Worthy of the Name or Not?

"Gurgle~"

The icy potion went down my throat.

The crystal bottle containing the remaining blue potion had not yet hit the ground.

Two cheetah-like figures darted out from the overgrown wasteland.

"Clang~"

Two streaks of silver light drew circles no less beautiful than Full Moon, severing the wildly growing weeds as tall as summer, and swung towards the sorcerers on their horses, one in front and one behind.

The sound of a sword being drawn was masked by the rustling of the howling night wind across the wilderness.

"Hahaha--"

At that moment, the two wizards were laughing so hard they were doubled over because of a joke, completely unaware of what was happening.

When the two figures appeared in the bright light of the Light Spell, they suddenly stopped their cheerful laughter and turned their heads to try to see the approaching figures clearly.

"Too slow!"

The man's bewildered face was reflected in the cold, blue Cat Eyes.

Caught completely off guard, with the door wide open...

The Vilgefortz before him was not at all the wizard described in the books, the one who had beaten Geralt helplessly and was skilled in actual combat.

Instead, he seems more like an academic.

In the wilderness, having offended two Witcher Master, he still dared to chat and laugh so carelessly.

The first reaction upon encountering an enemy was not to use a magic shield or resist spells, but to turn one's head to look.

At this moment, Ailin even doubted whether he had overthought things and prepared too much.

"But that makes sense. Margarita Laux Antill, the future headmistress of the Aretuza Academy, was just a Sorceress apprentice who liked to sleep in, resisted alchemy, and was confused about the future."

"How old is Vilgefortz now? No matter how powerful he is, how strong can he be!"

Even so, Ailin had no intention of holding back. His azure Cat Eyes were fixed on Vilgefortz' hands that were tightly gripping the reins, and without hesitation, he slashed at Vilgefortz ' right arm with his sword.

If it weren't for the fact that the jade statues of Erni and the others were still hidden somewhere, this sword would have been aimed at his throat.

certainly.

Even though Vilgefortz's movements were clumsy and unprofessional.

Deep down, he didn't think the sword strike would be effective.

"Call out!"

The long sword pierced the air.

In the blink of an eye, it was like a silver lightning bolt striking Vilgefortz's decent knitted cardigan on his right shoulder.

"Ding~"

The second of the five differently colored gemstone buttons on Vilgefortz's coat, the square emerald gemstone button, suddenly shattered.

The knitted cardigan was covered with a bluish-green sheen.

"When--"

In an instant, the silver sword emitted a metallic clang.

"Just as I expected!" Ailin thought to himself.

Immediately following.

The emerald light shattered abruptly, exploding into a massive shockwave, much like a high-level Quen.

Or perhaps the reason Quen has this effect is because its creator has seen or knows how to cast this turquoise spell.

"Hercules—"

Vilgefortz's handsome white horse neighed as it was crushed to the ground, its four legs instantly breaking, revealing the pale bones beneath.

Ailin was also blown away, and after adjusting her posture in mid-air, she landed lightly.

It hasn't landed yet.

The same explosion came from the other side.

Ailin glanced at Vesemir, who had also been blown away by the shattered magic shield, but said nothing.

Magical power surged within him, and he crossed his hands forward for a fleeting moment.

Oterrohp Sign!

The pale purple spherical shield disappeared before it could close from bottom to top, leaving only a silvery-purple magical glow shimmering on the red leather armor.

"Da~"

The moment his right foot touched the ground, Ailin stomped his foot and charged forward again.

It's not unusual for a wizard to have a few magical items for protection, but that doesn't give him extra time to chant powerful spells.

"Interesting!"

Amidst the smoke and dust, Vilgefortz staggered to his feet, smiled elegantly, and gently brushed the dust off his body.

"The lambs to the slaughter rebelled, the fish in the net lunged at the fishermen..."

He hadn't even finished saying his sentence.

Under the white light of the Light Spell, the brown smoke was instantly blown into the darkness.

The Witcher's gleaming sword forced him to keep his mouth shut with a grim expression.

Before the witcher could rush at him, Vilgefortz hurriedly stretched out his hand to the side, and a two-yard-long staff, which had not yet fully taken shape, was hastily placed in front of him as a shield.

"When!"

Amidst the clanging of metal, sparks from the friction of the iron illuminated the faces of the two men.

Vilgefortz seemed to be using the force of the attack to retreat, but Ailin had no intention of letting him create distance.

All the forces are directed downwards at an angle.

The immense force nearly caused Vilgefortz to drop his staff.

