Magic Beasts (3)

One of the two Fireballs had been cast by Adam, the second by Krystal. This girl, who was inconspicuous most of the time, displayed astonishing adaptability in the moment of crisis.

Other than Adam, the 'cheater,' she was the first to master magic.

Once Mental Power had outlined the Rune Array, magical power automatically adhered to it. Krystal was eager to vent this energy that she could not yet control, and so the Magic Beast charging at them with great momentum became the perfect target.

It was only after injuring the Magic Beast that she noticed Ophelia, who had nearly been caught in the blast.

Krystal immediately panicked. Only after emerging from her crazed state did she remember that her attitude just now had seemed quite awful.

"Miss Ophelia, I'm sorry, just now I..."

After spinning once through the air, Ophelia landed steadily. Unconcerned, she said to Krystal, "Don't mind it. I should be thanking you for saving me."

That Magic Beast displayed astonishing vitality. Though roasted seven-tenths done, it still had not died and continued rolling about on the ground. Thanks to the power of magic, the Low-Level Magic Beasts around the three fled in terror. Adam strode over to the Magic Beast and regretfully discovered that it no longer had any research value.

The power of magic once again shocked the apprentices. Their hearts began to waver. Being sheltered under the hand of a Strong Person who could use magic at any time was clearly different from being in an organization that could only rely on 'one-time-use' items. Moreover, those one-time-use items were held by only a few people.

William keenly noticed the unrest among the apprentices under him, and his hatred for Adam deepened. But now, he had to kill the Magic Beast before him as quickly as possible and display his strength. Otherwise, the fragile organization that had only barely come together would fall apart.

"Buy me a few seconds!"

At this moment, William displayed excellent decisiveness. He no longer hesitated over concealing his Life-Saving means. After roaring those words, he poured his Mental Power into the magical item as quickly as possible. The surrounding air violently rippled and gathered in his palm. Several seconds later, he fiercely swung out a long, narrow stream of compressed airflow. It struck the Magic Beast cleanly and decisively, smoothly slicing its body into two halves.

Low-Level Magic, Wind Blade.

Unlike Fireball, which exploded directly upon striking its target, Wind Blade did not dissipate after killing its first target due to its highly condensed nature. Instead, it traveled straight ahead, Dividing into Two every Magic Beast it encountered along the way and forcibly carving out a bloody path.

In a disaster, overwhelming strength was best at steadying people's hearts. At least their lives were still protected for now. After William revealed his strength, the apprentices abandoned the idea of leaving. After all, whether Adam would accept them if they left remained unknown.

"Magic Beasts are not invincible. As long as we unite, they are simply not worth One Strike!" William seized the time to announce loudly. He deliberately ignored the fact that the prerequisite for defeating Magic Beasts was magic, emphasizing unity instead. "We need clearer divisions of labor, taking turns buying time for the others to master magic..."

After the Wind Blade dissipated, Adam no longer paid attention to that side. The principle behind Wind Blade was obvious at a glance: compressing air to increase pressure and achieve destructive force. This method of turning principles into applications was the wondrous aspect of magic.

"Krystal, how many consecutive uses of magic can your Mental Power sustain?" Adam asked after using another Fireball to kill a Magic Beast that had just climbed onto the deck.

"Consecutively? I can't activate magic consecutively. My total Mental Power can probably only support two uses, then I need to replenish it," Krystal said cautiously.

Adam nodded. Not everyone possessed the ability to work on multiple threads at once. Krystal's limit was within his expectations. "You and Ophelia will form one group. I'll be alone in another. We'll take turns holding back the Magic Beasts. Each group will take one hour. During that time, we must ensure that not a single Magic Beast breaks through our defenses. I'll go first."

Since the three had temporarily formed an offensive and defensive alliance, contributions and rewards within that alliance should coexist. Just because Adam was stronger did not mean he should naturally bear more obligations. Taking turns defending was the scientific approach. It would give his companions time to rest, especially while Ophelia had yet to find her own path.

The two nodded without objection. Ophelia even let out a breath of relief. The pride in her heart did not allow her to become a burden or a weak person who needed protection. This arrangement preserved her dignity to some extent.

