Shepherd Wizard (Novel) - Chapter 185

Chapter 185

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While the fallen gods including Badal and Suzaku were pretending to converse while secretly forming an encirclement, Turan was also frantically pondering how he could escape from this situation.

 

First, simply grabbing Harun and flying away on Bije would be a poor strategy for the same reasons as before.

 

No, with Zahar’s gods, who were skilled at ranged attacks, positioned in large numbers around them, it would actually be even more reckless than before.

 

This meant he needed to somehow disrupt their attention, even if just for a moment.

 

Turan, contemplating his strategic advantages, soon came up with the answer.

 

Flight ability.

 

Since most of the enemies couldn’t fly, if he gained the high ground, he could at least achieve a one-on-one situation with Badal.

 

Of course, if he simply flew up, he would be countered like before.

 

So what if he changed his thinking—what if he eliminated the ground to turn this space into the sky?

 

Fortunately, Turan happened to have the means to do just that.

 

Death water.

 

The liquid that could even melt bricks made from ground giant bones.

 

Of course, there wasn’t much left after using it to break through the underground of the Red Fortress, but Turan didn’t need that large an amount anyway.

 

While standing still and conversing on the surface, Turan secretly began using death water inside his clothes to create holes in the ground.

 

‘Good, it’s working…’

 

Fortunately, the Zahar noble’s outfit he was wearing had an outer coat that wrapped around his legs like a skirt reaching his ankles, so dripping liquid onto the ground wasn’t particularly noticeable.

 

He absorbed all the smoke created by the melting ground into his large-capacity bag using wind magic.

 

This method could also block noise, making it kill two birds with one stone.

 

Of course, there was a high possibility that the hydrochloric acid vapor would severely damage the items stored inside, but he couldn’t risk being caught in his schemes.

 

After diligently creating holes in the underground, Turan soon reached his desired goal.

 

Because the death water imbued with magical power had reached the underground water stream that connected from the lake near Aksum city to this location.

 

Thanks to activating the Carmine bloodline, he could immediately mix the remaining death water into it and gain control of the groundwater.

 

‘First, cut off the groundwater flow and send the contents toward the desert…’

 

Actually, manipulating groundwater several hundred meters underground was nearly impossible even for a family head-level noble with Carmine bloodline.

 

This was only possible because he was a mage who had reached master-level proficiency in both fluid manipulation and earth transformation.

 

The depth of techniques Turan had learned during the southern reclamation development was on a different level from other mages.

 

What happens when a genius who learns techniques that normally take weeks to months in less than a day invests months or years in one field?

 

Turan recalled the basics of magic he had learned from Keorn long ago.

 

Bloodline, skill, and magic—the trinity that moved the world.

 

The magic he was now performing was the result of that.

 

Turan froze part of the groundwater to block what was coming from the lake side, then forcibly pushed it all toward the desert.

 

With the water gone and empty spaces created, the ground naturally weakened.

 

In a desert, sand would have immediately flowed down, but this place, still not far from Aksum city, was fairly compact soil so it didn’t happen.

 

In that state, Turan shaped the ground using geological engineering knowledge acquired through past reclamation projects and mining.

 

So it could barely hold but would collapse in a chain reaction the moment a significant shock was applied.

 

Behind the transcendent magic that seemed like something only gods could do—collapsing hundreds of meters in radius with a single stomp—lay such high-level behind-the-scenes work.

 

* * *

 

“What the…!?”

 

“What is this!”

 

When the ground suddenly caved in with Turan’s stomp, Zahar’s gods couldn’t help but fall into confusion.

 

Setting aside that what they had just witnessed was magic at an incomprehensible level, they primarily lacked the ability to deal with this situation.

 

At least a few who had consistently practiced magic with their current bodies managed to float themselves with levitation magic, but those who couldn’t had to helplessly fall dozens of meters.

 

Of course, none of them would be seriously injured from falling from a high place, but since they couldn’t attack while falling, they were temporarily out of combat.

 

While Zahar’s gods were temporarily incapacitated, Turan naturally immediately flew north on Bije with Harun.

 

Naturally, because he had to be considerate of Harun, who was an ordinary person, he couldn’t accelerate quickly, so Badal, the only one among the enemies who could use flight magic and wasn’t affected by this, widened his eyes.

