Another Elemental Self-Detonation

The citizens of Outpost County knew exactly what to do. Like seasoned bandits, they skillfully knocked out the few surviving knights with their fists, then kept searching through the severed limbs and corpses. Whether it was valuable or not, they took everything.

Moreover, the commoners worked together seamlessly. To save their Lord the trouble, they sorted those reckless knights into separate categories.

The young, able-bodied commoners knocked out those who still had a breath left and dragged them all to the left side outside the General Affairs Hall's entrance.

The corpses that were still relatively intact were piled in the middle outside the entrance.

As for those missing arms and legs, whose deaths had been especially miserable, no one bothered arranging them neatly. They simply loaded them onto carts, hauled them to the right side outside the General Affairs Hall, piled them together, and covered them with a few scraps of cloth.

Asuo stared at the three piles of "flesh mountains" outside the entrance, his face drained of color as his entire body trembled.

Legion Commander Xiulunte's hundred knight guards had once been battle-hardened veterans. Even within the Earth Dragon Legion, they had strutted about with no one daring to provoke them. Yet now, in this barren frontier county, they had been utterly wiped out. Not only had they suffered dreadful casualties, but every last one of them had been stripped naked.

Thinking of what would happen when Legion Commander Xiulunte woke from his nap, Asuo rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.

Hels glanced disdainfully at the pale-faced Asuo and snorted.

But he was not much better off. What Asuo could think of, how could he fail to consider? As a mage, Hels was like most of his peers. He rarely fought on the front lines. Most of the time, he stayed safely in the rear, protected by countless people as he cast spells from afar and harvested lives.

The General Affairs Hall was only a few hundred yards from those cavalrymen. If not for another mage hiding in the shadows and ruthlessly summoning the Wall of Flame, he would never have intervened. Even so, nearly a hundred guards had been wiped out. Thinking of Xiulunte's towering fury after waking up, even Hels, a Magus, felt uneasy and frightened.

But none of that mattered now, because the culprit was right before him. As long as he accepted Laixi Adolf's mage challenge and "accidentally" killed that young noble lord during the duel, he would have an explanation for Xiulunte.

"According to the rules of a mage duel, we stand one hundred yards apart and cast at the same time!" Hels knew he did not have much time left. Before Xiulunte woke up, he had to deal with that young noble in the distance.

That young man known as the Good-for-nothing Lord looked foolish. Aside from being somewhat sturdier than average, he was no different from the other nobles who spent their days drowning in wine and women.

Hels considered every possible plan, including how to kill both Leisi and Allen while avoiding Sakre and his guards.

Seeing Hels frown as though deep in thought, Old Laixi was in no hurry. He leisurely walked over to Allen and whispered, "Second Young Master, I just remembered something. There seems to be a small problem with the Magic Power Crystal I used to test your Mental Power earlier."

Allen rolled his eyes. "Old man, you still have the mood to worry about that now? Aren't you about to duel that guy with magic?"

After saying that, Allen suddenly remembered the strange state the crystal had displayed when it touched Leisi during the Mental Power test. Not only had it shown the many colors representing different magical affinities, it had even reached its peak value.

He did not know what that meant, but he knew the old man was definitely more than just a High Mage of the water element.

He remembered Old Laixi telling him that reaching the peak value represented cultivation of at least an Archmage.

Allen knew Old Laixi was certainly a mage, but whether he was a High Mage of the water element or an Archmage of some other affinity, he had no idea.

Thinking of that, Allen asked, "Old man, I never asked you before. Are you a High Mage of the water element or something else?"

"Of course I'm a High Mage of the water element."

"Then why were you bragging about teaching me Blood Purge and undead magic?"

Old Laixi smiled. "You said I was bragging, didn't you? Heh heh."

Allen felt that something was off, but he did not want to ask irrelevant questions at a time like this and affect Old Laixi's duel with Hels.

Duels between mages were sacred and inviolable. Once one side issued a challenge and the other accepted, both parties would face a fight to the death.

Old Laixi smiled mysteriously, then took Allen by the hand and walked over to Hels.

