Chapter 500: Rematch

500. Rematch (3)

[Cold Forest Feeder Fire]

Even though I cast it on the spot, it wasn’t a particularly remarkable spell. It wasn’t even a complete spell.

It was simply a combination of two different spells, [Black Magic-Creation Series: Cold Wood] and [Devouring Fire].

Like wood and fire.

However, despite that, its power was very real. Even Oliver could see that.

WHOOSH!!

As the Devouring Fire touched the cold wood surrounding the area, it grew explosively, devouring the wood, with its magic, life force, and emotions, just as Oliver had intended.

The black flames spread so quickly that even Oliver couldn’t control them, as though they had found fuel.

And that wasn’t the end.

The black flames consumed not just the area around Merlin and Oliver, but even the roots of the cold wood and the surrounding space connected to it, turning the ice-covered land into a land of black flames in just a second or two.

Ignoring the unique geographic characteristics and the magic properties of this place.

No, more than ignoring them, it consumed them. After all, this special Devouring Fire was created to match the cold wood that had absorbed the cold magic here.

The giant fire creature grew endlessly, devouring everything around it, feeding its size.

That was the instinct of the Devouring Fire. To consume everything to sustain its existence and grow stronger.

During this process, the sounds of burning air, evaporating ice, and cracking earth mixed together, creating indescribable noise, like a monster’s roar.

This massive sea of flames consumed everything around, leaving nothing but itself, and its heat burned both living and non-living things.

Thus, the land at the end of the world, which no one had ever conquered, was taken over by the black flames.

In the midst of this disaster-like scene, two questions arose in Oliver’s mind.

The first question was about himself.

‘Why am I okay?’

Oliver, who had used up all his magic stored inside his body, his Black Suit, and his Emotion Robe to create the Devouring Fire, wondered.

How could it be that, within this vast and towering sea of flames visible even beyond the horizon, he felt no serious threat or pain?

He originally planned to control the Devouring Fire to protect himself, yet even without such actions, he felt neither discomfort nor danger.

In fact, he even felt comfortable.

The hot air, burning everything, melted the ice in his lungs that had entered through his respiratory system earlier, and his body, frozen by the cold, was warmed up again.

‘Is it because of the Flesh Cook?’

Oliver questioned. Did it, like how it improved his physical abilities and reflexes, also grant him resistance to flames?

‘The Flesh Cook turned into a dragon at the end… Could it be because of that? Since dragons have resistance to fire and heat… But still, something feels off…’

Oliver continued to speculate. He had used the Devouring Fire, fully prepared to suffer some damage himself just to strike Merlin, yet here he stood, unscathed. It was baffling since he didn’t know the reason.

‘Of course, this too is equally puzzling.’

Oliver turned his attention to Merlin, his second question.

Merlin was also standing, unharmed, inside the dangerous sea of flames that could evaporate all the moisture in a body just by proximity.

But unlike Oliver, who was bare-skinned, Merlin had enveloped his body in magic.

“Dragon Skin. A spell that grants absolute resistance to flames. To be precise, it recreates the skin of a dragon through magic.”

Merlin explained, wearing a semi-transparent scaled armor over his entire body, meticulously constructed using enormous amounts of magic.

Oliver nodded, instantly understanding. He had seen this spell before in a book.

It really was Dragon Skin, a spell that recreated the skin of a dragon.

As proof, Merlin stood confidently within the sea of black flames, which had not only melted but evaporated the ice-covered land and was burning the ground beneath.

But there was something Oliver still didn’t understand.

“How can you use Dragon Skin? From what I know, it’s a unique spell that only those with the bloodline of a dragon can use. Elder, do you have the dragon’s bloodline?”

“Of course not… I’m not from such a prestigious bloodline. It’s the power and magic of the previous Archive.”

Oliver looked at the book in Merlin’s hand. It was a very old, tattered book, yet it emitted the same magic Merlin was currently using.

“This Archive… Can you use the power of your predecessors?”

“Correct.”

Oliver guessed, and Merlin confirmed. Now, all of Oliver’s questions were answered.

Even if Merlin used Dragon Skin, Oliver’s Devouring Fire was no ordinary flame.

Because it was a flame that devoured the cold wood created from Merlin’s magic and life force.

In other words, it was a flame with stronger compatibility against Merlin’s magic.

No matter how strong Dragon Skin was, if it was made with Merlin’s magic, it couldn’t fully block the Devouring Fire.

