' specific Level like a Player could; they could only make a rough judgment based on general strength.
At the very least!
The two high-level caster system abilities that Tang Zheng was displaying were completely abnormal.
Suddenly.
Quinn Esai noticed the magic circle behind Tang Zheng in the dense forest, which had been scorched by lightning. It had been drawn on the ground, staining it red with blood.
In the current environment, the large, blood-stained traces were quite conspicuous.
So that's it!
"It's a magic ritual."
Quinn Esai's expression returned to calm. He chuckled softly and said lightly, regaining his usual composure.
As for the four-tailed black panther that had died and turned to charcoal, he didn't spare it a single glance from beginning to end.
His calm words reached the ears of the nearby Gray-robed Mage, who paused for a moment. He, too, quickly noticed that bright red, bloody magic circle.
"This brat actually mastered such a method." The Gray-robed Mage felt a sense of relief. Although still a bit surprised, his initial tension was gone.
If it was a magic ritual, then that explained it!
Fluder, the "Guardian God" of the Baharuth Empire, was a legendary figure among humans, known as the "Triad Magic Caster."
He could use not only Sixth-Tier arcane magic but also Third-Tier faith-based magic.
He had lived for nearly 300 years, since the founding of the Baharuth Empire, because he had mastered Sixth-Tier mental magic!
By common logic, this was clearly impossible, but Fluder had achieved it. He had done so with the help of magic rituals and a mysterious forbidden art.
The Gray-robed Mage had also heard that some special Jobs possessed common Traits between different systems.
*Crack!*
A charred black branch was crushed underfoot.
"You know, I don't want to fight guys like you at all. It's not because of your strength, but because of the existence of resurrection magic. It's just too troublesome to kill you completely," Tang Zheng's cold voice rang out in the now-silent forest.
He watched as the two, who had been surprised just moments ago, regained their composure.
Tang Zheng didn't know what the two were thinking, but he could make a rough guess.
The "Magic Boost" ritual required materials containing magic power to set up.
His use of a conspicuous material like Ogre blood was not only because he truly lacked any better magic materials, but also partly intentional!
The number of spells and Skills in the game YGGDRASIL was simply too vast, and Tang Zheng's own knowledge was already very limited.
Not to mention that the people of this otherworld could develop and even modify magic on their own. Tang Zheng couldn't be certain that even if he killed these two, there wouldn't be a risk of leaking information.
Quinn Esai was a member of the Black Scripture. It was completely unknown whether he was carrying any Items of the Six Great Gods.
Although it was more likely that the Slane Theocracy would retrieve Player Items from members of the Black Scripture when they were not on a task, he had to take these factors into account!
"I take back what I said earlier. You are no small fry."
Quinn Esai's calm voice came from behind the aqua-blue lizard: "You took that attack without getting injured. Was it because of a magic item's defense?"
"On behalf of the Cardinal of the Earth God of the Slane Theocracy, I can extend an invitation to you. We can even offer compensation for this matter."
"I refuse."
Tang Zheng looked up and said coldly, "Exchanging your life for Xiao Hei's life would be the only fair compensation."
"As expected, there's no reasoning with you."
Quinn Esai's crimson eyes turned cold. Comparing his life to that of a useless ghoul dog was a blatant insult to him. "I'm very interested in the magic ritual you used. Don't worry, I'll leave you breathing."
So what if he could use Fifth-Tier Magic?
For the mysterious team he belonged to, the Heroic Realm was merely the threshold for entry.
The very instant Quinn Esai's words fell!
From the shadow of a large tree not far behind Tang Zheng, a brand new four-tailed black panther that had been hiding there shot out silently, pouncing at Tang Zheng's back.
"Silver Knight's Lance."
Without even turning his head, Tang Zheng materialized a silver knight's lance in mid-air, which instantly pierced through the four-tailed black panther.
He didn't have any detection-type magic, but he possessed the Martial Skill "Mind's Eye," which allowed him to perfectly observe and sense attacks outside his field of vision.
"Lightning Ball!"
As Tang Zheng and Quinn Esai briefly clashed, a dazzling ball of lightning blasted toward Quinn Esai.
*Boom!*
*"Hiss!"*
The aqua-blue lizard hissed, instantly whipping its tail to strike the lightning ball. The moment they connected, a deafening explosion roared through the air.
"How about the two of us team up, kid? He's good at summoning Monsters and controlling different ones for group tactics."
The Gray-robed Mage showed Tang Zheng a cold smile and said, "Killing him is a real pain."
"Didn't you want that lizardman's magic crucible? I have that item. How about a trade?"
His proposal was mutually beneficial, and he didn't think Tang Zheng would refuse.
