Chapter 0140: Sorry, Little Gil
"Hmm?"
The thunder dragon, shimmering with blue-white lightning, struck the head of the Radiant Archangel, only to be blocked by a hexagonal shield that materialized out of thin air. The actual damage inflicted was merely a tenth of the spell's true power.
"Is that… a magic shield?" Fluder's eyes lit up with interest. Like an old child marveling at a new toy, he let out an excited "Ooooh!" before remarking, "That's not an ability the Radiant Archangel originally possesses—so the summoner must have added an extra layer of protection? Fascinating, absolutely fascinating!"
But this was far from just slapping a simple shield onto the Radiant Archangel! The essence of magic was akin to programming, and adding a shield to the Radiant Archangel was like rewriting an existing "program" and making it "run flawlessly"—this was groundbreaking technology, no wonder Fluder was practically vibrating with excitement.
Ah, Fluder, never seen new magic before, how pitiful~
However, Fluder didn't have the luxury of marveling for long! After all, once the Radiant Archangel was attacked, its counterattack mechanism activated—its golden eyes flared to life, swiftly locking onto Fluder, the one who had cast the spell.
"Only one of them has aggro on me? So the enmity system is separate…" Fluder didn't seem the least bit nervous, leisurely analyzing the situation instead. "Hmm, likely to prevent a chain aggro scenario where fast-moving units could lure all the Radiant Archangels away from the battlefield at once. But doesn't that just give the enemy a chance to pick them off one by one? Still too green—"
As he casually mused, the Radiant Archangel raised its scepter, a long-range laser beam already gathering at its tip. Watching this, Fluder couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"A ranged snipe attack? So it's dead set on not leaving its current position?" He ascended higher, moving toward an empty area on the other side of the battlefield to ensure the Radiant Archangel's attack wouldn't rain down on the soldiers below.
"Whoosh—"
A second later, the laser fired, but Fluder, already prepared, sidestepped the high-speed beam with ease, even finding the breath to quip, "Though the laser fires quickly, the charging and aiming take time. Just shift position at the right moment, and dodging becomes trivial."
Do you even understand the sheer prestige of the Empire's top magic caster? (Tactical lean back.)
"Whoosh—"
After a brief charge, a second laser followed, but Fluder, as practiced as Haruki, dodged the monotonous attack effortlessly.
"Whoosh—"
Then came the third.
Fluder frowned in displeasure. "No other attacks? Is this really its only move at this stage?"
What was this summoner thinking, reducing such a mighty Radiant Archangel to a glorified laser turret?! Or was it to prolong its summoning duration and conserve energy by sealing most of its functions?
"In that case, this is rather dull—" Fluder expressed his disappointment, muttering, "This old man thought he could thoroughly study the abilities of the Radiant Seraphim."
Just as Fluder was complaining and preparing to evade the next attack while countering, the movements of the Radiant Seraphim suddenly halted. It lowered its raised staff, closed its eyes, and reverted to the same "standby mode" as the other Radiant Seraphim.
"Hmm?"
Fluder paused slightly, looking curiously at the Radiant Seraphim's actions and murmuring to himself, "It stopped? Has it run out of energy? Let's try again—"
He raised his staff once more and softly chanted, "5th Tier Magic: Dragon Lightning—"
As the Dragon Lightning he unleashed shot toward the Radiant Seraphim, an identical bolt of Dragon Lightning erupted from the ground on the Theocracy's side, colliding with his spell and dissipating midair.
"Oh?"
Fluder showed a slightly surprised expression, murmuring, "My magic was neutralized? Interesting! Has the Theocracy produced some new prodigy among magic casters? How wonderful—the Empire hasn't had any promising talents lately—"
"U-um—" Just as Fluder was pondering, a timid yet somewhat endearing voice called out from below. A girl wearing a black magic robe, with two low braids draped over her shoulders, stepped out from behind the Radiant Seraphim and addressed Fluder, who was floating in the air, "Old sir, could we talk?"
"A little girl?" Fluder was even more astonished. He eagerly descended in front of Yunyun and asked, "And you look barely in your teens—hahaha, incredible, incredible! A girl in her teens capable of casting 5th Tier magic? Is it an innate talent or a rare magic item?"