Just as Dragon Skin had its own properties, the Devouring Fire also had the properties that Oliver imbued it with.

However, the Dragon Skin currently surrounding Merlin wasn’t made from Merlin’s own magic, which is why the Devouring Fire couldn’t consume it.

“Sigh… You’re truly terrifying, Elder.”

Oliver genuinely said.

He had created the cold wood, to use Merlin’s magic against him,

Restricted the space using a forest,

And launched an unavoidable and unstoppable attack using the Devouring Fire in an attempt to strike Merlin directly, yet Merlin defended against it so easily. That was genuinely terrifying.

“Honestly, you’re quite terrifying as well. I didn’t expect an attack like that in a sparring match. It hurts my heart.”

“My apologies. I thought it would take at least that much for my attack to land. But I failed.”

Merlin shook his head.

“No, you landed a hit. Using the power of the previous Archive means it was difficult to handle you with my own abilities.”

It wasn’t incorrect. While Oliver lost ground in terms of magic control and experience, he used his emotions, magic, life force, and the Druid’s sorcery in combination to launch an unexpected counterattack, avoiding direct confrontation while leveraging Merlin’s magic.

It was an admirable feat, especially considering that in combat between superhumans, even allowing a single attack could be fatal.

It was undeniable, however, that absorbing and freely using the power of the previous Archive was also part of Merlin’s skill.

This left Oliver unsure of what to do next.

He had likely given Merlin an unexpected blow through various spells and flexible tactics, but it was ultimately a failure.

In most situations like this, he succeeded, so failing now left him unsure of his next move.

He considered regaining control over the Devouring Fire to press Merlin further, but that was not possible.

The issue wasn’t firepower, it was compatibility. The Dragon Skin’s resistance wasn’t something the Devouring Fire could break through.

Had his body been in better shape, he could have surrounded himself with Devouring Fire for a direct assault to create an opening somehow, but the searing pain in his right arm didn’t permit any aggressive moves.

‘I need to figure out how to deal with this pain quickly. It’s far more troublesome than hunger. I can’t even sleep properly.’

Oliver also considered using other magic or black magic to suppress Merlin, but soon shook his head.

The overwhelming sea of flames would burn even his own attacks, rendering them meaningless. But removing the Devouring Fire wasn’t a good option either. If he did that, he would have to endure Merlin’s assault.

Caught in a predicament, something fell onto Oliver’s shoulder.

“…Is that snow?”

Oliver muttered, looking at the snowflake that had landed on his shoulder. A few seconds later, he came to his senses.

Because it was impossible.

How could it snow within the sea of flames that burned even the ground beneath it?

Yet at this moment, the impossible was becoming possible.

Snowflakes were falling down, one after another, into the sea of flames that extended beyond the horizon and reached toward the sky.

“This is the essence of the Skadi School, Eternal Snow. A spell created by the previous Archive and, long ago, a hero of the Iceye Family, the Dragon Slayer.”

Oliver looked around as snowflakes gradually increased. The peaceful snow, offering no physical threat, was steadily suppressing the momentum of the flames, cooling their heat, and taking control of the space.

“A Dragon Slayer?”

“Yes, do you know why dragons are extinct?”

An unexpected question. Oliver instinctively answered.

“Wasn’t it about 400 to 500 years ago when they went extinct due to a mini ice age? Because it got too cold. I read that in a history book at the library.”

“That’s correct. It was a horrifying era. The temperature dropped by 2 or 3 degrees, distorting everything, starting with farming and fishing. Food shortages, plagues, and abnormal weather followed. Countless people died, the rise and fall of many countries were determined, and even dragons, who used to threaten humanity, went extinct during that time.”

Oliver nodded, recalling what he had read.

Two to three degrees. It seemed like a small number, but as Merlin said, the impact was beyond imagination.

It was significant enough to be considered a major turning point in history. At that time, with the extinction of dragons, other species that had threatened humanity virtually disappeared.

Based on this, humanity could steadily build up civilization.

So, it could be said that the golden age of magic and industry that humanity now enjoys began when dragons were wiped out 400 to 500 years ago.

“However, it wasn’t just because of the cold. That was definitely a decisive factor, but humanity also played a part. They launched a massive counterattack against the dragons, who had been weakened by the cold.”

“A counterattack?”

“Yes. Led by the Archive, many warriors, mages, and armies of various countries simultaneously attacked the dragons. This spell, Eternal Snow, was created at that time.”