"The staff technique is mediocre!" The Witcher immediately made his judgment as the sword and staff clashed head-on.

"Ailin, I know..."

He only had time to say half a sentence again.

The force transmitted from Elsa suddenly loosened, Vilgefortz's hand, which was supporting the staff, involuntarily lifted up, causing him to lose his balance and lean forward.

Ailin stepped back to the right, sheathed his sword and drew an arc, the tip of the silver sword spinning once before thrusting straight at Vilgefortz ' chest.

Vilgefortz had no time to retract his baton and block.

"Bite!"

"When!"

Amidst a sound like the clanging of metal, the third of the five gemstone buttons shattered.

The green glow flickered briefly on the exquisite black dress before shattering again due to the immense impact.

now.

Vilgefortz's face was distorted and gloomy in the uneven air pressure.

He moved his lips as if he wanted to chant some incantation.

Having already endured one blow, and having encountered the Broken Quen countless times in sparring with Vesemir and Aristo, how could the Witcher possibly be knocked away like the first time?

He was prepared; he leaned forward, planted his right foot, and sank his heel into the mud.

at the same time.

He released the sword hilt with his left hand and pushed hard to the right side of Vilgefortz with his middle finger.

Alde Sign!

The telekinetic force distorted the air, not only neutralizing the explosive pressure of the unknown magic shield, but also causing Vilgefortz to stagger when it struck the right side of his body.

The incantation he was chanting was interrupted, and he gasped for breath in pain.

Ailin naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. Before he could finish releasing Ald with his left hand, the knuckles of Elsa he was holding with his right hand turned white, and he thrust straight at Vilgefortz ' chest.

After releasing the hand seal with his left hand, he didn't have time to grasp the hilt of the sword; instead, he pressed it against the elegantly curved guard, accelerating.

"Ding~"

"Clang~"

It was that familiar sound of shattering gems and the clanging of metal.

This time, however, it was an obsidian that shattered, and Vilgefortz did not emit any magical glow.

"Not good!"

The seemingly ordinary change sent chills down Ailin's spine, and he screamed inwardly.

A chill suddenly seeped from the tailbone to the scalp.

Instead of seizing the opportunity to pursue, it retreated rapidly, stopping only when it reached the whimpering, blood-spitting white horse.

Right at this moment.

"Buzz~"

The Wolf Emblem buzzed violently.

At least thirty sharp stalagmites, each two meters long, instantly pierced the ground.

"Gurgle~"

The Witcher stared at the towering, sharp tips of the stalagmite, and even with the Mirror Shield of the Oterrohp Sign protecting him from three magical attacks, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

Let's look ahead.

A stone wall a meter high also sprang up next to Vilgefortz.

It must be said that even though Vilgefortz was visibly bad at real combat, and his staff skills were only a fraction of what was described in the book, he was still very difficult to deal with.

In the blink of an eye.

The familiar blue magical glow shone again on Vilgefortz's body.

"Phew~"

Ailin twirled his sword with his right hand, took a breath, and glanced at another battlefield.

but.

The first thing I saw was neither Vesemir nor the Sorceress.

Instead, it was a badge tied to the saddle of a dying white horse, jingling and flashing red.

The badge is engraved with many white dots, like stars.

Ailin thought it was more like the robes of high-ranking wizards, such as the starlight robes worn by the male wizards who descended after the Apprentice Combat Tournament and before leaving the arena.

"Long~"

A distant roar caught his attention.

Vesemir, with his arms crossed, used the Oterrohp Sign to deflect the fireball from the west, and then pressed closer.

The Sorceress looked flustered, her hair at the temples was wet with sweat, and she looked quite disheveled.

Obviously.

Under Vesemir's relentless attack, her condition was even worse than Vilgefortz's...

to be honest.

While generally speaking, top-tier warlocks are definitely stronger than top-tier demon hunters.

But to be able to fight back under such an ambush is actually quite remarkable, indicating that the Sorceress is also quite powerful.

"Let's continue!"

Finding the Witcher Master unharmed, Ailin withdrew his gaze and looked directly at Vilgefortz, who was half-hidden by the stone wall.

"How rude!" Vilgefortz's eyes blazed with a terrifying red flame. "Is this how the School of the Wolf always attacks without warning? I thought I'd encountered a despicable and treacherous cat..."

The Cat Eyes glanced at the hard stone wall.

Seeing that Vilgefortz wasn't chanting any spells but instead spouting useless nonsense, Ailin, sword in hand, slowly approached in a circle.

