Theo looked at Heathcliff in disbelief. Meanwhile, Heathcliff looked a little unsure about how to explain himself.
Perhaps he was unfamiliar with teaching others.
“I jumped too far ahead. Let me go back a bit.” Heathcliff stroked his chin as he started to explain, “Meteorology has always been a field that looked into the future. The first few spells were used to determine how much crops could grow that year. Discovering what would happen tomorrow was like predicting where a leaf would fall. The science alone can’t give you answers.”
Theo understood. “Is this the realm of seeing the future?”
Heathcliff nodded. “You understand quickly. Yes, it’s a type of foresight. In ancient times, this is what the priests of a tribe would do.”
It was a tried and true strategy to increase the authority of a god by predicting the future. It allowed their followers to escape natural disasters and find prosperity. When civilization was still in its infancy, priests had always assumed the status of a god. As such, the weather had been believed to be a phenomenon closely related to divinity.
As Heathcliff was a magician who had reached a higher level than anyone else in climate manipulation, his eyes also naturally looked into the future.
“I started seeing them when I finished my 7th Circle. Something fuzzy that I called clouds turned into real clouds. Cirrocumulus clouds, stratocumulus clouds, nimbostratus clouds, cumulonimbus… Every time I made a dangerous choice, the clouds grew darker. That’s how I started seeing danger.”
If he faced a strong enemy, he would see clouds with lightning. If peaceful days were to continue, he would be comfortably surrounded by white cotton clouds. By the time he reached the 8th Circle, he could see disasters in distant kingdoms. At that time, the name of the storm magician, Heathcliff, had started to gain popularity abroad. He saved a village about to be washed away by a flood, and he also predicted the eruption of a dormant volcano.
Heathcliff, the author of the Book of Clouds, sighed he recalled the past. “Well, I ended up dying in the middle of nowhere.”
Theo was amazed and hurriedly asked, “It can’t be! Didn’t you see it coming?”
“Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know what happened after I died. Now, it’s your turn,” Heathcliff said as he looked Theo up and down in admiration. “Wow, this enemy is terrible. Incredibly strong. Probably stronger than I had been during my lifetime? What kind of guy are you to have such monsters as enemies at this age?”
Theo frowned. “This isn’t a quest.”
Theo had many strong enemies, from Orcus Company, whom Theo had unintentionally provoked, to Andras who had lost three Swords. Even Lairon Kingdom, who had participated in the civil war, would love nothing more than Theo’s head on a pike.
But the enemy is stronger than I imagined.
Someone equivalent to an 8th Circle magician was going to attack him? If Theo thought about it, there were only a few possibilities. It was either one of the empire’s first three Swords or the secret force of the black magic organization. He didn’t think Lairon would come after him so quickly, but that was also a possibility.
Heathcliff watched as a deep look appeared in Theo’s eyes. “It seems like you have your own ideas. You should be careful though. The one who will threaten you is a monster that can’t be measured with common sense.”
Theo nodded. “Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
“That’s all for advice. Now onto my magic, and the third question.”
Theo’s eyes brightened the moment the topic changed to Heathcliff’s magic. One had to wonder if it came from Gluttony’s influence or his own innate tendencies? Theo’s interest rose whenever magic was at hand. In this case, how much storm magic could he receive? Wasn’t it also from Heathcliff himself? It was a story for any magician, not just Theo.
Heathcliff eyed him. “You… Are you interested in my Supercell?” 𝒃𝙚𝙤𝙫𝒆𝒍．𝙘𝒐𝙢
“Yes,” Theo replied without any hesitation.
“The final form of Thunderstorm downgrades weather phenomena like natural disasters. It is a magic that no one can reproduce, since it’s my Sorcery. So, of course, no one can do it.”
In his prime, Heathcliff had been able to summon a storm with one hand or a lightning bolt with one word. He had been a walking natural disaster, and was nicknamed Storm.
Supercell was the great magic that Heathcliff had created in his last years. He had used it to control meteorological phenomena. If Theo could obtain it, then he might have a chance.
“Hrmm, thank you for the praise.” Heathcliff shrugged while scratching his nose. “But I’m sorry. In your current state, the spell will just be a burden on your Circles. You just used one great magic, so you shouldn’t receive another great magic.”
Theo grumbled, “Circle Overload… It is more annoying than I thought.”
Heathcliff smiled wryly. “It is better if you think of it as growing pains. But if I subtract Supercell, it should be fine to transfer everything else.”
Heathcliff raised his hands. However, Theo didn’t feel any evil intentions from this gesture. Otherwise, he would’ve been ready for battle. Several notifications went off in Theo’s ears.
