"Waste Stone" Topus Deflects a God's Meteor

Si Telan swore she really wanted to hesitate, to hold back, to struggle a bit before considering whether to enter the Painting World, after all, she had heard it was dangerous there.

But suddenly someone kicked the tree, the tree shook, and her palm landed on the painting.

Who wants to harm me!

Just a second before she was pulled into the Painting World, she saw Lu Lu Wo, who had come here to kick a tree and vent her anger after losing once.

"Lu Lu Wo!"

"Who called me?"

Lu Lu Wo looked up at the treetops, but there was no one there. She shook her head and muttered to herself:

You must be hallucinating.

Entering the Painting World feels like passing through a portal into a dungeon; you might feel dizzy at times.

I've heard that everyone who enters the Painting World will experience a story from a first-person perspective. Only after the story ends can they take action on their own, explore the map, fight monsters, and defeat the boss before they can leave.

This was undoubtedly a very dangerous choice. Si Telan had heard that Geralt "Shadowless," from the guild had been inside the Wolf Knight's Painting World for three days and hadn't come out yet.

So she was really hesitant just now, and really didn't dare to come in!

It's all Lu Lu Wo!

After a moment of dizziness, she successfully entered the Painting World.

Whose first-person perspective is this?

Before her stood a dilapidated church, the very same church from the painting. Pushing aside the overgrown weeds at the entrance, she found a bald man sitting in a corner, looking dejected.

Are you Tarnished?

"If it's convenient, could you share some runes with me? I studied Glintstone Magic in Raya Lucaria. If you share some runes with me, I can teach you magic."

Paying for learning is a perfectly normal thing.

When I saw Topus's portrait and other traces at the academy, I thought he was the kind of kind-hearted person who taught without discrimination.

This idea was quickly nipped in the bud.

Si Telan couldn't control this body and could only watch as he gave away ten runes.

How many?

That's way too little!

She had previously found Tiny Golden Rune in the Lake District and used it to trade for the first fragment in front of Topus' portrait. That Tiny Golden Rune was appraised at three hundred runes.

So, you can learn magic from Topus for such a small price as ten runes? How can it be so cheap?

She then discovered why it was so cheap: Topus could only teach her a very limited variety of magic, and the magic was not very powerful; it was only the most basic of the basics.

No wonder it's so cheap; these seem to be standard equipment for magicians.

Si Telan didn't feel disgusted; she just felt that these things were of little use.

However, the person she was watching from a first-person perspective was learning with great enthusiasm, and it was clear that he truly had no foundation in magic whatsoever.

Does this mean that the White Wolf was still very weak at this time?

"I'm really sorry, it's rare that you're willing to share your runes with me, but I can only teach these low-level magics."

"Back to learn again? Of course you're welcome, as long as you're willing to learn my lowly magic."

"Thank you, thank you for being willing to learn my magic."

"I never imagined that someone as Waste Stone as me would have the opportunity to teach others magic."

Time continued to pass, and it felt like a very long time had gone by. Si Telan watched the interaction between the White Wolf and Topus, since there was nothing she could do except watch.

Topus was happy and taught with all his heart, trying his best to be a good mentor, even though his teaching was somewhat clumsy and he couldn't even decipher magic scrolls, only able to teach the most basic magic.

White Wolf also fulfilled his duties as an apprentice. With his amazing talent, he perfectly learned all the magic, often making Topus feel inferior to him.

The two quickly developed a mentor-student and friend-like relationship. Si Telan was observing everything, also developed feelings for the people in the painting.

Every night, Topus would be lost in thought, muttering incomprehensible words, as if there were some kind of "force field" involved.

Shooting stars occasionally streak across the night sky.

Si Telan watched the whole thing and finally learned about Topus's background.

He was a mage with little talent, hence the nickname "Waste Stone." After accidentally leaving Raya Lucaria, he discovered that the gate was sealed, and he could not return.

This was too tragic. Si Telan began to feel sorry for him and wished she could give him a key. The White Wolf soon found the key and was going to give it to Topus.

