After leaving Master Moxidu's laboratory, Saine walked straight through the sprawling buildings of the Black Wizard Academy toward his own little den.
The Black Wizard Academy in the City of Mozhsuobula was enormous. The lofty Black Magicians and Black Wizard Apprentices did not live in the same areas.
Passing through the towering Teaching Building, Saine encountered quite a few Black Wizard Apprentices on his way back to his dormitory.
But like Saine, these Black Wizard Apprentices all looked to be in a hurry, and few ever stopped to talk.
The rules of the Black Wizard Academy were cold. Aside from relationships of dependency, only hostility remained between Magic Apprentices; there were rarely any so-called "friends."
A stretch of dark green White Crow Forest was the final part of Saine's journey back to his dormitory.
It was here that Saine encountered someone blocking his path.
"Heh heh heh, Saine, Scarface Qiao Ke was right after all. You actually suffered such grave injuries."
"Rather than die while enduring the agony of your wounds, why not let me free you now?" A shrill, icy sneer rang out.
A magic apprentice clad in a black robe and wearing a white mask suddenly leaped from the White Crow Forest lining both sides of the road.
This magic apprentice was roughly the same height as Saine. But unlike Saine, who possessed enviable short golden hair, this apprentice had mottled gray-white hair.
There were conflicts between Magic Apprentices as well.
The conflict between Saine and this apprentice named Yierke dated back ten years, to when Saine had first arrived in the Underdark. Fighting over a mouthful of food so he would not starve to death, Saine had once knocked down a child his own age who had also been abducted to the Underground World with a single punch.
Unfortunately, that fellow had happened to be Yierke's Younger Brother.
Ten years had passed. The human children who had once arrived in the Underdark weak as newborn chicks had now all grown into Low-Level Black Wizard Apprentices.
Because there had not been enough food back then, and because Saine had knocked him down with one punch, Yierke's Younger Brother ultimately did not hold on until the Black Wizard Academy sent people to test their initial Mental Strength.
Even if that little fellow had not starved to death, he might not necessarily have met the Black Wizard Academy's recruitment standards.
But Yierke had clearly placed this entire debt of blood squarely on Saine's head.
As for why Yierke had not sought revenge on Saine back then, perhaps Saine's strength and performance, far beyond that of an ordinary child, had frightened him.
Over the past ten years, Saine and Yierke had clashed more than a dozen times at the Black Wizard Academy in the City of Mozhsuobula.
On two occasions, they had even nearly taken each other's lives.
With such hatred layered upon hatred, the two had reached the point where one would not rest until the other was dead.
Conflicts between apprentices like Saine and Yierke were common in the City of Mozhsuobula.
And strangely enough, those lofty Black Magicians did not stop such infighting. Instead, they watched with great interest as these little ones fought each other to the death.
Perhaps, to the Black Magicians, this was merely an entertaining diversion after their experiments.
If this dragged on too long, it might attract the intervention of Academy Supervisors and other Black Wizard Apprentices.
So after coldly mocking Saine a few times, Yierke immediately made his move.
Unlike Saine, who had learned and mastered some fire-element magic, Yierke excelled at Plant Element magic.
Because of his outstanding performance in the Black Wizard Academy's plantation, this fellow had even received a Low-Level Magic Item bestowed by the academy—the Pale Mask Yierke was currently wearing.
This also showed that without sufficient strength, one was not even qualified to be Saine's opponent.
As Yierke chanted softly, three Green Edge Arrows shot out from in front of him.
Normally, Green Edge Arrow magic only produced two arrows. Yierke was able to release three at once, which showed that, like Saine, he was already extremely close to the level of an Intermediate Apprentice!
Facing Yierke's fierce attack, Saine remained unmoved from beginning to end.
The three Green Edge Arrows pointed directly at Saine's head, heart, and lower body, clearly intending to kill Saine in a single strike.
Having just returned from completing a mission, Saine's depleted Mental Strength and exhausted magic power made it difficult for him to use his greatest killing move, Minor Fireball, again.
His severely injured body also prevented Saine from dodging those three menacing green arrows in time.
Yierke, having fired the three Green Edge Arrows, revealed a faint smile beneath his Pale Mask.
Because Magic Apprentices had limited Mental Strength and magic power, both the spells they mastered and the number of times they could use them were extremely restricted.
Taking Saine and Yierke as examples, at their peak, the two Low-Level Apprentices could release Green Edge Arrow or Minor Fireball at most twice.
But three Green Edge Arrows were enough to take Saine's life. In fact, all three might not even be necessary; perhaps a single arrow could blow his head apart.
The smile beneath Yierke's mask gradually stiffened as Saine pulled a Magic Short Staff from his robes.
Afterward, however, before Yierke could take any remedial action, Saine activated it with his final wisp of Mental Strength, and the Corrosive Acid solidified within the Magic Short Staff instantly shot forth!
Worthy indeed of the gift Moxidu, a Formal Black Wizard, had given Saine upon taking him as a disciple.
Even though this was merely a little trinket Master Moxidu had casually refined during an Alchemy Experiment, it was enough to allow Saine, wielding this Magic Short Staff, to duel any apprentice at the Intermediate Apprentice level or above.
Besides containing a high-level spell, Corrosive Acid, this Magic Short Staff also slowly restored magic power and Mental Strength.
Ever since leaving Master Moxidu's laboratory, Saine had kept this short staff clenched in his hand.
Although his magic power and Mental Strength had not recovered much, it was enough to handle any sudden situation that might arise in the Black Wizard Academy.
High-level magic Corrosive Acid and low-level magic Green Edge Arrow simply did not exist on the same level.
Whether in power, casting speed, or striking accuracy.
The three Green Edge Arrows, originally charging in with fierce momentum, turned into wisps of blue smoke amid the yellow light of the Corrosive Acid.
And the high-level spell continued onward, striking Yierke's body without losing momentum. During that time, Yierke had not even managed to cast a second spell or dodge aside.
"Aah!!" A pained howl immediately rang out.
The sizzling sound of corrosion made one's skin crawl.
Very quickly, Yierke's voice gradually weakened.
When Saine approached, apart from Yierke's head, which remained relatively intact, his lower body had already turned into a pool of charred black sludge.
A foul stench filled the air.
The sight of killing before him did not change Saine's expression much.
There was already movement nearby. It seemed other Black Wizard Apprentices or Academy Supervisors had noticed what was happening here.
Saine, meanwhile, began unhurriedly collecting his Spoils of War.
The Low-Level Magic Item Pale Mask was the first thing Saine removed from the ugly head at his feet.
As a Low-Level Magic Item, the Pale Mask had only one low-level spell inscribed within it—Clarity Art—which allowed one to see more clearly in the dark.
Although its value was far inferior to the short staff Saine now held in his hand, it was still a gain worth turning his head for.
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