Book Eater

Chapter 197: Mercurius (4)

While the rest of the investigation team was battling Lloyd, a strong wind was blowing outside the ruins. Mercurius’s movements were literally creating vortexes because of its size.

It was literally heaven-and-earth shaking! The clouds in the sky had long since been torn apart by the vortex produced by Mercurius, and every time it took a step, the land would change. Was the desert god angry? Austen might call the sandstorm covering the sky a god and fear it, but Mercurius was more than that.

Theo growled, “Kuk, what is this abrasive wind?”

The winds had reached a speed of more than 100 km/hr, which was enough to start carving through flesh and bone. Theo abandoned his robes and focused on maintaining his shield magic.

Damn, there’s mercury mixed in with the sandstorm. If I drop the shield, I’ll get poisoned!

The giant Mercurius was indeed a tricky opponent. The combination of its destructive power, its immortality, its long range light ray, and the sandstorm was deadly. Without Theo’s senses and Veronica’s mobility, Theo wouldn’t have lasted for a minute.

Chill.

Theo felt a chill and immediately yelled to Veronica, “Tower Master, go up!”

“Up!” Veronica quickly embraced him, and wings of flames emerged from her back.

She had cast Wing Blaze, a flying spell which only Veronica, who harmonized her dragon’s bloodline and magic, could use.

Huuk!

They shot into the blue sky, narrowly avoiding the dozens of light rays that tore through the air. In the beginning, Mercurius had shot all the rays at the same time, but as the battle continued, it had gotten more sophisticated. As such, they had to move in different directions to evade the dozens of rays. The rays were also getting closer each time.

“Isn’t this pretty dangerous?” Veronica, who was getting close to her limit, started sweating anxiously for the first time. The next strike might actually hit them. It had been a long time since she’d fought something stronger than her. Her spine tingled with the sense of crisis that she had forgotten.

.

However, Theo didn’t shrink back as he muttered, “...Two minutes and twelve seconds. The error range is a minimum of two seconds to a maximum of five seconds.”

“Huh? What?”

“The interval between the rays. I don’t think it can shoot an unlimited amount of 9th Circle spells.”

According to his calculations, they were safe for one minute and fifty eight seconds, but there was no time to spare. It would be checkmate if they couldn’t come up with a countermeasure before the next cycle.

Checkmate.

Theo reflexively looked down at the dagger in his hand.

I have to use the Azoth Sword.

He’d learned how to use the sword from Paragranum. Theo just needed to attach the Philosopher's Stone to it and touch the target. In a sense, it was like the ray which changed anything it touched to mercury. However, the possibilities of the Azoth Sword were endless.

The true power of the Azoth Sword was substance substitution. The sword had the ability to convert the object which the blade touched into any substance desired by the user. This was Paracelsus’ truly divine ability. It was even possible to change mud or bad iron to mithril, orichalcum or gold. It was said that Paracelsus had used the Azoth Sword to supply the materials needed for his experiments.

However, there were limits to the power.

Theo shared this knowledge with Gluttony, who calmly advised him.

- Every substance has a corresponding value. Even though they might have the same mass, the value of Substance A is different from that of Substance B. Changing a high-value substance to a low-value substance won’t be a big problem, But in the opposite case, it can throw causality off. He made the Azoth Sword and Philosopher’s Stone in order to resolve this reaction.

What exactly is value?

- Just think of it as something similar to entropy. That was one ancient civilization’s explanation.

Gluttony spoke to the master magician like he was a caveman, but Theo had to accept it. Theo didn’t know alchemy, but he could tell that it was deep and complicated. His question had reached beyond the boundary of the field.

Therefore, Theo focused on using the Azoth Sword.

Then can you compare values? Tell me if it is high or low, based on mercury.

- Hrmm, okay. I was getting bored anyway.

Okay.

As he flew without Veronica’s arms, Theo looked at Mercurius below him.

What substance should he change that monster into so that it would be less threatening? The Azoth Sword could only change it into a substance he knew. Theo thought of a few candidates.

How about gold?

-... User, did you become an idiot when I wasn’t watching? The density of gold is even higher than mercury. Do you want to increase its weight?

Ah, I see. A substance that can defeat it...

Of course, it didn’t mean that gold was more threatening than mercury. It was solid at room temperature, and a gold giant could be easily melted. It would buy them some time to escape from this one-sided situation.

However, it wasn’t a fundamental solution. The ray of matter conversion was threatening regardless of whether it was gold or mercury, and they needed to enter the ruins as soon as possible. He needed a substance which could neutralize Mercurius and wasn’t burdensome.

Theo worried about it before seeking an answer from Veronica.

“Tower Master, can you still shoot a Breath?”

“I can do it twice more, why?”

