Ambush

Half a month had passed, but Argyle Cape and the others had not arrived at the border garrison on schedule. To guard against any mishaps, Shadow had been sent over. Their suspicions had been correct—the assassin had indeed come here as well, and this had truly helped Jialan.

Shadow stroked the longbow in his hand and suddenly asked, "You only graduated last year, didn't you?"

Jialan froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "Yes. I stayed in the Imperial Capital for two months before being assigned here." He gazed at the snow-covered mountains in the distance. "I've been here for a year now."

At the same time, he silently added in his heart, But I've been in this world for nineteen years already.

Sometimes, he still dreamed of that bustling world, with its towering buildings and flashing neon lights. Those memories had become so distant that they felt like someone else's dream.

"Spellcasters are said to be the hardest to advance. Yet you reached the next rank in just one year?" Shadow's voice carried a rare trace of emotion. "Your talent must be quite good. Why would the military send you to such a barren place for border duty?" His tone gradually rose. "Have military spellcasters become so numerous that they're practically overflowing?"

Jialan turned toward him in surprise. This Half-elf, who usually could not even be bothered to show an expression, now had his brows tightly furrowed, obvious anger flickering in his emerald-green eyes.

"Uh..." Jialan did not know how to respond for a moment. The military's assignment system certainly could not be called fair, but Shadow's reaction seemed a little too intense.

"Sorry." Shadow seemed to realize he had lost his composure and quickly returned to his usual indifference. But Jialan had already sharply noticed that his pointed ears were turning red at a visible pace, deepening from pale pink to rose.

The discovery left Jialan dumbfounded. This guy could actually... be embarrassed?

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"Actually..." Jialan carefully chose his words. "Although the conditions here are harsh, this place is very helpful for an Ice Mage's training." He raised his staff and gave it a light wave. The snowflakes around them slowly gathered into an ice spike. "See? I couldn't have improved this quickly in the Imperial Capital."

Shadow watched the crystalline ice spike, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Even so..." His voice returned to its usual calm, though the pink at the tips of his ears had yet to fade. "Wasting talent is a crime."

Over the next stretch of time, Jialan stabilized his realm while learning several new spells copied from the military. Naturally, they were only the most ordinary ones. Those strange and immensely powerful spells were not something an ordinary spellcaster like him could obtain. He also had to find time to make scrolls and brew potions, and his days were busy yet fulfilling.

Another half a month passed like this. One day, Jialan was summoned to the Barracks by Captain Kendi Lawrence. Shadow was there as well, holding a conscription order. He directly requisitioned Jialan, and with Kendi's rank, there was no way to refuse.

Though it was only a temporary requisition, spellcasters were scarce resources wherever they went. It sounded good to call it temporary, but it was likely a one-way trip.

Kendi was furious, his graying beard trembling constantly. By regulation, the garrison under his command was supposed to have one official mage assigned to it.

But spellcasters were exceedingly rare, and the position was often vacant. Even when someone was assigned, it was usually a mage apprentice. Once they advanced, they would immediately find a way to leave. This place was too barren; no official mage was willing to stay here.

They had finally gotten an official mage. Since Jialan's arrival, not a single member of the patrols had died. In the past, losing one or two soldiers every month had been commonplace. It was clear just how important a spellcaster was to a unit.

Kendi was deeply unwilling, but a conscription order was not something a mere captain like him could overturn.

As a member of the military, Jialan could not refuse either. He returned to his cabin and packed important books, casting materials, and scrolls into his Spatial Bag. On the way, he had asked Shadow about their destination. They were heading deep into the Misty Forest, where danger was certain to lurk everywhere, so he brought only the necessities.

Most of his experimental equipment was left in the cabin. After setting up several simple protective magic formations, he hurried into the depths of the forest with Shadow.

They had been in the forest for only two days.

"Something's wrong." Shadow suddenly stopped while running, his white cloak fading in and out amid the mist. His voice was soft, yet it sent a chill down Jialan's neck.

Jialan gripped his staff tightly. He suddenly sensed a faint smell of blood in the air, mixed with the scent of pine needles and snow, making him nauseous. He steadied himself and slowly spread out his senses.

"Left." The moment Jialan spoke, a cold glint tore through the air.

Jialan raised his staff almost instinctively. The Ice Mirror Technique embedded in the staff condensed to his left. The arrow shattered the mirror and fell with it onto the snow. His heartbeat abruptly quickened, and cold sweat had already seeped across his back.

"Three." Shadow's voice remained calm. "No, four."

Before his words faded, a Shadow Figure had already pounced down from the treetops. Jialan saw Shadow draw a dagger with a backhanded motion. A flash of cold light flickered, and the figure crashed heavily into the snow. Blood blossomed over the pure white ground like a bewitching flower.

But the danger was far from over.

A whistling sound came from the right. Jialan swiftly turned around and murmured a few words. An ice spike condensed in midair and collided with the incoming arrow, shattering into a sky full of ice crystals. Through the refracted light, he saw a tall figure rush out of the mist, a greatsword in its hand gleaming with a chilling light.

Shadow quickly drew his bow. An arrow shot out like a meteor, forcing the tall figure back. Jialan rapidly retreated, his staff tracing an arc through the air as he quietly chanted a spell.

"Flash Spell!" Jialan fiercely swung his staff, and a blinding white light erupted from its tip, instantly illuminating the entire forest.

This was an apprentice-level Light Element spell with a very simple structure. Jialan had cast it in two seconds. Caught off guard, the ambushers could not open their eyes beneath the intense light and staggered back, covering them.

"Go!" Jialan shouted softly. Before the enemies could recover their vision, the two quickly withdrew deeper into the forest. The mist swallowed their figures once more, leaving only furious roars echoing through the woods.

Jialan and Shadow raced through the mist. The ice, snow, dead branches, and fallen leaves beneath their feet made faint cracking sounds, but the thick fog soon swallowed them. Shadow's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, constantly alert to every movement around them.

"They won't let us go so easily," Shadow said in a low voice, a trace of gravity in his tone. Jialan nodded. He understood that the ambushers would never abandon their pursuit because of one Flash Spell. Sure enough, before long, hurried footsteps and low shouts came from behind them.

"Keep moving. I'll hold them off." Shadow suddenly stopped, turned, and drew his bow. A pitch-black arrow rested on the string, aimed in the direction of their pursuers.

Jialan hesitated for a moment, but quickly nodded. He knew spellcasters were too frail and too slow. Only if Shadow held the enemy back and he escaped the encirclement to prepare ahead could they kill the ambushers. A prepared mage could unleash unexpectedly formidable combat power.

He quickly ran forward while tossing a white scroll behind him. The scroll silently vanished into the snow, transforming into an extreme chill that blanketed dozens of meters around it. Skating Technique, a basic large-area ice-element control spell, made the enemies slip beneath their feet and temporarily blocked the pursuers' path.