The Book Eating Magician Chapter 25:
Night in the Nadun Mountain Ranges #3
The strength of a magician was their ability to easily overpower a person with their firepower from a safe distance away . Even war magicians trained in martial arts would become headless bodies the moment they got into close range with knights .
The same thing applied to the hobgoblin chief who possessed greater physical abilities than humans .
However, Theodore ran forward first .
‘If I retreat, I will die!’
A naive magician would’ve stepped back and died . Instead of ignoring the advice of his senses, Theo gritted his teeth and charged . Backing away was absolutely not a wise choice .
Theo only took five steps before he was within the range of the chief’s spear . No, the chief wouldn’t be able to kill him now by throwing the spear . However, Theo wouldn’t be able to defeat the spear head on with 3rd Circle magic . Even if he avoided the spear, the axe would slice off his head .
“Haste!” The acceleration magic wrapped around Theo’s body . Theo’s movements were faster, and the ugly face of the hobgoblin chief was soon right in front of him .
The chief was holding the axe over his head like he would bring it down at any moment . Theo had only exercised for two months and his speed was only slightly faster, so it was a blow which couldn’t be avoided .
He called out to Mitra while sliding, “Now!”
At the same time, the right leg of the hobgoblin chief moved, and the balance of his body collapsed . Mitra had penetrated the ground and created a pit at the chief’s feet . It was only 30cm deep, but thanks to that, the axe hit empty air .
Huoong!
As Theo listened to the sound of air blowing above his head, he aimed at the side of the hobgoblin chief .
“Fireball!”
The fireball got a direct hit to the chief’s side .
Kwaang!
The shock waves caused by the explosion made Theo take a few steps back . Usually it would’ve ended here for the hobgoblins, but it wouldn’t be a fatal wound for the chief . Theo stared at the grey smoke emerging from the center .
‘Damn, if his head was exposed, then I would’ve used the Magic Bullet . ’
Alfred-style Magic Missile, also known as Magic Bullet, would’ve penetrated the hobgoblin chief’s skin without any difficulty .
However, the lethal force was exerted only when it hit the vital points .
The skin of a monster was much tougher than a human’s, and their body structure was also different . So, Theo needed to hit the right place for a fatal wound . Unfortunately, he had never read a book about the hobgoblin’s body .
So, he had used Fireball instead of Magic Bullet .
Kuwaaaah!
The chief roared with a mixture of pain and anger from within the smoke . Fireball had hit the chief’s skin, and the sizzling was painful to watch . Nevertheless, the hobgoblin’s combat power was still going strong .
“Fireball is insufficient,” Theo muttered as he saw the chief’s state .
In the 3rd circle and below, Fireball was the magic with the strongest firepower . If it wasn’t effective, then he only had two choices left… two means of attack to overcome that defense .
‘Blaze Shell or Magic Bullet . ’
The first was dismissed . Theo was able to use Blaze Shell as a one-time ability after eating ‘Roaring Flames,’ but the preparation took too long . He would’ve died 10 times by the time he managed to gather the magic power and chant the spell .
It would be a different story if the other mercenaries **** the hobgoblin chief during that time, but…
‘Hoo, I was wrong to expect a lot . ’
The mercenaries had retreated after seeing the difference in skill and were taking care of the hobgoblins instead . No matter how good the money was, it would be no use if they died . The mercenaries had no desire to confront the hobgoblin chief when it was likely that they would die . Rather, it was fortunate they hadn’t escaped and were instead blocking the other hobgoblins .
“…Okay, I will try it once . ”
Theo stared at the hobgoblin chief’s red eyes and gathered magic power in his arms . He only had two chances .
If Theo shot with all his power to penetrate the hobgoblin chief’s defense, he would only be able to use the magic twice . It would be different if he was Alfred, but this was the limit for Theo who hadn’t completely mastered the magic yet .
The hobgoblin chief was panting, while Theodore Miller gathered magic power in his arms . The confrontation between the two beings was suddenly broken .
Kurwaaak!
The hobgoblin chief ran out of patience and attacked .
Swaeeek!
He charged with his spear and tried to pierce Theo’s body with it . If Theo hadn’t moved back hurriedly, then he would’ve been skewered like a chicken . This was followed up with a slash from the axe . It was obvious that the axe had enough power to break down a huge log .
“Mitra!”
Mitra responded to Theo’s call and made a pit under the chief’s feet like before .
Kuruk, kururuk!
Instead of wielding the axe, the hobgoblin chief jumped over the pit . Then he scoffed at Theo . The anger filling the chief’s eyes disappeared . Despite the pain, he was cunning and knew how to use sly tricks . He hadn’t forgotten about the trap he’d once fallen into .
