Shaman?
Murphy had already guessed as much when he saw the old man's drum and attire.
The wizarding and non-magical worlds aren't entirely separate. Over time, non-magical people have inevitably discovered traces of wizards and passed down many legends about them.
The widespread existence of shamanic culture in Eastern Europe is also due to the influence of real shamans.
"My name is Aleksei Romanov, and I have been practicing in the depths of this forest for many years," the old shaman suddenly spoke, using an ancient and obscure form of the Russian language. Even though Murphy had learned Russian, he found it difficult to understand.
"This place gathers ancient spiritual veins. For thousands of years, the land, untouched, has intertwined with the ancient spirits. I listen to their conversations and sleep to their songs..."
"We live together, rest together. I have come to know every piece of land here, every stream, every tree, every bird, and beast..."
"And you, you're destroying everything here."
"Stranger, I ask you to leave this place."
Just leave?
Murphy was surprised.
"The Great Shaman! He's a foreign wizard! He's planning to assassinate the president of a non-magical nation!" The Russian wizard hurriedly reminded.
Aleksei glanced at him, "Who are you?"
"My name is Vitali Pyzhov. I am an imperial guard and once studied with you in the Ancestral Tomb." The Russian wizard quickly added, "Great Shaman, the Emperor has ordered me to protect the president. We can't let him leave!"
"Please apprehend him."
But the elder remained unmoved, "Worldly matters have nothing to do with us. If he wants to kill someone not of our people, let him. Even if we don't interfere, his own country will deal with it."
Murphy was somewhat pleased; the old man was an extreme conservative who cared not for the non-magical society's well-being.
"Thank you for your understanding, Great Shaman," Murphy replied courteously. "However, I have a small request. Could you erase this wizard's memory? If you could oblige, I am open to any requests in return."
However, Aleksei's gaze suddenly sharpened, his wrinkled face expressing a terrifying look: "Stranger, did you not understand my words? I said, please leave!"
Murphy frowned. Some wizarding conservatives were merely self-serving, not caring about non-magical society or even their fellow wizards.
But this Great Shaman was not like that.
He didn't even give a chance to negotiate, indicating there was no room for discussion in protecting his people.
But erasing the memory of the Russian wizard was necessary.
It seemed there was no room for agreement.
Murphy sighed, "Then, you must stay as well."
With that, he transformed into lightning, appearing behind Aleksei with a great sword summoned from his "Storage Ring," swinging it down in a mighty strike.
Murphy's physical prowess and terrifying mobility, granted by his ability to move like lightning, made physical attacks more efficient than using spells in battle. He was confident that few wizards could withstand such attacks.
"Clang!"
A crisp sound echoed. The elder made no move, but a stone pillar rose behind him, blocking Murphy's strike.
Aleksei turned around, "Foolish!"
He slammed his staff on the ground, sending a shockwave that repelled Murphy. Then he turned and struck the drum, emitting no sound. Murphy's expression tightened, and he vanished in a flash of lightning.
"Whack, whack, whack..." After several crisp sounds, Murphy's original position was marked with several deep cuts in the trees, as if sliced by a blade.
Murphy was shocked, "Wind blades?"
They seemed to be extremely sharp shockwaves, moving faster than sound.
Their lethality was no less than an invisible sharp blade, and the old man was casting silently?
"Leave, or die here!" Aleksei warned for the last time.
Murphy simply responded, "Anchor of Space!"
This spell countered illusionary movement, Portkeys, and other spatial movements. Recently found in the restricted section of Hogwarts, it prevented enemies from escaping within a certain area.
Murphy had his own lightning movement method and wasn't worried about being trapped, but it would prevent the two Russian wizards from disengaging at will.
With differing stands, communication was impossible. Using this spell, Murphy decided to go all out.
Sensing a slight delay in the surrounding spirits, Aleksei understood Murphy's determination. He stopped persuading, raised his staff, and the temperature soared. Suddenly, a celestial fire descended towards Murphy, who quickly reappeared to launch another attack.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Three successive strikes from different angles were all blocked by rock pillars. Murphy's great sword twisted into a spiral, which he threw aside, but his attack didn't cease. Waving his hand, dozens of grenades appeared in front of him, "Wadivasii!"
The pins were pulled, and they flew towards the old shaman, turning into a barrage of grenades.
Aleksei, unfamiliar with the metal spheres, instinctively sensed danger. He slammed his staff, and a stone wall rose from the ground, shielding him and Vitali.
"Boom! Boom!..."
A series of explosions engulfed Aleksei's position in smoke.
But Murphy, weary of ineffective smoke screens, didn't believe this would kill the shaman. He cleared the smoke with his wand, revealing a shattered wall but no trace of the two men.
Under the grenade barrage, they had no escape but down!
Vitali had previously demonstrated Earth Escape, and being the shaman's student, it was likely Aleksei knew it too.
They were like moles.
But Murphy had a way to deal with moles.
He flew up again, pulling out a portable anti-tank rocket launcher from his ring.
Loading it, he spotted two earth trails below; they had split up!
Tsk.
Murphy aimed at one and fired.
The rocket, trailing white smoke, landed in front of one trail.
Just before impact, a figure emerged from the ground, leaping aside, so the explosion missed its mark.
Aleksei!
Murphy wondered, did the old shaman possess the ability to foresee the future for a few seconds?
Undeterred, he landed with a flash, holding a machine gun and began firing wildly at the shaman.
Aleksei raised another stone wall but was pinned down momentarily.
Compared to wizard spells or magic, the rate of gunfire was too high.
But the shaman didn't resign to fate. Chanting a strange incantation, he struck the drum, and dozens of thick roots emerged, entangling Murphy. He discarded the gun, teleporting beside Aleksei, "Avada Kedavra!"
Aleksei, recognizing the spell, quickly pounded his staff, and a timely stone wall blocked the deadly curse.
However, just as Aleksei breathed a sigh of relief, a flash caught his eye.
"No! Vitali!"
A long sword descended from the sky, landing several meters ahead of the other earth trail.
A muffled "thud."
That trail stopped.
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