The Wizard of Oz (Part 2)

Amid the gasps of the audience, the drifting balloon and the magician Oz vanished together at the edge of the sky.

On a distant hilltop.

The silver-haired boy laughed:

"Esteemed Great Magician Oz, your wish to 'safely escape the kingdom' has come true—don't forget to give a good review!"

Just now, Rhine had given life to the rope, making it snap itself apart.

As for those soldiers who came to watch the circus, of course Rhine had secretly arranged them too.

"To fulfill my client's wish, I went all out with the act. Is there any better magician than me under heaven?"

Rhine wasn't worried about Oz's safety.

After all, he knew that according to the original plot of The Wizard of Oz, this journey wouldn't bring Oz any danger—on the contrary, he was going to become an emperor! (Literally.) Just in case, he had also performed a divination, confirming this was "an auspicious omen bringing a turning point in fate."

Having once again fulfilled the wish of a destined protagonist, Rhine felt the power within his soul grow.

With a flip of his slender palm, space twisted slightly.

After granting Oz's wish to "escape the kingdom," he had gained a sliver of Space Power! "It seems that as long as I'm willing, I can teleport to a distant place.

"Of course, not to places I've never been or don't know about, and there's also a certain distance limit.

"From now on, even if the Black Witch Maleficent comes looking for trouble, though I can't beat her, I can still take Princess Aurora and run! "Uh, there are still 15 years before the curse of 'dying from a spindle prick' takes effect. When Princess Aurora grows a bit older, I can take her outside the Rose Kingdom and travel the continent! "By then, the Emerald City in the Land of Oz will surely have been built. I can take her to see the Land of Oz..."

Rhine smiled, looking up at the white layered clouds and the blue sky, letting his thoughts drift into the future.

The balloon drifted and drifted, floating above the clouds.

"Oh heavens, the balloon is drifting farther and farther. I don't know where it will take me..."

Oz in the air shivered from the high-altitude cold and fear.

And so, the balloon floated in the sky for a whole day and night.

When he woke up the next morning, Oz found that the balloon had flown over a beautiful and strange land.

A few hours later, the balloon slowly descended, and he landed safely.

Oz discovered that he had landed among a group of strange people.

Their clothing was unlike any group he had known in the kingdom.

The men wore round hats with a small pointed peak in the middle and little bells hanging from the brim, jingling as they walked. The women wore white robes draped over their shoulders, studded with tiny stars that sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.

"Wow, did he come down from the clouds?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes just now. At first he was really high up, just a tiny dot, then he slowly descended..."

"Sir, you can fly—you must be a great magician, right?"

"Honored, great magician, may I ask why you have graced our land with your presence?"

The oddly dressed people looked at Oz with a mix of envy and awe, clearly taking him for a powerful great magician who had descended from the sky.

What magic? I'm just a magician...

Oz was about to say that, but stopped himself.

These people seemed especially respectful toward magicians, and they looked easy to fool...

I'm hungry and thirsty right now—why not pretend to be a magician and get some food and drink from them?

Heh, anyway, this place is far and wide—no one can verify whether what I say is true or false!

Oz smiled slightly, hands on his hips, drawing on years of stage performance skills. Without even drafting a script, he spun a story for the gathered crowd: "That's right, I am a powerful magician—Oz, from the western kingdom.

"From the age of five, I studied magic under the Great Magician Rhine. Ah, you might not know, but he's the most powerful great magician in our country.

"And I am Rhine's most prized disciple, inheriting all his magic..."

The gathered crowd listened to Oz's story, eyes wide and stunned, occasionally letting out gasps.

"Oh heavens, if Lord Rhine ever heard the lies I'm telling, he'd kill me. Please bless me, let him never know what I said..."

Oz muttered inwardly.

"Wow! You really are a powerful magician." The oddly dressed people shrieked with excitement.

Soon, the magic-worshipping crowd arranged a lavish feast for Oz.

They offered the most delicious food, letting the hungry and thirsty Oz enjoy a full meal.

"Great Magician, have you eaten your fill?"

"Of course. Thank you for your food and water." Oz wiped his greasy mouth.

Instantly, the men and women's eyes sparkled with crystalline light as they pleaded: "Then, Great Magician Oz, please use your powerful magic to help us defeat the evil Eastern Witch and free us all from her enslavement!"

Huh? What witch? Your country has a witch too? The kind that uses real magic? Seeing the sincerity in their eyes, Oz nearly fainted from fright.

Me, fight the Eastern Witch? Seriously?