Chapter 137: The Mirror World

George's explosive spell struck the stone giant's arm, shattering it instantly. Seeing its effectiveness, he quickly cast a second explosive spell, this time targeting the stone giant's leg.

Boom!

With its left leg destroyed, the stone giant's movement slowed. George followed up with a third, fourth, and fifth spell.

By the time the stone giant crawled close to George, it had crumbled into nothing but rubble.

"Let's see if you can destroy them faster than I can create them!"

George had just finished dealing with the first stone giant when Horvath summoned a second one.

As a millennium-old master magician with over 700 levels of magical expertise, Horvath was confident that his immense mana reserves far outclassed those of a magical panda. He didn't believe George could destroy three, four—let alone eight or ten—stone giants.

"So, you want a contest of mana reserves?"

George chuckled inwardly as the second stone giant charged at him, but his hands didn't stop casting. While he couldn't rival Horvath's millennia of accumulated mana, his wizard bloodline enabled incredibly rapid mana regeneration. Even if the fight lasted until dawn, his mana reserves would barely dwindle.

He was more than prepared for a drawn-out battle.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosive spells echoed one after another, toppling one stone giant after another. Gradually, Horvath noticed something was amiss.

Summoning a stone giant via mimetic magic consumed significant mana. Considering the destructive power of George's spells, Horvath expected his mana to deplete equally fast. Yet, George remained unbothered, almost leisurely.

Meanwhile, a loud eagle screech sounded from behind Horvath. Turning, he saw a massive steel eagle descending toward him, ridden by none other than his old nemesis, Balthazar.

"You'll pay for this!"

Facing an attack from both sides, Horvath knew he couldn't win. Pointing at a nearby storefront window, he chanted:

"Mirror World!"

With that, he leaped into the mirror and vanished.

"This magic looks pretty impressive!"

George didn't pursue Horvath. The old magician had countless tricks up his sleeve, and a reckless chase could end disastrously.

The spell Horvath used, known as Mirror World, was a high-level spatial magic documented in Morgana's Book. It allowed the caster to use a mirror as a medium to enter a reversed, mirrored dimension.

The spell had versatile applications:

1. Escape: By retreating into the mirrored world, a magician could evade enemies who lacked spatial magic expertise.

2. Infiltration: The mirrored world allowed one to approach target locations undetected and re-emerge from a strategically placed mirror.

3. Trapping: Enemies trapped in the mirrored world would struggle to escape without a mirror nearby.

"He got away!"

Balthazar's steel eagle landed, and he dismounted, looking regretfully at the now-empty mirror. Then, his gaze shifted to David and George.

"I saw a lot of police approaching while I was in the air. Let's take my eagle and leave before they arrive."

"You're the magician who gave me the ring ten years ago," David said, stepping out from behind George. He recognized Balthazar immediately.

George leaped onto the eagle and telepathically replied, "Of course."

Balthazar's mastery of mimetic magic rivaled Horvath's, and George was particularly impressed by the steel eagle. He was already planning to scatter similar giant metal statues around his school once he mastered mimetic magic. These statues would serve as guardians, giving enemies a tough time before even reaching him.

"I guess I'm in, then," David said, climbing aboard after George.

Grateful for George's life-saving intervention earlier, David now trusted the magical panda even more.

Despite his curiosity about George's unique form, Balthazar chose not to pry. Instead, he quickly controlled the eagle to take off. Having lived over a thousand years and seen extinct dragons, he found a magic-wielding, telepathic panda novel yet manageable.

The steel eagle soared through the sky, carrying its passengers to the rooftop of a skyscraper. Coincidentally, it was the very building George had first used to observe this world.

Once they dismounted on the rooftop, the trio began their discussion.

Ten minutes later, Balthazar summarized: "So, George, you're stuck as a panda because of some special magic, and you hope David can help you transform back someday?"

"Exactly. Since you're searching for Merlin's reincarnation, and David, with the dragon ring, is undoubtedly Merlin reborn, I thought he might assist. Of course, if you can restore me, I'd be forever grateful." George replied telepathically.

Balthazar scrutinized George but eventually shook his head.

"Sorry, but I can't help. I don't see any signs of transformative magic on you. It might take someone of my teacher's caliber to reverse this."

He wasn't lying. To Balthazar, George seemed like a natural-born panda. He could, however, sense a formidable magical power within George—while not on par with his own, it was comparable to that of a seasoned mage, likely around level 300.

Still, the fact that George had held his ground against the 700-level Horvath surprised him.

"I'm really not interested in getting involved in dangerous situations. I don't think I can help you," David interjected.

Balthazar didn't argue. Instead, he nodded: "Fair enough. Just help me retrieve the nesting doll that seals Horvath, and I promise to leave you in peace.

Otherwise, even if we step away, Horvath won't stop coming after you. As Merlin's reincarnation, you're destined to become the greatest magician. Horvath won't rest until you're dead."

Balthazar had already noticed David's lingering curiosity about magic. He was confident that a bit of magical temptation later would sway David, making this merely a stalling tactic for now.