“Please be prepared. I will create an opportunity for you.”

Veronica made a strange expression, but she had no time to question him. It had already been a minute and thirty seconds since the last ray had been fired. They only had forty seconds left until checkmate, so she was forced to believe in him.

Veronica nodded. “Okay! I won’t ask anything and just follow your lead.”

“Thank you!”

“What do I need to do?”

It only took two words. Her eyes shone yellow, and the wings of fire fluttered as she smiled excitedly. Then the arms which embraced Theo… let go.

Huuuuuuong!

At a height several kilometers above sea level, a magician started to fall at a rate of dozens of meters per second. Theo realized how close Mercurius was getting at almost the same time that Mercurius’ hundreds of eyes noticed him.

The moment that the gazes of the two beings met…

Huuung!

A pillar of mercury soared into the air. Not one, but both arms were aimed at Theo. As he rapidly fell toward the mercury giant’s fists, against an attack which would turn him into a bloodstain, Theo calculated the timing with wide eyes. He couldn’t fail this reckless challenge simply because he was a few seconds early or late.

Exactly two seconds later, a green light flashed on Theo’s right arm as he activated Fluidization. His body shifted out of the material world as he passed through the mercury fist. Not even divine power would affect him in this state.

Theo’s gambit had exceeded expectations. Mercurius was wide open and defenseless after launching both his arms forward.

Kwaduduk!

Theo stabbed the Azoth Sword into Mercurius.

“Ars Magna!”

This was the activation chant of the Azoth Sword. It was a term which referred to the feat where alchemists changed lead to gold. Paracelsus had arrogantly borrowed that term as the trigger word for his tool. If someone could change worthless lead into noble gold, he would be able to change all the laws of the world at will.

“Become water, you sacred creature, Mercurius!”

The Philosopher’s Stone attached to the hilt shone gold as Mercurius melted. No, it was far more accurate to say that it flowed away. The fifty meter tall mercury giant collapsed as water.

... And Veronica didn’t miss her chance. The sky was crimson as she dug deep within her for fire magic which surpassed even 8th Circle magic, the red clan’s favorite Fire Breath.

It had been sealed thus far because of the risk of mercury vapor. However, that mercury was currently water. The magic almost seemed to express its frustration as Fire Breath roasted the sand viciously.

Roaaaaar-!

The fight against Mercurius came to an end as the flames died down. It was victory which wouldn’t have been possible without the Azoth Sword. The fight which deviated from common sense finally ended with the victory of the two magicians.

***

Theo and Veronica only had enough magic power to land safely. The battle had lasted less than thirty minutes, but they were happy to feel solid ground beneath them again. Veronica’s breath had hardened the sand enough to easily walk on.

Veronica, who was walking ahead, suddenly spoke, “By the way.”

“Yes?”

“Where did you get that sword from? It has a completely ridiculous ability. Is it a mysterious national treasure that you received from His Majesty?”

“Ah, it’s something that the Yellow Tower Master let me borrow.”

“What? The Yellow Tower Master?”

Theo changed it to being borrowed, but Veronica was more focused on the Yellow Tower Master than the Azoth Sword. It seemed like their relationship wasn’t that good.

She tidied her disheveled hair and grumbled, “I don’t get what that raccoon is thinking…”

All the grimoire cared about was creating a human being with alchemy! However, Theo didn’t answer her and just followed her carefully. They passed the corpses of the Andras Shadows and easily entered the tunnel. But after a few steps, they sensed three people ahead, two breathing calmly and one breathing roughly.

Three? Why only three?

Mujak and the Quattro members should make four people. Before the two puzzled magicians could speculate why, they were welcomed by the rest of the investigation team. Theo didn’t know whether Lloyd had been dealt with already, so he was still on guard.

“Theo! You’re safe!”

“Oh, as expected of Tower Master! Did you kill that monster?”

“Kuoong... This appearance is unsightly of me.”

Sylvia and William were delighted, while Mujak smiled wryly. But both Theo and Veronica noticed the anomaly.

Veronica asked, “Where’s that kid called Para? I don’t see her.”

The expressions of the three people changed subtly. They had been concentrating on Mujak’s injuries and didn’t know where she had gone. The two people, who arrived late to this indescribable atmosphere, looked expectantly at the group, but there was no answer.

At that moment...

「Identification code PRGRN3681214, checked the sub-master’s login. Five non-enemies have been approved for access. They will go straight to the waiting room in area B-13.」

An unknown language echoed in their minds. There was no chance to respond. Theo and Veronica didn’t understand the situation, but the five people disappeared instantly. It was a forced space transfer that didn’t require consent, leaving only silence to reign in the tunnel.

Huuk...

The warm floor and settling dust was the only evidence that the tunnel had been inhabited just a moment ago.