Supplementary Story 23
âNo!â
The boy grabbed the magic he had already cast, the Ice Spear, and slammed it down toward the face of a giant wolf.
âPepe, are you okay?â
Then he checked his friendâs condition. Of course, he wasnât expecting an answer.
âHe is bleeding.â
Blood was flowing from the wounds caused by the giant wolfâs claw.
âI donât know healing magic...â
The boy was distressed. He didnât have the ability to heal his friendâs wounds.
âIf it is Teacher... he can heal Pepe.â
So the first priority was to get back alive. The boy calmly cast magic again. A handful of magic power escaped the boyâs body. The magic power changed shape according to the boyâs will. The process wasnât smooth.
The giant wolves realized that it wasnât just the big bear. The boy was also a danger. The giant wolves attacked the boy as well, but Pepe didnât leave them alone.
Pepe roared wildly and struck at the clinging giant wolves. In particular, he responded to the attacks rushing toward his head at all costs. The head itself was a vital point and there was the boy hanging there.
Pepeâs paw slammed against the head of the flying giant wolf. In just one blow, the giant wolfâs eyes loosened and literally fell away. Pepeâs attack contained that much power. However, the giant wolves didnât stop rushing at Pepe even when they saw their companions flying away.
As Pepe was struggling, the boyâs magic was finally completed. Five fireballs the size of an adult fist floated in the air. The boy looked around with a very careful expression.
â15...â
There were now 15 giant wolves left out of the original 20. It was smaller than the beginning, but 15 was not a small number.
âI have to be careful.â
This attack had to reduce them by at least five. That way, they would be able to go back safely.
âOne for each fireball.â
It wasnât impossible. All he had to do was calm down. Then something sticky stuck to the boyâs forehead.
âWhat?â
The boy raised his hand and wiped his forehead. Then there was a stinky smell.
Grrrrr!!!
At this moment, a giant wolf jumped into the air. The boyâs eyes widened when he belatedly discovered it.
âNo!â
The boy extended his staff toward the giant wolf. Three of the fireballs hovering around the boy shot at the giant wolf at once. The giant wolf bounced back several times faster than it attacked. At the same time, his fur burned black and there was a burnt smell.
âPhew...â A sigh of relief came from the boyâs mouth. It was a crisis that couldâve killed him.
âI used three... it is crazy.â
The boy blamed himself. He was so panicked that he used too many of the fireballs. Nevertheless, the boy had no regrets. The wolves in front of him were still aiming for his and his friendâs life and the number was still large. The boy calmly fired the two remaining fire balls.
âPepe, letâs go back alive,â the boy said with a grim expression.
***
âThatâs it, thatâs it.â
The boy smiled when he found the familiar building. The thought of arriving at a safe place eased his nerves.
âThere are potions in the house, right?â
âPepe, let me down.â
The boy gently touched his friendâs head. Pepe carefully lowered the boy he was carrying on his shoulders to the ground. Just then, the blood from Pepeâs chest splashed onto the boyâs face.
âPepe...?â
The boy looked at his friend with a puzzled expression. His friendâs always lively face was somehow lifeless.
âSince when have you been like this? Huh?!â
The boyâs voice grew louder, but he received no answer in return. His friend looked back at the boy blankly like always.
âWait, wait a minute. I-Iâll bring you the potions!â
The boy panicked and rushed into the house. After a while, the boy ran out with a small glass bottle in his hand.
âPepe, sit over here. Quickly. I brought you a potion.â
The boy barely controlled his trembling mind and body. It was much harder than fighting the giant wolves. Pepe leaned his heavy body against the tree and sat down.
âHe is badly hurt.â
Wounds that hadnât been seen before started to appear in the boyâs eyes. There were wounds all over the body. In particular, the wound on the chest was the most serious.
âIâll sprinkle it. Bear it even if it hurts.â
The boy carefully sprinkled the potion over the affected areas. The amount changed depending on the severity of the wound. The wounds on Pepeâs body quickly recovered. However, the wound on the chest area was swollen the most and it remained the same. There was no improvement.
âNo!â
The boy turned pale. This was the only potion. It was also for emergency purposes.
âTeacher will return tomorrow...â
The old man was away from home due to something important. It wasnât even that long. Only one day. He left just a few hours ago, and was scheduled to return before noon tomorrow.
âI need to find a way.â
The boy recalled all the knowledge he had learned from his teacher, but he couldnât figure out a way to treat his friend who was seriously injured. Despair came to the boy. The thought of losing a friend filled the boyâs mind.
âNo⦠that canât happen.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âIf it is that...â
At this moment, the boy remembered something. It was something he accidentally discovered in his teacherâs study. The boy rushed into the house.
âIt was around here...â
The boy quickly searched the study. He opened the drawers and looked through the bookshelves.