Si Telan thought the other party would happily accept the key and return to the magic temple, but things took an unexpected turn.

"You've found the Radiant Stone Key? But it's for you to use; I can't accept it. Yes, I want you to go to that academic hall, and I don't want to hinder you for my own purposes."

"Sigh, that's probably why I'll always be a 'Waste Stone'."

The Radiant Stone Key here can only be used by one person at a time!

Si Telan somewhat moved. She hadn't expected Topus to refuse the offer. The image of this magician in her mind had risen a bit. In addition to being a mentor and friend, he had also been described as a person of high moral character. Apart from his rather ordinary magical talent, Topus was already quite good.

White Wolf had learned all of Topus's magic, and it was time to part ways. With his mentor's blessing, he embarked on his journey to the magic academy.

That's it?

Si Telan felt a sense of doubt. Was this all there was to Topus?

Of course not.

He saw the White Wolf defeat the Full Moon Queen and find the second key in the academy, so he went back specifically to find Topus.

This time, the other party did not refuse.

Topus was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing his gratitude. Being able to return to Raya Lucaria was the greatest happiness for him.

"Would you like to come to the academy again when it's convenient for you later?"

"By then, your teacher might be even more amazing, hahaha."

Amidst laughter, Topus embarked on his return journey, the air thick with joy.

Si Telan watched him leave with a smile on her face. She had truly experienced the story between the White Wolf and Topus and developed a deep respect for this humble and morally upright teacher.

Being able to return to the academy is probably the best ending for him.

It's rare to witness a happy ending in the Zane Dungeon; it's truly an achievement.

The scene shifted, and many images flashed before her eyes: lakes, volcanoes, plateaus—all sorts of unprecedented scenes flashed by, signifying that the White Wolf had been fighting for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly returned to the magic academy, finally remembering to visit his teacher.

Si Telan perked up and followed the White Wolf's perspective, wandering around the academy, but she couldn't find Topus anywhere.

For no apparent reason, a bad feeling welled up in her mind.

Finally, they found Topus in a corner of the corridor. Si Telan covered her mouth and tears welled up in her eyes.

He sat peacefully in the chair, his face full of contentment, as quiet as if he were asleep, holding a ball of light quietly in his hands.

But Si Telan and the White Wolf clenched their fists together, for the other was already dead.

He returned to the magic academy he had longed for, but he didn't even deserve a classroom or a room. He was bullied and ostracized by other magicians and could only set up tables and chairs in the corridor. But he was not discouraged at all and studied magic day and night.

But the moment he discovered the magic, the moment the Waste Stone finally shed its outer shell and blossomed, his life also came to an end.

The White Wolf obtained the relic left behind by Topus: a brand new spell.

Topus's Force Field

[The magic that Topus, known as Waste Stone, explored with his life on the line. It can create a magical field that dispels all magic and prayers, and the field will continuously form during its continuous casting.]

Future generations will surely understand that the theory that was ridiculed was actually a discovery sufficient to establish a new classroom.

Break through the magic?

Before she could recover from her grief, Si Telan witnessed the White Wolf taking revenge on the academy.

It is an undeniable fact that the magicians bullied and ostracized Topus. As an apprentice, how could he not be angry?

He wielded [Topus's Force Field], preventing any magic from getting close, as if his teacher was protecting him. This academy, which had already been ravaged by the White Wolf once, was now being ravaged again, and this time it directly caused the mages to completely lose the will to fight against him.

Si Telan opened her mouth wide, and the image kept flashing.

White Wolf constantly wielded his stance throughout his conquests, deflecting everything from Broom Star originating from the stars, comets born from the night, flames filled with vengeful spirits, to meteorites from outer space—no matter the type of magic!

The more Si Telan watched these scenes, the more complex her feelings towards Topus became.

A "Waste Stone," someone lacking talent who could only learn the most basic magic and couldn't even decipher scrolls, somehow managed to develop a stance that "negates" all offensive magic.

This is indeed a theory sufficient to form a new classroom.

No, a new classroom? That's nothing compared to my teacher!

