Billy Batson is running.
Do your best.
The child ran out of breath.
But this time no one was chasing him.
What chases him is something more difficult to describe...time.
He jumped onto the subway, breathing heavily while raising his wrist.
On his wrist, there was a not expensive watch, which was the birthday gift given to him by his other six "siblings" last night.
Today is his birthday.
It has been a month since he moved into his new home.
This time he was surprisingly well-behaved and did not escape from his foster family. He got along well with his new family members.
Of course, in addition to the warm atmosphere of this foster family, which really makes 15-year-old Billy feel at ease, there is another very important reason.
Very, very important reason.
“4 minutes to go…”
Billy looked at the beating pointer and raised his head, looking at the ever-changing runes above the subway car.
Beside him, the figures of the passengers sitting in the subway dissipated like smoke, and a layer of frost also covered the glass of the carriage. This was a very strange scene.
But Billy didn't care.
The child stared at the watch on his wrist.
He can't be late anymore.
His magic tutor is a very knowledgeable but also very strict person.
If he is late again, he will definitely suffer.
"Bang"
It seemed as if the subway that had entered another world had hit the rock as usual, and the car door opened in front of Billy.
The child grabbed his crossbody bag, rushed out, and ran along the mountain road.
Finally, in the last 15 seconds, he rushed into the temple of Eternal Rock.
He picked up the bracelet wrapped around his wrist and lifted it into the air, and he stuttered and recited some complicated mantras.
Just like a rookie who is new to magic.
The magic power that filled the entire Eternal Rock was mobilized.
The invisible wind roared on the red cross wrapped in Billy's hand, and with the magic of the Horcrux, the shadow of darkness gathered in front of Billy's eyes.
"Swish"
The shadow spread like a curtain, and Merlin, with a blank face, hovered in front of Billy like a ghost.
He looked at the child standing upright in front of him and said:
"You're late...5 seconds."
"Sorry, mentor."
Billy lowered his head and said:
"I...well, forget it, I won't be there next time."
"You say that every time."
Merlin's tone had no emotional fluctuations, like a ruthless reprimanding machine.
He landed on the ground in a very light posture, and he said to Billy in front of him with his hands on his back:
"You want to be a qualified spellcaster, you want to better use the divine power in your body, you don't want to disappoint Lao Shazan..."
"But unfortunately, in this real world, only thoughts are not enough, you still have to take action."
"You have talent, potential, and good luck, but luck won't save you every time. You have to demand more strictly yourself!"
"Sorry, mentor."
Billy gritted his teeth and said:
"I have a watch and I won't be late tomorrow."
"Don't make promises casually, especially if you have a hard time guaranteeing your promise to be fulfilled."
Merlin glanced at the child with his head down and shook his head.
He said:
"Pick up your drawing pen, we learn the sleeping mantra today... Also, happy birthday, Billy."
“Hmm?”
Batson raised his head suddenly, he looked at Merlin, whose face flashed with a fleeting smile, and he said with a cold face:
"Why are you still standing there? You only have 3 hours to learn this magic! Hurry!"
Merlin's voice was like a whip, whipping Billy.
Let the child take out the drawing pen and drawing board from his bag with quick hands and feet.
In front of him, Merlin, who relied on the magic of Eternal Rock, appeared in the world, waved his finger, and a relatively uncomplexing mana model was outlined.
The teaching of a new day has begun.
3 hours a day, one magic every day, and one fighting training every day.
This is Billy Batterson's new life.
Mysterious knowledge made him linger, and the new world that appeared in front of him made the child cheer even more.
His life is changing.
With a new family, I accidentally gained a strong divine power and a mysterious magic tutor.
His life is getting better and better in the future.
On the other side, the subway that Billy Batson took finally arrived at the station.
After the door opened, passengers who had reached the terminal got off one after another.
Among the crowd, a tall lady wearing a long windbreaker and a baseball cap strolled out.
