Chapter Thirty-Three: The Swarm of Shadow Serpents

Louis forced Stuart into the mirror, then draped the cloth over it.

He intended to test his new wand and, in the process, exhaust his magical power. The space here was vast and deep enough, far from prying eyes, making it an ideal place to experiment as he pleased.

He picked up Resentment, preparing to practice a spell. This was a spell he had witnessed that morning from a wizard who had “robbed” him—a spell he’d studied in detail while observing from within that dream.

It was called “Flying Fang,” a classic necromantic incantation. Categorized as a kind of magic missile, its trajectory was bizarre, capable of curving and spinning midair.

Compared to common magic missiles, its magical and physical penetration were formidable—on par with a musket round. While it lacked the purifying effect that made foxfire especially potent against evil spirits, it could still harm malevolent ghosts.

Even more remarkable, its casting interval was exceptionally short, and it was perfectly suited for rapid, multiple castings. In that nightmare, Louis had seen the wizard unleash seven or eight flying fangs at once.

It was, in essence, a spell fit for use like a submachine gun.

Recalling the structure of the spell, Louis gripped Resentment, familiarizing himself with the new wand. The icy touch of the handle felt like an extension of his own finger bone, connecting directly to his magical bloodline. Undoubtedly, this was a partner that would let a wizard pour out magic at will. Yet, like a wild stallion, it was difficult to tame.

His first few attempts at casting failed outright, causing Louis to raise an eyebrow. After pondering for a moment, he tried a few more times and finally managed to launch a thumb-sized black canine tooth.

The tiny flying fang wobbled unsteadily toward a section of earthen wall. Although it seemed feeble, it knocked loose a small clump of dirt and stone.

Louis was mildly surprised. He had expected the spell to fizzle out halfway, but instead, it struck the target with power comparable to a slingshot—just a little slower.

With the next few fangs, the speed neared that of a crossbow bolt. Soon, they were flying as fast as bullets, striking the mark in an instant.

Now, the earthen wall was riddled with holes, each about two feet deep. If a Goron were standing there, he would have been pierced straight through the bone.

Louis set down the wand, flicked his finger toward the wall, and seven or eight streaks of black light, like snakes, twisted their way through the air before stabbing into the stone and earth.

Examining the results, Louis found that the depth was little more than a foot, which surprised him.

“So the difference between being armored or not is significant,” he mused.

Curious, he flicked his finger at the obsidian wall. This time, only seven or eight holes, five or six centimeters deep, appeared.

Far off, the draped cloth over the mirror trembled in fright.

That obsidian wall was enchanted by “His Majesty Francesco”! With the spell laid upon it, the obsidian was as tough as dragon armor several meters thick.

In reality, a fire dragon’s scales were only two or three centimeters thick, and though the hide beneath was tough, it couldn’t compare. To gouge five or six centimeters into enchanted obsidian would have left even a dragon bloodied.

Had it been a knight in full armor, even his heavy shield would be no match—this tiny black tooth could pierce both armor and body in a single shot.

Louis tried with an ordinary wand, but before he could channel much power, the wand snapped.

But with Resentment, he could fire dozens of shots in mere seconds. It truly was the “Chicago typewriter” he’d imagined, though this was not yet the wand’s full strength.

“Hydra…” Louis closed his eyes, focusing on his wand.

Moments later, he opened them, gripped the wand, and, facing the obsidian wall, unleashed his magical power in a single, forceful sweep.

Hundreds of flying fangs fanned out before him in serried ranks, darting toward the wall like a swarm of black serpents lunging at their prey. The air was filled with a hissing, rasping sound, like a multitude of snakes exhaling.

In an instant, the obsidian wall was riddled with thousands of holes, each more than a foot deep.

Again, Louis struck hard, and this time, the wall could no longer withstand the assault—the enchantments were utterly shattered, and a large section of stone collapsed.

The Queen’s spells had broken. The cloth over the mirror shuddered violently.

Louis ignored Stuart’s antics. He wiped his brow, rested briefly, then spent a point of energy from the Storybook to gain a deeper understanding of the flying fang spell.

[You have comprehended “Forbidden: Shadow Serpent Swarm Lv5.”]

Louis tested the new magic.

Suddenly, countless black serpents poured from the folds of his robe, filling the air in a dense, writhing mass.

They now moved on their own, following Louis’s will, darting about with incredible speed—leaving only eerie afterimages in their wake.

It seemed that, originally, a flying fang spell released a single projectile, and a skilled wizard could cast several at once.

But the Shadow Serpent Swarm released a whole group at a time, and with practice, several swarms at once.

With his current magical reserves, Louis could cast hundreds of flying fangs. But with Shadow Serpent Swarm, he could summon thousands of black serpents.

Inside the mirror, Stuart’s jaw dropped. If these black serpents were unleashed in Blackhorn Alley, a massacre would surely ensue.

After playing for a while, Louis had the serpents turn on each other. Before long, none remained.

He was quite satisfied with this magic.

He picked up the Resentment wand, studied its magical circuitry, then used a four-dimensional inversion to break it into fragments, chanting a spell.

As he recited, tiny runes appeared along the mithril circuits within Resentment. Soon, the Shadow Serpent Swarm was imprinted upon the wand.

After this, his magical reserves, depleted by the energy infusion, were quickly restored.

This time, he attempted to block the black serpents’ assault with a four-dimensional inversion as they were released.

After a few tries, the flying serpents’ trajectories twisted mid-flight—as if that space had become a spinning magical cube.

Many serpents vanished from one region, only to reappear elsewhere. Only a few managed to pass through, and those were blocked by Louis’s protective spell.

“So the four-dimensional inversion can indeed block certain spells, but something’s missing…” Louis closed his eyes in thought, then shook his head, sensing a lack of inspiration.

The power from the Storybook had already been spent comprehending Shadow Serpent Swarm Lv5—its numbers and penetration far surpassed ordinary magic. Blocking them with a protection spell would consume enormous magical energy.

But the four-dimensional inversion changed the “path”—if the Möbius loop was constructed perfectly, then regardless of the spell’s rank or type, anything with a directional trajectory would struggle to get through.

Combining protection spells with four-dimensional inversion could be effective. With the hydra trait of Resentment, Louis could cast multiple spells at once: while maintaining a protective shield, he could create a spatial cube in front of it, giving himself ninety percent evasion while shielded.

But he still needed practice.

He decided not to train further here.

Checking the time—it was already past ten—Louis found he still had a third of his energy infusion left.

He decided to head out for a walk, perhaps find some dark wizards in Blackhorn Alley for a duel or two.

He lifted the cloth from the mirror, recited an incantation, and soon the mirror became clear as glass.

Through it, he saw a drunkard vomiting in front of a toilet.

When the drunk wiped his mouth, he looked up to see a faceless man quietly washing his hands at the sink.

Startled, the drunk slipped and fainted.

That night, he first had a nightmare, then a sweet dream. When he awoke, he remembered nothing—only that, for some reason, the bathroom always felt chillingly eerie whenever he entered.