Just as Si Telan was filled with resentment over Topus's plight, she suddenly found that the scene before her had changed.

In a room filled with water

The White Wolf confronted the gods.

It was a wondrous and magnificent thing, like the will of the stars, and undoubtedly the incarnation of a god.

[The Elden Beast]

Si Telan could not see His face clearly; to her, it was just a large, blurry mass of light and shadow, for the sake of her mental health.

But she could feel the majesty, the majesty that only high-ranking beings possessed, which made her soul tremble and made her involuntarily want to kneel down.

Little did she know, this majesty was merely a simulation, far inferior to the real Elden Beast. If the true beast were here, she would probably have already fainted.

Wait a minute, wait a minute, is White Wolf going to fight something like this? How could he possibly win?!

Si Telan was terrified, but the body's owner remained steadfast, raising the Dark Moon Greatsword towards the divine avatar before him.

Raise your sword against the gods!

Si Telan couldn't describe the battle that followed; it was beyond her comprehension. Various immense powers converged, and she could only describe it with one word—

Gods are fighting!

She keenly sensed that the great being seemed no match for the White Wolf!

When she realized this, courage surged within her, and she dared to look directly at the blurry light and shadow. The owner of this body was the strongest being!

The great being leaped into the sky, stretching its body and releasing a golden meteor—the legendary Elden Meteor, which would punish all blasphemers.

A single shooting star is enough to make all living things tremble, let alone the brilliance that fills the sky. Is there really anyone who can contend with it?

It was at this moment that the White Wolf raised his staff.

Si Telan's eyes widened as she realized what the other party was about to do, and a deep blue magical field appeared.

The golden shooting star was deflected!

"Ah!"

In that instant, Si Telan was so excited that she couldn't help but scream.

Topus' stance is such that even the majesty of the gods can be rejected!

Seeing this scene made her trip truly worthwhile!

But she seemed to hear her own scream again. Strange, I wasn't experiencing it from a first-person perspective.

To her horror, she discovered that she had suddenly taken control of the body, and the great being before her was once again flying into the sky, about to release the Elden Meteor.

"Hey, hey, should I try?!"

Si Telan's heart was about to explode. She was terrified even when she was hiding inside the White Wolf's body, and now that she had taken over this body and was facing the Elden Beast herself, her heart was about to burst.

My limbs were stiff, as heavy as if they were filled with lead, and cold sweat poured down my face.

I had to escape, I absolutely had to escape; a tremendous fear filled my heart.

But when she saw countless meteors taking shape, Si Telan stopped in her tracks.

She recalled the White Wolf's heroic performance, the countless nights she had spent discussing magic with Topus, the teacher holding the final masterpiece with a serene expression, and the force field that deflected the meteor.

It was at this moment that she finally understood why the Zane Dungeon had chosen to let her take over the body at this time.

"Only those who dare to defy the gods are qualified to use the teacher's force field."

At that moment, her expression was resolute, and she mustered her courage to raise her staff towards the approaching meteor.

"Buzz—"

When you actually take action, things are often simpler than you think.

A magical field appeared, and as expected, Elden Meteor was bent. Countless meteors carrying destructive energy grazed past her, and even a slight touch would shatter her into pieces.

But Si Telan, under Topus' protection, was fearless.

If someone witnesses everything about Topus and the White Wolf's journey and still doesn't dare to raise their force field before the gods, then that's the kind of person they are.

I'd rather be dead!

A powerful orchestral melody filled the air, bringing the atmosphere to its climax, and the scene was frozen in that moment.

Si Telan was filled with excitement. She knew that this battle would surely be a victory for the White Wolf, and that the force field's ability to deflect the gods' attacks also meant that Topus was a victorious force.

Whether you dare to defy the gods is the condition for passing through this Painting World!

For some people, this is an absolutely impossible condition to achieve!

Si Telan was lucky; she succeeded and was able to leave this world, but before leaving, she saw new images.

"[Silence Edict], [Eternal Darkness], [Carian Retaliation]. If we combine these with the teacher's force field, can we create even more advanced magic?"

