章 22: Battle of Hobbiton(2)

The flurry of elemental attacks I conjured descended upon my four adversaries. Chunks of earth, propelled faster by accompanying wind, moved to crush Ragnar. He mockingly sneered, "I'll show you whose nameless, geezer!" His body bathed in a yellow light, and my eyes widened as his form transformed, his already imposing height increasing to around 10 feet. He became a crimson, beastly creature, adorned with fanged teeth and red scales. Easily, he punched through the wave of rocks targeting him and shouted, "This is my Ultimate Destruction Incarnate! Something used by one of your fake emperors! You still think I'm nameless?!" I couldn't help but think that having strong magic didn't change the fact that no one had ever heard of him, and it was the wizard who made the spell, not the other way around. "Just because you share the same magic doesn't make you as strong as Wolfheim, or else you alone would be enough to deal with me," I retorted, causing his red face to flush even redder with fury and embarrassment.

Simultaneously, while dealing with Ragnar, I split my focus to the other three Inquisitors. Water and lightning fused to create a shockwave that sought to engulf Roxanne. She remained serious, withdrawing her wand from her right thigh, which transformed into a feather pen, and she started inscribing mystic runes in the air as her canvas. She chanted, "White Ecriture: Barrier!" A rectangular wall of white light materialized before her, holding firm against my shockwave. The barrier then gently dissipated into white particles, revealing her unharmed, her expression still razor-focused.

Concurrently, shards of ice condensed from the water particles in the air, akin to the ones I had employed against Rex during his training but more potent, rained down upon their leader, Joseph. He maintained his carefree expression and nonchalantly opened his mouth, absorbing my ice magic like a black hole until there was nothing left. He patted his belly and let out a crude burp. My internal question was 'How?!' and perhaps sensing my confusion, he coyly smirked, "Sorry, Gamgee, but ice is like food to me." I paid him no further attention, as my focus was primarily drawn to the last and potentially the most troublesome opponent, Marx. My fireballs descended upon him like a meteor shower, but his eyes seemed to glow, and his pupils formed a 'T.' He gracefully dodged the series of attacks with minimal movement, taking casual sidesteps or shifting his body sideways, all the while maintaining a studious gaze. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Joseph's subtle displeasure, indicating I wasn't the only one put off by Marx's performance. Roxanne and Ragnar also displayed some surprise, though it was much more evident on Ragnar's face.

Though my attack had been a mere test, their response was unsettling, affirming that each of them was competent and deserving of the title of a wizard. I then turned my attention to Joseph and questioned, or rather declared, "You're a Dragon Slayer?" He raised his right eyebrow, saying, "Oh... you've heard of my magic. Oh, that's right, your fake god is one, isn't he?" The term 'fake god' puzzled me for a moment, but then I realized who he was referring to, shaking my head in denial. "He's not our god; no one believes or prays to him. He's just a powerful and arrogant brat with a god complex." Joseph happily nodded, "Well, that's good. I suppose the people of Ishgar would be quite disappointed when our master slays your god. But anyway, yes, you're right. I'm a second-generation Frost Dragon Slayer." The mention of 'second generation' brought to mind Macky's child.

"Well," Joseph began, chuckling as he approached me, "The great Gamgee Hardwick must be capable of more than this, right, or else we've wasted our time coming here?" Instead of responding verbally, I demonstrated with my actions, suddenly vanishing and reappearing beside him. "How?!" he began, attempting to shield himself with a defensive stance, but I was quicker, reinforcing and coating my staff in magic, slamming it into his chest, sending him flying with a 'grok' toward the edge of the birdcage. He moaned in pain as the cage's barrier bounced him back to the platform. Slowly, he got up, his bones audibly cracking in pain as he glared at me in hatred. "Careful," Marx's voice drew my attention, and I realized he was looking down on the platform with his magic-enhanced eyes. "He's placed countless tiny transportation circles across the floor. He can warp to any of our locations continuously." Roxanne raised an eyebrow and attempted to take to the sky with light-colored butterfly wings, but was shocked to find that she could only get a few meters up before falling. Marx continued with his precise analysis, "It appears he has placed some sort of enchantment on the cage forbidding flight." Ragnar, however, manically laughed and soared into the air with his superhuman leg strength, crashing down toward me. I promptly disappeared and warped myself to his previous location, where he made a thunderous impact with the ground, leaving a large crater in the stone platform before it began to recover and return to its undamaged state. "Stop running, you damned geezer!" Ragnar roared at me.