However.
*Bang! Bang!*
As two dazzling lights flashed.
Two Tranquility Dominion Angels appeared on the field. With a flap of their wings, they charged toward Quinn Esai.
Only then did Tang Zheng turn to face the Gray-robed Mage. "I think finishing both of you off at once is the best option."
"You idiot..." The Gray-robed Mage's expression froze. He couldn't help but start to curse, but in the next moment, he quickly cast his magic:
"Magic Shield!"
"Flame Knight's Lance!"
Tang Zheng said coldly. A knight's lance condensed from flames appeared instantly, blasting toward the Gray-robed Mage.
*BOOM!*
The Flame Knight's Lance collided with the Magic Shield, causing a huge explosion. The powerful impact forced the Gray-robed Mage to retreat in a sorry state.
"You..." The Gray-robed Mage was flustered and exasperated. Just as he was about to cast an attack spell of his own, a sharp sound of something breaking the air followed close behind.
"Storm Knight's Lance!"
A translucent lance condensed from a violent wind shot forward, its speed clearly faster than the "Flame Knight's Lance."
Faced with this situation.
The Gray-robed Mage had no time to dodge. He had no choice but to continue using the defensive magic with the fastest chanting speed to block:
"Magic Shield!"
*BANG!*
The Storm Knight's Lance collided with the Magic Shield, producing a series of intense, ear-piercing screeches from the friction.
Feeling the obvious sustained destructive power of the Storm Knight's Lance, the Gray-robed Mage's expression changed.
He hastily and continuously poured magic power into the Magic Shield, barely managing to withstand the sustained destruction of the Storm Knight's Lance!
"Torrent Knight's Lance."
Another chant rang out.
The Gray-robed Mage's face fell completely. He was currently pouring magic power into the "Magic Shield" and was completely unable to cast magic.
*BOOM—*
A stream of aqua-blue light flashed through the air.
The Magic Shield shattered!
The Gray-robed Mage spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at the "Torrent Knight's Lance" crashing into his body.
His gray mage robe trembled, and an invisible Magic Barrier instantly deployed from it, blocking the Torrent Knight's Lance.
"What in the world is this!" The Gray-robed Mage, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, staggered back several steps, his face full of astonishment.
"Is the attack power of the water element a bit weaker?" a faint voice sounded from the opposite side.
The one who spoke was, naturally, Tang Zheng.
Through the "Mad Mage" Passive "Elemental Conversion," he could convert attribute-based magic into the four main attributes: wind, fire, water, and earth.
The "Silver Knight's Lance" was an attack with silver-attribute magic power.
Tang Zheng remembered that among the "Ten Evils of the Demi-Humans" in the Abelion Hills region, there was a Demonkin Queen who, using the "Silver Knight's Lance" magic, had developed Knight's Lance spells of three attributes—Thunderstorm, Ice Burial, and Flame Incineration—and was called "Ice Flame Thunder" by the other demi-humans.
Now that he could convert four attributes, should he be called "Wind Fire Water Earth"?
A wicked thought flashed through Tang Zheng's mind.
This Passive could only convert elemental-type magic. He had just secretly tested it on the summoned angel and found that it had no effect.
Thinking it over, it made sense.
The key to a summoned angel was the "angel" itself. As for the sacred Attribute the angel possessed, it was merely a supplementary Ability.
However, this Passive should be usable on elemental summoning magic, and he happened to have mastered the "Summon Mixed Wetland Elementals" magic.
Next up—
The brief thought flashed through his mind. Looking at the dazed Gray-robed Mage opposite him, Tang Zheng's gaze was icy as he once again chanted in a low voice, "Earth Blast Knight's Lance!"
*Whoosh!*
A knight's lance formed entirely from condensed rock appeared, stirring up an airwave as it blasted toward the Gray-robed Mage.
"Damn it!"
"Silver Knight's Lance!" Seeing that Tang Zheng wasn't giving him any time to breathe, the Gray-robed Mage, with cold sweat trickling down his forehead, hurriedly followed up by casting the most powerful attack magic he had.
What he excelled at dealing with was summoning-type magic!
Whether it was Quinn Esai, who had the "Magic Beast Summoner" Job, or Tang Zheng, who had initially displayed an angel-summoning ability, he was confident he could defeat them.
But Tang Zheng's sudden change in combat style, using powerful mana-based attacks, had put him at a direct disadvantage.
*BOOM!*
The Earth Blast Knight's Lance and the Silver Knight's Lance slammed into each other, triggering a powerful shockwave that spread out in all directions.
The surrounding dense trees had their branches snapped by the shockwave, and a large amount of fallen leaves flew about.
