#071. The Youth Who Pays Respect (2)
Tap! Thud! Thud!
The sound of footsteps, spaced extremely close together, echoed through the square.
Three hawks relentlessly pursued, drawing unpredictable lines and curves in their flight.
Crack! Boom!
A lamppost collapsed.
Fragments of the ground scattered in all directions.
Ray felt as though the summoned creatures moved like bullets—freely and unpredictably.
“We’ve been looking for an opportunity to kidnap John, but it hasn’t been easy. He’s holed up in the hotel and doesn’t seem to want to come out, all because of that young mage…”
It seemed clear why Skyle, despite having many subordinates, couldn’t easily touch John.
“A mage should be dealt with by another mage.”
That made sense too.
If the hawks got too close and disrupted their formation, neither guns nor knives would be of any use.
They wouldn’t be able to fire properly for fear of hitting their own allies.
No, even if I manage to hit them directly, it won’t deal much damage.
The hawks’ bodies were surrounded by thick protective barriers.
Those barriers also encircled Mikhail, who stood rooted in place as he controlled the summoned creatures.
I need to break that first.
Destroying the barrier itself didn’t seem too difficult.
Among natural magics known for their destructive power, fire-based spells were the most potent.
If Ray gathered a large amount of red mana from his ring and hurled a fireball, he could easily shatter Mikhail’s barrier.
After all, Mikhail’s ring contained little white mana to begin with.
But if he did that…
Mikhail might get hurt.
That was a problem.
Ray couldn’t quite grasp why Mikhail was so angry.
But for now, he still had many questions to ask him.
Did he know about the Rainbow?
Had he ever been to the City of Mages?
Did he possess other types of magic beyond summoning?
The unanswered questions piled up like a mountain. Until they were resolved, Mikhail couldn’t be allowed to fall.
I need to subdue the summoned creatures first.
But they were too fast to hit with a fireball.
So then…
Hmm—
White mana responded to his will, flowing from his arm into his palm.
Thud!
He stopped retreating and spun sharply.
One on the left, two on the right.
Three hawks circled overhead before diving toward him.
The closest approached from the left.
As Ray turned toward it, layers of white barriers began stacking in front of his palm—dozens of thin shields concentrated into a narrow square.
Boom—!
The hawk failed to adjust its trajectory and crashed into the barrier.
Swoosh—!
Ray’s metal-reinforced hand shot forward to grab its neck through the barrier—but caught nothing.
The hawk used the collision’s recoil to retreat far into the air, seemingly unharmed.
Ray immediately kicked off the ground, dodging the remaining two hawks.
Bang! Crash!
This method isn’t working.
His earlier attempt hadn’t grazed a single feather. The hawks’ reflexes were beyond human limits.
Of course. Without magic enhancement, humans couldn’t match such speed.
But now, both sides were equally empowered.
What other options do I have?
The hawks moved not by free will but under Mikhail’s control—fierce, savage, precise.
Attacks unbearable even for seconds.
But by Ray’s standards, forged in chaotic melee battles, their patterns felt monotonous.
As their flight paths grew familiar, evasion became easier.
“How long do you think you can last? You’ll pay for insulting our leader!” Mikhail roared.
The mana threads binding the hawks’ legs brightened—three purple chains linking them to his hands.
Ray’s eyes sharpened.
If I sever those…
Thud! Crack! Bang!
Ray dodged while focusing his mind.
The mana threads trembled violently, thinning like fraying ropes.
“What are you doing?!” Mikhail poured more purple mana into the threads.
Hummm!
The threads pulsed between strength and fragility as their wills clashed.
Squeak— Screech—
The hawks stopped attacking, circling aimlessly above.
Mikhail could no longer maintain control.
“Ugh…!”
The stalemate shattered abruptly.
How…? This can’t be…!
Mikhail stared in horror as his connection to the summoned creatures frayed.
Summoning magic required unwavering focus—yet Ray wasn’t attacking him, but the magic itself.
An impossibility. Manifested magic couldn’t be undone.
Yet the elements composing his spells were being torn apart.
“Take back… your insult!” Mikhail gasped as Ray approached.
His mana reserves drained rapidly.
“I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“What could you know about our leader?!”
“I’ve served him for years! No one knows him better!”
Tick! Tick!
The mana threads stretched thin—a hair’s breadth from snapping.
“Aaaaah—!!”
Mikhail unleashed his remaining mana. The hawks dove—not at Ray, but into Mikhail’s coat, vanishing in bursts of purple light.
Hummm—
The barrier dissolved. Mikhail collapsed to his knees, ring empty.
“Haa… haa…”
Drenched in sweat, vision blurred, yet his gaze remained sharp—a man ready to accept death rather than beg.
Ray studied Mikhail’s vessel overflowing with devotion to John, interlaced with fury.
Impressive. Such intense emotion, born naturally without manipulation.
“I’ll ask the rest later. No time now.”
Ray vanished toward the sector’s outskirts, leaving Mikhail kneeling in dust and silence.
A jeep raced across barren land.
On its roof, Skyle pointed at the horizon. “There. See?”
“Yes.”
Countless gray dots swarmed the distance—Rockdeer migrating toward Sector 48.
“They move fast. Reaching here overnight?”
“They barely sleep during migration. Desperate to reach vegetation.”
Blackened earth flashed beneath them—regions poisoned by dark rain where nothing grew.
The jeep halted far from the herd.
“Getting closer would spook them,” Skyle explained.
Thousands of Rockdeer rested under the scorching sun, watched by distant vehicles.
“My subordinates track them. Can’t afford to lose sight.”
“Good work.”
Ray jumped down, landing softly with wind-cushioned steps.
“If you need anything—”
“Checking something myself.”
Clop— Clop—
The gray beasts raised their heads.
Hundreds of pitch-black eyes locked onto the white-haired boy approaching alone.
