Chapter 138: The Mirror World
George's Bombarda spell struck the stone golem, instantly shattering one of its arms.
Seeing that it worked, he immediately cast a second Bombarda, this time aiming for the golem's leg.
"Boom!"
The left leg was blown off, slowing the golem's movement. A third Bombarda followed, then a fourth, and a fifth.
After five Bombarda spells, the stone golem crumbled into small rocks just as it reached George.
"You think you can summon them faster than I can destroy them?"
However, just as George finished dealing with the first golem, Horvath summoned a second one.
As a thousand-year-old top-tier sorcerer with a magic level exceeding 700, Horvath believed his magical reserves far surpassed those of a magical panda.
He didn't believe this panda could destroy three or four golems, let alone eight or ten.
"Want to compare magical reserves?"
Seeing the second stone golem charging at him, George couldn't help but laugh inwardly. However, he didn't stop casting Bombarda.
In terms of total magical power, George couldn't compare to Horvath, who had a thousand years of accumulated magic. But George's wizard bloodline allowed him to recover magic quickly. Even if he kept casting spells until dawn, his magic wouldn't deplete much.
A battle of attrition? That was exactly what George wasn't afraid of.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Continuous Bombarda spells rang out, and one by one, the stone golems collapsed. Gradually, Horvath began to realize something was wrong.
Summoning stone golems consumed a significant amount of magic, and the spells George used to destroy them shouldn't have been much different. So why was he feeling his magic reserves running low while George seemed completely unfazed?
It was as if George wasn't worried at all.
Just then, a loud eagle's cry came from behind him. Turning around, Horvath saw a massive steel eagle descending from the sky, carrying his arch-nemesis, Balthazar.
"You'll regret this!"
Caught between two enemies, Horvath knew he had no chance of winning if he stayed. He pointed at the glass of a nearby store.
"Mirror World!"
With that, he leaped into the mirror and disappeared.
"That spell looks pretty useful!"
Seeing Horvath escape through the mirror, George didn't pursue him. This old sorcerer had too many tricks up his sleeve, and chasing him recklessly might lead to trouble.
The spell Horvath had just used was called "Mirror World," which was recorded in the Book of Morgana. It was a high-level spatial magic.
By using a mirror as a medium, the caster could enter a completely opposite mirror world.
This spell had many uses. It could be used for escape, as once inside the mirror world, most enemies who didn't understand spatial magic would be unable to follow.
Additionally, the caster could find another mirror in the mirror world to return to the real world at any time.
This made it useful for infiltration as well.
For example, one could enter the mirror world, travel to a desired location in the opposite world, and then exit through a mirror near the target.
Finally, it could be used to trap enemies.
By forcing an enemy into the mirror world and then destroying all nearby mirrors, the enemy would have to find another mirror to escape.
"That guy got away!"
The metal eagle landed, and Balthazar jumped off, looking at the mirror where Horvath had disappeared with a hint of regret.
Then he glanced at David and George.
"I saw a large number of police approaching from the air. Let's get on my eagle, and we can talk more after we leave here."
"You're the sorcerer who gave me the ring ten years ago."
David stepped out from behind George and immediately recognized Balthazar.
George, on the other hand, leaped onto the eagle first and replied telepathically:
"Of course, no problem."
Balthazar's skill in Mimicry Magic was no less than Horvath's, and George found the metal eagle quite impressive.
He planned to place similar giant metal statues around the school once he mastered Mimicry Magic. That way, any enemies who came would have to deal with the statues first.
"Then I'm fine too."
Seeing George board the eagle, David followed and sat next to him.
After George had just saved his life, David now trusted him even more.
As for Balthazar, although he was full of questions about the panda-like George, he quickly boarded the eagle and took off.
Having lived for over a thousand years, Balthazar had seen extinct dragons, but a magical panda capable of telepathic communication was a first for him.
However, it was clear that this panda was David's friend and on their side, which was a good thing.
The eagle carried the two humans and one panda at high speed, soon arriving at the rooftop of a skyscraper—the same tallest building George had observed the world from earlier.
Jumping off the eagle and standing on the rooftop, the two humans and one panda began to talk.
Ten minutes later, Balthazar said:
"So, George, you turned into a bear due to a special spell and want David to help you change back in the future, right?"
"That's right. After all, the legend says you've been searching for Merlin's reincarnation. David has the dragon ring, so he must be Merlin's reincarnation.
Of course, if you can help me recover, I'd be extremely grateful."
George replied telepathically.
Balthazar carefully examined George and finally shook his head:
"Sorry, I can't help you. I don't see any traces of a transformation spell on you. Perhaps only someone with my teacher's level of power can restore you to your original form."
He wasn't lying. He truly couldn't detect any transformation magic on George. It was as if George had always been a panda. He could only shake his head regretfully.
However, he could sense that George had a powerful amount of magic within him. Although it wasn't as much as his own, George was still a formidable sorcerer, probably around level 300.
But the fact that George had managed to hold his own against Horvath, who was over level 700, was surprising.
"Just to be clear, I really don't want to get involved in dangerous situations like this. I might not be able to help you."
David spoke up. He was just an ordinary college student, passionate about physics, and didn't want to experience another life-threatening chase.
Balthazar didn't lecture David about duty or destiny. Instead, he nodded:
"That's fine. As long as you help me retrieve the nesting doll seal and re-seal Horvath, I won't disturb your peaceful life anymore.
Otherwise, even if we leave you alone, Horvath will come after you again. You're Merlin's reincarnation and will become the most powerful sorcerer. He won't stop until you're dead."
Balthazar had already noticed that David hadn't discarded the dragon ring in the past ten years, which meant he still had some interest in magic. With a little temptation, Balthazar was confident David would eventually come around.
For now, this was just a temporary measure.
(End of Chapter)