 

“You won’t get away with this!”

 

The massive hammer, Heavenly Punishment, symbol of the Thunder Lord, swung and purple lightning shot out.

 

Unlike before when he had been somewhat restrained, did it not matter if Harun was hit by that attack and her soul was shattered to pieces?

 

But Turan had already prepared a trump card to counter this.

 

He hadn’t used it earlier to maintain the element of surprise, but in the current situation, there was a viable method.

 

‘Go!’

 

The magic device he had obtained from a Baraha mage in the past—the Green Shield.

 

The powerful magic device that used its master’s magical power to block all attacks clashed with the purple lightning Badal had fired.

 

Of course, this was a terribly inefficient act.

 

It would be better to activate a Guardian magic device to withstand several hits, but attempting defense with that would use more than half his magical power just to block one attack.

 

Therefore, Turan decided not to consume that much magical power.

 

When he cut off the flowing magical power midway, the Green Shield that had been blocking the purple lightning made a screeching, distorted sound like a scream, then shattered into pieces.

 

While sacrificing one powerful magic device, Turan hadn’t been idle either.

 

He released all the toxic smoke he had created by grinding the ground with death water until just moments ago.

 

The smoke, even blacker and more foul-smelling due to money and various items in the large-capacity bag being half-melted, poured out and obscured vision like a smokescreen.

 

“Kugh…!”

 

Naturally, for Badal, who was a powerful wind mage, this level could be cleared with one gesture, but the time difference created by that single action was important in such situations.

 

Taking advantage of that gap, Bije was able to achieve acceleration without placing a burden on Harun’s body.

 

Just as he was relieved to have created distance, Turan saw Talis below, who had stabilized his body using levitation magic, placing a short arrow on his bow’s additional attachment.

 

A baby arrow, pyeonjeon, mazra, or also called solenarian, a time-honored weapon.

 

The arrow it spat flew through the air, filled with magical poison no different from a curse.

 

‘I’ll block it this time!’

 

Just as he focused his attention to defend against the terrifyingly fast speed like before, Turan realized where the attack was headed and urgently shouted in his mind.

 

“Bije, shrink your body!”

 

Unfortunately, the arrow’s speed was so fast that Turan’s warning couldn’t even reach Bije.

 

“Ack!”

 

As Bije, accurately pierced by the arrow, screamed and crashed down, Turan quickly used purification and healing magic.

 

Fortunately, the arrow had penetrated her right side and exited through the left neck, so it didn’t need to be removed.

 

“Ah, it hurts. It hurts so much.”

 

“Rest inside for now. Thank you.”

 

Since Bije was also a fairly powerful magical beast, it was difficult to heal a wound that completely tore through her body in one go, so Turan gave first aid then absorbed her into his body and accelerated again while holding Harun.

 

He did encounter the Zahar army approaching in an encirclement from afar, but there was no need to worry.

 

“How do we attack that thing?”

 

“I don’t know either! Just shoot anything!”

 

The Zahar army could only function against targets walking on the ground or flying at low altitudes.

 

Although they had fallen briefly, the height Bije had soared in that short time was nearly a hundred meters, making it difficult for them to do anything.

 

Unlike ordinary birds, they couldn’t possibly have the skill to shoot down Turan, who was flying through the sky using magnetic force while holding an iron ball.

 

Turan, having successfully broken through the encirclement, let out a sigh of relief.

 

‘Good, I’ve somehow managed to create distance…’

 

After pulling all sorts of tricks, he had finally succeeded in creating distance from Zahar’s gods, but it was still difficult to say he had completely escaped pursuit.

 

Because Badal Arabion was still chasing them with fire in his eyes.

 

Due to the increased distance, he couldn’t interfere with magnetic force like before, but just in terms of pure flight speed, that side was slightly superior.

 

At this rate, they would probably be caught within one to two minutes.

 

If they were captured and engaged in a dogfight, the Zahar army would also catch up to them.

 

“Lord Harun. It seems I’ll have to kill your body here and recover at least your soul.”

 

Considering that the owner of that body was originally someone who lived in the Enril Desert, it wasn’t something he particularly wanted to do, but it couldn’t be helped.