The inquisitors began to encircle me, and we understood that the time for words was over; it was time to fight. To begin, I decided to eliminate the weakest opponent. I disappeared and warped right behind Roxanne, thrusting my staff into her back, and simultaneously exchanging it for a sword using 'Requip.' However, as the blade was about to pierce her spine, she dissolved into motes of light, reforming a few feet away from me and firing three white magic beams in my direction. Swiftly, I swapped the sword back for my staff, its tip adorned with a dark blue magical circle. The same hue surrounded the incoming beams, and I took control of them, redirecting each one toward the other three inquisitors. Ragnar simply swatted the attack aside, Marx gracefully sidestepped it, and Joseph leaped out of its trajectory.

Joseph and Ragnar exchanged nods, and an icy magical aura enveloped the leader as he knelt and placed his arms on the platform. Meanwhile, Ragnar charged at me with relentless speed. "Frost Dragon Secret Art: Absolute Zero!" he shouted. Immediately, the ground beneath us turned into solid ice, but it wasn't slippery, which baffled me. I had intended to avoid physical confrontation with the fearsome Ragnar by warping away, but I was left stunned when I discovered that I couldn't warp. I glanced at Joseph, who wore an evil smirk, and realized he had severed my connection with my transport circles. Horror overtook me as Ragnar appeared manically, delivering a powerful right hook and causing me to attempt a hasty retreat while casting a protective barrier. However, the barrier instantly shattered upon contact with his fist, which continued its trajectory toward me. I felt my chest cave in, spitting out blood as his blow sent me hurtling. Like Joseph before me, I moaned in pain as the cage's barrier bounced me back to the icy floor.

Before I could gather my bearings, Roxanne was already closing in on me. Her speed was amplified by white boots that reminded me of Rex's flame shoes. The witch conjured a white scythe made of light and swung it toward me with deadly intent. Thinking of my grandson, I decided to employ some techniques I had observed from watching him. I slammed my staff onto the icy surface and chanted, "Transform: Ice -> Mud." All present were momentarily taken aback as the ground shifted into a muddy slide, disrupting Roxanne's advance and causing her to slip backward. Joseph raised his muddy hands in disgust before cleansing them with some nameless water spell. Ragnar, who had planned to follow up his previous attack, grew infuriated when he was pushed back, unable to find solid footing to lunge at me. Marx, standing in the background, seemed untroubled and showed no intention of joining the battle as he mumbled, "Although it's similar, it seems inferior to Rex's transmutation magic." Seizing the opportunity created by Marx's inactivity and to deal with the others, I tapped my staff once again, reverting it to the stone floor, and decided to utilize more of my late wife's skills. "Plant Make: Viper!" Vines and leaves sprouted from beneath us, entwining to form a colossal serpent that moved to engulf our adversaries. While Ragnar, Joseph, and Roxanne appeared momentarily surprised, Marx stepped up, surprising everyone as he charged at them. From his pockets, he produced a pair of daggers and skillfully leaped above the serpent, demonstrating that his athletic physique was no mere show. He then executed an x-shaped cutting motion with the daggers, sending a magical slash downward onto my serpent's head, severing it into fragments. Marx looked at me with his ever-inquisitive expression and spoke, "Dynamic Maker Magic is quite a feat. Show me more."

Joseph's anger boiled over as he yelled at Marx, "Marx, stop fooling around and help us get rid of him. Do you want me to report you to the Grand Inquisitor?!" With his back turned to his comrades, Marx lowered his head and politely replied, "Yes, sir," but I could detect his annoyance in the slight scrunch of his face, which was directed at me. His pupils transformed into an 'F,' and he then focused his gaze downward onto the stone platform. I was taken aback as I sensed the transportation circles shattering and breaking apart, rendering them useless.

Marx then lunged at me with his daggers, poised for close combat. Despite my advanced age, I remained no slouch in close-range combat. We engaged in a flurry of blows, with me deflecting his attacks with my staff and moving to strike him on the head, my staff seamlessly transforming into an axe. He knelt and parried my blow with his daggers, sending me slipping backward. As a looming shadow descended upon me, I looked up to see Ragnar in the air, poised to crush me once more. This time, I was prepared. Silently casting "Plant Make: Golem," I created a 14-foot wooden giant covered in moss to stand before me. It intercepted Ragnar's sumo dive and clutched him with one of its massive hands. Ragnar exerted his strength to break free, causing the golem's arm to crack before it flung Ragnar to the other side of the dome and released him. It then turned its attention to Marx, ready to strike, but that's when Joseph took action.

