Chapter 244: The Town’s Transformation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Watson stood up from the ground with a pale face ten minutes later, thanks to Antonio’s recovery magic and the Wish for the World ring.
Only his back, limbs, and b.u.t.tocks were in pain.
He rubbed his aching joints as he looked around at Torch Town’s cracked streets and collapsed houses. Even he was taken aback by the scene.
Fortunately, he had only used his own power and not the diamond-tier source of magic in his body when he had released the Absolute Explosion. Even if Antonio and Sylvan had used all of their skills, they would not have been able to stop him.
After releasing the Absolute Explosion, some unfathomable knowledge appeared in his mind. It was about the diamond tier. Whether it was diamond-tier spells or combat skills, they were all labeled as Absolute. It could extract a person’s combat aura and magic, just like the Absolute Seal he had fused in the duel.
If a platinum-tier elite could become one with heaven and earth when they were in contact, then a diamond-tier elite would already have mastered the heaven and earth’s rules, such as the Absolute Explosion. Its purpose was to imbue any object it touched with the characteristics of an explosion.
Explosions would produce light and flames. Those two would not blow up on their own. They could, however, explode on their own after acquiring the characteristics of an explosion. Watson could a.s.sign stones, flowing water, and even gra.s.s with the attributes of an explosion for as long as he wanted. Then, each stone on a path could be a bomb, and each drop of water in a river could be a destructive force. How terrifying would it be if those powers were combined?
The rules were unbreakable. In the face of the rules, any magic or fighting technique would be useless. Similarly, the rules were limitless. Watson understood the rules of explosion and seal. Others might be able to understand those two rules too, or even more.
One of the requirements for entering the diamond tier was to master at least one rule and study it thoroughly.
Watson had mastered two rule-based spells and had already pa.s.sed the diamond-tier threshold. He did not lack comprehension but the number of spells and combat aura. That would take days or months to acc.u.mulate, and he was not worried about it. He had advanced to platinum-tier. However, after he fused the Absolute Explosion spell and learned about diamond-tier, his realm soared like a rocket to reach the pinnacle of platinum-tier.
“Do you realize how dangerous the spell you just cast, Watson? It was almost impossible for Master and I to block it. If we fail, everyone in Torch Town will perish as a result of your actions.” As Watson was deep in thought, Sylvan descended from the sky and appeared in front of him, reprimanding him.
Not only was Torch Town destroyed, but he had also used the time stripping spell to stop Watson. The time stripping spell was a divine ability that allowed one’s level to grow in a short amount of time. The cost was that it would deplete one’s past self. It was possible that the more he used it, the weaker it became. He had spent at least a year’s worth of savings to stop Watson’s attack. His heart was in excruciating pain.
He raised his head and turned to face Watson as the young boy apologized to him. “Please accept my apologies, Lord Sylvan. I’ve made a mistake.” He breathed a sigh of relief. Previously, he had regarded Watson as an elite on par with him. He would even overlook Watson’s age, who was only ten years old.
Watson had been too perfect; he did not appear human. He felt a little more relaxed when he knew that Watson could make mistakes, and he thought the place had looked much better.
“Watson, I will forgive you because you admitted your mistake! Tell me how you cast that spell.” Sylvan’s face softened as he asked about it.
Aside from reprimanding Watson, he was also very interested in the spell. His strongest fire-elemental spell, the Vermillion Nova, was less than one-tenth the size of the spell Watson had released. If he could master that spell, his strength would increase tenfold.
“I created the spell accidentally when I combined all my skills. Do you want to learn it, Lord Sylvan? I can teach you if you wish to learn it. However, that spell is at the diamond tier, so it may be a little difficult.”
Watson responded modestly, “Furthermore, there is a flaw in that spell. When activated, it depletes one’s current physical strength. I would not be able to stand up now if I had not just advanced to the peak of the platinum tier, even if a recovery spell healed me.”
A diamond-tier spell?
Ascend to the peak of the platinum tier?
When he heard half of it, the corner of Sylvan’s mouth twitched. His attention had s.h.i.+fted from the spell. A fused diamond-tier spell was nothing when compared to attaining the status of a platinum-tier elite. He knew that because he had been in that tier for more than ten years. Watson had recently been promoted to the platinum tier. How long had it been since he had ascended to the platinum tier? Would Watson reach the diamond tier in two days? How could someone in the world cultivate so quickly?
He had thought that Watson, who had made a mistake, was cute. He did not think so anymore. The young man in front of him was certainly not human.
“You can’t only teach it to Sylvan, Watson. Don’t you intend to share such a wonderful thing with me?” Antonio stepped in from the side.
He did not look like Watson’s master but more like Watson’s disciple. However, what could he do? He did not know any diamond-tier spell either. He was not surprised that Watson had fused spells from that tier because he knew that Watson had created an element that did not belong in that world. The boy could even create a new element, so a diamond-tier spell was nothing.
When it came to new elements, he had yet to learn Watson’s chaotic-elemental spell. It looked like he would learn it alongside the diamond-tier spell.
Antonio made his decision and smiled. He did not care that the spell was flawed and would drain all of his stamina every time he cast it. He would be in big trouble if he overexerted himself in the face of multiple foes.
He was unconcerned. In a desperate situation, the first thing he would do is cast a spell. If he were in a desperate situation, he would employ multiple methods. Furthermore, given the spell’s strength, his enemies would be reduced to ashes in a single move. So what if he wore himself out?
