Chapter 84: No fury like a Hammerhead Shark
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Any non-expert trying to summon any being would face a certain difficulty when using a Summoning Scroll. For starters, they can’t just summon any being they want even if they were using a special contract. That was because without any communication between contract participants or teambuilding between the summoner and the summoned, the process and result of a summoning attempt would be unpredictable.
When an ordinary person cast a summoning spell, what they summon depended entirely on their mana and true strength. Vidomina was already long past the prime to even be able to summon a cute little kitten.
That was the nature of all summoned beasts. They did not care about how cute, rich, pretty or charming their summoner was.
That was why when the Voidwalkers saw that Vidomina managed to summon a great lindworm, Baiyi knew instantly that dirty tricks were involved. Something fishy was in that summoning scroll that Vidomina had used and whatever was in it, the real summoner must have been that Immortal Level elder. It was possible for one to summon something through other people’s hand by using unorthodox, secret spells like Soul Transference— those spells were uncommon, so very few in the world would have been able to recognize it. Baiyi counted himself lucky for being able to recognize it from the tutelage and experience of the Voidwalkers.
It was beginning to become clear that whoever the elder was, he was definitely not an orthodox sorcerer. The spells he had chosen to enchant on Vidomina’s staff or whatever trick he had used to summon the lindworm had revealed his nature.
If that was the case, Baiyi had decided that he would no longer be courteous. One of the Holy or Demigod Level Voidwalkers was going to possess that hammerhead shark and have a blast.
And no one was more eager to unleash that pent-up need for excitement other than the Lich. "Hohohoho! Let me out! My expertise may lie in necromancy but I doubt that I would need any of that to finish off this small fry!"
"Hold on. This plushie can use water-based spells, which are way out of your usual territory," The Archmage spoke. "Allow me."
And that was how the Void became clear of eager voices. The Archmage was The Authority when it came to magic— among the Voidwalkers and the world out there. So if he said he was going to possess a magically-enchanted doll, no one was going to say no to him. Not even the resident contrarian, the Lich.
The silence was quickly broken— although it was not exactly broken and was more along the lines of very carefully cracked open by a soft, fine and distinctively feminine voice.
"I should go. I’m more used to tackling these situations."
It was the taciturn Voidwalker, the Warrior.
Her sudden volunteer shocked Baiyi but as soon as he had regained his thoughts, he admitted that she might be the best choice. Still, he replied carefully, There isn’t any combat chi left in the plushie, you know? There’s only mana left.
"I am fully aware of that. Have you so quickly forgotten what I am capable of?"
Alright. I will entrust Mia’s safety to you, then. I’ll handle that old asshole. Baiyi nodded and activated the second secret spell hidden within the plushie so that a part of its consciousness would be fused with the Warrior’s.
Right at that moment, little Mia was squaring off against the gigantic beast alone in the arena.
The gigantic reptilian monster loomed over her as its shadow shrouded the tiny frame of the sixteen-years-old Intermediate Level sorcerer. Only pitiful, low whimpers escaped the silenced girl’s mouth but the sheer intensity of the sounds conveyed the immense fear grappling her. She looked even smaller as she backed away and tripped over the corner, hugging the hammerhead shark plushie tight against her chest.
The lindworm, eyeing the prey before it, advanced slowly with thundering steps, baring its fangs that complemented its bloodied claws.
Mia was shaking like a leaf, her body shivering from fear, her eyes watered and threatened to spill. But as afraid as she was, she just wouldn’t raise her hand in surrender.
Just then, the hammerhead shark wriggled and escaped Mia’s tight embrace.
It hovered in midair for a second, assessing the situation and the advancing lindworm. Then, as if it had deemed the lindworm's speed to be too slow, the shark turned its back on the dragon and flew to Mia’s head. It ruffled her hair as if it was patting her head to calm her down.
"Mmfff? Mmfff! Mmmfff... Mmff! Mmff?" Mia was so shocked she forgot all about her current muted status, opening and closing her mouth making muffled gibberish noise at her Sharky’s sudden animation.
The plushie turned towards the lindworm in a movement so fast that it appeared as a blur to naked eyes, as it shot itself right at the lidnworm’s vulnerable lower jaw. The beast’s gaping mouth instantly snapped shut in a painful clasp followed by a deep animalistic growl of pain.
It didn’t end there. The hammerhead shark crisscrossed in midair, gracefully dodging any attempt to dissuade its incoming attacks. Then with a skillful loop-de-loop, it rammed itself straight at the white underbelly of the lindworm. The force almost knocked the gigantic beast off the ground.
The tables turned all of a sudden. The hammerhead shark fluttered and cruised in the air, varying its speed of flight and each time when everyone least expected it, it flung itself suddenly, in brute haste, at the reptilian’s key vulnerable points, striking in kamikaze-like dedication as the lindworm winced and roared in agony. Its previous intimidation factor were all gone as the hammerhead shark subjugated it into a fetal position.
