Book 1 Chapter 90
[90]89.
“I don’t know why you came all the way here, but you are unlucky. Because you’re going to die here. Keu-keuk-”
The beast tamer, who had scoffed, raised his hand.
At the same time, Leo released the spell he had completed in his mind.
“Lightning Storm!”
The most powerful lightning-type spell Leo could currently use struck the surface of the lake.
Flash-! Crackle-!
Golden electricity raged.
“What a crude attack.”
Crunch-!
Tentacles extended from the beast tamer’s sleeve, wrapping around his body as if to protect him.
Fizzzzzzzzzzzz-!
A storm of electricity engulfed the beast tamer.
Snap-!
The beast tamer, who had emerged from the tentacles that had wrapped around his body, curled up the corners of his mouth.
“I’ll return it.”
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzap-!
A lightning storm erupted from the tip of the tentacles.
Seeing this, Leo urgently threw himself aside.
‘Not only is his magic resistance excellent, but he can absorb, store, and then release? Was there such a magical beast?’
As his face hardened, the beast tamer stretched out his hand towards Leo.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-!
The tentacles stretched out and enveloped Leo.
Leo bent his body back.
The tentacles that cut through the air directly pierced the giant tree behind Leo.
Kagagagak-! Thud-! Crack-!
“I’ll crush you like this.”
The beast tamer, who had uprooted the tree with the power of the tentacles, smiled coldly.
Whoosh-!
The moment the giant tree reached right in front of him, aura flickered from Leo’s body.
Kagagagak-!
Leo, who had turned the tree into ashes, tried to counterattack.
But faster than that, tentacles that had broken through the ground wrapped around Leo’s ankle.
‘Had he hidden the magical beast underground? I didn’t feel any presence? Moreover, this feeling is…!’
The tentacles wrapped around his ankle lifted Leo into the air and slammed him onto the ground.
Bang-!
Leo, whose body was protected by an aura armor, released all the aura from his body.
Kagagak-!
The storm of aura, raging like an explosion, tore the tentacle magical beast to shreds.
Leo, who had barely escaped, kept his distance.
Drip-!
The flesh of the tentacle-type magical beast regenerated and returned to its original state.
‘Its regeneration is also amazing.’
“I’ll kill you here.”
At the beast tamer’s words, Leo activated his spiritual power.
“I’m sorry, but just taking it isn’t my style.”
Fwoosh-!
Fiora, whose whole body was engulfed in flames, returned to her original form.
Flap-!
As she spread her wings, her body grew.
Leo had drawn out her potential with his spiritual power.
Kwoooooooh-!
As Fiora charged, the beast tamer’s tentacle magical beast wrapped around his body as if it were armor.
Crack-!
The moment Fiora’s body slammed into the beast tamer, a huge flame erupted, sending the beast tamer flying at an immense speed and crashing into the lakeside.
Boom-!
Water shot high into the air.
As Fiora flew closer to the lake, the water boiled and steam rose.
Fiora, who returned to Leo with elegant wing beats, opened her mouth.
“Peep.”
[Hmph, she’s peeping again after returning to her original form. You really are a chick… Ack?!]
Fiora pecked at Kirian’s head with her beak for teasing her.
“As expected, the Phoenix’s contractor is different! A different dimension from other first-year brats!”
Groooooan-!
The beast tamer, who had sunk into the water, floated to the surface.
Terrifying dark magic poured from his body.
‘This isn’t good.’
Leo frowned at the pain felt in his right flank.
The shock of the attack he had suffered a moment ago had not yet subsided.
In addition, Leo remembered something upon seeing the magical beast the beast tamer was handling.
“Earth Snake?”
“You’re quick-witted. Yes. This is a chimera magical beast I created.”
Chimera magical beast.
It was an artificial magical beast created by extracting the strengths of monsters and magical beasts to create a more powerful creature.
‘I suspected it because the feeling of hiding its presence underground was exactly like an Earth Snake… This bastard. He made a chimera out of a phantom beast!’
It was then that the beast tamer laughed coldly and stretched out his hand, looking at Leo glaring at him.
“What are you doing to my beloved junior? Beast tamer?”
An elegant voice was heard from the air.
Rumble-! Bang-!
The sound of thunder echoed in the clear sky.
Flash-!
Kagagagagak-!
A powerful lightning bolt struck towards the beast tamer.
The magical beast reacted to the attack and wrapped around the beast tamer’s body again.
But as if mocking his efforts, the lightning mercilessly tore the tentacle magical beast to shreds.
“For my magical beast armor to be torn like this.”
The beast tamer looked up at the sky.
“As expected of Rumeren’s top summoner.”
