Chapter 135: George, the Druid Sorcerer
"To kill or not to kill?"
Having obtained the magic ring and the Book of Morgana, George returned to Drake. Looking at the man, whose face was now covered in cold sweat, George began to hesitate.
To be honest, Drake wasn't exactly a heinous criminal.
Although he was the current inheritor of the Morgana faction, he hadn't used magic for any nefarious purposes. Instead, he made a legitimate living by performing magic tricks.
If it weren't for Horvath escaping his seal and seeking him out, Drake wouldn't have gotten involved in the events that followed.
However, if George simply let him go, even without the magic ring, Drake's magical energy could still be drained by Horvath to unseal Morgana.
Unsealing Morgana was something George absolutely couldn't allow.
In the original story, the reincarnated Prime Merlinian, Dave, only managed to kill Morgana by combining science with magic, and even then, it was a close call. If something went wrong, the situation would spiral out of control.
Morgana and Merlin were sorcerers of the same caliber. She could defeat Balthazar in just a few moves. If she summoned her army of the dead, the fight would be even more one-sided. George himself wasn't confident he could handle her.
So, his plan was simple: absolutely prevent Horvath from releasing Morgana.
Ideally, he would wait until he was strong enough to crush Morgana before releasing her. That way, he could also interrogate her for the resurrection spell.
A high-level necromancy spell that could revive legendary sorcerers and form an undead army? How could he possibly pass up on that?
"Kid, do you want to live or die?"
George lifted the Full Body-Bind Curse on Drake and used his telekinesis to float a kitchen knife to Drake's neck.
Drake immediately dropped to his knees.
"Panda Lord, please don't kill me! I want to live, I want to live!"
"If you want to live, agree to one condition. At most, I'll let you go in a year."
George continued to communicate telepathically.
Drake nodded without hesitation:
"As long as you don't kill me, I'll agree to not just one condition, but ten, a hundred! I'll even give you all my wealth!"
He wasn't stupid. In his eyes, the magic ring, the Book of Morgana, and all his wealth were just material possessions.
He knew how to make another magic ring. It might take a year or two, but he could always craft a new one.
As for the Book of Morgana, he hadn't opened it in years. The magic he already knew was enough to make him the world's top magician.
And wealth? That was the least of his concerns. He could always earn it back.
As long as he was alive, he could regain all of these things in a few years. But if he died, he'd lose everything.
"I don't want your wealth, but I will imprison you for a while—anywhere from a few months to a year.
During this time, you'll teach me all the spells you know from the Book of Morgana. Once that's done, I'll let you go."
George grabbed a small box from nearby and began casting the Undetectable Extension Charm on it.
The magic knowledge in the Book of Morgana was a completely new system. Learning it wouldn't be easy.
Drake, despite being a mediocre sorcerer, had a solid foundation in magic and could help George get started quickly.
Once Horvath was dealt with, George could release Drake without worrying about his magical energy being used to unseal Morgana.
"I'll do whatever you say, whatever you say!"
Drake's only goal now was to save his life. No matter what George demanded, he would agree.
After all, in his eyes, George was a panda, not a human. If he dared to negotiate, he might be killed on the spot.
Seeing Drake so compliant, George was satisfied. He had Drake pack some clothes and food, cancel all his appointments for the next year with a phone call, and then tossed him into the box.
After throwing the box into his newly expanded wardrobe space, George didn't immediately start studying the Book of Morgana. Instead, he cast the Tracking Charm again.
"Point Me—David Stutler!"
As the golden arrow slowly appeared, he spread his wings and flew off.
He wasn't sure when Balthazar and Horvath would break free from their seals, so he needed to find the reincarnated Prime Merlinian first.
As long as he found the reincarnated Prime Merlinian, no matter when Balthazar and Horvath were freed, they would come looking for him.
That way, George could use the opportunity to build a good relationship with Balthazar and potentially learn the magic from the Book of Merlin.
Drake, after all, was a mediocre sorcerer. He could help George get started, but to truly master the magic of this world, George needed a top-tier sorcerer like Balthazar as a teacher.
Following the arrow, George didn't take long to find David, who was fast asleep in an old six-story apartment building.
"It seems the plot hasn't started yet!"
After some careful thought, George used the Unlocking Charm to open the window and quietly flew into the room, landing by David's bed.
After preparing the story he was about to tell, he gently patted David's head:
"Kid, wake up, wake up!"
Using telepathy, George's voice echoed directly in David's mind, rousing him from his sleep.
"Who... who's calling me?"
David groggily opened his eyes. When he saw the panda head hovering above him, he blinked in confusion.
"Am I dreaming about a panda?"
"No, I'm really here. You're not dreaming."
George blinked back.
David froze for five seconds, then opened his mouth to scream, only to be silenced by George's "Silence" word magic.
After David calmed down a bit, George lifted the silencing spell and said:
"Don't be afraid. I mean no harm. I just need your help."
"Help? What can I do to help? Did you escape from the zoo? Do you need me to take you back?"
David pressed himself against the wall, stammering.
Pandas were cute. If this were at a zoo, he would've taken plenty of photos, maybe even a selfie.
But waking up to find a panda at his bedside, one that could talk, made it far less cute—and downright terrifying.
"I don't need you to take me to the zoo. Do you know what a druid is?"
George pulled over a chair and sat down, explaining:
"Actually, I'm a sorcerer. I turned into a panda because of a special druid magic. I came to you hoping you could help me break this spell and turn me back into a human."
"I know druids from games... but I can't help you. I don't know magic. I can't turn you back into a human."
David replied helplessly.
If it weren't for the incident ten years ago, he wouldn't have believed George's words.
But ten years ago, he had witnessed a battle between two sorcerers with his own eyes. So, he didn't doubt George's story too much. He just couldn't help.
"You're the reincarnation of Merlin, the legendary Prime Sorcerer. You can do it."
George used his telekinesis to float Merlin's dragon ring from the table and placed it in David's hand.
(End of Chapter)