## Chapter 1905 – 1905. Dark Moon
[Electric Field]
I used the Electric Field for support, not for attack. It wasn’t meant for offense. It was to set the stage for using lightning magic more easily and powerfully.
A bright blue current spread across the floor. But it was blocked and disappeared midway. The heat from the maple tree Gillian summoned suppressed the current and scattered it. That heat was rising in real time.
‘It doesn’t seem to think and attack directly like an animal-type summon… It’s incredibly annoying just by existing and having an effect.’
The biggest problem was that there was no information about that maple tree at all. I didn’t even know there were trees in the Spirit World in the first place. I also wasn’t interested in summoning from the start.
“Hahaha! Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!!”
Gillian laughed and threw fireballs.
I moved my body here and there with telekinesis, dodging the fireballs. Bang! Bang! Bang! The fireballs exploded near me, and the shockwaves pounded against the barrier. Unless they hit directly, this level of shockwave couldn’t break my barrier.
‘This is magic, but also an ability.’
Fireballs aren’t just magic made of formulas. That maple tree doesn’t just give the summoner fire magic aptitude.
The harmony of elemental abilities and magic. I know better than anyone how efficient that is. That’s because I’m using lightning magic with the ability of lightning.
“I have no idea about that maple tree.”
“That’s what ignorant guys are like. Well, I understand. This guy is very rare even in the Spirit World.”
He was arrogant, so I had hoped, but he didn’t seem to want to tell me more.
“I know it’s a tree related to fire, at least. Then I’ll have to go the orthodox way.”
[Water]
Water is created in the air. It’s just a first-class spell. But I, the one using the magic, was fifth-class. Even if it’s a first-class spell, its power varies greatly depending on the mage’s aptitude, skill, and class.
A spell that would normally only create enough water to fill a bucket was now pouring down like a waterfall. It was effective. At least the surrounding heat had subsided a little.
“Even if you’re fifth-class, you’re creating that much water non-stop? Did you have an aptitude for water too?”
“I was born with it. I can use magic of other attributes without using tricks like some people.”
“You talk a good game.”
The maple tree behind him swayed. The red maple leaves shone even more brilliantly. Each maple leaf felt like a flame.
Chiiiiiiik!
The water that had fallen and spread on the ground evaporated. Steam rose, partially obscuring the view. But I couldn’t stop pouring water. Since the target was a fire mage, I had to cool the heat even a little to increase my chances of winning.
“Did you say you’d fry me crisp when we talked on the phone earlier? Then I’ll bake you to the core. Meat is best well-done, after all.”
Flames rose from the ground and swirled. I could feel the heat even though I was far away. I increased my altitude with telekinesis. The vortex of flames chased after me.
I poured the falling water into the vortex. Chiiiiiiik! Steam rose. The water pouring down like a waterfall didn’t cool the vortex at all. Rather, the steam was making the heat rise even more in all directions.
‘This isn’t the answer.’
I released Water.
‘My approach was wrong. I need to get to the root of the problem.’
Before that, I had to deal with the vortex of flames trying to burn me.
[Using a Moment (刹那). Remaining stacks: 11]
The world slows down.
Only my mind and astral form had normal speed. Looking at the vortex of flames, I thought of the spells I could use and calculated the formulas.
The moment I moved mana, the moment of a moment ended. 52 mana rods simultaneously processed mana into formulas. It seemed a little overloaded, but it was okay. I knew that limit better than anyone.
[Fire Tornado]
A red magic circle was drawn under my feet, and a Fire Tornado was created from there. The palm-sized vortex devoured the surrounding heat and oxygen, quickly growing in size and colliding with Gillian’s vortex of flames.
It was natural that Gillian’s expression crumpled.
“You arrogant bastard! Do you think you can win with that? I know you’re a lightning mage!”
“Fire magic isn’t my main thing, but I think I can beat a half-baked fire mage?”
“You cocky bastard!”
The two Fire Tornadoes collided.
Fire and fire. Normally, they would merge without colliding. That’s how it is naturally. But those flames weren’t ordinary flames, they were flames created by magic. Flames imbued with the mage’s will.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!
The two Fire Tornadoes didn’t mix and collided. They gnawed at each other’s flames, gradually decreasing in size. It looked like two spinning tops fighting.
The rotational force of Gillian’s Fire Tornado decreased. Its size rapidly decreased and then disappeared. On the other hand, my Fire Tornado survived. It absorbed the surrounding heat and gradually increased the size that had shrunk.
“Shit.”
Gillian’s face was as crumpled as it could be.
He lost in the same fire magic to a lightning mage. Mages are a prideful bunch to begin with. Gillian would never forget the humiliation he felt now until the moment he died.