âI found it!â
The thing the boy found was an old, thick book.
-About the production of necromancy and chimeras.
This was how the book began:
-Have you ever lost your loved ones?
-Did your loved one become sick?
-Did the temple turn away from you?
-Then this book might be more helpful to you than any scripture.
âYes, this is what I need.â
The boy cheered. It was just the right book for his situation.
âWhere is it written?â
The boy went out while reading the book. It was with great speed.
***
A black thunderbolt shot out from the old manâs staff. It literally burned down the enemies rushing toward the old man.
âTsk... It is still the same even when time passes. Their persistence is like a trollâs health...â
The old man frowned at the fallen bodies around him. It had been more than 10 years since that dayâs bloodbath, but there was still a group of people chasing him. Every time the old man appeared in the empire, it wasnât certain how they knew, but they came to him like ghosts.
âStill... Iâm glad I got what I wanted.â
There was a small pouch in the old manâs hand. It was a subspace pouch that could hold more than it seemed. There were all sorts of things inside it. Magic power stones, essences, and even various magic books. It was all for one person.
âThis much might be able to let him go over the wall.â
They were items that would compensate for the lack of talent of his one and only disciple.
âHe will like it, right?â
A smile appeared on the old manâs face.
***
It was early in the morning, when the sun hadnât risen yet.
Light flashed in the forest. In the place where the light disappeared, an old man wearing a black robe stood.
âHe must still be sleeping.â
There would still be a few more hours until the boy woke up. The boyâs wake-up time hadnât changed over the past few years, so it would be the same today.
âDark magic power...?â
The old manâs steps paused as he was about to walk home. There was an energy that wasnât supposed to exist.
âNo one would come here...â
The residence of the boy and the old man was a secret. The old man didnât even inform his organization about it. He was going to raise the boy to be just a magician, not a black magician.
âWho found this place?â
The old manâs mind became complicated. Therefore, he headed home with more cautious steps.
***
â......!â
The old manâs eyes widened as he saw a shocking sight.
âWhat is this...?â
The old man ran toward the bear lying in the yard.
âTeacher!â
The boy heard the old manâs voice and ran over. The boyâs eyes were bloodshot and his face was white and tired.
âWhat happened?â the old man asked as he hugged the boy who ran over.
âIt isnât unfamiliar...â
There was a rather complicated magic circle drawn in the yard. The dark magic power was felt from this magic circle.
âPepe... Pepe was injured while fighting the giant wolves...â
The boy burst out crying and started to explain the whole story.
âHe got hurt?â
âI used a potion and the wound didnât heal... he couldnât breathe well and was in a lot of pain...â
âSo?â
âI found a magic book in the library that would heal Pepe... but it didnât work...â
âWere you the one who drew the metamorphosis magic circle?â
The boy nodded. The metamorphosis magic circle was the first magic circle in the magic book. Without it, all the other magic in the book was useless.
âHow could this kid...?â
The old man grabbed his forehead. It was a terrible fate.
âTeacher, please save Pepe.â
Regardless of whether the boy knew the old manâs feelings or not, he just wanted his friend to come back to life.
âOkay, get some rest. You are about to collapse.â
The old man smiled at the boy. The boy nodded silently and fell asleep. He had been holding on with his extreme mental strength. The old man laid the boy down on one side of the yard and approached Pepe, who was lying down.
âThe wound is too old.â
The old man frowned as he examined Pepeâs wounds. The time had already passed for it to be resolved using healing magic. A priest with an enormous amount of magic power was needed to heal it.
âIt canât be helped.â
The old man took out a small bead from his pocket. He didnât have divine power, but he had a way to replace it.
âIt is his first time drawing it, but he did it well.â
âHuhu...â
The old man couldnât stop smiling even in a serious situation. The magic circle that the boy drew was so perfect. The old man placed the extracted essence on Pepeâs chest and started to chant a spell. A huge amount of magic power was released from the body of the old man chanting the spell.
Light came from the magic circle on the ground as if in response. The whole yard shone brightly as if the sun had risen. A few minutes passed and the light slowly started to fade away.
The old man examined Pepe with a slightly haggard face.
âI succeeded.â
The wound on his chest was gone. Instead, there were white bones in the spot. It was the result of the magic circle drawn by the boy.
âIt will happen soon.â
The old man walked slowly into the house without any idea who he was talking to.
***
The bear opened his eyes. He was in good health. The stinging pain was all gone.
The bear looked around with a bright expression as always. He seemed to be looking for something. The bear finally found what he was looking for and moved. There was a boy where the bear stopped. The bear carefully stroked the boyâs head with his paws.
âHuh...?â
Perhaps it was because he felt the bearâs touch, but the sleeping boy woke up.
âPepe? Pepe!!â
The boy checked the bearâs appearance that looked fine and hugged him.