In a quiet spot, under the pale moonlight, Lance took a deep breath. He then took the Wand of Xyggondo from his pocket dimension. The tip of the Wand trembled slightly, as if the inanimate object knew it was about to be sacrificed.
"Unlimited Blade Works," Lance murmured. Metallic light danced in the air. The Wand of Xyggondo was copied, and the original was thrown into the Infinite Altar.
A faint notification appeared in the air:
[Name: Horse Talisman
Origin: "Jackie Chan Adventures"
Introduction: Removes all abnormal effects originating from outside the body. Cannot prevent death.]
Lance stared at it, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Not bad," Lance murmured, amused. A useless wand was exchanged for a horse talisman that could cure almost any ailment. A huge profit, as the black market would say.
Unfortunately, the Horse Talisman only worked on external injuries. Genetic diseases? Unfortunately not. So Lance still had to rack his brains to perfect the damn formula.
Suddenly, Lance's wrist throbbed, as if stung. The Horse Talisman vanished from Lance's hand. In the next second—THUD! A wrist-thick metal staff fell from the void, nearly striking Lance's forehead.
Lance took a half step back, staring at the metal staff in the sand, grunting slightly.
Lance had expected this and took a light step back, his breath barely audible in the cool night air, pungent with the smell of burning metal.
The magic-imbued metal staff crashed against the hard rock beside Lance, sparks flying wildly. The next second, a violent explosion of fire erupted, shattering the silence with a thunderous sound like an old cannon.
The rock, nearly half the height of an adult, was sent flying into the sky, shattering into pieces as if struck by an ancient cannon. Dust flew, sharp fragments ricocheting through the air before falling back down around Lance, but he only sneered.
Lance extended his right hand, his palm open calmly, as if challenging the night wind that carried the smell of sulfur. A golden-yellow wand—the Wand of Xyggondo—clung to Lance's palm, as if attached to its master. This was a replica Lance had created himself through "Unlimited Blade Works." Slightly weaker than the original, but against these men? More than enough.
Lance twirled his wand once, the tip glowing with a green glow. With a movement as quick as a whip, Lance pointed it straight ahead.
"Expelliarmus!" Lance shouted. His voice was dry, as if spitting mockery.
Snap! A loud sound like breaking chains rang out. The attacker, still gripping the metal wand with stiff fingers, suddenly jerked. His fingers were forced open, and the metal wand flew to the side, reeling among the still-smoldering stone fragments.
The attacker hadn't even had time to close his gaping mouth when Lance swung his wand again, so fast that even the wind barely had time to dodge it. A shockwave blasted into the attacker's stomach, sending him flying like a sack of grain thrown by a wild horse.
The Wand of Xyggondo, though a fake, proved to be quite useful—no wonder it was fought over by a group of power-hungry wizards.
But the commotion didn't end there. The sound of crunching bones echoed from the dark side of the ruins. Black shadows crept up, forming a limping skeleton with a dim green glow burning in its eye sockets.
"Ha, a necromancer, I see..." Lance snorted softly, his tone amused, almost contemptuous. He took a half step back, his wand spinning between his fingers, emitting a cold flash of light. "That goat, do you know the corpse-exploding spell?"
Without waiting for a response, Lance swung his wand from side to side, and a shockwave erupted, striking the skeletons like a giant hammer smashing porcelain. Arms, ribs, and skulls flew, clashing in the air with crisp, cracking sounds.
While the bone fragments were still flying through the air, Lance had vanished from where he stood. In a flash, Lance appeared above the head of the black-robed old goat—the necromancer. The tip of the Wand of Xyggondo gently touched the goat-man's skull, as if patting it to sleep.
The shockwave rippled through the fragile skull and exploded within. The sound of the skull shattering was wet, splattering rotting brains and murky blood onto the rocky ground.
"You're not a black wizard," Lance muttered softly, his voice flat, as if complaining to the night wind.
In the darkness, heavy footsteps could be heard. Several tall figures emerged, cutting through the smoke and dust. The leader—a man with a large crocodile head, his dull scales reflecting the red glow of the distant fire.
The crocodile man grinned, his jagged teeth glistening with thick saliva. "Haha! You must be a white wizard. A white wizard of Kamar-Taj. Only you can act this way!" The crocodile man's voice was hoarse, like a river rock being ground down.
Lance raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips curling as if he'd heard a stale joke. "You guessed I was a wizard of Kamar-Taj... and you still dare to come here to die?"
The crocodile man hissed, his small eyes narrowing sharply. "We don't want to offend the Sorcerer Supreme, but you? A little wizard? We're not afraid!"
The Sorcerer Supreme does let his apprentices roam free—otherwise, they'd never grow into ferocious lions. Fighting black wizards is just a training ground.
So, these bastards might officially avoid Kamar-Taj, but if they met in a dark place like this? They'd flock like flies to a carcass. Lance's treasure was the stench that beckoned them.
Lance twirled his staff slowly, examining the tip, which still glowed warmly. Lance stared at them with a lazy gaze. "You want to mess with me? Okay, I'll give you some time—call more helpers. The more, the merrier."
The crocodile man snorted, his teeth clattering noisily. "Haha! Don't worry, our helpers will be here soon. You'll be satisfied... very satisfied."
"Hmm..." Lance's brow furrowed. Lance's gaze shifted to the sea, where the dark night suddenly parted. A point of light appeared, rapidly expanding like a coal doused in oil.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
[Note: 370+ latest chapters have been added! For Just 3$ You Get Access To Chapters Way Ahead,
Now you can access the chapters before Webnovel And Scribblehub by following,
Just become a patron on Patreon:
Patreon.com/Alex_Fabianoki]