[Object name Heathcliff has requested the transfer of knowledge. Analyzing the details of this request… ]
[Request from object name Heathcliff has been approved.]
[The Meteorology skill will be adjusted to your level of proficiency.]
[The skill Cloud Magic has been learned. The skill experience of Cloud Magic has increased due to unknown intervention. Please note that errors might occur.]
[Aiolos’ divinity has responded. The increase in proficiency will be doubled.]
Theo trembled. “Kuk!”
The massive amount of information that suddenly poured into his brain made him incredibly dizzy and started a pounding headache. Theo would have fainted if he hadn’t experienced something like it before.
The magic knowledge of the 8th Circle magician, Heathcliff, was deep and vast. There was no one, even in this modern age, who could match him when it came to wind magic. Theo now understood how clouds moved. He also realized how thunderbolts were formed and why they came down to the ground. He even knew why wind was drawn to the surface layer of the sea.
The information that Theo accepted would probably go beyond ten thick encyclopedias. He now knew how the wind passing by his skin moved and why clouds floated above his head. This was Weather Control, the foundational knowledge that modern magicians lacked.
A-Amazing! This is why Senior Heathcliff wandered through the entire continent.?
Theo admired the knowledge even as his skull throbbed.
Seeing it directly… He observed and reconfigured the weather information of the entire continent in person to complete Cloud Magic. It would’ve taken five, no, ten years…
Heathcliff’s absence from Meltor would’ve been very painful, but Heathcliff had been the epitome of a magician. He had traveled for decades to find the truth. He had truly been a great and monstrous magician.
Theo bowed deeply to Heathcliff. “Thank you for your generosity, Senior.”
“Ah, don’t be so stiff. Isn’t it the duty of a magic tower magician to pass on their knowledge? It is unfortunate that you’re not a White Tower magician, but I hope that you can take all of my knowledge next time.”
“Yes, I will work diligently.”
It didn’t end with just absorbing this knowledge. Theo now knew that Supercell was the peak of climate magic. It was clear that Theo wouldn’t be able to get any benefits if he didn’t fully digest the knowledge and magic he had just acquired.
Heathcliff liked Theo’s modest words and clapped him on the shoulder. “Then I will tell you my quest at the next opportunity. Until then, survive well and teach your juniors.”
Heathcliff felt sorry that he couldn’t teach his juniors personally as he waved his short staff. The whole world started to crumble away. It was like a signal. Synchro was disconnected, and Theo gazed at Heathcliff as he returned to reality. Feeling grateful, Theo smiled until the end.
The Book of Cloud’s Synchro was over.
***
“Phew.”
Theo opened his eyes in bed and felt a sense of fulfillment. It took him thirty seconds to briefly summarize the Cloud Magic given to him. He took a deep breath and decided to think about his approaching threat.
Isn’t this the second time I’m hearing about my impending death?
The first time had a time limit, while this one depended on the conditions.
“Moreover, it’s someone stronger than Heathcliff… There are only a few monsters like that on the entire continent.”
Heathcliff might’ve specialized in one type of magic, but he had been an 8th Circle magician. He had been incomparable to some of the sword masters that Theo had dealt with. If so, let’s assume Veronica was the one attacking him. Let’s imagine a monster whose destructive power surpassed Pan Helliones, whose speed was beyond Randolph, and who also had innumerable combat experience…
How would Theo be able to survive, rather than win? The answer was simple.
“I shouldn’t fight.”
His death would be inevitable the moment a battle started. It was a cold conclusion, but Theo accepted it. In fact, it was the reason he had left Soldun in a hurry. Since he had just revealed the depth of his strength, an assassin coming after him would be a monster who could kill Theo in his best state. The Soldun Kingdom was too weak to prevent the attack of such a being.
He thought it would be safer to return quickly before his movements were revealed.
“… It’s too quick, no matter how I think about it. They shouldn’t be able to catch up with me at this point unless they have been following my actions since Soldun.”
His logic and intuition were shouting in one voice that this situation wasn’t a coincidence. It was caused by someone.
Murder by proxy.
A phrase from Lee Yoonsung’s memory popped up. It was a warning from his intuition, and it was a logical conclusion. Anyway, it didn’t matter.
“Gluttony.”
– Mhmm.
He had made a decision based on Heathcliff’s memories. It was foolish to oppose natural disasters. Instead, it was best to find a way to reduce the damage or just remove oneself from the area.
He would adopt the same mentality for this fight. The power of his enemy was close to a natural disaster, and his coping method was no different.
He spoke, “Open the Library.”
If Gluttony’s stomach could even hold a divinity, then it meant it would also have things capable of causing a natural disaster.