 

Handling a living body was several times more complicated than containing her soul in the jewel box.

 

Of course, he would have to think about how to deal with Badal who was following while killing her and containing her soul in the jewel box, but that was a problem to think about when the time came.

 

At Turan’s words, Harun, held in his arms, answered quietly.

 

“No, let me go.”

 

Perhaps because her lungs were compressed due to continued high-speed maneuvering, her voice sounded like she was forcibly squeezing it out.

 

Hearing this, Turan shook his head.

 

“If I was going to let you go, why would I have gone through all this trouble?”

 

“I saw the person I wanted to see, so that’s enough. If it’s been thousands of years, I’ve lived long enough. Anyway, I’ve already told you everything I needed to tell you.”

 

With her words, her speech became smoother, perhaps because her breathing had somewhat returned.

 

Turan knew what she was referring to.

 

“Earlier, Talis… Suzaku also said I wasn’t Otas’s reincarnation or anything like that.”

 

“That might be true. But it doesn’t matter. If someone thinks the same thoughts and acts the same way as that person, it’s no different from reincarnation. At least you could be called his true successor.”

 

Hearing those words, Turan realized the source of the goodwill Harun showed him.

 

From the beginning, she hadn’t developed romantic feelings for Turan by considering him the same being as the person she had loved.

 

She had only regarded him as something that shared some emotional connection with him, something like his child and successor.

 

Perhaps she was thinking of Turan as a child born between Otas and herself.

 

After taking several breaths as if catching her breath, Harun looked back at Badal chasing from behind and said.

 

“With that guy… I might not be able to kill him, but I can at least tie his feet.”

 

“Please stop.”

 

“Sorry, but that’s for me to decide.”

 

The moment her face, which had smiled brightly at him, turned pale, Turan instinctively awakened his spiritual vision.

 

He could see the spirit form emerging from inside Harun’s brow.

 

A female figure with cat-like vertical pupils, scattering black dust around her body, hair flowing like green liquid, and wearing a cloak that seemed to bring forth the night.

 

Her age would be somewhere between late teens and early twenties?

 

That face with somewhat slender eyes mixed with light freckles would be Harun’s appearance when she was human.

 

As the spirit form thus created grasped the body, magical power began to be felt from her body.

 

From a weak amount no different from a knight, to lower, middle, no, even surpassing that to approach the level of top-tier nobles.

 

She, who had been nothing but an ordinary person until just moments ago, had instantly gained the power of a tremendously powerful noble.

 

“How is this possible…?”

 

“It’s not like only they researched how to use souls. Though I never thought I’d really have to use this.”

 

Through Harun’s spirit form smiling bitterly and gradually dispersing, it wasn’t difficult to understand what the price of such power was.

 

The annihilation of the soul, no, complete decomposition.

 

Her essence would scatter into pieces and return to the sea of spirits, becoming unrecognizable to anyone.

 

The price was too harsh for the power she had just shown.

 

“While I hold him off, keep flying straight home. Even if we two joined forces here, we wouldn’t be able to finish off that stalker before enemy reinforcements arrive.”

 

At Harun’s muttering that since using this once was irreversible anyway, wouldn’t it be better than being captured and tortured like before, Turan couldn’t answer.

 

As she said, even if the two of them joined forces, it was difficult to guarantee they could quickly finish off Badal.

 

Especially considering that the duration of that power wouldn’t be very long.

 

If the fight dragged on and Zahar’s gods arrived again, it would become the same situation as before.

 

After brief contemplation, when he loosened his grip on the hand he was holding, she fell below and landed gracefully on the desert.

 

The woman holding an improvised shadow rifle in one hand waved the other hand in farewell.

 

[Take care.]

 

Shortly after, purple lightning and pitch-black shadows could be felt clashing behind them.

 

Turan continued flying without looking back.

 

* * *

 

Turan, who had escaped from Aksum, arrived back at Kalamaf about a day and a half later.

 

This was achieved by using his remaining magical power to heal Bije so she could fly again, then flying directly when she was exhausted, or running on the ground when his magical power ran out.

 

Naturally, the Parsha family was turned upside down by the return of their nearly exhausted family head.

 

Most of them didn’t even know that Turan had been absent.

