Reunion, Crows Passing
"It seems this person is really important to Lady Soraya."
The gazes of several people unconsciously turned to a certain figure not far away, and they squinted to examine him closely.
"He certainly possesses a face that would make any woman in the Kachin Family swoon. If he also carries the true blood of the Kachin Family, it's no wonder that Lady Soraya values him so highly."
"A male heir of the Kachin Family, who appeared out of nowhere, is deeply favored by Lady Soraya."
The first to speak, a round-faced, silver-haired youth, looked at a girl in a blue dress with long, light purple curly hair, fair skin, and delicate features, and said half-jokingly, "Jenny, I think you could try to get in touch with him, and if you have the chance, bring him into our little group."
A newcomer with a powerful background as a mid-level level three wizard, who might even become the future leader of the Kachin Family, is worth recruiting...
The purple-haired girl who was called out was playing with a slender white staff, and her delicate, fair fingers were adorned with several exquisite gemstone rings.
"But he's not my type... and he looks a bit fierce, like he's not easy to get along with."
"Isn't this the perfect time to show off your charm?"
The light red-haired youth next to her smiled and said something. The purple-haired girl hummed softly, quite pleased, and raised her smooth chin slightly, proudly showing off her long and perfect swan neck.
The group chatted and laughed, not paying too much attention to the battle of level three or higher in the distance, only glancing at it occasionally.
With four Third Level Wizard involved, even a Third Level Magic Beast with a trace of ancient bloodline should have been destined to win this hunt long ago.
Suddenly, a wizard from the Fred Family, dressed in Gray Magic Robe, hurriedly approached them and whispered a few words in a solemn tone.
The silver-haired, round-faced youth who led the small group changed his expression slightly and whispered, "Black robes? Where did these Black Robe Wizard come from? And there are dozens of them!"
Are all those Ababok Family guys dead? Such a large group of black-robed figures barged into the Rune Array, and they only just noticed!
Upon hearing the words "black robe," the relaxed and leisurely atmosphere among them instantly vanished, and everyone's expressions became quite interesting.
"Why would someone in black robes appear at this time? They must be after the third-tier Cold Scale Python! Quickly inform Great-Grandfather!"
"Great-grandfather already knows, and he's letting us decide for ourselves. I propose we go immediately to reinforce the Ababok Family; they are under attack from the Black Robes!"
"Why bother with them? What good would it do to reinforce them? If the hunt fails because of something going wrong on our side, I bet these guys will be the first to jump out and blame us!"
"The three families have sworn an alliance, and if we don't deal with those Black Robe Wizards who have broken into the magic circle quickly, they might affect the ongoing hunt... This is a test from our great-grandfather!"
"I disagree!"
"Valinz, you don't want the talent of the Ancient Ice Crystal Magic Serpent anymore?!"
"."
The inability to reach a consensus in a short period of time led to a heated argument among the small group of people, each with their own ideas and considerations, and each trying to persuade the other.
Just then, a strange sound suddenly rang out in the arena, coming from a direction not far away.
The sound was like countless shards of ice bound together, colliding violently, crisp, rapid, and piercing, carrying a strong sense of warning.
The expressions of the people in the small group changed immediately upon hearing the voice. At that moment, the urgent voice stopped abruptly, and faint fluctuations of a spell were heard.
The Fred family wizards nearby rushed toward the direction from which the sound came, but before they could get far, they were struck precisely by a black energy pillar that seemed to be composed of countless black water droplets of all sizes. They were instantly swallowed up and fell to the ground like stones without even uttering a sound.
Everyone who witnessed this scene had their pupils contract.
Before they could react, ghostly figures in black robes began to emerge rapidly from all around the arena.
A strong aura of dark magic permeated the entire area, accompanied by intense fluctuations in mental energy. A chaotic battle between the Fred family's ice-type wizards and an unknown Darkness-Type Black Robe Wizard began!
"It's those black-robed men!"
