บท 48: Chapter 47: Advent of Atomic Universe
[Third Person's Point of View]
August's thoughts raced as a plan formed in his mind to counter the formation of light beams in front of him. He knew how dangerous and difficult they were to avoid once unleashed, and he couldn't leave the city behind him defenceless against their destructive force.
'Tatiana!' He urgently called out in his mind. Mei Mei's words lingered, reminding him that everything he did was being closely scrutinised by the Headquarters.
As a sorcerer, failing to save a city in real life would be disastrous. Even though his raw power was enough to get him promoted to a Special Grade rank, he would rather not have any complications in the process.
['On it, Boss!']
The voice of his AI assistant served as a calming presence in his mind, offering reassurance as the onslaught of solarbeams loomed ahead. The spectators collectively held their breath as thousands of beams were fired towards their intended targets.
All eyes were on the lone young man standing bravely in front of what appeared to be divine judgment in the form of blinding lights.
The world was suddenly illuminated with scorching brightness, almost as if the sun had descended upon Earth, forcing everyone to avert their eyes from the screen. After a few seconds, as the lights died down, the scene in front of them left them with their jaws open.
Thousands upon thousands of solar beams seemed to stop just inches away from August, as the dimensional wall over there rippled like the surface of water due to the overwhelming concentration of energy in singular spots.
"Commence counterattack!" August ordered with a steady voice despite the intense situation.
Genbu watched in disbelief as the beams that had previously stopped inches away from August, suddenly turned back towards their source instead of dissipating.
-Boom-
A cacophony of explosions boomed amid the chaos as the Verdant army was obliterated by powerful solar beams. The once lush grounds were now scorched and covered in dust and debris from the blasts, obscuring their vision.
Genbu had quickly stopped the solarbeams once they were redirected back at him, but it was too late and the damage was already done. As the dust and debris settled down, the silhouette of the old man reappeared in front of them, unharmed.
However, all around them lay the remains of the verdant army; numerous broken wooden structures lay charred and scattered across the scorched earth.
"Hah! It looks like I have really underestimated you. I admit it was a mistake to go easy on you. But no more!" Genbu's voice resonated through the clearing, echoing off the trees.
With that, an immense aura spread out from Genbu, far stronger than what he had displayed before.
The ground beneath August trembled heavily as if the very earth was protesting against the impending onslaught. His eyes widened in surprise as the land split open, revealing wooden hands that emerged from the depths. They were soon followed by heads and torsos, forming eerie human-esque wooden constructs. These bodies were carved with intricate details, making them appear almost lifelike.
But the spectacle didn't end there. Colossal Eastern-style wooden dragons burst from the ground with majestic forms towering over the battlefield.
Lastly, gigantic multi-armed wooden statues emerged, casting long shadows across the clearing.
With only three minutes remaining on the clock, August couldn't afford to sit back and watch while his opponent leisurely deployed his army.
"[Vermilion Nova]"
Thick, gigantic pillars of vermilion inferno descended from the heavens, pressing down on the green army below. Hundreds of wooden constructs were reduced to ashes in an instant, but astonishingly, the majority remained intact.
Genbu laughed at the surprise on August's face and mocked, "Did you really think I would leave such a glaring weakness against fire untouched?"
Folding his fingers into a seal, he chanted out, "Arcane Domain: Swamp of the Cover Grave."
The world around August transformed before his eyes, twisting and distorting into a swirling green expanse. He felt a sudden wave of weakness wash over him, his body becoming heavy and unresponsive.
This was the debuff effect of an arcane domain, which weakened its target based on the caster's innate technique. Besides boosting wooden techniques, 'Swamp of the Cover Grave' continuously sapped away its target's vitality, making them clumsy and lethargic in battle – a dangerous disadvantage when facing an opponent of Genbu's calibre.
Witnessing the debuffs already taking hold of his opponent, Genbu didn't plan to stop there. With a simple snap of his finger, a murky green aura surrounded the wooden soldiers, causing their eyes to glow in a bright yellow hue.
