He turned around in surprise, only to see that the man had not fainted. At that moment, he was struggling to rise, holding something resembling a drumstick.
Simultaneously, a doll made of clay and straw fell from his waist and shattered into two pieces on the ground.
Could this be some sort of effigy used to cheat death?
"Great Oak, spirits of the ancestors... heed my call... and halt this train!"
"Thud!" The drumstick struck the floor of the train.
A muffled sound echoed far and wide. Murphy sensed something was amiss and hastily tossed Felix into the Traceless Expansion Box.
The next instant, "Boom!" Murphy felt the ground shake beneath him, and he was suddenly flung into the air.
Several tree roots, thick as a man's embrace, burst from beneath the tracks in the middle of the train, flipping the rails like tentacles. Their immense force even lifted the entire train.
They were soon smashed into pieces by the train, but the tracks were already destroyed. The train cars derailed one after another, violently swaying like a writhing snake.
Soon, the front of the train was also pulled off the tracks. The huge inertia bent the train into a zigzag shape. The first few cars toppled over but continued to slide on the ground for a considerable distance before finally coming to a stop.
A bolt of lightning burst from the train, taking on Murphy's form in midair. He frowned at the derailed train, sighing.
Even with his current strength, he was helpless against such a disaster.
He sensed through the Mind Seeds planted in the werewolf mercenaries and found that they were all alive, though injured to varying degrees. However, as werewolves, these minor injuries wouldn't affect them much.
The more troublesome part was that some soldiers, previously unconscious from the thick fog, had awoken due to the violent jolts.
Perhaps, this was the assailant's intention.
Now, there wasn't enough Life and Death Water or Winged Demon Poison to create more sleeping fog.
So be it, let the battle commence.
Suddenly, wisps of black mist emanated from around him, and with a crackling sound, countless lightning bolts shot out from his body, transforming into crows in mid-air. In just a moment, thousands of lightning crows flew into the sky, forming a dark cloud that enveloped the train.
"Seal this area!" Murphy commanded.
Just then, "Thud!" the sound echoed as the previously mentioned wizard crawled out from the train, holding a large drum that resembled a shield.
Several lightning crows immediately spotted him. They cawed excitedly and dove down to attack.
However, the wizard struck the drum again. "Thud!" A whirlwind formed on the drum's surface, rapidly growing into a tornado that swept up the crows and hurled them away.
Murphy, transformed into a streak of lightning, reached the wizard's side in an instant and threw a punch. The wizard retreated while striking the drum, causing Murphy's fist to feel as though it hit a wall of water, its force silently dissipated.
The wizard dared not confront Murphy directly. He struck the drum again, and the earth beneath him surged, swallowing him whole.
A trail of raised earth immediately appeared, speeding towards the forest.
Earth Escape?
His wand was broken, so he couldn't use illusionary movement techniques, could he?
The wizard's drum seemed old, suggesting it had a long history. The magic he used felt unlike any spell or incantation, as if it originated from an ancient tradition.
Since he couldn't use illusionary movement, there was no need for concern.
Earth Escape, is it?
Can it be faster than lightning?
"Snap!" Murphy instantly teleported in front of the trail, kicking down.
The wizard seemed to sense his approach; the earth trail abruptly turned, disappearing into the roots of a large tree.
But then, the tree shook. Before Murphy could react, its branches extended like whips towards him.
What kind of magic is this?
Has he possessed the tree?
Murphy flicked his wand, slicing several branches with a glowing arc.
Then, pointing his wand, he cast "Powerful Blast!"
"Boom!" The tree exploded into a hollow shell, breaking in half. A figure was ejected from the tree. Murphy, again as a streak of light, appeared in front of it, punching down.
"Bang!" The figure, like a cannonball, was smashed into the ground. A cracked skull bounced off the body, rolling to the side.
Hmm?
Something doesn't feel right.
Murphy picked up the skull to find it was a wooden carving.
He turned to the body, now broken into pieces, also made of wood.
Wood Escape?
Body replacement technique?
Could this guy be a crossover from the ninja world?
Looking around, the wizard had vanished, leaving only the rustling of leaves.
This person could use Earth and Wood Escape, perhaps escaping through the forest.
But in such a short time, where could he have gone?
Transforming into smoke, Murphy ascended, drawing his wand. "Flame as Epidemic!"
Suddenly, a gigantic firebird emerged from his wand, plummeting into the forest. Centered on Murphy, it circled in a massive radius.
The firebird moved incredibly fast, quickly drawing a ring of fire through the forest.
Given the wizard's speed, he couldn't have escaped over a thousand meters in such a short time.
Thus, confining him within a two-kilometer radius with the firebird should trap him.
"I'll burn this entire forest. Where will you hide then?"
A towering inferno rose, the firebird growing larger within the flames, reaching tens of meters in length with a wingspan nearly a hundred feet, like a divine bird descending upon the world, its presence terrifying.
"You dare to burn the forest with the fire of demons!" An angry voice came from the trees. "You will face nature's harsh punishment!"
"Nature?" Murphy scanned the forest, seeking the source of the voice.
"Before it punishes me, you'll have met your end."
"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Drumbeats echoed from the forest, distant and deep. The wizard's voice mixed with the drumbeats, "Hurry, leave this place, the forest is burning, leave..."
Numerous animals fled the forest—birds, monkeys, rodents, followed by wild boars, deer, and even bears, seemingly understanding the wizard's words, escaping their blazing home.
"Found you," Murphy's gaze fixed on a towering oak in the bushes.
He waved his wand, and the massive firebird soared, stirring up fierce flames, diving towards the oak.
"Boom!"
The moment the firebird struck, a huge fireball exploded, like a cluster bomb, shaking the entire forest. A wave of fire surged, threatening to burn everything within miles to ashes.
But then, "Thud!"
A soft sound rang at the heart of the flames.
The sound was faint, as if someone casually tapped a drum.
Yet, it clearly reached everyone and every animal nearby.
Within that drumbeat, the spreading fire, as if vacuumed away, stopped expanding and receded back to the center.
Even the burning trees saw their flames drawn away. In moments, the fiery expanse became a scorched earth, leaving only charred land and dead trees and the giant oak at the center remained lush and unscathed.
Beneath the oak stood a stooped old man.
He lifted his head, looking towards Murphy in the sky.
Murphy also got a clear view of his appearance.
His skin was dark and wrinkled, his head adorned with a headdress of feathers and deer antlers, and his body cloaked in tattered animal skins, with a necklace of beast teeth around his neck.
He leaned on a staff taller than himself, and in his other hand, he held a round leather drum, even more worn than the wizard's.
The wizard Murphy had been pursuing lay on the ground next to the old man, seemingly injured by the firebird's explosion. Blood flowed from his seven orifices, but on seeing the hunched old man, his face lit up with ecstatic relief.
"You came!"
"The Great Shaman!"
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