[What’s that winged pony talking about?]
“Pegasus.”
Leo replied to Kirian’s murmur.
“It’s a phantom beast of the same rank as you guys.”
The beast tamer dipped his hand into the lake.
Bubble-bubble-bubble-!
The lake water began to boil.
Not only that, but the clear lake began to emit strong toxicity and a foul odor.
Buzz-!
“Come out, Death Slime.”
Kagagagagak-!
The contaminated lake water swirled.
A huge, dark gray slime emerged from the lake.
It was a magical beast known to be the most powerful of the slime family.
“Peep! Peep!”
[The smell!]
Kirian and Fiora recoiled in disgust.
Even though the highest-tier Death Slime, which could poison and kill people by its mere presence, was summoned, Ulta remained calm.
“Magical beasts are never lovely to look at. Airia. Let’s get rid of that pitiful monstrosity.”
Rumble-! Bang-! Flash-!
Simultaneously with Ulta’s words, lightning struck from the sky.
The lightning struck the horn of the Pegasus Ulta was riding.
Fizzzzzzzzzzzz-!
The Pegasus’s body shone with a golden light.
‘As expected…’
Leo was impressed.
‘He’s a monster.’
It wasn’t just because Pegasus was one of the strongest phantom beasts that such power was emanating.
It was the power of Ulta’s boundless spiritual energy.
Flash-! Kagagagagak!
A storm of lightning raged.
With just one attack, the Death Slime vanished without a trace.
The beast tamer, who had quickly retreated to the waterside to avoid Ulta’s attack, shouted.
“Interesting! Well then, how about this!”
“Huh? Will you be able to blabber about it being interesting even after you’re dead?”
Just then, Yura, who appeared beside Leo, spoke in a chilling voice.
“How dare you make a chimera out of a phantom beast?”
Whoosh-!
As Yura activated her spiritual power, a gigantic summoning circle unfurled on the ground.
Seeing the massive summoning circle that covered the surrounding area, the beast tamer hastily summoned his next magical beast.
“Come out, Cyclops.”
Grroooaar!
A gigantic, one-eyed magical beast appeared.
The fearsome magical beast giant, standing 4 meters tall, was one of the magical beasts that had established itself as a terror on the front lines of Tartarus.
“Hahaha! I don’t know what you’ll summon, but my Cyclops won’t be easy, Professor Yura! What kind of phantom beast did you summon?”
Squeak.
A mouse poked its head out from the summoning circle.
[You drew this huge summoning circle just to summon one mouse?]
Kirian said with a bewildered face, but Leo recognized the mouse’s identity at once.
“Devourer Mouse.”
It was the most vicious phantom beast Leo knew of.
“Oh ho? As expected of an honor student in Summoning Studies! You recognized it right away?”
“I’m not in Summoning Studies.”
“You brat!”
Yura put Leo in a headlock.
Squeak-! Squeak-! Squeak-squeak-squeak-!
An enormous number of Devourer Mice began to be summoned at an incredible speed.
“Eat them all, leave no bones!”
As Yura commanded, the Devourer Mice began to rush towards the Cyclops.
Grroooooooarrr!
The Cyclops, categorized as one of the most vicious magical beasts, let out a scream.
The Devourer Mice began to mercilessly gnaw at the Cyclops’s flesh.
“Ugh!”
An enormous number of Devourer Mice finally climbed onto the Cyclops’s head and rushed towards the beast tamer.
The beast tamer hastily pulled out a teleportation scroll from his pocket.
“Not so fast.”
Ulta took a javelin-throwing stance.
Fizzzzzzzzzzzz-!
Pegasus’s lightning swirled in his hand.
Whoosh-!
“Aaaargh!”
A spear of lightning pierced the beast tamer.
Even while screaming, the beast tamer barely managed to tear the scroll.
“Did I miss him?”
Ulta clicked his tongue and then flew towards Leo and Yura.
The Cyclops was also unsummoned, and the Devourer Mice, whose target had disappeared, returned to where they came from under Yura’s command.
“Now then.”
Yura glared at Leo.
“You brat! Why did you enter a restricted area?”
She had announced that it was fine to go anywhere on the island except for the restricted area.
“Because of Fiora.”
“Fiora?”
Yura glared at the Phoenix sitting on Leo’s head.
“Peep.”
“Oh, how small and brave! Alright! If Fiora wanted it, then it can’t be helped!”
Seeing Yura forgive him so easily, Ulta spoke in a cold voice unlike before.
“Professor Yura. How can you forgive a student who broke school rules for such a reason?”
Ulta looked at Leo with cold eyes.
