247: Chapter 244 Humble mortals, despair!

Toby was incredibly relieved that the mysterious youth had little interest in bullying children, allowing the three of them to keep their lives.

As for being an adult yet called a "little kid," a title that was somewhat insulting, he didn't feel any anger.

After all, comparing age, strength, experience, and many other aspects, he really could only be considered a "little kid."

The Fallen Spirit thoughtfully placed the yacht back into the sea and used magic to carry the three of them back onto the deck.

Standing at the bow, Misha gripped the railing and waved goodbye to the Mountain Rock Giant.

Toby held her by her armpits to keep the little girl from falling into the sea if she lost her footing. "Mr. Solon, thank you for your leniency. Um, I have some questions I'd like answered, could you..."

"If I'm in a good mood, I might answer, or I might not." A playful smile appeared on Solon's face.

"May I ask, why are you fighting with Hogwarts?"

"Because I couldn't beat that guy in the east."

That guy in the east? Was it the one from last time...

After a few seconds of thought, he continued, "Then, why have you become mortal enemies? Are you fighting for resources? Or is there a grudge?"

"Hahaha..." Solon's shoulders shook for a long time before he stopped, wiping a tear from his eye. "A grudge? Resources?

Little fellow, why do you always love to use your meager brain and past experiences to imagine things you don't understand at all?"

Sitting on the Mountain Rock Giant's left shoulder, he looked up at the setting sun. "I spent a few days in the New World. In your New Humans' short history, plunder, violence, and barbarism are the main themes.

So I can understand why you'd have such thoughts, but I still can't help laughing."

Toby didn't know how to respond.

He wanted to argue his case and show that human history had its shining moments, but he feared that his rebuttal would anger the other party.

If he remained silent, his entire race was being belittled and his pride as a human was being trampled; he wanted to argue regardless of the consequences.

Finally, he looked up at the Mountain Rock Giant's pair of stone fists and finally calmed down.

"Then why is it?" The frustration left his mind in a daze, and he subconsciously asked the question he cared about most.

"If I had to say why, it's probably because in my long life, there aren't many things left that interest me. Hmm... fighting them is my only pastime."

The three of them were instantly stunned upon hearing this.

When they first learned of the existence of the "calamity," they had imagined an ancient story full of Epic scope.

That there were demons causing chaos in the world, and Hogwarts, the Mountain Gate, and other organizations of the same nature went through hardships and setbacks to defeat the demons and their minions that slaughtered the land, returning peace to the world.

Every time they thought of magnificent magic clashing in the sky and knights in armor charging fearlessly toward the demons that cracked the earth, their hearts surged with passion.

They wished they had been born tens of thousands of years earlier to fight alongside them; what a grand sentiment that would be.

However, after a few words with Solon, the trio's hot-blooded fantasies were shattered.

Especially Leon; he was heartbroken, lamenting that he could no longer dream of becoming a knight, heroically defeating demons, and being surrounded by flowers and beauties.

Solon noticed his sorrowful gaze. "You seem to have an opinion on my pastime?"

Being stared at by the "calamity," Leon forced back the tears that were about to burst from his eyes. "Uh, I..."

Toby couldn't bear to look, wondering why he had such a stupid teammate, but he was a teammate after all, and he couldn't just leave him be.

"Mr. Solon, please forgive his rudeness, he didn't..."

"Small talk ends here." Solon interrupted him, gazing at the sunset that was mostly below the horizon. "Hogwarts, from which I have been away for so long. At midnight, we shall meet again."

Seeing that he had lost interest in conversation, Toby and the others didn't dare disturb him. They started the yacht and sped toward Ying Country.

...

Night fell on the east coast of Ying Country.

On the mountains not far from the beach, a city sat at the summit, with several small towns scattered along the sloping asphalt roads below.

About thirty thousand residents made up the entire population here.

The Queen, having received a warning from Hogwarts, had sent the Royal Guards yesterday to organize the residents' evacuation inland.

Logically, with such a small number of people, the evacuation should have been swift, but twenty hours had passed, and not even half of them had left.

The residents didn't seem to care for the Guards' earnest persuasion, instead believing that the authorities were playing another conspiracy to harm them.

They moved cabinets to block their doors and intercepted Guards trying to enter their yards. While shouting "You are violating the laws of the Kingdom," they brandished brooms to poke at Guards who were halfway through their windows.

