I Pioneered Scientific Magic

Chapter 18: Praise to Aila - The Light of the Holy Spirit

"Don't be reckless, come back, Buck!" Jonny shouted loudly.

Buck paid no heed and lunged forward with a ferocious expression.

"Praise Aila - Holy Light Impact!" Archbishop Anluke slowly incanted, casting a second-tier divine spell.

Dazzling white light erupted once again. This time, the body that stood as a shield in front of him was directly turned into a bloody mist, and the terrifying shockwave sent Buck flying effortlessly.

Archbishop Anluke raised his staff to continue his spellcasting to deal a fatal blow. In the critical moment, Dove intervened.

A sharp, piercing screech, like the sound of death echoing from hell, momentarily disrupted Archbishop Anluke's actions, but only for a moment.

"Flame's Touch."

"Phosphorus - Fireball Spell."

Lynn and Jonny, who had covered their ears in advance, simultaneously unleashed their most potent magic. Two scorching flames surged toward Archbishop Anluke, forcing the Archbishop to switch from attack to defensive magic.

Third-tier divine spell - "Holy Barrier!"

An invisible barrier stood in front of Archbishop Anluke, effortlessly fending off the assault of the flames. However, the white phosphorus flames clung to it, slowly but steadily corroding the surface of the invisible barrier.

Roar!

Buck, who had been severely injured and knocked down moments ago, stood up again. His bloodshot eyes and his increasingly bestial features were even more apparent.

At this moment, Buck, like a giant bear standing upright, charged into the burning sea of flames. His hair and robes were quickly engulfed by the white phosphorus flames.

The pain of being burned at temperatures exceeding a thousand degrees was enough to make anyone go mad, but Buck paid no heed. From the moment he used the magic transformation spell as an apprentice wizard, the process of his transformation had become irreversible, and breaking Archbishop Anluke's protective divine spell by his own strength was an impossible feat!

"Jonny, Kora, you go first. I'll stay behind to avenge Barton!" Buck roared while smacking his hand against the "Holy Barrier" in front of him.

Ripples appeared on the invisible barrier, and Archbishop Anluke used a divine spell to send Buck flying.

"We're going!" Lynn glanced at Buck, covered in white phosphorus flames, without hesitation. There was no way to save him now.

After knocking Buck away, Archbishop Anluke stood in front of the only exit. Having suffered so many losses, he would not easily let Lynn and the others escape.

"Repent before the great Lord, followers of the devil..." Archbishop Anluke raised the Episcopal staff in his hand and chanted loudly.

"Praise Aila - Holy Spirit's Light!"

A dazzling light wave, emanating from the staff as its center, spread out in a semicircular shape. It was unstoppable and unavoidable, as the divine spell's range covered most of the side chamber.

However, Lynn was not a person without an escape plan. In fact, he had prepared for an escape strategy in case of a crisis before entering the side chamber.

Lynn, Dove, and Jonny simultaneously pressed their hands on the ground.

Zero-tier magic - "Basic Material Deconstruction!"

The solid floor instantly cracked, and three fine cracks spread like a spider's web, finally connecting. Before the terrifying white light arrived, the ground beneath their feet had already collapsed...

The failed "Holy Spirit's Light" passed through the collapsed cavity and struck the wall behind it, causing a series of explosions that soon reverberated through the castle.

After the dust and debris settled, Archbishop Anluke's expression became quite ugly as he looked at the collapsed cavity inside the side chamber.

"Roar!"

A hoarse roar came from the side.

Due to being thrown out by the earlier attack, Buck was not within the reach of "Holy Spirit's Light." However, at this moment, he had already lost his human appearance and transformed into a robust giant bear, with his skin still covered in white phosphorus flames. Under the burned flesh, you could vaguely see his white bones.

Even so, Buck continued to charge forward fueled by his thirst for revenge.

Archbishop Anluke frowned. He didn't have time to waste on a dying wizard apprentice. He extended his hand, and the fallen sand and stones quickly gathered and combined with the shattered armor on the ground to create two huge stone statues, each standing at three meters tall.

This was a second-tier divine spell, "Summon Guardian of the Spirit Realm."

After the two stone statues were assembled, they separated. One of them swung its fist and knocked the giant bear Buck down, while the other jumped into the collapsed hole in the ground.

...

"Thankfully, this place isn't too high!"

With the falling debris as a cushion, Lynn, with the combined effort of the three, successfully used the "Basic Material Deconstruction" to break through the ground and reach the castle's basement.

Lynn looked around. It seemed like a weapons storage room, with numerous weapons and swords piled on racks around them. In addition, there were many empty crates, probably where treasures were stored previously but had been taken by the castle's owner when he fled.

After confirming the environment, Lynn immediately turned his attention to his two companions.

Jonny was in relatively good condition, with severe magical exhaustion being his main issue. However, Dove was in a different state. After using "Soul's Scream" twice in a row, she, despite being a rare psychic, could hardly stand.

"Jonny, how far is it from here to the underground canal?" Lynn asked.

"Follow this path, keep going, and we should be able to reach it in no more than three minutes," Jonny replied, helping Dove to her feet. After a moment of hesitation, he quickly made up his mind. "Next, we can split up. You lead Dove, and I'll try to divert Archbishop Anluke."

Jonny was well aware that they couldn't outrun Archbishop Anluke. Continuing like this would inevitably lead to capture.

Although he had expended a considerable amount of magic in the previous battle, Dove could still cast two more upper-tier first-tier spells with the help of "Magic Hands." This could buy them some time.

The silver-haired witch lowered her head, and her red lips had traces of blood from biting down. She had promised her mentor Kora that she would safely bring everyone back to the land of the wizards.

But now, Kent was dead, Will was dead, Buck and Barton had fallen right in front of her, and she couldn't do anything...

"You might be a little late with that suggestion," Lynn said, looking up.

In just that moment, there were already violent explosions from above, followed by a colossal stone statue, about three meters tall and clad in armor, crashing down from the hole above.

"Let's go!" Lynn grabbed Jonny and Dove by the arms, pulling them out of the falling debris zone and shouting loudly.

He had been forced to use the white phosphorus flames, originally meant for covering their escape, to save Buck before. His magical energy was now depleted by more than half.

Facing Archbishop Anluke once again, he had no chance of winning!

The massive and heavy Guardian of the Spirit Realm fell to the ground, causing the entire floor to tremble. Then it stretched its stone arms and took large strides toward the three of them.

Lynn's expression tightened, and he was about to evade when a warning sound suddenly rang in his mind.

(Warning... Detected severe illegal activities by the agreed target, suspected of using chemical weapons to cause mass casualties, of a highly heinous nature! The criminal acts have been recorded. Before the federal police arrive, you will have one opportunity for an online statement...)

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