 

Turan couldn’t even properly greet the people welcoming him before jumping onto his bed and sleeping like the dead for a full day.

 

When he opened his eyes again, a familiar voice greeted him.

 

“Did you wake up?”

 

“Mmm.”

 

Meisa, holding her swelling belly with one hand, was sitting on one side of the bed looking down at Turan.

 

As he got up, he realized that for someone who had wandered the desert and wilderness for almost two days straight, his face and body condition were quite clean.

 

“I washed you while you were sleeping. You were so tired you didn’t even open your eyes.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“So, what happened? The person who said he’d just go for a quick look came back nearly dead…”

 

Though she tried to speak with dignity, perhaps unable to suppress her rising emotions, Meisa’s eyes became teary.

 

Turan could tell what she had imagined.

 

Even though injuries were completely healed with healing magic, from the ruined clothes alone, it wasn’t difficult to guess what kind of fierce battle had occurred.

 

Probably in her mind, Turan had died and come back to life several times.

 

“Sorry for making you worry.”

 

“If you’re sorry, don’t do things like this anymore.”

 

“I won’t do it anymore. Really.”

 

This experience had also given Turan cause to reconsider such reckless infiltrations.

 

Though somewhat unlucky events had piled upon unlucky events, if things had gone slightly wrong, he could have really buried his bones in the middle of the Enril Desert or become a breeding stallion.

 

Come to think of it, when he was younger and weaker, he wasn’t like this, but at some point after gaining tremendous power, he seemed to have become too reckless.

 

The fact that those at the level of great family heads acted while watching others’ reactions was also because of such times.

 

While having time to heal his heart with Meisa, who was lying on the bed stroking his head, Turan recounted the things he had experienced to her one by one.

 

Actually, since it had taken quite a long time to travel, but the time he had actually infiltrated the capital Aksum was brief, there weren’t many stories to tell.

 

When he told her about Harun’s final moments, Meisa remained silent for a while then let out a deep sigh.

 

“So that person… no, that god has disappeared.”

 

“That would be right.”

 

“If there’s another world, I hope she can be together with Otas there.”

 

Although she had caused a war that sacrificed hundreds of thousands of souls and created countless deaths for Turan’s birth, the pure love she had shown for someone who was already gone was touching.

 

“Still, I’m glad you’re not the Night Hunter’s reincarnation.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Just thinking about becoming a love rival with someone like that is terrifying to imagine.”

 

There couldn’t be any woman who would feel good knowing there was a woman pouring infinite love on the man she liked.

 

Compared to that, Berit, who was openly a political marriage, was adorable.

 

Turan burst into laughter at Meisa’s cute attitude for jealousy.

 

“Well, anyway… I learned quite a lot from this incident. I’ll have to consult with Solif soon too. There are things we need to act on immediately.”

 

From investigating Zahar’s internal situation, which was the original purpose, to learning about the relationship between the sea of spirits and the world’s boundaries, and discovering their true purpose.

 

While it was regrettable that he couldn’t save Harun, this could be considered exceeding the target achievement.

 

And according to what he had learned, the time for Turan’s Parsha family to act was neither sooner nor later, it was right now.

 

Leaving the bedroom, Turan called Asiz and immediately announced war preparations.

 

“If it’s war… is it Zahar after all?”

 

“That’s right. If we don’t strike first, enemies who have made perfect preparations will attack us.”

 

Combined with Badal’s past words, their desired return to their original world wasn’t a distant story.

 

So if they weren’t going to create another body with qualifications like Meisa’s among themselves and take their time, they would definitely attack soon.

 

Especially since Turan had discovered all their purposes.

 

It went without saying that it was better strategy to strike first rather than accept having their base devastated by war.

 

“And it should be about time for Solif to return to Baraha, so as soon as he comes, tell him to participate in war planning immediately. Also let him know I’ll be away for about a day.”

 

“Away? Where to?”

 

“Here.”

 

Turan pointed to the north of the map placed in his office.

 

The hilly region north of Kalamaf, the temporary capital of the Carmine family.

 

“Since there’s no time, I’ll go attack them directly and negotiate with them.”

 

If things went as planned, he could manipulate them just by appropriately processing and revealing a few pieces of information harvested this time.