The two knight's lances, both Fourth-Tier magic, seemed to be of similar power. After the violent collision, the Silver Knight's Lance began to dissipate.
The Earth Blast Knight's Lance, however, was covered in dense cracks before it shattered, turning into a shower of small, broken stones that blasted toward the Gray-robed Mage.
The sudden turn of events caught the Gray-robed Mage off guard. Fortunately, the magic robe on his body, which possessed defensive capabilities, blocked it again.
"Storm Knight's Lance!" Tang Zheng's faint voice sounded again.
*Swoosh!*
The translucent image of the lance vanished into the air and, in the instant the Gray-robed Mage couldn't react, pierced through his chest.
"Pfft!" The Gray-robed Mage coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his eyes wide.
*Thud—*
With a spray of dust, he fell backward onto the ground, his aquiline face filled with disbelief and a trace of bewilderment.
He had lost too quickly!
He clearly had many more spells he hadn't used, but facing this kind of pure attack magic bombardment...
"Why are there so many types of Knight's Lance magic..." The Gray-robed Mage felt no fear of death, only a face full of indignation.
*Step!*
The sound of footsteps approached.
Tang Zheng walked up to the Gray-robed Mage, whose chest had a gaping hole and whose aura was faint. He took out a bottle of Alchemical Potion and poured it directly onto the man's chest.
Immediately after!
Tang Zheng delivered a heavy kick to the Gray-robed Mage's neck, knocking him unconscious.
"That's one down."
Looking at the unconscious Gray-robed Mage, Tang Zheng withdrew his gaze.
He naturally wouldn't let the Gray-robed Mage die, as he had to guard against the possibility of him being revived directly with Resurrection Magic.
[Orb of Death: 280→120/280]
It took casting five relatively high Attack Strength Fourth-Tier Knight's Lance spells in a row to defeat the Gray-robed Mage.
His loss was well-deserved!
Tang Zheng had no intention of having a slow magic duel with him. He needed to finish him quickly and focus his energy on the other opponent.
If it weren't for the issue of Magic Power Cost and his desire to observe the power changes in the magic itself after Element Conversion...
He would have already cast the Fifth-Tier "Dragon Lightning."
Now then—
Tang Zheng turned around, his left hand hidden in his wide sleeve clutching the "Orb of Death," and looked toward Quinn Esai, who was being held up by the two Tranquility Dominion Angels.
No!
He wasn't being held up at all.
Quinn Esai had summoned another large aqua-blue lizard. He had the two aqua-blue lizards engage the Tranquility Dominion Angels while he observed the other side of the battlefield.
The key to fighting a magic caster was "Magic Power"!
Since Tang Zheng had chosen to fight the other magic caster, he naturally had no intention of interfering. Regardless of the outcome, it was only beneficial for him.
However.
Quinn Esai had never expected this battle to end so quickly.
To be precise, when Quinn Esai saw Tang Zheng cast the third elemental-type Knight's Lance magic attack, he already realized the Gray-robed Mage's defeat was certain.
Faced with this kind of pure magic bombardment, all of his opponent's strange tricks were useless!
Quinn Esai also realized why Tang Zheng had attacked the Gray-robed Mage first. It was because he wanted to end the fight quickly to focus his energy on dealing with him.
*Swish! Swish!*
The two Tranquility Dominion Angels suddenly beat their wings and began to retreat, returning to stand before Tang Zheng, who had already appeared in front of him.
The two large aqua-blue lizards also retreated, flanking Quinn Esai to his left and right.
*"Clap! Clap! Clap!"*
A smile appeared on Quinn Esai's gentle and composed face as he raised his hands and applauded, "A truly splendid battle."
"Storm Knight's Lance!"
Tang Zheng didn't waste any words, directly blasting a spell at him.
Quinn Esai raised his left hand, and a magic ring on his thumb flashed. "A magic attack of this level is useless against me."
"Attack Deviation."
*Boom!*
The incredibly fast Storm Knight's Lance suddenly deviated from its attack path in mid-air, flew over Quinn Esai's head, and crashed into the jungle behind him with a loud bang.
Tang Zheng's brow furrowed. Only then did he notice that his opponent's left hand was covered in Rings, which were clearly all magic Items.
As expected, he's a handful!
"Now then, how much magic power do you have left to use?"
"It looks like you're going to die here today."
After easily deflecting the magic Tang Zheng had just used to defeat the Gray-robed Mage, the gentle smile on Quinn Esai's face grew even brighter.
"No."
Tang Zheng looked up, staring at Quinn Esai. "I think the one who will die here is you!"
(end of chapter)