It had to be admitted that the residents' will to defend their property was extremely firm; even when the Guards fired warning shots into the air, they absolutely refused to open their doors.

Therefore, when Toby and his companions' yacht sailed into the city port and docked in the dark of night, what they saw was a scene of chaos resembling a front line.

What happened? Has the Mountain Rock Giant arrived?

But it's only ten o'clock; there are still two hours left.

They felt extremely confused and stopped a Guard passing by in a hurry to inquire.

Fortunately, the three of them had been on livestreams many times, and the Guard recognized them, readily informing them of the situation.

Learning that the local residents firmly believed the so-called "evacuation" was a trick, Toby was even more bewildered. "Didn't you say the calamity is coming soon?

Or use an excuse like a tsunami?"

Just as he was about to answer, a commotion came from nearby.

Two Guards were carrying a man by his arms as he ran forward, his legs dangling and kicking wildly. "You're committing a crime! I'm going to sue!"

"Sir, a giant is about to come ashore, and there's a tsunami coming too."

"Lies, deception! You're plotting to take my house and my savings!"

The three of them quickly passed in front of him, leaving Toby and Leon dumbfounded.

After a while, Toby was startled by the sound of the Guard's hurried footsteps. His vision regained focus as he watched the residents fleeing everywhere. "We have to help."

"How?"

Looking at Misha, Toby asked, "I remember you learned the 'Speak Loudly' spell, right?"

"Yes."

"Good, follow me."

He started running toward the highest point of the city, with the other two following closely behind.

The city was situated on a mountaintop, and the highest point was the Government Building in the city center, so the asphalt road leading there was inevitably steep.

The three of them were panting for breath. Leon, who was at the back, felt annoyed that he shouldn't have learned attack magic first, but rather utility magic that could facilitate movement, such as Levitation.

Toby didn't understand why Leon could still complain so loudly when his own legs felt heavy as lead and he barely had the strength to breathe.

Misha, running in the middle, wasn't struggling as much; aside from her flushed cheeks and the sweat on her forehead, her physical condition was basically stable.

They ran all the way to the Government Building, took the elevator to the top floor, and climbed the stairs to the rooftop.

Toby stood at the edge of the rooftop and looked down.

The city lights were on, and the residents, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, were stubbornly using shortcuts like alleys to try and escape the Guards' pursuit.

"Misha."

"Understood."

The little girl pulled out the teaching rod staff hidden in her sleeve and pointed it at Toby. "Speak Loudly!"

The principle of this "magic" was very simple: it applied the mana stored in the staff to the target's mouth to amplify the volume.

Just like what Zhang Mu had used in the outskirts of Su City.

Originally, "Speak Loudly" was not in the Hogwarts freshman curriculum.

Later, considering the variety of magic for the new students and being troubled by the few spells he himself had mastered, Zhang Mu modified it slightly and designed it as a spell.

Toby felt an invisible power envelop his face and slowly opened his mouth:

"Citizens of the Kingdom, I am Toby, one of the first batch of Hogwarts students in the Kingdom.

Right now, a Mountain Rock Giant is about to land in the Kingdom. To ensure your safety, please cooperate with the Guards and evacuate as soon as possible."

With the magic's enhancement, his voice didn't become much louder, and was even a bit deep.

But everyone in the city heard him clearly in an instant.

"Toby? I've seen him on the news."

"Is he deceiving us too?"

"I don't think so; Hogwarts wouldn't recruit liars."

"But... what is a Mountain Rock Giant? Why is it coming here?"

"I heard fishermen who went out to sea say that a rock giant more magnificent than a mountain appeared in the nearby waters.

I just didn't pay attention, thinking the fishermen were drunk and talking nonsense."

"So, a rock giant really is coming?"

At an alleyway somewhere, several people became nervous as they talked and soon took the initiative to find the Guards. The same scene was playing out in streets and alleys all over the city.

The cursing and fleeing stopped; residents obediently found Guards and were arranged into vehicles to drive out of the city.

Soon, camouflage trucks stretched out along the downhill asphalt road.

All of this was witnessed by the three people standing on the edge of the rooftop.

Leon looked around for a while and took out his phone to check the time—11:03.

"There's about an hour left before the Mountain Rock Giant arrives, which should be enough for everyone to evacuate."

"I'm afraid..." Toby's eyes showed concern. "They do believe that a disaster is coming, but... they still refuse the Guards' command and are choosing to flee by driving themselves.

