Chapter 214 - 213: No Blast Fishing Here
Almost there...!
If I can just hold on for a little longer, these two violent elements will fuse completely!
Hold on!
However, just as the fire and thunder were about to stabilize, the unexpected happened.
In the end, they could not be fully tamed.
A single, tiny slip was all it took. The flame and thunder immediately broke free of Zelir’s control, unleashing immense destructive power!
BZZZZT! CRACKLE! SIZZLE!!!
A sharp, piercing crackle echoed like an alarm bell as the two out-of-control orbs of light began to swell violently.
The energy within grew wildly unstable. Their surfaces flickered, and they looked ready to trigger a massive explosion at any moment!
’Holy crap!’
Zelir panicked.
A chill shot up his spine.
This was the first time he’d ever faced backlash from a failed spell.
If he took those unstable orbs of light to the face at point-blank range, Zelir had no doubt he’d be instantly incinerated, even with a Ring of Resistance.
In his panic, Zelir made the only logical choice.
He channeled the massive repulsive force, shoving the energy forward just as the flame and thunder erupted!
WHOOSH!!!
Streaking like a meteor, the intertwined red and blue light instantly illuminated the entire river!
What followed was a thunderous explosion!
BOOM!!!
The deafening blast ripped through the countryside, making the very ground tremble!
The unstable orb of energy slammed into the opposite bank, triggering a massive explosion.
The blast from the ball of mixed Flame Thunder energy tore a huge crater, three or four meters wide, into the solid riverbank.
Countless chunks of rock and dirt were blasted dozens of meters into the air, raining back down.
The gale-force shockwave even sent Zelir stumbling back several steps!
The residual Magic Power all dissipated into the water.
Blue light flickered across the surface of the water, spreading out like a spider’s web.
A moment later, a vast number of fish floated to the surface, their white bellies upturned.
"Ho... ly... crap..."
Staring at the massive, smoking crater on the opposite bank, Zelir, still shaken, muttered his astonishment for the second time.
’To think it’s this powerful...’
’Good thing I managed to blast it away from me in time...’
’If it had gone off in my hands, the consequences would’ve been unthinkable.’
’And that was just a half-baked failure from a botched Casting. It didn’t even reach the fusion stage.’
’If I’d actually managed to form a proper Flame Thunder Spear, it probably would’ve obliterated the entire riverbank.’
River water gurgled into the crater Zelir had just created, beginning to fill it.
It soon filled up, forming an irregular cove along the bank.
The once-straight shoreline now had a bizarre, new curve.
’Tsk, tsk... the Flame Thunder Spear really is hard to master...’
’Looks like I’m still a ways off from becoming a Middle Level Mage.’
Zelir shook his head.
’Forget everything else, just the level of Magic Power control needed to balance the Flame and Thunder elements is beyond me right now.’
’I really need to increase my Intelligence Attribute...’
Just as Zelir was lost in thought, a stern voice shouted from behind him.
"Hey! What do you think you’re doing!"
"No blast fishing!"
Zelir turned to look.
He saw two figures in standard-issue Armor striding toward him, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
’They look like guards patrolling the outskirts of Black Stone Town.’
’The explosion must have drawn them over.’
"Uh... I wasn’t blast fishing. I was just conducting an experiment... a Magic experiment," Zelir explained, gesturing vaguely.
"A Magic experiment?"
The two guards approached, their expressions full of suspicion.
However, the moment they saw the Magic Wand in Zelir’s hand, their aggressive demeanor vanished.
"Oh... so you’re a Mage, sir. My apologies, I thought some vandal was causing trouble..."
The guard on the left straightened up, giving Zelir a small nod. His tone had become much more amicable.
"Still... would you mind if I saw your identification badge? It’s just a routine check."
"Of course, no problem." Zelir readily pulled the Mage Badge from his coat.
The guard took it but barely needed to glance at it.
The exquisite craftsmanship and material of a Mage’s Guild badge were the best proof of authenticity.
Any lingering doubt in his mind vanished.
"Thank you for your cooperation..."
The guard returned the badge.
But he hesitated a moment, chose his words carefully, then spoke again.
"Still... I feel I should remind you, sir. This river flows into town. Making such a large disturbance... could have a negative impact."
"Of course, you’re free to find another spot. We won’t stop you."
As he spoke, the guard peeked at the massive crater torn into the riverbank and shuddered inwardly.
’You really don’t want to mess with a Mage.’
"Understood. Thank you for the warning. I’ll be more careful," Zelir replied politely.
He hadn’t planned on continuing his experiment anyway.
’I was lucky this time,’ he thought, ’being able to blast the unstable energy away at the last second. If there’s a next time...’
Zelir definitely didn’t have the guts to try again.
After walking a short distance, Zelir glanced back.
He wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
But it looked like the two guards, who were supposed to be on patrol, were busy scooping the floating fish out of the river?
...
「Black Stone Town.」
「Sweetheart Bakery.」
It was widely considered the best bakery in town.
The shop’s glass display cases were spotless, and its wooden shelves were laden with a variety of tempting breads and desserts.
Cinnamon rolls, still steaming from the oven and slathered with a thick layer of frosting.
Croissants baked to a flaky, golden-brown perfection.
And small fruit tarts studded with bright red berries and glazed with a shimmering jam.
Zelir took a deep breath, the sweet fragrance filling his senses.
He had planned to go straight to the Mage’s Guild to find Mage Haddley.
’But then again...’
’I might as well bring her something to eat.’
’Otherwise, if I open the door and find her passed out on the floor again, I’ll just have to make another trip out.’
"Good morning, handsome! What can I get for you?"
The owner was a plump, kindly-looking woman. She wore an apron, a smile in her eyes, and her light brown, curly hair was tied up in a bun.
"I’ll take one of these, one of these, and one of these..."
Zelir pointed to several of the sweetest-looking little cakes and frosted pastries.
’Judging by what happened last time, Mage Haddley probably has low blood sugar. Can’t go wrong with getting her a lot of sweets.’
"You got it!"
Hearing this, the plump shopkeeper’s smiling eyes nearly curved into crescents.
’A big spender!’
She deftly retrieved the pastries Zelir had pointed out, carefully wrapped each one in wax paper stamped with the shop’s logo, and placed them all in a nice paper bag.
The total came to seven Silver Coins.
"Whoa..." Zelir was a bit surprised himself.
’Looks like these pastries are pretty expensive for the average person, probably two or three days’ wages.’
For Zelir, however...
The cost was trivial.