The crowd— students, principal, judges and janitors alike— had their mouths opened in shock. Because why , is an animated hammerhead shark plushie so much stronger than a goddamned dragon? The shark-shaped bag of cotton could build a career in dragon slaying!
Even Mia was mmff-mmff-ing in puzzlement. She had long noticed that Mr. Hope had performed something extra on her favorite doll because when she rubbed her cheeks with it, she always felt that it moved, got a bit warmer and other slight details that only an attentive owner would have picked up.
Truthfully, she wasn’t the slightest bit mad at Mr. Hope for tampering with her plushie. To her, the body of the hammerhead shark plushie carried the blessings of her darling Big Sister Dale, while the mind of the plushie carried the protection of her beloved Mr. Hope. The hammerhead shark was figuratively and literally her guardian spirit.
Despite that fond opinion, there was still a tiny voice of skepticism over the formidable prowess the plushie had demonstrated in the fight. Of course it could protect her like any guardian would but she had never expected it to be so strong!
She was not the only one with that thought. The Archmage couldn’t help but voiced his question out loud as well, "How did it get so strong all of a sudden? Last I checked, this plushie could only jump around like a fish out of water..."
Excuse me, my most respected Master. How long has it been since we last gotten that result from our experimentation? Baiyi thought to himself indignantly . Between multiple experimentations and additional enhancement from various spells, do you really think it would not have improved at all? Gods, do you really look down on me to this extent?
"No, that wasn’t what I mean, child. I’ve knew you were adding magical enhancement when you had dissected the plushie multiple times. I just did not expect your priority to be that, instead of fortifying its magical might."
Well, I was preoccupied with the possibility that once the mana within the plushie is depleted, it would most likely be thrown away. That was why I prioritized its physical prowess. Baiyi replied quietly to himself. But in retrospect, that probably wasn’t a good idea either…
"To be honest, it wasn’t a bad choice. I just didn’t expect such a mastery over mana manipulation from someone who called herself the Warrior," The Archmage continued. "Was ice-based magic used to fortify the hammerhead shark’s skin? Those hits looked almost armor-penetrating— did she just consolidate all the mana within the doll into physical force?!"
Oh, please, just because she entered the Void with the title ‘The Warrior’, you ‘ve already taken her as a strictly physical-melee only combatant? Talk about pigeonholing a person…
Similar to the Fairy, the Warrior had only shared her life experience with Baiyi alone. The reason was because she did not want to ruin the fun of dueling with her fellow Voidwalkers once they were freed in the future— only the best of the best ended up in the Void so she had long desired a match with everyone of them. Sharing her past with her rivals would tarnish the sanctity of the battle.
The Warrior was a woman of exquisite beauty. She had a face many would kill for, a lean body that exemplified top human physique and a calm, poised and regal bearing. All who had their eyes set upon her had always thought that she was an immortal or a goddess.
If she was an immortal, she must have been Brynhildr herself. For the only beauty that had ever captivated her was that of Arete— the paragon of excellence and true strength. She climbed her own path to that end, her entire life spent in constant self-improvement in all manners of physical refinement— weaponry, martial arts, and even different schools of magic. She was known for her vigorous drive to meet and fight famed warriors and sages as well as her fearlessness.
She even constrained herself to remain a Legendary Level fighter just so she could continue her training. Even as she was sitting among the ranks of Holy Level beings in the Void, no one dared challenge her title.
"If she was not banished into the Void and had finished her training… I’m afraid her strength would be beyond Holy Level," The Archmage remarked in regret.
Nobody knew if that would happen. After all, just as the Warrior almost reached the goal she had been striving towards her entire life, she was sent to the Void. Her lifelong efforts turned to waste. The reality of it crushed her and had sent her into a long period of depression. It took a very long time and Baiyi’s own effort to open her up and to be allowed to relive her memories before she finally got a little better.
That was why Baiyi had utmost faith in her. He was sure that only someone who was driven to master all of her physical faculties would have the instinct to unlock the complete strength of that hammerhead shark plushie.
He just didn’t expect to see the other side of her. That little hair-ruffling stunt was almost like a mother patting her frightened child to calm her down from her nightmares.
The way she was fighting the lindworm was also different from how she used to fight. There was an element of maternal instinct laden in her every action. She was like an ewe trampling a wolf to protect her young.
Baiyi was also bemused by the Warrior’s refusal to end the lindworm immediately. Every attack the hammerhead shark landed on the lindworm was fused with a little water magic. After so many attacks, the lindworm was already completely covered by the water magic, all that was needed was one little move…
With a pang, Baiyi suddenly understood her intention.
She was waiting for him .