I stretched out my index finger and pointed at Gillian. The Fire Tornado approached, growing in size.
Gillian was unresponsive.
‘He wouldn’t have given up. What is it?’
The Fire Tornado, which was approaching to burn Gillian, suddenly decreased in size. The heat and flames were being sucked somewhere. It was the maple tree behind Gillian. To be precise, the maple leaves began to burn as they absorbed the fire.
“Yeah, shit. It was my fault for trying to fight like an elemental mage.”
Gillian gritted his teeth and glared at me. He spoke in a murderous voice.
“The game is over. I’m going to get serious. I’ll kill you in the summoner’s way.”
“Are you going to summon a new spirit?”
“I’ve already summoned it.”
Rustle rustle.
The maple leaves moved. It wasn’t the maple leaves themselves that were moving. There was something inside the maple leaves. Soon, they revealed themselves.
“Sparrows?”
They were sparrows with red feathers. There were hundreds of them, but they didn’t look dangerous at all because of their small and cute appearance.
“Do you know what the first thing a summoner hears from their teacher is?”
“…I don’t know. Don’t summon recklessly?”
“Don’t judge by appearance. All creatures in the Spirit World have at least one strange characteristic, even if they look small and insignificant. For example, these Flame Birds…”
The sparrows began to peck at the maple leaves. The bodies of the sparrows that had pecked quickly swelled up. Sparrows that seemed to be less than 10cm instantly grew to almost 3m. The absurd thing wasn’t the sparrow’s appearance. They grew legs and arms like humans. Their bodies were those of muscular men, while their heads were those of innocent sparrows, which felt out of place.
“They temporarily grow in size when they eat fire.”
Hundreds of sparrows became hundreds of warriors. Before they could flap the wings on their backs, I moved first.
‘The number of beasts nearby has been decreasing since earlier. The reason why the sacrifices are decreasing is obvious. It’s being consumed to maintain the summons.’
[Telekinesis]
I levitated all the pebbles on the ground into the air.
[Steel Alchemy]
I temporarily turned the pebbles into steel.
[Shape Transformation]
I alchemized the steel into sharp knives and sent them flying with telekinesis. To kill the beasts that were scattered and hiding.
“You’re quick to notice, as expected. But do you think it’ll be that easy?”
Gillian sneered. I glanced behind me and saw hundreds of muscular sparrow monsters chasing me. I descended. It was better to stand on the ground. At least they wouldn’t come from below.
[Smoke]
White smoke rose, obscuring their vision.
Chirp?! Chirp chirp!
The sparrows that were chasing me were flustered. I took advantage of that gap and targeted the hidden beasts.
Since they weren’t ordinary beasts, even if I located them, I had to concentrate to some extent and use telekinesis to kill them.
Chirp!
The sparrow monsters surrounded me.
[Smoke]
Bang!
I escaped again by setting off a smokescreen.
“You stupid birdbrains! Are your wings just for show? Blow away the smoke!!”
Gillian shouted, veins popping out of his neck. The sparrows flapped their wings and blew away the smoke. But I had already escaped their encirclement.
Thud!
A steel knife controlled by telekinesis pierced the head of the last beast.
“Looks like I won.”
I smiled and looked at Gillian.
“Win my ass. Those guys are just sacrifices that have been conveniently modified. What this guy really wants is…”
Whoosh.
Flames rose in Gillian’s right eye. I was wary, thinking it was a magic I didn’t know, but soon I realized it wasn’t. Gillian’s eye was melting in a gooey way.
‘Since there are no sacrifices to offer to the summon, he’s offering his own eye and body.’
I quickly erased the smile that was forming on my lips.
It was worth it to have dealt with the beasts. The fact that he had started offering himself as a sacrifice meant that his resources were starting to run out.
The temperature was rising. Pillars of fire rose from all directions. Gillian was the one in a hurry. He wanted to end the battle by killing me somehow before he died as a sacrifice.
‘Just running away doesn’t suit my temperament.’
From the moment I saw Gillian’s bottom line, the direction of the battle began to take shape. I would win. I was sure of it.
Fzzzzzt!
I flew into the air, unleashing lightning. The flashing current gathered around me in a circle, forming a barrier.
The sparrows surrounded me, but they couldn’t recklessly jump in. They would obviously be electrocuted to death.
“You idiots!”
Gillian’s right eye had completely melted. Then his left arm began to burn. The maple tree swayed, and burning maple leaves scattered in the wind. Most of the maple leaves were absorbed by the sparrow monsters. The sparrow monsters grew even larger.
“You’ve had a mysterious experience recently.”
Fzzzzzt.
I created lightning in my fist. Then, I imbued the lightning with formulas, assembling lightning and magic.
“What are you doing, birdbrains! Attack!!”
