NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35: 35. Giant Thunderbird
"Hmm?"
Ivan's gaze drifted toward the distant lake, catching a sudden glint. For a moment, his vision blurred, and he felt as if he were in a trance. As he blinked, images flickered in his mind, like scenes reflected off the lake's shimmering surface.
He saw a golden beach at the edge of the woods, and there, at the forest's entrance, a massive golden creature descended from the sky with a booming thunderclap. Its target: a young wizard clutching a small cat. The scene shifted, and Ivan felt a chill as he watched magical creatures near the lake scatter in all directions, fleeing for their lives.
In the aftermath of the beast's arrival, the forest lay in ruins. All that remained was the giant, wounded creature, roaring furiously as it surveyed the destruction around it.
"Thunderbird?"
The creature's appearance reminded Ivan of a Thunderbird from the Fantastic Beasts movie, but this one was far more enormous than anything he had seen on-screen.
Suddenly, Ivan shuddered and snapped out of the trance. He had been in a rare state of prophecy—visions that sometimes came to him unbidden. Without hesitation, he grabbed Yumi, his cat, and bolted for the safety of the nearby cabinet.
"Boom!"
A deafening crack of thunder rolled across the sky, and dark clouds began to gather, covering what had once been a clear day. As if confirming his vision, Ivan heard the distant, echoing cry of a Thunderbird in the storm.
"No! I'm not fast enough," he thought with a sinking feeling. "If I keep running like this, it'll catch up to me before I can escape this secret realm!"
He could sense the creature drawing closer, its presence growing heavier with each second.
"Bang!"
Ivan skidded to a halt, tightening his grip on his wand. Fiery red lines began to glow faintly along the wand's length, and he felt a familiar surge of power as his bonded phoenix spirit awoke, ready to defend him.
"It seems like fighting is the only way out."
Despite knowing only a handful of spells, Ivan wasn't intimidated by a magical battle. He had faced enough challenges to know that wizards' battles weren't always about who knew the most spells; sometimes, it was about who had the most courage and strength of will.
Taking a deep breath, Ivan turned to face the Thunderbird descending from the sky. Gathering his magic, he aimed his wand at the approaching figure and released a concentrated red-gold blast of energy. The powerful spell shot straight toward the giant creature in a blazing arc.
The Thunderbird, its body crackling with electric energy, sensed the threat and veered sharply, avoiding the attack at the last second.
"Boom!"
The energy blast struck a distant cliff, instantly blowing apart half of the mountainside. Ivan felt the ground tremble from the force, and even the mighty Thunderbird seemed momentarily stunned by the sheer power of the explosion.
"Meow?" Yumi, his ragdoll cat, looked up at him in wide-eyed amazement, clearly taken aback by her master's strength.
With the phoenix spirit by his side, Ivan's magic surged in his veins. He no longer feared losing control; the phoenix's presence helped him channel his power steadily and precisely.
Seeing that the Thunderbird was briefly stunned, Ivan seized the opportunity. Dark mist began to seep from his body, spreading out and turning the ground beneath him to black ash. Within moments, a swirling tornado of dark magic formed around him.
"Roar!"
Ivan swung his wand, and the dark storm transformed into writhing dragon-like shapes that lunged at the Thunderbird, snarling and ready to strike. The forest trembled under the force of his magic, his power radiating outward in a wave of destruction. But the Thunderbird, undaunted, unleashed a series of powerful lightning bolts that shielded it from Ivan's attack, neutralizing the dark energy with flashes of blinding light.
"Get out of here!" Ivan's voice rang out with a fierce determination as he pressed his attack.
The clash of thunder and darkness filled the air, and then, a streak of red and gold light cut through the dim world as Ivan's phoenix spirit took flight. It soared above him, wings spread wide as the dark mist gathered around it, transforming it into an enormous bird of flames, burning black.
The massive Thunderbird felt a chill as it watched this new, terrifying opponent emerge. For a brief moment, it considered retreating but refused to back down, its pride pushing it forward.
With a defiant screech, the Thunderbird charged at the phoenix, its body radiating lightning.
"Bang!"
The black flames and golden thunder collided with a blinding explosion, filling the sky with a burst of light so intense that Ivan and Yumi had to shield their eyes. Ivan could feel the incredible force of the Thunderbird's presence bearing down on him, but instead of fear, he felt a thrill coursing through him.
Taking a steady breath, he raised his wand, pouring more of his magic into the phoenix. The dark-flame phoenix surged forward, finally overpowering the Thunderbird and forcing it downward, toward the lake.
"Boom!"
With a tremendous crash, the Thunderbird hit the lake, sending towering waves across the water. Ivan let out a long breath, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling in. "That Thunderbird was stronger than I imagined."
"Let's go." He quickly picked up Yumi, his mind racing. He could sense that the Thunderbird wasn't dead, though it was clearly injured from their battle. But as he glanced around, he noticed several powerful magical presences approaching from the distance. The clash with the Thunderbird had drawn other creatures from across the secret realm.
A few tense minutes later, Ivan closed the cabinet door behind him, slumping to the floor with Yumi beside him.
"This secret realm is dangerous beyond belief," he muttered, catching his breath. "To think there are creatures as strong as that Thunderbird here..."
He remembered Newt's Thunderbird in the movie—only four meters tall. The one he had just faced was monstrous in comparison, more like the size of an adult beast than a mere juvenile.
"If more creatures like that show up," he thought grimly, "it could be disastrous. Magical creatures' thick skin and natural magic resistance make them nearly immune to spells, and that's no small problem."
Reflecting on how the Thunderbird had shrugged off his most powerful attack, Ivan realized he couldn't risk entering the secret realm until he had much stronger abilities.
With a sigh, he waved his wand to clean the grime from his clothes, then climbed into bed. After a long day of exploring, fighting, and staying up late, Ivan was completely drained, and it didn't take long for him to drift off into a deep, much-needed sleep.
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