"You possess great strength as a Sorcerer, August," the man admitted without hesitation, "With time and dedication, you will surely reach the Special Grade one day."
Narrowing his eyes at the midnight-haired boy floating in the sky, he declared arrogantly, "But today is not that day! Let me teach you a lesson on respecting your elders."
Countless solar beams shot out from the soldiers' eyes, dragon's mouths, and titans' palms, all aimed at the single figure in the sky. August dodged and weaved, trying to avoid being hit.
"Tatiana, target the wooden soldiers," he commanded as the solar rays closed in on him. But instead of hitting him, they bounced off, redirected towards the humanoid wooden soldiers.
A loud explosion rang out but despite facing the same destructive beams that had decimated the verdant army moments before, not a single green aura-clad soldier was harmed.
"?!" August was surprised, but before he could even begin to figure out the cause, his instincts rang loudly. A sudden tyrannical fist to his stomach sent him barrelling downwards into the forest with a loud crash.
"If they can create those beams, don't you think they can reabsorb them easily?" The elderly man taunted, as he gracefully descended towards the spot where he sent August crashing.
By the time he touched down, a disgruntled August was busy patting down the dust from his clothes. "Oi, old man! You know this is a limited edition hand-knitted sweater, right? Be careful!"
The Special Grade sorcerer laughed out heartily in response, "Is that so? Then why don't you give up? You can't win either way." He teased as a translucent bright white aura wrapped tightly around his body.
"Is that...touki?" August asked in curiosity as the old man nodded in confirmation.
"Hoh. You know about touki?"
Of course, he did. Touki was essentially one's life force, or in other words, their Ki, manifesting as an aura and providing increased strength, defence, and speed. It could also cause damage with just a touch and defend against various attacks.
"Yes. Obviously. Say, by any chance does your technique also allow you to use Senjutsu?"
"…"
Even though the conversation fell silent, the expression on the old man's face said everything he needed to know.
"You talk too much. Last chance to surrender."
August just laughed at this and simply retorted, "How arrogant of you to assume that you were the only one holding back!"
For the first time, an inhumanly cold aura emanated from August as he spoke in a deep, ominous voice: "Arcane Domain: Advent of Atomic Universe."
The once vivid green swirls that surrounded August began to quiver and fracture as if an unseen force was breaking them apart. The atmosphere around him turned midnight black, with only small, twinkling stars speckled throughout, dimly lighting the background. In the air, projections of massive spherical bodies formed from various elements hung suspended, while smaller spheres whirled around them in fixed paths, akin to the rotation of electrons around a nucleus.
The two arcane domains collided, each vying for dominance. The vibrant greens of Genbu's domain and the deep blacks of August's domain tangled together, creating a spellbinding display of strength and authority.
Genbu's expression was one of complete shock as he watched the scene play out before him. His barely adult opponent not only possessed his own Arcane Domain, but it was also somehow overpowering Genbu's own domain. The vibrant green aura surrounding Genbu's soldiers flickered for a moment before returning, slightly dimmer than before.
The old man let out a deep sigh as he gazed at his young opponent, his expression filled with both complexity and admiration. "You have proven me wrong time and time again," he admitted, his voice carrying a hint of respect. "To such a worthy opponent, I will offer my serious respect."
Genbu's Domain glowed brilliantly in shades of green as he began to chant an incantation.
"Waga te ni tsudoe, daiju no ibuki.
Tenchi no seirei, kigi no koe o kike.
Kyūkyoku no chikara o tokihanate,
Mokuzai Hijutsu: Shinrabanshō!"
[T/N- Gather in my hand, breath of the great trees. Spirits of heaven and earth, hear the voice of the woods. Unleash the ultimate power, Mokuzai Secret Technique: All Creation of Nature!] (*Read the Author's Note below)
With a forceful slam of his hand on the ground, a surge of powerful natural energy erupted from beneath them. From this epicentre, a colossal tree grew rapidly to a massive size, its branches intricately weaving together to make different structures, covered in leaves that glowed verdant green.
