Another Detonation

The people of Outpost County were perceptive. Like seasoned bandits, they skillfully knocked out the few surviving knights with their fists. Then, they rummaged through the severed limbs and broken bodies, leaving nothing behind, regardless of its value.

Moreover, the commoners cooperated seamlessly, aiming to save their Lord the trouble. They sorted the knights, who had foolishly met their end, into different categories.

Those who were barely alive were gathered by the young, strong commoners, beaten unconscious, and then all dragged to the left side of the General Affairs Hall's main entrance.

The bodies that were still relatively intact were piled up in the middle, outside the main entrance.

For those missing limbs, dead in gruesome ways, people didn't bother posing them. They simply used carts to haul them to the right side of the General Affairs Hall's entrance, piled them all together, covered them with a few rags, and considered it done.

Asuo, his face deathly pale, stared at the three "mountains of flesh" outside the main entrance, trembling uncontrollably.

The hundred knight guards of Legion Commander Xiulunte, once a formidable force that could swagger even within the Dragon Legion, had now been completely annihilated in a barren border county. Not only had they suffered heavy casualties, but they had also been stripped bare, not a single piece of clothing left on them.

Thinking of the scene when the Legion Commander would wake up from his nap, Asuo's eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

Hels glanced contemptuously at the ashen-faced Asuo and snorted.

However, he wasn't much better off. What Asuo could think of, Hels could too. As a Mage, Hels, like his peers, rarely fought on the front lines. Most of the time, they stayed far behind, protected by countless people, unleashing magic from a distance to reap lives.

The General Affairs Hall was only a few hundred yards from those cavalrymen. If other Mages hadn't hidden in the shadows and dealt a fatal blow by summoning walls of fire, he wouldn't have intervened. But even so, nearly a hundred guards had been wiped out. Thinking of Xiulunte's earth-shattering rage upon waking, even Hels, a Magus, felt a bit terrified and uneasy.

But none of that mattered now. The culprit was right before him. As long as he accepted the challenge from Leisi Adolf and "accidentally" killed the young noble Lord during the duel, he could give Xiulunte an explanation.

"According to the rules of Mage duels, you and I will stand a hundred yards apart and cast spells simultaneously!" Hels knew that his time was running out. Before Xiulunte woke up, he had to deal with the young noble not far away.

This young man, known as the "useless Lord," looked foolish. Apart from being slightly stronger, he was no different from other nobles who indulged in debauchery day after day.

Hels pondered all possible plans, including how to kill two birds with one stone, eliminating Leisi and Allen while simultaneously avoiding Sakre and his guards.

Seeing Hels frowning as if deep in thought, Old Laixi wasn't in a hurry. He leisurely walked up to Allen and whispered, "Second Young Master, I just remembered something. That Magic Power Crystal you used to test your Mental Power earlier seems to have had a slight issue."

Allen rolled his eyes. "Old man, you still have the mood to care about this now? Aren't you supposed to have a written duel with that guy?"

After saying that, Allen suddenly remembered that when the old butler tested his Mental Power, the crystal had displayed a very strange state when it came into contact with Leisi. Not only were the colors representing the magic systems multicolored, but it had also reached its peak.

He didn't know what that meant, but he knew for sure that the old fellow was more than just a high-ranking Water Mage.

He recalled Old Laixi telling him that the peak represented a cultivation base of at least Archmage.

Allen knew Old Laixi was definitely a Mage, but whether he was a high-ranking Water Mage or an Archmage of another system, he couldn't figure it out.

With that thought, Allen asked, "Old man, I haven't asked you before, are you a high-ranking Water Mage or something else?"

"Of course, I'm a high-ranking Water Mage."

"Then why were you just boastfully talking about teaching me Blood Purge and Necromancy?"

Old Laixi chuckled and said, "You called me boastful, hehe."

Allen felt something was amiss, but he didn't want to ask any more irrelevant questions at this moment, which might affect Old Laixi's duel with Hels.

Duels between Mages were sacred and inviolable. Once one party issued a challenge and the other accepted, both sides faced a fight to the death.

Old Laixi smiled meaningfully and led Allen to Hels.