The silver-haired, round-faced youth let out a low growl and quickly entered battle mode.
After the large group of black-robed figures appeared, their small group was immediately approached by a Black Robe Wizard with pale skin, black lips, and a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation that belonged to the mid-stage of the second level.
The silver-haired, round-faced youth tore off a transparent armband from his arm and quickly flung it forward.
The transparent armband artifact unleashed a continuous stream of Ice Ring, cutting terrifying marks in the air like circular blades. Before it could even get close to its opponent, it was sliced in two by a black scythe-shaped spell summoned by the opponent's staff.
The light red-haired youth beside him chanted incantations incessantly, raising his hand to summon a small, icy blizzard. Just as the frigid storm began, a terrifying wave of black energy swept in, instantly engulfing the black-lipped, mid-level level two Black Robe Wizard. His strength was unparalleled, approaching the late level two level, and he effortlessly cast second-tier Darkness-Type magic spells, easily breaking through the combined magical attacks of the group.
He was like a dense shadow, occupying one side of the sky, constantly expanding, bringing a heavy sense of suffocation and oppression to the group.
Everyone in the small group had the idea of retreating, and the only purple-haired girl among them was pale-faced, her hand holding the slender staff was trembling slightly.
Looking around the arena, the battle was overwhelmingly one-sided, with the Fred family wizards being forced to retreat under the Black Robe Wizard's attacks, unable to mount any effective resistance.
The group, their faces grim, struggled to resist the powerful black-robed figure. A fleeting glance caught sight of a figure rapidly disengaging from the edge of the battle, and one of them couldn't help but mutter, "The men of the Kachin Family are indeed all show and no substance!"
"Pooh!"
Ronan frowned, coldly observing the sudden change in the situation before him.
He had been observing the battle where Soraya was hunting the third-tier Frostscale Pythons, but in the short time he turned his head, a group of black-robed wizards suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started fighting with the wizards of the Fred family of White Stone Castle.
These Black Robe Wizard were all dressed in pure black robes, without any patterns or markings on them, making it impossible to determine which organization they belonged to.
They were well-trained and powerful, generally at least level two wizards, with some even at the mid-level of level two. The ice wizards of White Stone Fortress were no match for them, like sheep scattered by a pack of wolves, utterly routed.
Ronan hesitated only briefly before quickly retreating.
His position was excellent; the Black Robe Wizard were attacking from one side of the forest, far enough away from him that he could retreat with complete ease.
Ronan had absolutely no intention of making a move.
He wasn't sure if this group of Black Robe Wizard were specifically looking for revenge against the wizards of White Stone Fortress, or if they were also after the third-tier Cold Scale Python.
Ronan felt the former was more likely, because if it was for the ancient bloodline of the Cold Scale Python, they should be heading towards the third-level battle group. Ronan thought to himself, considering whether to send a message to Soraya and then find another safe place to stay, or to move closer to the location where Soraya and the others were fighting.
Suddenly.
"Flap--"
The sound of birds flapping their wings reached Ronan's ears clearly.
As the flapping of wings grew louder, tiny black dots darted out from beneath the snow-white forest.
When the black dots are magnified, they turn out to be crows with jet-black wings.
They flew and circled around the battle, their scarlet eyes coldly watching the fight below, like a group of silent spectators, or perhaps waiting to welcome something about to happen.
Ronan paused for a moment, a strange ripple stirring in his heart.
The battle between a group of first and second-level wizards, the energy turbulence and pressure released by the clash of spells, had long since scared away all living beings within a radius of several kilometers.
Logically speaking, there should be absolutely no birds that would dare to approach. Ronan seemed to remember something, and without realizing it, he slowly stopped.
"Buzz—"
Just a few breaths after the crows appeared, a strange energy fluctuation gently rippled through the chaotic battle.
Immediately afterwards, a figure shrouded in black smoke, with its body and face completely hidden in a large hooded cloak, silently appeared in the arena.