Meanwhile, the entire forest came to life as its branches, roots, and leaves all intertwined together to create a dome-shaped structure that served as a framework for the nature energy barrier that enveloped them.
Overflowing nature energy mixed with cursed energy slammed against August's arcane domain, in an attempt to push back the intruder occupying their territory.
While the tree finished growing to titanic proportions, a massive bud formed at its top. Genbu's aura of white Touki thickened around him as he faced August with serene eyes, seeming one with nature itself.
A tremendous amount of nature energy gathered at the tip of the bud atop the colossal tree while Genbu took his stance alongside his wooden minion.
"So this is it," With a quiet murmur, August pointed his right index finger at his awaiting enemies.
As if it were a signal for battle, Genbu charged forward, followed by his army of wooden soldiers. It was like a brave general leading his troops against the enemy.
In this case, the enemy was only one.
[Snow Goddess' Forgiveness]
His 'Arcane Domain: Advent of Atomic Universe' massively reduced his enemies' resistance against Elemental magic, while buffing his spells simultaneously.
A small white orb formed on the tip of his extended finger, aimed directly at the approaching Special Grade sorcerer.
"This is the end, Ge——"
"STOPP!!!"
The battle was about to reach its climax when a loud female voice interrupted, echoing throughout the mirror dimension.
"Five minutes are up. The evaluation is over. I repeat..."
Mei Mei's announcement paused the intense scene, causing the two opponents to freeze in their positions, their eyes awkwardly staring at each other.
August was the first one to dispel his magic, with the icy blueish-white ball fizzling out harmlessly in the air.
Genbu remained tense, but August raised his arm in a gesture of surrender and laughed, "Come on, I don't want to miss my date with her because of this fight."
Realising that the battle was truly over, the old man returned to a relaxed state and looked at August with a much friendlier expression.
"Let's finish this some other time."
"Sure, old man," August replied with a smirk.
_________
The dust of the battle had barely settled when August found himself standing next to the sleek, black Maybach, parked outside the mirror dimension.
The old man, Genbu, had just departed, leaving August with his last words still ringing in his ears. The invitation to visit the Kushihashi clan's estate was added to his calendar, along with the promise of another battle on a different day.
With a sense of anticipation, August held open the car door, revealing the plush interior bathed in soft, ambient light. Mei Mei gracefully slid into the car, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment as she nodded in silent gratitude.
Closing the door behind her, navigated around the car and effortlessly settled into the plush leather of the backseat next to Mei Mei.
The scent of Mei Mei's perfume filled the air; a tantalizing mix of jasmine and vanilla that added an intoxicating layer to the atmosphere.
Breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them, August asked Mei Mei, "Where to next?"
"We're heading to headquarters," she responded as her finger deftly flicked a switch on the armrest. The windows of the car instantly turned opaque and a partition rose between the front and back seats, blocking August's view of outside.
"Just protocols," she explained, noticing his confused expression. Dialling up his senses, August tried to get a feel for their surroundings but found that an anti-sensing barrier was in place around the car. Smiling at his efforts, Mei Mei clarified, "It's a safety precaution."
August laughed it off, as the tension from the earlier battle slowly ebbed away. As his eyes met Mei Mei's, he asked with a playful glint in them, "So, about our date?"
In response, Mei Mei leaned closer to him, stopping herself when their faces were mere inches apart. Her warm and sweet breath brushed against his skin as she whispered seductively, "Once you're finished with headquarters business, we can work out the details."
*******************************
*Author's Note (1) - Important chants and incantations will be given in the native language, as they increase the realism of the novel. Or so I think? What are your thoughts on this matter?
And sorry for the delay. And no, I don't have any plans to drop this book anytime soon.
I would have updated a lot earlier, but my UNI decided to surprise us with a 'Surprise' test. I am truly sorry for the delay, but guess what? I am free now! So that means regular updates from now on!
If you want to read the next chapter, and two weeks' worth right now~, go visit my Patreon account.
[Link: Patreon.com/Midwintersnow] ['P' lowercase ofc]
See y'all.
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