Look over there."

Following the direction of his finger, Leon saw from a distance that an intersection where a side road connected to the main road was jammed.

It seemed that a car cutting in had caused a traffic accident, and those behind didn't react in time, resulting in a rear-end collision. Just as they were preparing to reverse to clear the road, another car crashed into them.

After repeating this a few times, the intersection was completely blocked.

Leon looked at other roads, and car collisions were breaking out even more frequently.

If the situation was allowed to worsen, it might soon affect the main road, and then no one would be able to leave.

Even if they abandoned their cars and walked out of the city, what could they do?

With the Mountain Rock Giant's long legs, it could catch up in just one step. What awaited everyone would be a ruthless trampling, merging them with the soil.

"Quick, go clear the road!"

The three of them went downstairs and ran to the nearest traffic jam.

The intersection, which wasn't spacious to begin with, was packed with more than a dozen cars in all directions.

Toby called all the passengers out of their cars and raised his staff. "Stone Spike!"

Sharp rock pillars rose from the middle of the road, and the pile of cars was pushed aside to create a narrow passage, barely enough for one car to pass through.

"Those without cars, go find the Guards! The rest of you, don't crowd, come out one by one!"

In the emergency, the residents had no mind to watch a magic show and hurried to leave the area according to his instructions.

Once the vehicles had mostly departed and the people on foot had run far away, the three of them turned and rushed to the next intersection.

Time passed minute by minute, and with their efforts, most people successfully left the city and headed inland.

"Only half an hour left." After clearing another spot, Leon, covered in sweat, reminded Toby.

"Five minutes. We'll evacuate when there are five minutes left."

Leon didn't object, holding Misha's hand tightly as he followed him to a side road near the city exit.

The traffic jam here was more serious, with cars even stacked on top of each other.

Toby used two consecutive rock spikes to push out a path, then cut off his mana. Only after the rock spikes crumbled into sand did he urge the cars behind to come out immediately.

Bang—

Two cars fought for the right of way, neither intending to yield. Their fronts collided at the intersection, conveniently blocking the newly opened passage.

"Bastards!"

Toby cursed as he went over, feeling extremely angry.

The air on Blue Star had no mana components, so they could only rely on the mana stored in their staffs to perform magic; once it was used up, there was no more.

After half an hour of continuously releasing Stone Spikes, Toby's staff was almost out of mana.

Since Leon and Misha didn't know this spell, he had secretly estimated that it would be barely enough to clear the roads, but thanks to the two idiots in front of him, he had to waste more of his nearly depleted mana.

"What are you doing?!"

The driver of the car on the left seemed to have a bit of a temper, and since he hadn't seen Toby use magic, he stuck his head out of the window overbearingly. "Kid, are you lecturing..."

"Lightning Strike!"

Leon, who followed him, didn't squander the precious time. He directly sent a bolt of lightning about the size of a pinky finger onto the road beside the car. "I don't mind aiming for your head next time, want to try?"

The deterrent effect was exceptionally outstanding. Those standing by the road and those sticking their heads out of cars all froze in place.

Taking a deep breath to calm his irritation, Toby roared, "Get out!"

The driver who crashed trembled as he and his family pushed open the doors and got out. Toby immediately used a rock spike to flip the cars onto their sides. "No rushing! Line up and go through one by one!"

With Leon's intimidation, no one else disturbed the order, and they obediently lined up to slowly drive out of the side road.

A driver waiting behind complained to his wife, "Why is the giant coming?

And just how huge is it?"

Toby heard him but had no interest in helping to explain. He took out the phone in his pocket.

The moonlight fell on the lit screen, and the center of the standby interface showed the time—11:45.

This was the last blocked road; there were about twenty cars left, and ten minutes would be more than enough for them all to leave.

The heavy stone pressing on his heart lifted slightly. Toby breathed out a sigh of relief and intended to turn off the phone screen.

Just as his finger touched the button on the side, the phone screen suddenly brightened a little.

What's going on?

After a brief moment of confusion, Toby realized that the screen had brightened because the moonlight was being blocked.

Blocked? I remember... there are no clouds today...

Unease spread wildly in his heart, and he slowly looked up.

The sky was dark, and the position where the moon should have been was replaced by a pair of flickering ghostly blue flames.

After a moment, a somewhat frivolous tone echoed through the city:

"Humble mortals, despair."