"This is my apprentice, and also the local Lord, Baron Allen.

Hels glanced at Allen without replying.

Of course, he knew who Allen was. Even if they weren't on opposing sides, he had no mood to strike up a friendship with him. He had only one thought in his mind: how to quickly kill Allen, so he could give Xiulunte an explanation.

Old Laixi continued, "Before our duel, I have a request. As you know, I am currently only a high-ranking Water Mage. My apprentice, Allen, I believe you've heard rumors about him. The accumulation of Magic Power within him is even greater than mine, so I couldn't accurately test his cultivation base."

Hels looked surprised, not expecting that this useless noble's Magic Power cultivation had surpassed that of a high-ranking Mage.

However, in this damned place called Outpost County, all sorts of strange things could happen. He was already used to it. After all, what could be more absurd than a high-ranking Water Mage challenging an Archmage?

Still, he was somewhat jealous that this noble before him had reached such profound Mental Power at such a young age in the path of magic.

The next moment, he thought of how the other party couldn't even summon the most basic spell, and his inner balance was restored.

Old Laixi continued, "So I'd like to trouble you to help me test my apprentice's Magic Power cultivation and Mental Power."

Hels's expression was blank, but inwardly he was overjoyed. It was truly a case of someone delivering a pillow just when you were sleepy.

He had just been racking his brain for ways to kill Allen, and unexpectedly, Laixi had made such a request.

Later, when testing the Mental Power, all he needed to do was secretly cast a silently recited spell to easily understand the other party.

"Alright, considering we both come from the Duchy of Rothel, I'll agree to your request." Hels pretended to reluctantly say, "Then let's hurry up and not waste time."

Old Laixi absently said "oh" and walked towards Dina and Sakre, pointing outside the gate and saying, "Did you two notice? Someone was lurking around just now."

Dina and Sakre looked over but saw nothing.

"You two come with me," Laixi said, then walked out the gate first, seemingly having forgotten about Allen's Mental Power test. As he passed Yorkshire, he gave him a signal.

Yorkshire, completely bewildered, followed him out.

Dina said hesitantly, "Uncle Laixi, aren't we going to look after Second Young Master? I have a bad feeling about that Hels guy. Are you sure you should let him test Second Young Master's Mental Power?"

Laixi acted as if he hadn't heard her and continued walking towards the distance.

Seeing Sakre also following, Dina, afraid he would cause trouble again, reluctantly followed Laixi.

Allen looked at the backs of the four figures leaving with a confused expression. He felt something was wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Hels stood in front of Allen, extended his withered arm, and slowly pointed towards Allen's brow.

When a Mage tests their apprentice's Mental Power, they can use physical contact to stimulate the same element within their own body, channeling it into their hands and then into the other person's body to gauge their Mental Power.

Hels had originally intended to directly summon a spell to kill Allen, but he was also very curious about how high this good-for-nothing Noble's Mental Power was. Therefore, he decided to test the other party's Mental Power first, and only then would he deliver the killing blow after knowing the answer.

Allen looked at the withered fingers before him, highly defensive. Suddenly, an alarm blared in his mind, and he finally recalled some unpleasant memories.

But it was already too late; the fingers, filled with Water Elements, had already touched his brow.

The next second, a continuous series of "bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang" sounds echoed.

Old Laixi, who had already walked far away, turned back and laughed maniacally at the sky, "Playing with me? You're still too green, hahahaha!"

Upon hearing the familiar explosive sounds, Dina was completely stunned.

Sakre stared dumbfounded at the General Affairs Hall, which was filled with the explosion of Magic Power Elements, and murmured, "Elemental Detonation?"

Dina nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, after the second young master meditates, his body fills with magic power. Last time, Uncle Laixi, while testing his Mental Power, somehow triggered an Elemental Detonation, completely destroying the master bedroom of the Old Castle."

"But aren't you worried about that idiot?" Sakre felt his brain wasn't working properly.

"It's fine. Allen's Elemental Detonation will only cause an explosion of Spatial Elements, resulting in at most superficial injuries," Old Laixi continued with a sinister grin. "However, if there's an unfortunate Mage nearby, it might trigger a Magic Backlash."