At some unknown time, White Wolf sat at the table, lost in thought.

"After creating new magic, what name will you give it?" Two pairs of blue, delicate hands reached out from the darkness and draped a coat over the White Wolf.

"Of course, it will still be called 'Topus's Force Field'."

A sudden buzzing sound rang in her ears, as if she had been kicked off a cliff. Si Telan's consciousness plummeted, and her back was violently struck.

My back!

She let out a painful groan, but laughter erupted around her.

"Hey, I'm back?"

A beam of light pierced her eyes, and she was surprised to find that she had left the Painting World. All the paintings she had painstakingly collected had disappeared, replaced by a shield.

The unremarkable shield reflected her face, and her eyes were still somewhat dazed.

This is the reward for passing through the Painting World! Could it be that...?

Si Telan's breathing quickened. In the final moments of the Painting World, the White Wolf had combined one spell after another she had never heard of to create an even more powerful [Topus's Force Field], if that was truly attached to the shield.

Wouldn't that mean I could defeat the entire magic world all by myself?

"Li Zinei, use magic missiles on me!"

This was the first time Li Zinei had heard this claim, and she promptly launched a magic missile at Si Telan, who confidently raised her shield.

"Bang!"

The missile struck the shield, the impact sending Si Telan sprawling onto her back, her confidence turning to astonishment.

"Why, why isn't it working?"

"...Nonsense." Li Zinei pursed her lips. "Did you sleep through it? Everyone has already reviewed the game, it's time for the second round."

Si Telan rubbed her head, thinking that something must be wrong. This couldn't possibly be an ordinary shield, could it?

It withstood a magic missile without being damaged, so it's probably a pretty good shield.

"."

"That reward is really too bad!"

Despite saying that, she still obediently shouldered her shield and followed the main force back into the academy, preparing for a second attack on the Full Moon Queen.

She looked at her elven companions, hesitating several times before finally revealing that she had used up all the painting fragments to obtain this shield.

I have a feeling that if I say something now, I'll become the target of everyone's attacks, since everyone who lost the fight is holding back their anger.

Let's wait and see when the time is right.

Si Telan felt uneasy, as if she had lost her homework and was about to hand it in.

After spending some more time, the adventurers once again reached the fourth floor and stood at the entrance to the Full Moon Queen's palace.

"Remember, your target is the giant, your target is the wolf pack, your responsibility is to kill the dragon, and try to deal with the other summoned creatures before the werewolves are summoned."

Lu Lu Wo was making strategic deployments to everyone, a decision that had already been made earlier.

"When the Queen flies up into the sky, any mage with free time should quickly cast Bubble Shield on people to prevent the flying crystals and magic bullets from scattering, so that they can be more alert when a real fight breaks out."

"Make sure your crossbows are all working properly. Since magic attacks are having little effect on the Queen, let's use another method. She tends to wander around, so archery is the best solution. But all we need to do is use arrows to keep the Queen occupied. The real kill will be left to the big shots."

Jia Paer nodded; in terms of strength, he was still number one.

"Any other questions? Let's go!"

The heavy door was pushed open once again, and the adventurers mustered their courage. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in a different dimension, like the Rising Moon on the Sea. The "Full Moon Queen" opened her eyes, and the full moon burst forth with light.

"Kill them!"

Just as expected, dragons, Troll, wolf packs, hounds, and half-wolves—one after another, the allies the Queen spoke of—appeared in the world.

They were well-prepared for battle, but the adventurers found that they still couldn't immediately adapt to fighting these summoned creatures. The Strategy Team the half-wolves and dragons was fine, but the adventurers fighting the Troll and Hound Knight quickly showed signs of being overwhelmed.

Especially the Hound Knight. The adventurers completely underestimated this unassuming enemy. His strange movement technique, which made him disappear and reappear suddenly, created an extremely difficult situation for the adventurers. In no time, he actually killed three people!

The others had to help deal with the Hound Knight, but this created gaps in the other summoned creatures, and the initially orderly battlefield became chaotic again.

