How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 200

222. Ashilla Krevelt (5)

“Atom metamorphose.”

I was momentarily stunned as I was solidifying the space to create a barrier to block the heat.

Instead, the area engulfed in flames began to freeze over with a crackling sound.

“…Freezing fire?”

“No need to be surprised. I simply altered the properties of the fire to play a little trick. It’s easier to understand when shown like this.”

“…Alteration, you mean.”

That magic could literally tamper with the properties of all things.

Truly a secret art among secret arts.

“You know, what do you get when you break down all matter to its extreme?”

I know.

Atoms.

“And there’s another fundamental substance that can uniquely coexist with it. That’s mana.”

Certainly, that alone might be something that doesn’t exist in reality.

“In other words, theoretically, as long as mana exists, if you can manipulate it, you can interfere with the fundamental elements of all things.”

After explaining that far, she created a pure white light on her palm.

“This light is made up of countless magic circles. Can you believe that each one is sized to correspond to those minimal elements?”

“…That’s absurd.”

There’s no way I can understand that theory.

But according to her explanation, that magic circle corresponds to the size of an atom.

If that’s possible, I can understand why she calls herself the greatest archmage.

And if she can freely manipulate each of those by altering them?

A chill ran down my spine.

“To make it even easier to understand, I can do things like this.”

She smirked and activated her magic once more.

This time, the magic circle unfolded around her.

The target of the alteration is herself.

“I can create anything. I can become anything. …And I can do anything.”

Her arm changes.

Enveloped in light, it becomes countless particles, and its volume increases, transforming into the form of a giant monster’s arm.

“Wh, what is that?”

“There was once some idiot who summoned only the arm of a demon king in the city as a prank. I happened to see its structure when I went to visit.”

Something feels off.

“I tried to imitate it. Well, don’t you think it’s made pretty well?”

“Tch…”

As soon as I heard those words, I immediately launched an attack instead of admiring it.

That looks dangerous.

“Ice Spear!”

I created a slender ice spear boasting sharp penetrating power and launched it, adding repulsive force through gravity control.

However, the ice spear I fired was easily shattered by the arm she swung.

She caught it so easily, as if catching a ball.

It’s not just the appearance that has changed.

The fundamental… cellular level, or perhaps even a more essential unit than that, might have changed.

“Seriously, what a convenient magic.”

I was genuinely impressed.

There are countless transformation magic and illusions.

But those are ultimately tricks.

Disguises.

A means to bluff, package oneself, and deceive the enemy.

Of course, those are also excellent magic.

But the magic she showed me far surpasses them.

Magic that literally touches the essence of the world.

It would be foolish to even try to fathom its value.

‘Amazing.’

I want it even more.

If I obtain that, it’s not just about surviving.

“If you want this… you’ll have to show me that you can overcome this with your own strength. Don’t you think so?”

In short, she means to experience it firsthand.

The demon king’s arm she wields reaches out towards me.

I exert all my strength to leap away and create distance.

It was clear that my body would be crushed if I even touched it.

“Got you. Hehehe.”

Ashilla reaches out her hand.

And once again, a magic circle appears on her arm.

‘It’s activating additionally from there?’

The inside of her outstretched palm transforms like a maw [a gaping or cavernous opening].

It looks like a dragon’s snout.

In that case….

“Get out of the way!”

“…Damn it.”

I blurted out a curse and unleashed gravity control on my body without adjusting it.

With the recoil, my body is pushed back even more violently with the impact.

At the same time, a large amount of high-heat rays are emitted from the inside of her palm.

Did she even reproduce a breath?

‘She really can do anything.’

I broke out in a cold sweat, horrified by the heat that was still coming at me even though I dodged it.

Even knowing that I won’t die, I can’t help but instinctively cringe.

Barely dodging, I gritted my teeth and ignored the recoil, launching an attack.

“Flame Lance!”

First of all, I don’t know what will work, so let’s just attack with something.

But as I launched the flame spear.

“Nope. Doesn’t work~.”

It was blocked by just her lightly scoffing.

The mana emanating from her strangely fluctuated, and a pure white barrier unfolded, deflecting it.

It’s like a curtain of light.

‘…At this point, I don’t even know what or how it’s changed.’

It must be that the fundamental internal energy is different.

It’s disadvantageous to drag this out.

She may have her limits, but there’s no guarantee she’ll reach them faster than I do.

‘I need to attack and settle this…’

How should I confront her?

After a brief deliberation, I came up with several plans and discarded most of them.

‘I guess I have to be a little prepared.’

I chose the most reckless but most likely plan and put it into action.

Let’s jump in.

“…A charge, how reckless. Well, that might be the most likely option.”

Ashilla smiles wryly, as if she has seen through my intentions.

Well, she would notice.

Because I’m charging straight at her.

“Uwaaaaaaa!”

I screamed to forget any unnecessary hesitation and jumped in.

And at that moment.

Several attack magic spells that she instantly chanted unfold around me.

The deployment of magic is fast.

“Eilon, I understand your will, but you jumped in too hastily. At this rate…”

“I can dodge it enough!”

“…Huh?”

While she was wondering what nonsense I was talking about, I jumped in as is.

