The Traveling Wizard of Worlds

"Mr. Tom, I found this on your bed; it wasn't in the case." August tossed the bag in his hand to the old man.

The old man had just taken another Dragon Egg from the case and was admiring it in his hand when he saw Eiffelduo throw a spherical object.

What is it? Is this shape another Dragon Egg? He didn't hesitate to guess, feeling a surge of joy, thinking it was another unexpected fortune.

"Hmm?" He seemed to perceive a faint smell of blood. "It doesn't look like a dragon egg."

He opened the bag, and a pair of eyes, vacant and lifeless, stared up at him from within. Blood covered the face, but Old Tom still saw its appearance clearly.

"What!"

"[Pulverize]!"

Clang!

Tom was sent flying by an enormous force, and the head he held in his hand flew into the air, slipped from the bag, and struck him.

"You blocked it?" August looked at Tom in surprise. It was a [Pulverizing Charm], a very powerful offensive spell in this world.

He didn't use [Magic Cut] because it wasn't necessary. At the inn, he chose [Magic Cut] to keep the body intact, but this alien spell was less practical to cast in this world than local spells, and consumed less energy.

"You're not Eiffelduo! What wizard are you?" Tom shrieked, his voice sharp and filled with terror.

He immediately pushed the head off his stomach and stood up almost at full speed: "Hey, this time it was my fault, but you weren't hurt, right? And you even killed my subordinate!"

He retreated slowly, putting his hand behind his waist to quietly grab his wand.

"Hands up!" August wanted no unexpected developments.

"How about this? I admit defeat this time. You can take any financial reports you want from here. How about you let me go this time?" Tom tried to tempt August with money.

"Not a bad idea, but why don't I just kill you? Then everything here would still be mine." August's smile seemed somewhat wicked to Tom.

"No, what you see here is only a small part of our family's wealth; only I know what's hidden!" Tom was startled and quickly revealed more secrets.

Now he just wanted to save his life; everything else could wait.

"Coward!"

"How could the family's descendants have such a useless one as you?"

"It doesn't matter if you die, the family's wealth must not be lost!"

August suspected this family had a habit of marrying goblins. Some of the ancestors in the portraits hanging on the walls clearly didn't have goblin features, but their greed was even more goblin-like than the goblins themselves.

"Shut up, I'm the family's only bloodline! Do you want to see the bloodline cut off?" Tom didn't expect these ancestral portraits to be so ruthless and snapped back.

Whoosh!

A fireball soared from beneath the loudest portrait, and the figure inside the portrait shrieked, immediately leaping into the adjacent portrait: "What do you want to do, you madwoman?!"

"If I hear your voices again, I'll burn you all!" August threatened. He had forgotten that portraits in this world seemed to be alive. Luckily, he had acted quickly, preventing these portraits from speaking out to warn Tom.

Then August aimed his wand at Tom again: "Tell me where you hide your treasures, otherwise, you can say goodbye to this world! Tell me, and I might consider giving you a way out."

A cold glint shone in August's eyes, as if he was about to make a move.

"No! I'll tell you!" Tom didn't expect this guy to act as soon as he said. He didn't seem to be faking, which frustrated his delaying tactic. "But how can I trust that you'll let me go afterward?"

He still wanted to wait for a certain item he carried to be ready so he could turn the situation around and defeat the person threatening his life.

"But before that, give me that thing from earlier." August wouldn't forget what just happened; his spell was blocked without the other party knowing.

August was sure it was the effect of a Shield Charm. He guessed it might be some kind of automatic defensive alchemical item.

"It's just an amulet." Tom knew the item couldn't be hidden, so he gritted his teeth and took out a brass shield-shaped badge from his pocket.

"Alright, throw it over," August commanded.

Old Tom, with a bitter face, tossed the amulet in his hand towards August: Wait until the item is ready, and I'll make sure you die without a burial place!

He thought fiercely to himself, and then he felt a sharp blade cut across the surface of his body, nullifying another protective item he had, like a dull knife cutting through flesh.

"You don't keep your word!"

"I didn't expect you to have another, but it doesn't matter. You can see if I have more magic or if you have more amulets." August smiled sinisterly. "And when did I say I'd definitely let you go? I said I'd consider it, and now that I've considered it, you'd better die!"

Then August swung his wand again, and Tom only felt something attacking him from both sides of his body.

He was about to perform his best feat in all his years; his body seemed to be pulled by something, instantly retreating from that spot.

Two faint blue lights appeared where he had been, crossing like guillotine blades.

Tom's back was covered in cold sweat; he could imagine what would have happened if he hadn't dodged.

"You don't want those treasures anymore?" He tried to use money to slow down August's attack a bit. Tom knew August wouldn't give him another chance once he started, so he just wanted to buy some time, waiting for his last trump card.

Now he cursed the ancestors who built the treasury vault, wondering why the protective measures took so long to activate. At the same time, he deeply regretted it; if he had been a bit more generous and reorganized those old defensive devices and magical traps, perhaps he would have already killed the fierce wizard in front of him.

"Compared to that, I'd rather watch you fall headfirst!" August laughed heartily, like a pervert. In reality, he was faking it on purpose, primarily to psychologically pressure Tom. Who knew what ace this somewhat wealthy old man might pull out.

"You're crazy!" Old Tom knew he couldn't do anything hidden there. He didn't know if the old-guard puppets in the treasury could still move, and he only had one personal amulet left. Such items were expensive, and he had only bought three to carry with him because he feared death.

He suddenly leaped from behind the stone, pointing his wand at August: "Ava—"

"[Pulverize]!"

"[Disarm]!"

Clang! The spell nullified Tom's last amulet.

Two wands flew into the air and landed to the side. Worse yet, August's wand landed at Tom's feet.

"Well done!" The portraits burst into laughter.

"I didn't expect some portraits to have the ability to cast spells," August asked with some surprise.

"Less nonsense. How do you want to die now? How about trying a Fire Dragon's bite?" Tom picked up Eiffelduo's wand from the ground triumphantly, looking at August.

"Evil wizard, don't you dare touch our financial reports!"

Seeing Tom pointing a wand at August, the portraits exclaimed, "Didn't you expect the dead to be one of the protective devices here? Hahahaha, never underestimate the foundations of a wizarding family!"

Tom bared his teeth: "Now, do you have anything else to say, Mr. Wizard?"