“Oh… I see.”

Oliver showed interest. A spell with such a backstory.

It didn’t seem impossible. Even the Devouring Fire, which had consumed the earth, was being suppressed so easily.

It was practically a spell that heralded the age of humanity.

“It was a grave mistake.”

“What do you mean, Elder?”

“Just what I said. Everything in this world exists for a reason, and by recklessly getting rid of that, the balance and harmony are bound to be disrupted. Most of the Archive, including myself, consider that a mistake. A terrible mistake.”

Oliver pondered for a moment.

“…Then, why did they kill the dragons? The Archive, capable of defeating dragons, couldn’t have been more foolish than others.”

Oliver hit the nail on the head. That Archive was chosen by the previous Archive to inherit its knowledge. It could make foolish choices, but it couldn’t be foolish people.

Such a person couldn’t possibly bear the weight of the Archive.

Merlin responded.

“Because no matter how close to infinite knowledge a person gains, they can’t escape their human nature. Foolish and emotional… So even if they know it will lead to bad results, they end up doing it.”

An ambiguous answer. Oliver was filled with curiosity. Why was Merlin kindly explaining all this?

Initially, Oliver thought Merlin was just sharing the magic’s background and related history, but now it seemed there was another reason. The problem was he couldn’t figure out what that reason was.

Just as Oliver was about to ask, Merlin spoke a beat quicker.

“But rather than that, will you continue?”

Merlin asked, standing against the background of heavy, falling Eternal Snow.

The snow, which at first seemed ordinary, had already half extinguished the Devouring Fire, and was even restoring the ground that had melted away.

It influenced even nature. While it was magic, it felt like something more. Something higher… like the feeling he got from The Burned One, a demon.

“Yes, I will continue.”

Oliver replied, regaining control over the remaining Devouring Fire.

Now feeling its survival was threatened by the Eternal Snow, the Devouring Fire quickly gathered towards Oliver, not resisting his will.

It instinctively knew that the only way to survive was to cooperate with its caster.

The Devouring Fire converged at a single point around Oliver.

Merlin used magic chains to grab the surrounding ice and hurled it.

A massive chunk of ice flew through the air in an arc.

Oliver used his Quarterstaff, covered with Black Javelin, to strike the ice chunk, breaking it into five pieces in midair.

CRACKLE!!

As soon as the shattered ice chunks hit the ground, a magic circle erupted with rays of light, spreading across the floor.

A magic circle instantly surrounded Oliver.

The broken chunks of ice that acted as the pillars each shot out ice chains that bound Oliver’s torso, arms, and legs, pulling him in different directions.

THUD… SSSHH!!

The sound of something heavy falling, followed by the hiss of burning metal being plunged into water, could be heard.

The ice chains, as strong as steel, bound Oliver and extinguished the Devouring Fire.

The ice chunks were just a distraction—the real trap was this.

“KAAHHH!!”

Oliver suddenly screamed and struggled. Unfortunately, the ice chain that bound his right arm, badly burnt, caused excruciating pain when yanked.

An accident that could occur in a sparring match.

However, Merlin intuitively sensed that something was wrong when he heard Oliver’s scream and immediately tried to remove the chains.

Oliver hoped he would do so. With most of the Devouring Fire extinguished and himself bound, it was a clear defeat.

Only if the pain in his right arm would—

CLANG!

The ice chain binding Oliver’s right arm snapped with a crisp sound.

But not because of the caster’s will.

Oliver turned his head and saw it.

The bandage wrapping his right arm had peeled off due to the binding ice chain. Beneath, the crushed skin and charred flesh were exposed.

Astonishingly, between the wounds that had only delivered pain until now, a faint but clear light shone, and heat began to emanate.

Heat that even melted the Eternal Snow falling from the sky.

From the heat came flames, and sensing the horrible ominousness, Oliver shouted at Merlin to run.

Then, at that moment, the white flames, which had spread out of Oliver’s control, came to a sudden stop, frozen mid-air like a picture.

The flames, which usually never stopped moving. It was a bizarre sight.

Instinctively, Oliver looked at Merlin and saw him with ten books open in the air, casting a complex spell.

He had used his massive spell to trap the space containing the White Fire and crushed it.

With the sound of shattering glass, the White Fire vanished, consumed by the snow.

“I made a mistake.”

Merlin spoke to Oliver, having prevented a catastrophic incident.