As he thought that, Theo sneered .
Puk!
Another pit suddenly appeared . This time, it was at Theo’s feet instead of under the hobgoblin .
Huoong!
As the axe missed Theo, who had suddenly fallen down, confusion filled the face of the hobgoblin chief . While lying on the ground, which had become soft thanks to Mitra, Theo pointed his index finger at the chief’s face . At this distance, the chief wouldn’t be able to avoid the Magic Bullet .
A blue flash launched from Theo’s fingertip .
Piyuuuong!
The extremely compressed magic power broke through the wall of sound and tore apart the wind . The power was enough to penetrate armour and turn thick leather into a piece of cloth . The flash reached the head of the hobgoblin chief .
‘Hit!’
It wasn’t unreasonable to feel confident . The blow was precisely timed . However, perhaps due to the wild nature or a warrior’s instincts, the chief’s axe moved desperately and blocked the flash .
Kakang!
Pieces of the axe scattered, and the hobgoblin chief was pushed back with a hole in his forehead . Despite the blood splattering on Theo’s face, Theo got up hurriedly and looked at where the hobgoblin chief was .
The chief had already gotten up and grabbed his wounded forehead .
“Dammit, too shallow!”
The wound was too shallow . The flash had faded away before piercing the skull . It was because quite a bit of power had been consumed to break the axe . With this, Theo only had one shot of Magic Bullet remaining . It would end with the next attack .
Kuruk, kururururu…
Theodore’s Magic Bullet was too threatening, so the chief didn’t dare to approach . Rather, he grasped the spear and kept swinging it . He moved swiftly to the left and right, not leaving any gaps . Theo wasn’t confident about hitting a target moving at such high speed .
In the end, the narrow gap widened to a greater distance than it had been at the beginning .
‘That posture…!’
The chief’s arm was flexed like a bow, and the spear was pulled back like an arrow . It was the typical posture of someone preparing to throw the spear . A fearsome blow which would threaten Theodore’s life was about to be used again .
Theo raised his right arm, which still had one Magic Bullet remaining .
Hwiiiing!
A chilly wind blew past as the two beings aimed for each other’s lives .
The tension was intense, and even the mercenaries and hobgoblins became breathless as they watched the confrontation . The winning side would gain the advantage… Everybody instinctively understood this fact .
So, it was no wonder that the hobgoblin chief moved first .
Kuraaaaaah-!
The speed at which he rushed was like the wind . At that speed, the distance would be narrowed down in five seconds or less . Theo’s spine grew damp with tension . However, the chief understood the horror of the Magic Bullet and jumped into the air .
‘He’s coming!’
Theo had planned this, but he couldn’t help feeling nervous . Even if he had Alfred’s memories, this was still his first battle . The vivid smell of blood and widespread killing intent tickled his nerves . However, a magician fought with their heads, not their bodies . Theo pulled out the card he had prepared .
‘Memorize .
All Slots Open . ’
The three magic spells, which had previously been stored, were now used at the same time .
“Rise! Walls of Earth!”
The spear couldn’t be blocked by one layer, and two layers were still insufficient . If that was the case, he would block it with three layers . Earth Wall, the 3rd Circle defense magic, was used three times . It was further enhanced by his contract with Mitra, turning the Earth Wall completely solid .
The iron spear struck down on the triple barrier .
Kwaaaaang!
The outermost barrier broke . After that, the second barrier started crumbling down . Finally, the last and thickest barrier blocked the fierce momentum of the spear .
Kwajik!
The spear seemed like it was going to pierce through to Theo behind the barrier, but then it stopped .
Theodore inserted his finger through a crack in the barrier and said, “I got you . ”
His sharp eyes didn’t miss the target which was still in the air . It was different from the ground where the chief could move easily . No animal could move freely through the air without wings . At least, that was the case for the hobgoblins . The same was true for the chief .
A second flash penetrated through the darkness of the sky .
Piiing!
The hobgoblin chief crossed his arms in front of his face to block it somehow, but the Magic Bullet wouldn’t be stopped by such a clumsy thing . The blue flash lit up the two arms and the head behind it .
Then the body which lost its life fell to the ground .
Kuuong!
There was a loud noise, and a pit formed around the body . It was close to 2 meters deep, showing the weight of the corpse .
Theo placed his foot on the body of the hobgoblin chief and threw his head back . Then he raised his clenched fist .
“Ohhhhhhh!” The mercenaries who witnessed his victory cheered .
The remaining hobgoblins soon realized they’ve been defeated and fled to the forest, leaving only the corpses of the hobgoblins behind .
Theo’s first battle in the Nadun Mountain Ranges ended spectacularly .