"Frost Dragon: Roar!" Joseph roared, unleashing a freezing wave of ice that threatened to encase everything in its path. The slow and massive golem couldn't evade, but Marx and I managed to lunge out of the way. However, as I attempted to move, the witch acted once more, chanting, "White Ecriture: Flash!" She created a blinding flash of light that dulled my senses, leaving me in momentary pain and temporarily pausing my thought process. In the blink of an eye, I felt nothing but an icy chill as both I and my plant-like creation were encased in ice.

------

A gruff voice entered my ears, and I recognized it as Ragnar's. He asked, "Oi Joseph, what are we going to do now?"

Joseph, with his snarky tone, replied, "Calm down, Ragnar. We can't finish him off yet; we need the kid to cooperate first."

Ragnar seemed impatient, asking, "I get that, but how are we going to do that?"

Joseph responded, "Is it so hard for you to speak softly?! Simple, that brat Rex will surrender in exchange for his grandfather's safety. As for the old man, well, if he's obedient, we will just put a collar on him and reunite him with his old bud Rob."

"Tsk, fine, but after the lord is resurrected, his life is mine!" Ragnar declared.

Joseph's reply was nonchalant, "Do as you please, big guy."

The name Rob struck a chord with me. It was a name I hadn't heard in a while. Macky sent me a letter years ago, telling me of his disappearance. I guess I now know what happened to him. I tried to move my legs and body, but to no avail. Everything felt frozen stiff, and I wondered if this ice might even compare with that monstrous lady up north. However, I doubted it. Even though I never met her, Lady Ur doesn't seem to be the sort to pursue fame, so her reputation should be the real thing. I sighed, feeling helpless. How pathetic am I? I lectured my grandson on being humble, but my arrogance has left me in this state. Speaking of Rex, I probably wouldn't even be able to think if I didn't coat myself with this mana-skin thing he showed me. Although it's a very simple reinforcement, one that many mages might have done unconsciously in their life, the knowledge to do it on command makes it quite handy.

I started to discretely circulate my magic and focused more energy in my eyes, allowing me to subtly open them. I took in the sight before me. Roxanne watched impassively as her leader and the beast broke down into a fit of argument, while Marx just kept his attention on me. Even encased in ice, I was positive he already sensed my awakening and locked his eyes with mine, lightly smiling. Even after being turned into an icicle, I could feel shivers and my hair raising at his chilly gaze. Yet he did not move to inform his fellow inquisitors, giving me a non-verbal 'go ahead, it has nothing to do with me' kind of stare. I understood that he was out of my league, and even if it were a 1-on-1 fight, I didn't think I could face him. It was obvious he was hiding his strength, for reasons unknown to me. Perhaps the cult wasn't as united as it presented itself before. If he was allowing me the chance to respond, then I wouldn't waste it. Even if I had to die, I would take out those three, and as for Marx, even if it was tough, I was positive Rex could beat him.

I lightly chanted, "Absorb," and just like before, my veins started pumping as I drew in the Ethernano from my Golem and the ice. This caused cracks to appear in them, and the sound grew louder, drawing the attention of the other three, who looked toward me in astonishment. But it was too late. The Golem and the ice shattered, turning into visible masses of energy that flowed into me. I could feel my injuries closing and my strength returning before the process was completed, allowing my external appearance to return to normal, and my visage to calm. I then gave the three an indifferent gaze that I was pretty sure filled them with some dread.

Joseph then jerked his head to the side, turning towards Marx. He went up to him and grabbed him by the collar angrily, spitting in his face, and exclaimed, "What the fuck, Marx?! Were you just staring, and don't act like you weren't? If it wasn't for the Grand Inquisitor favoring you, I would kill you where you stand!"

From behind Joseph, I calmly watched Ragnar look at his fellow inquisitor with visible fury. Even the seemingly ever-impassive Roxanne shot Marx a glare of frustration. However, Marx simply grabbed Joseph's arm and forcibly pried it off his collar, much to Joseph's chagrin and shock. Marx then gestured towards me with a side glance and calmly stated, "With all due respect, 'Leader,' you don't possess the authority nor strength to dispose of me. Besides, don't we have more pressing matters to attend to?"

I could see Joseph biting his lip in anger, drawing blood before taking a loud huff and turning towards me. He demanded, "The hell is that magic of yours, old man? We have no records of it!"