The two elites were calculating how to maximize Watson’s benefits. Lubin had already arrived, along with Gerant, Andre, and the residents of Torch Town. Elvira was one of them.
Elvira’s gaze toward Watson was no longer as aggressive as it had been. Instead, it was filled with admiration and a tinge of fear. The officials behind her stared at Watson with pure fear in their eyes.
“It is just as we had expected. You are the kingdom’s youngest mage, but your single spell has the power to eradicate a town. Still, if at all possible, I hope that Young Master Watson would not destroy my town! I have just sent someone to do the math. Torch Town has lost 31 roads and 105 houses as a result of the recent explosion, and more than 5,000 people suffered minor injuries to their eyes and ears. There are also an uncountable number of damaged items—”
Lubin forced a smile as his heart pounded in his chest. Hundreds of thousands of gold coins had been stolen from Torch Town, and they had ama.s.sed quite a collection over the years. Unfortunately, he did not want to lose his cool in front of Watson. He was terrified after he saw Watson’s power.
Gerant, an enemy force, could not even ridicule Lubin any longer after he saw his miserable expression. He said, “You a.s.serted that you wanted to a.s.sist Torch Town in its transformation, Young Master Watson. Why don’t we take advantage of the fact that half of Torch Town has been destroyed?”
“To tell you the truth, that was my intention.”
Watson smiled sweetly.
“Then, Young Master Watson, time is of the essence. Shall we begin now?”
Lubin appeared ecstatic. Watson’s words did not frighten him. He had seen Watson constructed a thousand-kilometer-long pa.s.sage in an instant, so Torch Town’s transformation would not be any different. It should not be difficult to return the town to its original state in at least a day. As a result, the residents would not have to sleep on the streets because their homes had been destroyed.
Watson did not hesitate after his promise to Lubin. He extended his hand toward the town in front of him. “Goldbiter Rats, come out.”
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
A series of shudder-inducing mouse squeaks echoed. The circular arena’s ground flipped open as goldbiter rats scurried outward with platinum-colored ores in their mouths.
“Argh! It is a swarm of demon rats. There are so many demon rats.”
“Not only did he destroy half of Torch Town and our houses, but he had also summoned a swarm of demon rats. What on earth is he trying to do?”
When the residents of Torch Town saw the rats crawling out of the ground, they were forced to flee. Their expressions were a mix of hatred and fear. Many of their kin had perished in the jaws of those demon beasts. They could not keep their emotions in check after they saw those magical beasts.
“Lord Mayor, I believe we need to get rid of those demon rats before we can rebuild the town. These magical beasts have terrorized our residents and harmed our town. Their mere presence here is a form of blasphemy against the dead. There are thousands of different ways to construct a town. I can’t tolerate this.”
Elvira took a step forward and drew her sword from her waist. It would have been fine if she had not spoken, but Lubin erupted like a volcano when she did. He was enraged.
“Be quiet, everyone, especially you, Elvira! I have put up with you for a long time. Do not tell me about your flimsy sense of honor anymore. Can you repair Torch Town? If you can’t do it, then don’t say anything. Can you please keep quiet? Young Master Watson has already subdued those magical beasts. They will not cause any harm. All you have to do is stand back and keep an eye on Young Master Watson.”
Watson would not have fought in a duel had it not been for Elvira. He would have destroyed the town if he had not fought the duel. He would not have summoned the goldbiter rats if he had not destroyed the town. How could Elvira rebuild the town when she still had to clear out the goldbiter rats? Lubin was on the verge of pa.s.sing out from rage.
It was beneficial to have a sense of collective honor, but it would take time.
Lubin remembered that he had signed a contract to become an affiliated town with Blackmoon Town. He had felt humiliated at the time, but things had changed. He felt extremely fortunate because he discovered that a sense of honor would only be genuine after one gained more strength. A sense of honor in the absence of power was nothing more than ridiculous stupidity and self-satisfaction.
He had thought that Elvira was a rare cultivation genius, and he had to rack his brains to entice her. However, ever since he had witnessed a genuine genius, Watson, Elvira’s standing in his eyes had plummeted.
The people of Torch Town fell silent after he finished venting his rage. They only looked at Watson with skepticism. They admitted that Watson’s strength terrified them so much that they would have nightmares if they thought about it at night. However, destroying a city was not the same as building one. The things they lost due to the explosion would not be restored, no matter what Watson did.
Watson began to act precisely as they predicted.
“Begin,” he said to the goldbiter rats. The rats immediately dove into the soil and vanished. They had already left the city when they reappeared.
The goldbiter rats emerged at the city’s outskirts, not far from Torch Town. They numbered in the hundreds of thousands. There was no shortage of silver and gold-tier elite magical beasts among them. They built a wall out of platinum ore, then houses and streets on top of it.
Hundreds of thousands of goldbiter rats could devour a city in a matter of minutes. Similarly, they could build a city in the same time frame. Finally, a town made of platinum ore appeared in less than a half-hour. The town’s layout was similar to Torch Town’s, but it seemed to be in rough shape.
“What is he up to?”
Everyone was taken aback. They had no idea why Watson would build a similar town outside. It was apparent he attempted to repair Torch Town rather than melting the ore to fill the streets. Something was wrong with that.
Watson smiled and extended his right hand to the town outside the city as if sensing their emotions.
“Do not worry. The show is about to begin.”