And at the same time, the magic she fired rained down like a bombardment.

My vision is densely filled with attack magic.

If this were reality, I would definitely be seeing my life flash before my eyes and regretting it.

‘It doesn’t matter now!’

I pulled up my mana and fired a Flame Lance forward.

Colliding and offsetting, a gap barely opens for me to escape.

Of course, it’s a close call.

As I jump in and escape the barrage, several parts of my body are pierced by attacks.

“Keuk!”

But I don’t care.

“…Ah.”

She narrowed her eyes as if she realized something.

She must have almost read my intentions.

“Certainly reckless, but… then how about this?”

A magic circle was created.

Several golden wings float around her.

An ominous pressure is felt from each fluttering feather.

“…I won’t even let you get close.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to use that!”

That magic is probably extremely difficult to handle.

She said so herself.

That’s why she tested me.

As an example, she has never cast other magic at the same time when casting that spell.

That means….

“It means I can freely come and go with teleportation without worrying about being disturbed!”

The restrictions on space teleportation are lifted.

No obstructive spells are unfolding.

The reason I’m desperately running around is to make her think I’ve given up on using space control.

I immediately use my ability and move behind her.

“…”

No reaction, no other words.

She’s just calmly turning her head and trying to complete the magic.

It’s as if she’s telling me to stab her if I can find an opening.

It felt like she was intentionally showing a gap.

‘She’s testing me until the very end.’

Then I won’t hesitate.

I’ll confront her as she intends.

I concentrate the gravity field to the minimum range and thrust it at close range.

“Eat this!”

At the same time, the magic she created is about to be completed.

Kuguguguung!

The forces of two attributes collide, and a roar and light occur.

“Keuek!”

It feels like my whole body is being torn apart.

No, it was torn apart.

The force that I couldn’t deflect struck my left arm.

The arm is burning as if it’s being torn off.

But I ignored it.

‘It’s just an illusion anyway… I can’t be afraid.’

She said.

Whether I suffer a fatal wound here or any injury, there will be no actual harm, so don’t worry.

It was more of an advice than a trap.

Perhaps she wanted to see if I had the guts to jump in without hesitation, regardless of the danger.

She thought that if I wanted to obtain dangerous magic, I had to have that much judgment and guts.

Anyway, it’s just my meager guess, and I don’t really know what she’s thinking.

But this much is certain.

“This is the end!”

Surely my attack struck as is and pierced Ashilla’s remaining upper body.

Kugung!

With an impact that seemed to shake my vision, I was also thrown to the ground by the recoil.

“…Is it over?”

If she asks me to do more here, then I’ll have to give up cleanly.

But that won’t happen.

“…Yeah. This should be enough.”

A voice of satisfaction and acceptance.

When I raised my head, the concentration of magical power thinned.

And somehow, she reappeared, perfectly materialized again.

“…You’re surprisingly unscathed?”

“It’s just unpleasant to have a conversation in that state? Or what? Do you perhaps have a taste for that kind of thing? Huh? Do you like a pitiful girl who’s all battered and bruised?”

“Cut the nonsense.”

To be clear, you don’t have any of that.

Just as I was about to retort, the pain suddenly decreased, and my body was restored to its original state.

“I’ve restored your image as well, as a bonus.”

“I’d like to thank you for that. It’s uncomfortable to keep talking in that state.”

It doesn’t matter since I wasn’t actually hurt, but this is better after all.

“Well, the test is over!”

She clapped her hands exaggeratedly and smiled happily.

“Are you satisfied?”

“If it’s someone like you, Eilon, I don’t think there will be any major problems even if I hand this over. I have to keep my promise.”

It seems she will keep her promise to transfer the dominion of the grimoire if I pass the test.

I was relieved.

I was worried, to be honest. There was a possibility she was deceiving me.

“I’ll give you the grimoire as promised. But it will take some time. Shall we have a little chat in the meantime? How about it?”

“I don’t particularly mind.”

There were things I wanted to ask as well.

Fortunately, it seems she’s thinking of telling me first, so there’s no reason to refuse.

“Then shall we change the surrounding atmosphere for a moment?”

She lightly waved her hand, and the scenery changes.

The top of the tower.

As the scenery changes to the top of the relic tower, I inadvertently looked around.

“This area looked like this back then…”

I was a little surprised.

Certainly, in the current era, the area where the relic tower rises is a forest.

That’s why I thought that this place was a forest or a wasteland even in the past.

However, the scenery from 20,000 years ago that she showed me when she was alive is completely different from what it is now.

A city.

A huge city.

A landscape of a city on a grand scale, as if boasting a civilization more advanced than the current era, was visible.

This relic tower is in the center of that huge city.

“Yeah, it definitely looked like this back then. Anyway, it’s still coming to mind even after so much time has passed.”

She was saying it in a somehow nostalgic tone.

Watching Ashilla, who was immersed in such strange emotions, I didn’t say anything else.

I’ll know what the purpose is if I listen to the story.

I quietly waited for her to speak first.

“Eilon, I definitely want to ask you.”

“Anything. I’ll answer as long as it doesn’t infringe on my privacy.”

“…What were you looking at back then?”

That was certainly similar to the question she asked when she said she would test me.