She put her hands in her pockets, and in the midst of the crowd, she turned to look at the empty subway, a trace of doubt and loss flashed in her blue eyes.
"It's lost again."
Icarus shook her head and walked towards the exit of the subway station.
These days, she has been following Billy Batterson, trying to follow the child and find Merlin's hidden place.
But she will fail every time.
Whether it is a taxi, a bus or a subway.
The child will always disappear silently at a time that Icarus could not notice.
Even though Icarus used the high-speed camera in his eyes to shoot the whole time, he still couldn't capture the trace of Batson's disappearance.
Obviously, there was some mysterious force affecting him and those around him.
Even smart machines will be affected by that power.
“Merlin…”
Icarus walked out of the subway station, she glanced at the street in front of her, reached out to stop a taxi, she said:
"You guy, you hide so deeply..."
"But, as long as you are safe."
————————————
"stupefy! (Sleeping spell!)"
Two hours later, in the temple of Eternal Rock, Billy's hands were wielding.
He injected the magic power from his body into the mana model constructed by his fingertips. After shaking it lightly, a thin ray of light burst out from his fingertips.
The light shot out in the direction of Billy's gaze and hit the glass fish tank placed at the edge of the temple with precision.
A strange, caterpillar-like bug trapped there was hit by the light.
It waved its head in confusion, then crawled for a few steps, and then lay on the stone.
It fell asleep.
"yeah!"
Seeing this scene, Batson cheered in surprise, jumping up from the spot like a real child.
"Teacher, I succeeded! Did you see it?"
Billy turned around and shouted at Merlin, who folded his hands on his belly, like a statue.
He nodded expressionlessly.
But Merlin was indeed a little surprised.
Before, he had only heard about the geniuses of the wizards how powerful and talented the geniuses in the magic world were, but he had never seen them.
Maybe Zatanna is one of those geniuses.
But Zatanna practices magic in mystery, and that thing relies more on talent, so hard work is useless.
And now, Merlin has seen it.
Billy Batson, this 15-year-old, is a real genius.
His natural magical physique makes it easy for him to sense the flow of magic, while the divine power inherited by Lao Shazan helped him better correct the frequency of magic release.
Solomon's wisdom allowed Billy Batson to remember complex mana models in a very short time.
Zeus's divine power allows him to release magic many times continuously before he feels tired.
Billy learned magic at a speed of more than ten times that Merlin had learned spells.
Not to mention, in addition to magic, this child has another more powerful combat method, which is his card at the bottom of the box.
"Yeah, not bad."
Merlin commented:
"But there is still obvious magic fluctuation when the magic is shot. Because it is not gathered enough, the effect of the sleeping spell needs to be delayed for several seconds before it takes effect. The accuracy is good, and finally..."
"The casting posture is not elegant enough, like a big and rough man."
"Please, mentor."
Billy sat on the ground, rubbing his forehead and letting his brain rest, he complained:
"I accept all the few you said before, but the last one... the casting posture, what the hell! No matter how elegant the posture is, it is useless for combat, right?"
"Bang"
Merlin curled up his fingers and hit Batson hard on the head, causing the child to scream.
It's not easy to be shocked by the ghost's cold magic.
"Humans are social creatures, Billy, there are no fewer spellcasters in this world than you think, you always have to contact them."
Merlin with his hands on his back, he said seriously:
"The world of wizards is also very complicated. People who can become wizards are really smart guys. They won't trust others easily. They will disguise themselves, especially those dark wizards."
"But no matter how they disguise, there is something they cannot change anyway...the posture when casting."
"Every wizard has his own unique casting posture, which is a habit developed by long-term practice."
"If you are sharp enough, you can judge their camp from the gestures, standing postures and tone of chanting spells."
Merlin looked at Billy, who was thinking, and he emphasized:
"It is difficult for a rude caster to integrate into the new group. I want you to pay attention to the casting gestures, which are also for your future considerations."