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

Hels swept Allen a glance but did not respond.

Of course he knew who Allen was. Even if they had not been enemies, he had no interest in making small talk. He had only one thought in mind: how to quickly kill Allen and give Xiulunte an explanation.

Old Laixi continued, "Before our decisive battle, I have a request. You know that I am only a High Mage of the water element now. As for my apprentice Allen, I believe you have heard the rumors about him. The magical power accumulated in his body exceeds even mine, so I cannot determine his exact level of cultivation."

Hels looked surprised. He had not expected this good-for-nothing noble's magical cultivation to have already surpassed that of a High Mage.

But in this damned place called Outpost County, all sorts of strange things could happen. He had grown used to it. After all, what could be more absurd than a High Mage of the water element challenging a Magus?

Still, seeing that this young noble had attained such profound Mental Power at such a young age, Hels could not help feeling jealous.

Then he remembered that the other party could not even summon the most basic spell, and his heart immediately felt balanced again.

Old Laixi continued, "So I would like to trouble you to test my apprentice's magical cultivation and Mental Power."

Hels remained expressionless, but inwardly he was overjoyed. What perfect timing.

He had just been racking his brains over how to kill Allen, yet Leisi had made such a request.

When testing Allen's Mental Power, all he had to do was secretly chant a spell, and he could easily finish him off.

"Fine. For the sake of us both being from the Duchy of Rothel, I'll agree." Hels pretended to be reluctant as he continued, "Then hurry up. Don't waste any time."

Old Laixi gave an absent-minded "oh" and walked toward Dina and Sakre. Pointing outside the entrance, he said, "Did you two notice that? There was a figure sneaking around just now."

Dina and Sakre looked over, but they saw nothing.

"You two, come with me." After saying that, Leisi walked out first, seemingly having completely forgotten about testing Allen's Mental Power. As he passed Yorkshire, he gave him a meaningful look.

Yorkshire followed him out in confusion.

Dina hesitated before saying, "Uncle Leisi, are we just leaving the Second Young Master alone? I have a bad feeling about that Hel-whatever. Are you really comfortable letting him test the Second Young Master's Mental Power?"

Leisi seemed not to hear her and continued walking toward the distance.

When she saw Sakre follow as well, Dina was afraid that boy would cause trouble again, so she could only helplessly chase after Leisi.

Allen watched the four of them leave with a puzzled expression. Something felt wrong, but he could not figure out exactly what it was.

Hels stood before Allen, stretched out his thin, withered arm, and slowly pointed at Allen's brow.

When a mage tested an apprentice's Mental Power, he could use physical contact to channel elemental energy of the same affinity within his body into his hand, then send it into the other person's body to determine the level of their Mental Power.

Hels had originally planned to directly summon a spell and kill Allen, but he was curious about just how high this good-for-nothing noble's Mental Power was. So he decided to test it first, then strike after learning the answer.

Allen stared warily at the withered finger before him, but suddenly alarm bells rang in his mind, and he finally recalled some unpleasant memories.

But it was already too late. That water-element-filled finger had touched his brow.

The next second, a series of "bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang" sounds rang out without end.

Old Laixi, who had already walked far away, turned back and threw his head back in wild laughter. "Trying to play with me? You're still too green! Hahahaha!"

Hearing the familiar explosions, Dina was completely dumbfounded.

Sakre stared wide-eyed at the General Affairs Hall, which was filled with violently exploding magical elements, and muttered, "Elemental self-detonation?"

Dina nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. After the Second Young Master meditates, magical power fills his entire body. Last time, when Uncle Leisi tested his Mental Power, I don't know why it triggered an elemental self-detonation. The master bedroom in the Old Castle was completely destroyed."

"But aren't you worried about that idiot?" Sakre felt as though his brain could no longer keep up.

"It's fine. Allen's elemental self-detonation only causes spatial elements to explode. At most, it causes superficial injuries." Old Laixi continued with a sinister grin, "But if there happens to be an unlucky mage nearby, it might trigger Magic Backlash."