Master Of Astral Summoner-Chapter 166: The mutated blue Lizard

When he arrived at the next room, Shaan’s mouth fell open, and his eyes widened. His face turned deathly pale as he witnessed the source of the light with his own eyes—something he had never imagined before.

"R-really... l-lightning?" Shaan rubbed his eyes, making sure he didn’t imagine it. Who possesses power like this?

His gaze tried to follow the lightning’s movement, but he failed. The flashes moved far too fast—wild, unpredictable, and lethal. Bolts of lightning tore through the chamber, shattering massive boulders and slaughtering three Blue Lizards in mere seconds.

"In-Incredible." Shaan shook his head, his expression stiff with awe. ’I’ve never seen power like this before."

The lightning slowly faded, revealing its wielder—a red-haired man. In one hand, he held a massive sword, far larger than the weapons Shaan used in battle. Shaan strained to see the man’s face, but the stranger stood with his back turned, hiding his features.

"Tch. I didn’t expect those low-level creatures to fall so easily," the man said as he drove his sword into the ground. "Good work, Raijin."

’Raijin?’

Suddenly, heavy footsteps thundered closer, drawing Shaan’s attention to another presence. The moment he saw the figure, Shaan swallowed hard.

The newcomer’s body looked enormous—far beyond the limits of a normal human frame. Long hair flowed freely down his back, and he wore nothing but a simple waistcloth patterned with lightning motifs. His exposed body revealed every bulging muscle in vivid detail. His red skin alone made Shaan immediately think of one thing.

’A Daemon... That must be the red-haired man’s Daemon.’

Yet something else made Shaan frown as he observed the figure more closely. Behind the giant figure hovered several massive drums—six of them—arranged in a loose circle. In both hands, it gripped drum mallets, though Shaan had no idea how it planned to use them.

[Alright, mortal Theo]

Hearing those words, Shaan immediately fell silent."W-wait a second... Th-Theo? Theo Lancaster?" Shaan whispered.

[Hey, what’s wrong with you?] Robin Hood snapped his fingers in front of Shaan’s face. [Why do you keep staring at that guy? Do you know him?]

"Y-yes, I know him. I’ve even met him several times." Shaan nodded quickly. "Oh my god, I never expected that man to be Theo. His power is no joke."

[Then let’s say hello to him] said Robin Hood enthusiastically as he walked towards Theo. [I’m very impressed and want to meet someone as strong as him.]

"Alright."

Shaan nodded, and they walked forward together until Theo finally noticed them. Shaan smiled, raised his hand, and called out to him. However, Theo barely reacted and only returned the gesture with a thin, uninterested smile.

"Theo, it’s good to see you here—"

"Oh... so it’s just you," Theo interrupted. "The weak one."

Hearing this, Shaan stopped walking for a moment. ’Jeez... that mouth,’ Shaan sighed inwardly, forcing himself to stay calm. ’Arrogance. As expected—this guy never changes.’’

[Watch your mouth.] Robin Hood shot Theo a sharp glare. [Shaan isn’t weak. You have no right to call him that.]

"Well, because he is weak," Theo smirked. "After all, he lost to me during our last sparring session. That alone proves I stand above him."

[Damn it—this guy pisses me off.] Robin Hood immediately drew his bow and aimed straight at Theo’s head. [Say that again, and I won’t hesitate to put an arrow through your skull, you tomato-headed bastard.]

"Robin Hood, what are you doing?" Shaan immediately blocked Robin Hood. "Just stop. We’re not here to cause trouble, don’t act recklessly."

[Fine. I get it.] Robin Hood slowly lowered his bow, though he continued to glare at Theo with clear hostility.

[Heh? I was fully ready to finish this brat off.]

Raijin clenched both fists and cracked his knuckles loudly. [Looks like luck still keeps you alive, you snot-nosed kid.]

"That’s enough. Ignore that weakling, Rai," Theo said calmly. "We need to focus on the event. If we want to win, we can’t break the rules by attacking another Daemonist."

[I understand, Mortal Theo.]

’Theo’s words never change. Still as irritating as ever,’ Shaan thought.

"So..." Theo continued, a hint of curiosity in his tone. "How many of those low-grade lizards have you killed so far? As you can see, I’ve already taken down about—"

Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from behind them. They turned their heads at once and saw that it was coming from another lizard which emerged from a pile of rocks near them.

At first, Shaan assumed it belonged to the same species as the Blue Lizards he had fought earlier. However, as the creature stepped closer, an uneasy feeling crawled up his spine.

Its body looked much larger than the other Blue Lizards. Worse, the blue scales covering its body appeared far darker—almost unnaturally so. Its eyes glowed with a deep crimson-black hue, unlike the bright yellow eyes of ordinary Blue Lizards.

"W-wait, don’t tell me this lizard..." Shaan fell silent for a moment, his face turning pale. ’This Blue Lizard mutated—just like the Doppleshade I fought before. But... how is that even possible?’

"Theo, listen to me," Shaan warned urgently. "That Blue Lizard has mutated. Don’t underestimate it. This thing is far stronger than the others—and extremely aggressive. We can’t handle it alone. We need to call the officers—"

"I can deal with a lowly creature like this by myself," Theo said with a confident smile. "Sit still like a good child and watch me dispose of this trash." He glanced to his side. "Rai, it’s time."

[With pleasure, mortal Theo]

Full of confidence, Theo immediately darted towards the lizard, followed closely by Raijin behind him. He swung his sword quickly, trying to slash the lizard.

"Take this, you filthy—!"

The lizard moved. In a flash, it seized Theo by the throat. His eyes widened. The lightning surrounding his body vanished instantly, leaving him exposed and helpless in the creature’s grip.

"Damn it. Let me go!" Theo shouted in pain. "R-Rai, do something!"

Raijin instantly launched a powerful punch at the lizard, but it only suffered minor injuries. The creature just smiled and immediately punched Raijin, sending him flying quite hard into the rocks.

"N-no way... th-this can’t be happening." Theo’s eyes widened as panic gripped his face. "B-but—argh!"

The mutated lizard tightened its grip around Theo’s neck. Theo’s face slowly turned blue as the creature squeezed harder. His body weakened, his struggles growing slower and more desperate until his strength began to fade.

’This is bad. I have to help Theo. He’s in real danger.’