"Orthodox wizards attach great importance to this kind of portal view. They are rigid. An elegant casting posture can make you more easily accepted by them... Hum? What are you doing?"
Batson, who was writing and drawing in his notebook with a pen, raised his head and said to his tutor:
"Remember it, you always tell me these things and details, and I'm afraid I will forget them."
"You have the wisdom of Solomon!"
Merlin said dissatisfiedly:
"That is the wisdom enlightenment of the ancient great wizard. As long as you want, you can remember all the details of your life! Billy, you must make good use of your abilities."
"All right."
Billy shrugged and put the notebook in his hand back into his bag.
He thought about it and said to Merlin:
"Teacher, why don't I go to school in the future... I come here every day and have more time to practice magic. Anyway, I don't like school, and that knowledge is useless to me..."
"Bang"
The expressionless Merlin tapped Billy's fingers again, and the child let out another cry of pain.
"You have to go to school, that's not just a perfect disguise of your true identity."
Merlin said in a deep voice:
“That knowledge is also necessary.”
"Learning the ancient languages ​​can help you better understand the wisdom of ancient wizards, and the knowledge of calculus can make you more accurate when constructing mana models. Biological knowledge can help you get a better start in pharmacy."
"Not to mention the more complex and difficult-to-understand arcane magic that I will teach you in the future...it requires strong logical thinking to understand, which is the knowledge of advanced mathematics."
"Billy, you have to understand..."
Merlin said earnestly:
"All knowledge is in common. As a magic apprentice, you must respect all knowledge and you must study hard."
"Um."
Batson nodded.
This period of contact made him trust Merlin very much.
This trust comes from the unreserved professor. Although Merlin is harsh, Billy can clearly feel his growth.
"Come."
Merlin took a few steps back and hooked his finger at Billy, saying:
"I've finished learning magic, it's time to practice the next one."
"Oh, I like this! Really."
Billy Batson also stood up rubbing his fists, the child's face full of eagerness to try.
He said to Merlin:
"You promised me that as long as I beat you, you will teach me to use magic to find my real mother. You won't go back on your word, right?"
"You have to beat me first."
Merlin's fingers were held with a virtual grip, and the black magic gathered in his hand to form an unusual long sword.
He raised the blade, put it on his forehead, and then pointed the blade at Batson.
A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said:
"How long did you last yesterday? If I remember correctly...47 seconds?"
"Not today."
Billy hid his left hand behind him and said to Merlin:
"Today I feel like I'm in good condition, maybe I will...stopefy! (Sleeping Curse!)"
Before Billy finished speaking, he pulled out his fingers and a thunderous light stabbed at Merlin, which was blocked by him with the long sword in his hand.
"Good boy!"
Merlin said:
"It's good to learn and apply it. But if you want to attack, you have to hide it better."
"Swish"
A black light gathered into a sharp blade and stabbed from behind Billy.
“shazam!”
The moment before the blade was applied, Billy Batterson shouted.
Between the roar of the thunder, the Shazam Superman in a red and yellow liner suit stood up in the storm of magic.
He reached out and flicked, breaking the magic blade that Merlinci came.
He moved his shoulders and fists, and he looked at the Merlin, who outlined the gloomy and cold wind in the shadows.
His magic tutor is a ghost, a learned man.
Whether in the level of magic, knowledge or combat skills, he has enough experience to impart to the freshman Shazam.
Billy Batson knew he couldn't win.
He needs constant practice to persist for longer under the attack of his mentor.
But one day, he will win!
Billy clenched his fists, and the yellow shattered lightning thrust on his fingers, he said:
"Teacher, I'm going to go."
Merlin, who was hovering in the shadows, leaned on a long sword, hooked his finger at Batson, and said:
"Today is your birthday, I will do it lighter, Billy."
"30 seconds! Solve you..."
"Come on... challenge me!"
ps:
Chapter completed!