Yunyun thought for a moment and replied, "Probably an innate talent?"
Among the passive skills she had acquired in the game, there was one that could be considered the most coveted for magic casters. Now that this passive had transformed into her physical constitution, Yunyun had become a "quasi-elemental affinity physique"—simply put, her affinity with elements was exceptionally high. Not only did this reduce the cost and increase the power of her elemental magic, but it also shortened her casting time.
The great elements: This human child is under our protection. Got it?
"Ohoho! Is it an innate talent that directly enhances power, or one that accelerates magical learning?" Fluder continued eagerly, "By the way, little girl, would you like to leave the Theocracy and become this old man's disciple? I am the Empire's foremost magic caster, you know—"
"Uh, n-no, thank you." Yunyun awkwardly waved her hands, seeing the old man about to say more. She hurriedly interjected, "U-um! Old sir, there's something I need to tell you—"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"First, please remain calm later. If you show any unusual reactions, we won't be able to continue our conversation." Yunyun carefully remembered Hayashi's instructions before she left and sternly "warned" Fluder, "Understood?"
"Little girl, do you realize what you're saying?" Fluder's eyebrows twitched slightly as he spoke with amusement. "Countless people would kill for the chance to discuss magic with me, yet you actually... oh... ohhh..."
Before he could finish, Yunyun casually removed the ring she wore to conceal her magical information. The moment the ring came off, Fluder's innate ability instantly revealed to him the unfathomable depths of her magical prowess—something he had never imagined possible, a bottomless abyss of arcane mastery known as the "Abyss of Magic."
"Huff... huff..."
Fluder hastily took several deep breaths, instinctively wanting to drop to his knees and beg Yunyun for a glimpse into the Abyss of Magic. But just as he was about to bend his knees, he abruptly remembered her earlier warning and forcibly stopped himself from kneeling.
Calm down, old man, stay calm!
She said if I act strangely, there'll be no further discussion! That means as long as I maintain my current demeanor without revealing anything, she might continue speaking with me—wait, why would she specifically ask me to keep up appearances? If intimidation was the goal, making me kneel would be far more effective, no? So that means...
Though old, Fluder's mind was as sharp as ever, and he quickly reached a conclusion—the people of the Theocracy wanted him to feign being subverted, with the ultimate target being the Emperor of the Empire.
'Sorry, little Gil, but for the sake of the Abyss of Magic, I'll have to sacrifice you—'
Though he mentally muttered "sorry," there wasn't the slightest trace of remorse in Fluder's heart. All he felt was yearning for the Abyss of Magic and insatiable curiosity about its unknown depths.
"My lady—"
Fluder swiftly replaced his earlier "little girl" with "my lady," then spoke the most humble words in the haughtiest tone possible: "How may I be of service? I will spare no effort to assist you."
"Hmm, no need for forced cooperation—" Yunyun shook her head and said softly, "Just show interest in the Radiant Seraph and persuade the Emperor to temporarily withdraw his forces. Then let things unfold naturally."
"Understood." Fluder nodded. "But our current ceasefire and discussion have already been witnessed by others. What should we do?"
"Stick to the earlier explanation—" Yunyun gripped her staff and said, "Just say you took interest in my innate ability and wanted to take me as your disciple, but I refused."
"Very well, I understand." Fluder nodded, suppressing his excitement as he addressed Yunyun. "Then, with your permission, I shall take my leave for now."
"Alright, you may go."
Yunyun nodded. Only after Fluder took flight and crossed back beyond the Theocracy's borders did she retreat behind the Radiant Seraph, patting her chest and exhaling deeply. "Whew, that was so nerve-wracking! Ugh, I hope they never assign me this kind of mission again—"
"With all due respect, Supreme One—" A member of the maid team (Lv.35) responsible for Yunyun's daily life said with a faint smile, "Since you are the only one in the Sky City who has mastered Super-Tier Magic, perhaps Supreme Hayashi arranged for Supreme Yunyun to complete this mission?"
"Well, I know that, but I'm still really nervous," Yunyun pouted and muttered, "Let's just finish the task quickly and go back—"
She missed Erina's embrace, Arcanine's fluffy fur, and Tropius's bananas.