“To try and get out of trouble by using your summon. You should be ashamed, Leo Flove.”
Unlike before, Ulta showed his dignity as a fifth-year student.
“Tell me the truth. What was the reason you broke the school rules?”
Leo sighed at his words and added a lie to the truth.
“Fiora really wanted to eat magic stones.”
“You broke the school rules for just that reason?”
“Yes.”
In reality, Fiora had eaten all the magic stones within two days.
Ulta, with a dignified expression, placed his hand on Leo’s shoulder and said.
“Leo, you truly care for your summon. This senior is touched. Yes. What do school rules matter if it’s for your summon? I’ll specially forgive you this time.”
Seeing Ulta forgive him even giving a thumbs-up, Leo let out a hollow laugh.
[Leo.]
‘What.’
[Are all Rumeren summoners idiots?]
Kirian, hidden, asked in a serious voice.
At the question, Leo thought of the Summoning Studies students and made a sympathetic face.
‘Still, they’re the most respected professor and senior.’
“Well. Let’s stop with the jokes for now.”
Yura crossed her arms.
“Leo. What was the beast tamer doing here?”
Seeing Yura’s sudden change in demeanor, Leo spoke seriously.
“He was after the magic stones.”
“Magic stones? He invaded Rumeren just for that?”
Magic stones were rare, but there was nothing as foolish as invading Rumeren just to steal them.
Leo spoke seriously.
“Maybe he was trying to contaminate the magic stones?”
“Contaminate the magic stones?”
“Yes. Expecting the phantom beasts to eat them.”
“…!”
At Leo’s words, Yura’s face hardened.
“Now that I think about it, that bastard! He used phantom beasts to create chimeras.”
Phantom beasts that consume magic stones contaminated with dark magic either die or degenerate into magical beasts.
“This is more serious than I thought?”
If the phantom beasts in the Phantom Beast Forest were to eat contaminated magic stones, something serious would happen.
This was also where the summons of Rumeren’s summoners resided.
If things went wrong, they could lose a significant portion of their power.
“I need to go see the Headmaster. Ulta! Watch the kids until I get back!”
Yura summoned her black wyvern and quickly flew off.
Leo narrowed his eyes, looking at the spot where the beast tamer had been.
‘As expected, there was a traitor in Rumeren’s leadership.’
He made his move at the opportune moment when Pirina was absent.
This could by no means be called a coincidence.
“By the way, Leo. I didn’t know you were the Phoenix’s contractor. And furthermore…”
Ulta gazed into the air.
There was nothing in the air, but Kirian was there.
“So that’s how it was.”
Ulta smiled, seeming to have noticed the fairy’s presence, but did not inquire further.
Just then, Pegasus approached Ulta.
Compared to the battle a moment ago, its body was smaller.
‘It’s not an adult, then.’
The Pegasus’s appearance a moment ago was Ulta having drawn out its potential.
The Pegasus with pure white wings hid behind Ulta and looked at Leo.
“Is that Senior’s Pegasus?”
“Yes! Airia! Won’t you introduce yourself to Leo?”
Despite Ulta’s words, Airia merely observed Leo.
After a moment, Airia cautiously approached Leo.
“My name is Airia. It’s nice to meet you, contractor of the Phoenix.”
‘Pegasus.’
The phantom beast he had contracted with back in his Kyle days was a Pegasus.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Leo Flove.”
Leo smiled and stroked Airia’s head.
Airia flinched at his touch.
“Leo. Pegasus dislikes being touched by strangers, so you shouldn’t touch her carelessly… Huh?”
Airia, who had been about to reject Leo’s touch, soon seemed to like it and leaned into Leo’s petting.
Not only that, but she rubbed her body against Leo’s hand as if asking to have her neck stroked.
“Oh? Leo. Have you ever handled a Pegasus before?”
“No.”
Leo answered with a smile, while stroking the places a Pegasus would like.
‘It reminds me of the old days.’
Leo smiled, recalling his contractor from his previous life.
“Airia is quite shy with strangers, but seeing her get close so quickly warms my heart! But Leo.”
Ulta, who had been smiling contentedly, changed his expression.
“I know you have excellent skills. You’re not at a first-year level. But this matter seems too big for you to get involved in.”
Ulta approached Leo and patted him on the shoulder.
“I know you’ll be concerned, but I hope you leave this matter to the professors.”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s return to the east side of the island for now.”
Leo followed behind Ulta and looked at the lakeside.
‘If the guy from a moment ago was a traitor within Rumeren.’
Leo narrowed his eyes, recalling the beast tamer’s skill from a moment ago.
‘There’s a high probability he’s a professor, not a student.’
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