I shrugged calmly, before humoring him a bit, "It makes sense, since I first awakened I never bothered to use it before that Adonis fellow caused that incident. It feels a bit evil, that's all."

"Adonis, eh?" Ragnar began cracking his knuckles, "Well, this ain't gonna save you; we're not like that trash!"

I thought, "That's not what I meant." I then explained, "It appears there's been some sort of misunderstanding. Rex was the one that killed Adonis, not me."

That revelation caught them all by surprise. If they were as knowledgeable as they presented themselves, then they should know my grandchild was only 4 at that time, making it a very impressive feat. Joseph pointed at me and demanded, "You still haven't answered my question. What is that magic of yours?"

And I won't, I thought. Joseph looked towards Marx, who sighed and stared at me with his magic eyes, the pupils shifting back to form a pair of 'T's'. Once more he spoke up: "It appears to be something he's coined 'Law of Devouring'. It permits him to forcibly draw the magic power out of anything, be it a person, item, spell, or the outside world, and absorb it. It then recovers and strengthens his magic power and physical state, whereas the excess energy, if there's any left, is transported to his second origin and sealed like a container for future use."

Is he clairvoyant or something? Well, it doesn't matter. I don't know if it's because he couldn't see the whole truth or neglected to tell them, but he only really explained half of it. The 'Law of Devouring' has two states: 'Absorb' and 'Release'. What he just pointed out was mainly 'Absorb', while Release lets me emit any amount of energy I've stored up, and unfortunately for them, that's five years' worth.

I tapped into my second origin and let the storage of energy I've been saving up shoot out. The alarm struck on their faces as my magical energy started pouring outwards, causing cracks to appear in the birdcage. Marx lightly and indifferently spoke up: "He's gonna blow himself up."

"Shit!" Joseph screamed, before yelling "Dragon Force," frost and blue scales appeared on his body as his output skyrocketed and large snowflakes started to appear around him and link up with beams of ice, forming some sort of perimeter to shield him. Using her 'White Ecriture,' Roxanne shielded herself with another but far superior barrier that formed a full protective dome of white light. Marx just lightly yawned before snapping his fingers as a hexagram black magic circle appeared under his feet, surrounding him in invisible walls. Ragnar simply smiled and stood confidently, having faith in his incarnation. Joseph looked at him and screamed: "Ragnar, you idiot! Get inside Roxanne's dome!" But it was too late.

The magic exploded outwards from me, drowning everything inside the dome, in a huge explosion. Immediately, the birdcage crumbled and fell apart as the beanstalk raising the platform began to recede to the ground, dropping everything. Even if it was my own magic, I too was affected by the bounce back of the spell but to a far lesser extent. I had many surface burns on my body, my clothes were utterly shredded, revealing my completely scored back, and blood poured down from my ears, eyes, and nose, signaling the cost of the taboo spell.

I coughed as I got up from my kneeling position, and coughed. Right in front of me was Ragnar's scorched body, however, it was missing everything above his torso. That's one, I thought. Next, my attention was drawn to Roxanne, the left half of her face, and her left leg were missing as she was slumped on the ground, coughing hysterically. Her barrier shattered immediately from the 'Release' but did take the brunt of the explosion, allowing her to keep her life... momentarily. That's two, I thought; even if I don't do something, she'll be dead soon.

The smoke cleared to reveal Joseph, who seemed to be in far better condition than me. His dragon scales receded as I could make out melted and shattered shards of ice around him. I began to frown as he only seemed to have light burns and was covered in a bit of soot. But my despair wasn't over; the last bit of smoke dispelled to reveal Marx, completely unscathed. He smiled lightly and made a dusting gesture to clean his utterly unmarked clothing. The magic circle beneath him began to recede as he looked at me with a smile and began to clap. Clap! Clap! Clap! Even Joseph frowned in confusion and annoyance but said nothing as he panted lightly and perhaps sensed a dangerous foreboding should he make a command now.

He then smiled, displaying the broadest hint of emotion I had ever witnessed from him. "Wonderful, truly magnificent. If you had cultivated that ability your entire life, you might have aspired to reach the level of Ishgar's formidable quartet. However, in your present state, you barely qualify to challenge the wizard saints. But I have faith that you won't let me down," Marx continued, turning away from me and casting his gaze skyward, capturing the attention of everyone present.

In the heavens above, mounted on a peculiar, grotesque contraption that could only be described as an eerie fusion of a magical broom and a bicycle, my cherished grandson gazed down upon us with a somber countenance.