As soon as this figure appeared, the vast battlefield seemed to fall silent, and the sky darkened.
He was like a black, distorted sun, constantly absorbing and devouring all the light around him.
The silent flock of crows began to caw hoarsely after the figure appeared, as if singing a song to welcome its arrival.
A mysterious figure in a black cloak moved through the area, appearing in the blink of an eye behind one of the core members of Fred's family.
He casually extended a hand and patted the shoulder of the wizard, whose strength had reached level two, as if greeting an old friend. No one noticed his action.
The energy [Protection] erected around the latter shattered silently, and a pale, slender hand gently landed on his shoulder. In an instant, the hand fell headfirst to the ground like a stone, its fate unknown.
The rest of the group then realized what was happening, and someone shouted in shock and anger, "Valinz!"
Everyone scattered in shock and fear, while the cloaked man simply stood quietly in place. The black-lipped wizard, who had been overwhelming the core group of the Fred family, also stopped what he was doing, appeared beside the cloaked man in a flash, and respectfully called out in a low voice, "My lord."
At the same time.
On the other side of the battle.
Ronan, who witnessed the entire scene, stared blankly at the tall, slender figure whose face was completely obscured, and murmured a name.
"Anglie".
Ronan's whisper, spanning the entire battlefield, was instantly detected and sensed by the figure.
The latter suddenly looked up, and from beneath the black cloak, a pair of eyes seemed to fall on Ronan like sharp blades.
Their eyes met.
Half a breath later, Ronan seemed to see—beneath the light-devouring, pitch-black cloak, a pair of deep, wine-red eyes slowly lit up, and on the wicked face, the corners of the mouth gradually turned up as if he were saying to him—"So... it was you."
"Thump!--"
Ronan's heart skipped a beat.
"Thump! Thump!—"
The speed is getting faster and faster.
Ronan stared calmly at the figure hidden beneath the black cloak, his expression unchanged.
"Anglie".
He repeated the name he had said earlier.
It felt as if something inside my body was gradually awakening, and my blood was getting slightly warm.
This land is so barren and decaying that everything seems so uninteresting.
Please don't die before we meet again.
I will find you and seal your soul into the toilet...
With your qualifications, you should be able to use this.
They all habitually call me— Crows Passing Anglie.
Every image of Anglie, every word he had ever said, flashed rapidly through Ronan's mind like a revolving lantern.
He never forgot the name, and even mentioned it from time to time.
He remembered that once, the man in front of him was like a black sun hanging high in the sky.
Looking down from his vantage point, a smile playing on his lips, Ronan examined himself as if he were admiring an unexpectedly acquired toy. He felt his feelings for Anglie weren't exactly resentment; they might even contain a touch of gratitude.
I'm grateful that he didn't crush me like an ant in the Corpse Garden.
She was grateful to him for giving her that special Soul Ignition Potion that helped her successfully break through to the formal wizard level.
I am grateful to him for leaving such a deep and indelible shadow in my heart with such a powerful presence!
I am grateful to him for letting me experience for the first time that feeling of despair and helplessness, where one's fate is completely in one's own hands!
He was grateful for the obsession he had given him, which became a source of strength that supported him through countless days and nights of pain! Ronan closed his eyes, his mind churning with countless thoughts and emotions.
Soon, all these complex and inexplicable emotions transformed into a single voice in his heart—
Defeat him! Defeat him! Stand in front of him, defeat him, and tell him that you are no longer an ant that can be manipulated at will!
Ronan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze shining with unparalleled brilliance.
He abandoned the idea of leaving the battlefield and calmly returned towards it.
The figure hidden under the black cloak crossed its arms and tilted its head slightly, casting an interested glance at Ronan.
Ronan walked step by step toward the man in the black cloak.
"Anglie".
He pronounced the name for the third time.
He had fantasized and anticipated countless times about reuniting with Anglie.
Now it has finally come true.
... I'll post another chapter this afternoon.