Support me and be 20 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
******
"All right, I'll help you, but I threw that nesting doll away at the store's entrance years ago."
David thought for a moment before ultimately agreeing to Balthazar's plan.
George, who had been observing quietly, didn't speak up to dissuade him. He wanted David to agree too—only then could he tag along and learn the magic from Merlin's Book.
"You threw it away? Let me take a look!"
Hearing this, Balthazar immediately began casting a spell. The nesting doll had a magical marker left by him, allowing him to locate it no matter where it was.
Moments later, he slowly opened his eyes.
"It's in the busy district—likely somewhere in Chinatown. We need to hurry before Horvath gets there first."
"Why not use your eagle?"
Seeing that Balthazar didn't summon his giant eagle as he had earlier but instead walked toward the building's staircase, David couldn't hide his confusion.
Balthazar explained,
"We magicians try to avoid drawing attention from ordinary people whenever possible. That's a rule Merlin's lineage of magicians has always followed.
There are too many people in the busy district. Flying in on a giant eagle would be far too conspicuous. Luckily, there's a car I parked in this building's garage ten years ago—we'll drive there instead."
"If you're worried about being too obvious, I can take you there," George interjected.
Time was of the essence. Getting the nesting doll before Horvath could save them a lot of trouble.
"And how would you take us there?"
Both Balthazar and David turned to George with puzzled expressions.
A magical circle on George's back glowed briefly before a pair of pristine white wings unfolded.
"By flying you there, of course!"
"You can fly?!"
David's eyes widened in astonishment as he watched George hovering in the air.
He truly hadn't expected George, a panda, to possess the ability to fly. After all, George had never shown this skill before.
"Excellent, let's get going then," Balthazar said, equally surprised by George's flying ability but clearly pleased. This meant they could reach Chinatown much faster.
George grabbed Balthazar and David, one on each side, and flew swiftly toward Chinatown.
About twenty minutes later, they landed on the rooftop of a seven-story residential building.
"You two stay here on the roof—I'll retrieve the nesting doll," Balthazar said before heading down the stairs.
David, not yet a magician, couldn't contribute much, and George's panda form was far too conspicuous to risk going into the crowded streets below.
"This place sure is lively!"
After Balthazar left, David looked down at the bustling streets adorned with red lanterns and marveled aloud at the festive scene.
"It's New Year here," George replied. "It's like your Christmas."
David hadn't realized it was New Year's in this world until now.
"That makes sense," he said, nodding in understanding before suddenly asking, "Wait, you're a panda. Does that mean you lived in China before?"
"You could say that," George replied after a brief pause, nodding.
As a panda, it wasn't inaccurate to claim origins in China. His soul, however, didn't belong to this world, but it wasn't wrong to say he was from China either.
"No wonder you know so much about them," David said, amazed. He hadn't expected the panda magician to actually hail from China.
"I always thought you were a lot like Po from Kung Fu Panda. Have you seen it?"
"I've seen it, but I don't do kung fu—I only practice magic," George said with a shrug.
As David and George chatted on the rooftop, a loud crash interrupted them.
Below, a third-floor window shattered, and Balthazar's figure flew out, landing heavily in the bustling street.
Three figures followed immediately, leaping down after him.
Leading them was Horvath, flanked by a male and a female magician.
"Balthazar, today will be your last!" Horvath sneered.
"This guy is faster than I thought. Looks like we wasted too much time chatting up here," George muttered, realizing that Horvath had gotten to the nesting doll first. Worse, he'd already released two Morganian magicians sealed inside.
The Book of Morgana held a time-reversal spell capable of reconstructing scenes from the past. Horvath had likely used this spell to locate the nesting doll ahead of them.
"Stay here—I'll help him!"
George leaped off the rooftop, spreading his wings as he swooped stealthily behind Horvath.
"Shadowless Slash!"
Aiming for the leader, George decided to take down Horvath first. Without him, the other two would be much easier to handle.
But as the spell struck, Horvath's body transformed into a swarm of cockroaches, scattering and evading the attack.
Simultaneously, the young female magician, who appeared no older than seventeen or eighteen, turned sharply toward George. Her eyes glowed with an eerie light.
"You foolish panda. Did you really think I'd fall for your tricks again? I've been expecting you," Horvath said smugly as he reformed his human shape.
With the female magician's mental magic, George was now suspended mid-air, his body frozen.
Horvath's voice brimmed with confidence. "I know I have to get rid of you and Balthazar today. Even if I get the nesting doll, I'll never have peace as long as you're alive."
After retrieving the doll, Horvath had released the two Morganian magicians sealed inside. Then, anticipating their arrival, he set a trap in the room below.
The female magician, skilled in mental magic, had sensed their presence the moment they landed on the rooftop. Everything was under his control.
"Horvath!"
Suddenly, Balthazar rose to his feet. As one of the strongest magicians after Merlin and Morgana, he wasn't so easily defeated. Though momentarily caught off guard by Horvath's ambush, he had recovered quickly.
Seeing George immobilized in mid-air, Balthazar clasped his hands together. Between his palms, lightning began to coalesce, crackling like a storm.
This was plasma magic—the most powerful offensive spell in Merlinian magic, an upgraded version of lightning magic with devastating strength.
"Fire Dragon! Hold him off!"
Ignoring Balthazar, Horvath raised his wand, intent on eliminating the troublesome panda first.
The male magician beside him stepped forward, pressing his palms together at his chest. The fiery dragon tattoo on his body sprang to life. Nearby, a decorative dragon used for street performances transformed into a massive, real fire dragon, charging straight at Balthazar.
With Balthazar occupied by the fire dragon and George on the brink of death, David, still on the rooftop, panicked.
He stretched out his hands, desperately trying to summon magic. But with only the rudimentary instructions Balthazar had given him on the way, he couldn't calm himself enough to cast a proper spell.
Then, unexpectedly, George's vacant eyes cleared. His body swelled rapidly, expanding to nearly five meters tall. Before Horvath could unleash his magic, George swiped at him with an enormous paw.
The powerful strike sent Horvath and the female magician flying over ten meters away, knocking the nesting doll from Horvath's grasp.
(End of Chapter)