Chapter 136: Mimicry Magic

On the tenth day after George's new clone appeared, his panda avatar was in the box learning Mimicry Magic from Drake.

This was Drake's specialty and the very skill that made him one of the world's top magicians.

To be honest, after a brief introduction to it, George felt that this magic had some similarities with Transfiguration in certain aspects. For example, Transfiguration could turn inanimate objects into living creatures—Professor McGonagall often transformed desks into pigs.

However, transfigured creatures typically retained the instincts and behaviors of their real counterparts, making them difficult for wizards to control. Only a few advanced spells, derived from Transfiguration, such as Draco Malfoy's snake-summoning spell or Hermione's bird-summoning charm, allowed wizards to control the conjured creatures for combat assistance.

Mimicry Magic, on the other hand, had a similar concept but worked in two primary ways:

1. Summoning Living Creatures from Paintings:

- Using Mimicry Magic, one could summon creatures from paintings into reality. For instance, if there was a tiger in a book or painting, the magic could bring it to life to assist in battle. For beginners, even summoning a chicken would be considered an achievement. Drake often demonstrated this by conjuring rabbits during his performances.

2. Animating Sculptures:

- Mimicry Magic could also animate existing statues or sculptures, turning them into living beings for combat. For example, a stone lion on the roadside could be given life and fight as a stone guardian. If it were a stone bird, it could even fly.

This aspect differed from the Animation Charm in the Harry Potter world. The Animation Charm simply brought inanimate objects to life without additional abilities. For instance, animating a stone bird would allow it to move, talk, or jump, but it still wouldn't be able to fly unless other spells were applied.

While George was immersed in learning this fascinating magic, the box's lid suddenly flipped open. David's panicked voice echoed inside:

"George! Come out quickly! There's a magician trying to kill me! He even summoned a pack of wolves!"

"Finally!" George thought, realizing that Balthazar and Horvath's seal must have been broken. Horvath was here, targeting the Dragon Ring and Morgana's nested seals.

Leaping out of the box, George stepped in front of David. With a swipe of his paw, two ferocious wolves lunging at them were sent flying, reverting to sheets of paper as they hit the ground.

"A... panda?"

Horvath, clad in a long coat and holding a staff, stepped forward in confusion. He hadn't expected David to have a pet panda guarding him.

"A mere panda won't save you," he sneered, pointing his staff at a nearby metal handrail. The rail was wrenched free and transformed into a sharp spear, which shot toward George.

"Oh, using metal against me? You've chosen the wrong opponent!" George raised a paw, and with a surge of telekinetic power, the spear froze mid-air. No matter how Horvath tried to control it with magic, the spear wouldn't budge.

"Here, take it back!" George flicked his paw, sending the spear hurtling back at an even greater speed.

Horvath's face darkened as the spear reversed its course. With a swift wave of his staff, he redirected the spear, letting it narrowly miss him.

"A panda that knows magic?" Horvath's expression turned serious.

But in the next moment, his body was pierced through the chest by the very same spear.

George smirked. Unlike magic, his ability to control the spear relied on magnetism. It wasn't a one-time attack but could be manipulated as long as the spear remained in range.

"Well played. I didn't expect this," Horvath admitted, glancing at the spear impaled through his chest. Yet, there was no panic on his face.

His body suddenly disintegrated into a swarm of cockroaches, which scattered and then reassembled, leaving the spear lying on the ground.

'As expected of a millennium-old magician,' George thought, impressed. This ability rendered Horvath immune to physical attacks, even if riddled with bullets from a Gatling gun. The only downside was how unsettling it looked.

"Now it's my turn!" Horvath snarled, raising his staff to unleash an invisible force at George.

Sensing the impending danger, George responded instantly: "Protego!"

A shimmering shield materialized before him, blocking the powerful energy.

Without hesitation, George's paw began to glow faintly green as he chanted: "Avada Kedavra!"

The Death Curse streaked toward Horvath. Alarmed by the lethal energy, Horvath conjured a trash can as a shield, deflecting the curse at the last moment. The trash can was destroyed, but the curse dissipated before reaching its target.

"Avada Kedavra is powerful, but its accuracy leaves much to be desired. I'll need to work on that," George muttered, preparing his next spell.

"Sectumsempra!"

Invisible blades shot out, slicing through the air toward Horvath. The transparency of the attack left Horvath no time to react. Though he transformed into cockroaches to evade, his reformed body bore a deep wound on his waist.

To Horvath's dismay, the wound resisted healing, as a peculiar energy lingered, preventing regeneration.

"Damn you, panda! I'll kill you!" Horvath roared in fury. Over the years, no one but Balthazar had ever managed to injure him.

"Stone Giant!"

Slamming his staff into the ground, Horvath summoned a five-meter-tall stone giant. The massive creature roared to life and charged toward George and David.

"Mimicry Magic can be used this way? Impressive!" George marveled, impressed by the giant's sheer size and power.

But he wasn't intimidated.

"Bombarda Maxima!"