"Still not working?" Si Telan tried her best to snipe the Glintstone Dragon, but the battle scene in front of her did not look optimistic.

As time went by, some of the summoned creatures were killed and others disappeared automatically, leaving only the Full Moon Queen on the field.

She was also pursued by the experienced swordsman and others, and had several wounds on her body, with silvery-white blood flowing down her body.

But the time had already come.

Full Moon of Rennala has reappeared!

"Damn it!" Lu Lu Wo. They had no idea how to counter this power. The appearance of the full moon meant certain death.

The other adventurers also sighed, feeling depressed and sad. Now they had to start all over again. They didn't know if everyone's spirits could hold up. If they died again this time, someone would have a real headache.

Jia Paer, refusing to believe it, used the Stars Linked Sword to enhance its sword energy and attack the Queen again, but still saw no effect. The difference in information between the two sides led to this "tragedy".

In this moment of despair, Si Telan suddenly felt the shield on her back tremble.

"Huh?"

Is the shield glowing?

Suddenly, a line of magical text appeared before her eyes.

Silver Shield

[Weapon Skill: Topus's Force Field - Modified]

[Battle ash formed by magic modified by Topus' apprentice, the Elden Lord, who has embarked on the path to the stars]

[This field embodies the wisdom of countless ancestors discovered by the Elden Lord in lost history, and incorporates magic such as Eternal Darkness, the Silence Edict, and the Carian Retaliation. It is the ultimate version of Topus's Force Field, capable of repelling, absorbing, eliminating, and rejecting all spells!]

This is the power that drove the Raya Lucarian Magician to despair, leading to their isolation.

[Because it is a prototype, its Weapon Skill power will only be activated when facing a powerful enemy who possesses extraordinary magic, and it will be destroyed after one use.]

"This is."

Si Telan suddenly smiled as she looked at the full moon that was about to fall to the earth. A kind and bald man suddenly appeared in her mind's eye.

Then, she swung her Silver Shield toward the moon and softly uttered the name of her Weapon Skill.

"Topus's Force Field"

The moon that filled the adventurer's eyes vanished in the next second.

The people who had closed their eyes to await death slowly opened them, only to be surprised to find that the moon was gone and the Full Moon Queen had fallen to the ground!

Those who had witnessed the entire event with their eyes open stared at Si Telan, especially the elves, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Si Telan... erased the moon!?"

This is even more shocking than Da Er's widely circulated video of Execute the demons!

People's Spirit Power suddenly exploded!

The full moon, capable of destroying everything, was so easily erased. Is there anything more outrageous than this?

This is something only a god could do!

"Who, who are you?" Mei Erjia asked blankly, suspecting that the person in front of her was a shapeshifter in disguise.

Si Telan glanced at her, then suddenly pointed at the Queen and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go!"

The Full Moon Queen's magic was dispelled, leaving her in a prolonged state of paralysis, which presented an excellent opportunity. If not now, when?

Seeing that people were still staring at her dumbfounded, Si Telan laughed in exasperation. She picked up the broken pieces of the Silver Shield and threw them one by one, finally snapping these idiots out of their daze.

The adventurers finally came to their senses, cheered, and charged towards the Full Moon Queen's Mimic Tear like hungry wolves eyeing their prey.

Behind the adventurer, Si Telan picked up the fragments of the Silver Shield one by one, treasuring them as precious keepsakes.

On this day, news spread that the Raya Lucaria Magic Academy had been cleared.

Along with it came the story of Topus and the Elden Lord.

10,000 words updated today!

The magic academy segment taught me something new, the biggest takeaway being the pacing. Looking back, this part of the story was indeed quite drawn out, so I had to speed things up here. There's still a lot I haven't written down, I might add more later.

For me, writing a book is a continuous learning process. Through this experience, I have learned from my mistakes and will strive to improve the pacing of future plots!

Keep it up! Keep writing!

Next, while cleaning up the academy, we'll also finish off the Undead Legion, clear up some side quests, and then unlock new scenarios.

"Wherever you are, Irithyll will always be your home."