"Rude? A male wizard who abducted several children under the age of thirteen has the nerve to say such things?"

The child... Vilgefortz looked at Ailin's young face with a strange expression.

But when he thought of the suffocating onslaught that had just struck, the strange feeling vanished instantly.

There was a two-second silence.

"I'm knocking." He waved his metal staff weakly.

Knock on the door?

Ailin's forehead veins were bulging, and he wasn't going to waste any more words.

With a powerful stomp of his right foot against the ground, like a tiger or leopard descending a mountain, he swiftly thrust his sword into the Rift in the stone wall.

"Why waste your time..." Vilgefortz remained unmoved, waving his staff and instantly casting fireballs, all of which were dodged by Ailin.

It seemed that only firelight could keep up with the Witcher's agile figure.

But Vilgefortz remained calm upon seeing this, and didn't even seem to be thinking of rescuing the Sorceress who was being fiercely attacked by Vesemir not far away.

They used these simple fireballs to wear down the demon hunter's stamina, as gracefully as a shepherd who could change the direction of a flock of sheep with a gentle flick of his whip.

"You broke through one layer of airburst barrier, but I can generate two more, and even a rock barrier, a water shield..." Vilgefortz's pupils reflected the witcher's figure. "For me, this doesn't even consume any magic power..."

"Why don't you obediently come back with me as guests? With the reputation of the School of the Wolf, the academy won't do anything to you..."

"Yeah?"

Ailin crossed his arms and released the Oterrohp Sign to neutralize a fireball that was truly unstoppable, then took another step closer to Vilgefortz.

The distance between the two men was less than fifteen meters, after about three charges.

"How many instant-triggered magic gems do you have left?" The Witcher smiled and glanced at the two remaining gems on his dress.

Each of the micro-carved Instant Trigger Gem can store a spell below the level of an expert.

It will automatically release as long as the preset conditions are met, without requiring user intervention.

In critical moments, as just now, every extra one is like having an extra life.

In other words, Ailin's ambush killed three of Vilgefortz's lives in less than a minute.

However, its price matches the Instant Trigger Gem.

A rare and exquisite gemstone mine core, top-notch gemstone carving craftsmen, and a skilled and exceptional magic array recording wizard...

Each Instant Trigger Gem is something an ordinary wizard could never afford in their entire life.

Wealth is a wizard's greatest weapon.

This was something Vesemir had said to him long before the Trial of the Mountains.

Honestly, having five Instant Trigger Gem already speaks volumes about Vilgefortz's strength... in every aspect.

It should be noted that even Jens, the vice-principal of Ban Ade Academy, did not possess a single magic gem that could be activated instantly during the Apprentice Combat Tournament. Otherwise, he and Haxor might not have met their demise at the hands of the Drowners King and the Giant Drowner.

Of course, this is not quite normal either.

Perhaps Jens was too confident, so he didn't bring it with him to Ben Ade College, or perhaps he spent all his wealth on enjoyment or research.

This also illustrates, from another perspective, how astonishing, or rather how powerful, the wealth of Vilgefortz, who possesses at least five Instant Trigger Gem and is so young, must be.

"Hmph~"

Upon hearing this, Vilgefortz continued releasing fireballs from his hands. He glanced at his suit, which looked somewhat comical due to the absence of three gem buttons, and gave a cold, pained snort. He then pursed his lips, said nothing more, and swung his staff even faster.

However, the speed at which you swing your staff does not increase the speed of casting spells.

At this stage, it seems that Demon Source's talent only allows him to cast novice spells like instant fireball.

And the Witcher is getting close!

"Ding ding ding~"

The white horse with its broken leg had its head bowed low, seemingly dead, but the emblem on its reins was still ringing restlessly.

Moreover, each second is faster than the next.

Vilgefortz's eyebrows seemed to furrow deeper and deeper with the irritating sound.

"What is that?" Ailin rolled away to dodge the translucent blade and took another step closer to the wizard.

The two were still two charges away from each other.

Vilgefortz remained silent, mechanically waving his staff, but this seemed unable to stop Ailin from approaching.

until...

"When--"

The urgent ringing suddenly turned into a deafening chime, as if giving a final warning.

Vilgefortz's expression changed almost imperceptibly, then he gritted his teeth, unleashed a dazzling bolt of lightning, and took two steps back, hiding behind two stone walls.

He followed closely without even checking if Ailin had dodged the lightning.

With a wave of his staff, he raised the stone wall by two meters.

Then...

Ancient, mysterious chants echoed across the wilderness.

The universe resonates with each other.