NOVEL NEXT Chapter 100: He didn’t just eat that gum. He consumed its magical potential
Despite Anders insisting he could reveal that magic for free, Ducaz still managed to scam a small gold nugget from the dragon queen.
"It is temperature manipulator," Ducaz said.
Anders slapped his thigh. "I knew it! For free too!" He cast a frustrated glare at Ducaz, who merely winked.
Ducaz continued, "Rogues, especially those who prefer to keep their operations hidden, often use spells to cloak themselves and their strongholds. The magic imbued within these walls probably lowers their internal temperature so drastically that your molten breath, which would normally melt through anything, only manages to bring the outer surface up to, say, room temperature."
That still sounds absurd, but at least it's logically absurd within this world's parameters.
"Does it take a lot of power to maintain that magic?" Lena asked.
"I'd wager, intermediate master mage level," Ducaz touched his chin.
There was a surprising lack of 'I could do that' from Anders. Instead, his lips slightly upturned.
"Oh, if there is really intermediate-level magic in there, I would want to dispel it," he said, amused. Then he turned to the dragon queen. "Move me closer to the castle, dragon."
The queen let out a low growl that sounded like grinding rock candy. "Dragon? My dear human, I am the Candy Dragon Queen, sovereign ruler of the Sweetcane Spire, conqueror of the Gummy Bear Marchlands, and possessor of the finest tea set in all the confectionery realms. You will address me with respect due to my station."
"Okay, Candy Dragon Queen, sovereign ruler of the Sweetcane Spire, conqueror of the Gummy Bear Marchlands, move me closer to the castle," Anders replied.
With another exasperated huff, she lowered her head and brought her eye level closer to Anders. "Fine," she growled. "If you insist on being so... utilitarian. But I am no common mount to be ordered about." She presented her candy-scaled back. They glittered like faceted gems under the perpetual twilight. "Climb on, then, human."
Anders hoisted himself onto the Queen's broad back and she launched herself into the air. As they drew nearer, along the crenellated battlements of the gingerbread castle, smaller, more agile Gummy Bear archers with forms slightly more defined than the berserkers appeared. They were armed with bows that looked suspiciously like stretched licorice ropes.
Oh no.
[Reminder: Quest Incomplete—Sell Anders a Horse]
That's not important NOW! He's about to die!
"Uh… Should we help?" Lena, who was now hugging Rob from behind whilst nobody was noticing, said.
"Not unless you're riding on a flying dragon," Marin replied.
The party looked at Ducaz at once.
"What?" Ducaz furrowed his brow.
A moment later, the first volleys began to fly. They weren't arrows, however, but oddly shaped projectiles.
THWIP! THWIP!
One smacked against the Queen's scales, bouncing harmlessly off with a soft boing. Another landed near Anders, sticking to the iridescent scales. Blorbo got a closer look. They were balls of multi-colored chewing gum.
Stolen novel; please report.
I forgot… Their weapons are useless.
Anders pointed his wand toward the castle and started firing something dazzling white. A resonant thrum emanated, and a colossal stream of raw magical energy, far beyond mere wind, erupted from the tip of his wand.
Blorbo's Skill Appraisal flared.
[ERROR: Unspecified Energy Signature—Power Overflow]
[Please Level Up]
The raw magical torrent slammed into the gingerbread wall. The entire fortress vibrated. The Gummy Bear archers on the battlements staggered, some clutching their heads. Dust, not gingerbread crumbs, puffed from the point of impact.
Still, the castle didn't budge.
"That much power, and nothing?" Marin gasped.
"Heh!" Griesa folded her arms. "He should've worn my power magnifier gauntlet. But he just had to insist…" she then spoke in a whiny mocking voice. "'I don't need some dumb tech to power myself.'"
"Well… They didn't work last time," Ducaz shrugged.
"Oh! Speaking of tech," Lena chimed in. "How did the break-in into the bird cult go?"
"About that…" Ducaz scratched his head. "We're local criminals now."
"What?!" Lena clutched Rob closer and lifted her face to speak to him. "Explain."
"... Maybe some other time," Rob said.
[QUEST RECEIVED: Criminal Status (1)]
Objective: Investigate the cause of the party's criminal status
Reward: +1 CP, Criminal Status (2) unlocked
Prerequisite: Be a criminal
Failure: Fail the quest
Accept: Yes/No
But I'm not a criminal though? I didn't even join the break-in?
[Criminal-by-association are allowed to accept the quest]
JUST BECAUSE I TRAVEL WITH THIS PARTY DOESN'T MEAN I'VE PARTAKEN IN ANY CRIMINAL ACT? I have NEVER done anything unethical.
As Anders maintained his monumental spell, a huge blue chewing gum projectile arced high and flew straight at his face. Instead of flinching or conjuring a shield, Anders simply... opened his mouth.
The gum sailed in. He swallowed it whole. Then, with a sudden puff, Anders opened his mouth again.
A scorching fireball flew out of his mouth.
HE CAN DO THAT?!
The fireball crashed with the castle, and alongside the constant stream of magic, engulfed the castle in a thick patch of smoke. Blorbo couldn't even see the castle through the smoke anymore.
[Fireball - Basic-level Spell - Level ???]
Okay, sure, it's basic. But let's not forget he turned a freaking gum into that?!
"Anders didn't just eat that gum. He consumed its magical potential. Every material holds latent energy. By ingesting it, he integrated its essence into his magical core, then repurposed that energy into raw flame."
"Why are you just standing here explaining things and not, you know, fighting?" Griesa gestured around at the still-active pockets of battle.
Ducaz calmly dismounted from his dragon. After he had finished, he patted the dragon, who nodded once before flying away. "I don't have a mount," he said.
Everyone groaned.
Slowly, the smoke dissipated. Lena had already jumped in joy. "Surely the castle wall is breached now!"
But as the air cleared, revealing the full face of the gingerbread fortress, everyone stared in utter disbelief. The walls still stood. The point where Anders's overwhelming magical torrent had struck was indeed slightly darker, and the spot where his chewing-gum-fueled fireball had impacted was charred, smelling strongly of burnt sugar. But there was no collapse. Not even a significant crack.
Ducaz furrowed his brow. "This might be more than intermediate-level magic we're dealing with."