We already have it much better than them, Ophelia silently thought as she looked at the apprentices struggling to survive in the other direction. If I still can't become stronger like this, then I deserve to die.

After speaking, Adam stepped forward to face the Magic Beasts head-on. It was not because he was looking after the two of them, but because Adam had sensed the danger they were about to face.

As they drew closer and closer to the Mage Continent, the ether content between heaven and earth would grow higher and higher. In other words, the number of powerful Magic Beasts capable of using magic would also increase. Though Adam possessed excellent endurance, he was not a perpetual motion machine. His rate of consumption was still far faster than his rate of replenishment. He could handle this level calmly for now, but if the number of Magic Beasts kept increasing, he would be finished sooner or later.

Krystal and Ophelia understood this as well. One desperately worked to outline the Mental Power Solidification Rune, while the other fought with all her might to master Fireball. Every second carried the possibility of death.

Ophelia was beginning to struggle. Talent was absolutely accurate in this regard. She truly did not possess much Elemental Affinity. Even this simplest Elemental Magic Rune Array required her to expend tremendous effort before she could master it.

Adam killed the Magic Beasts rushing in this direction with ease. Since there were fewer people here and the target was smaller, he was not under much pressure. The 'organization,' with its greater numbers, attracted much of the enemy fire for them.

An hour passed quickly. Adam retreated and said, "Your turn."

Unfortunately, at that very moment, a wave surged up beside them, and a large number of Magic Beasts rushed onto the deck. Krystal stood up nervously. After her initial impulse had passed, she began to feel fear, and that fear continued to deepen. Ophelia comfortingly patted her shoulder and said, "Leave the ordinary Magic Beasts to me. Only act if a high-level Magic Beast gets onto the deck."

After saying that, her blood energy rippled around her body. She suddenly accelerated and charged into the beast horde. The bodies of ordinary Magic Beasts were roughly at knight level. They knew no Martial Skills and no Breathing Technique, so they were not difficult for a Great Knight to handle. But their numbers were nearly endless. Ophelia continuously adjusted her breathing, shifting from her initially fierce style to one of restraint. Even so, she gradually found herself overwhelmed.

Just as Ophelia smashed a Magic Beast's head apart with a powerful punch, its body suddenly exploded. The obscuring flesh and blood blurred her vision, and at that instant, a sudden change erupted.

From behind that mass of exploded flesh and blood, a small Magic Beast shot out. It looked like a terrestrial creature, complete with limbs. An aura of higher energy permeated its sharp Claws and Fangs. With a swing of its foreclaw, it instantly broke through the Sound Barrier and viciously slashed at Ophelia's throat.

Krystal's eyes split wide with rage as she screamed herself hoarse, "No! Watch out!" There was nothing she could do. Ophelia's body blocked the Magic Beast, and if she used Fireball, the first one it struck would certainly be Ophelia.

Adam was jolted awake from his cultivation. He watched the scene in surprise. According to Black Mage's classification, this Magic Beast had taken the path of a human Body Refining Mage. It possessed speed and strength far beyond the physical limits of a Great Knight. For them, this type of Magic Beast posed a greater threat than its kind that could use magic but moved clumsily.

Is this the advantage of the body-refining path at the apprentice stage? If this is the difference between mages and warriors, then what means do Formal Mages possess to guard against such close-range ambushes?

What exactly are Magic Beasts? Why do they possess so many peculiar traits? If power comes from knowledge, then how do these chaotic creatures without intelligence grasp knowledge?

No, no, no. I got the concept wrong. Knowledge is not created by humans; humans are merely discoverers of knowledge. The instincts of Magic Beasts are also knowledge to humans.

Adam stood to one side, deep in thought, while Ophelia was engulfed by the heavy shadow of death.

The instant the sonic boom rang out, she nearly felt that she was already dead. At the most critical moment, the bodily instincts born from knight training saved her. Her arm reacted a step faster than her brain, crossing in front of her throat in the tiny gap between moments.

Just as Wind Blade cut through a Magic Beast's body, when the Claws and Fangs passed over Ophelia's arm, they seemed to meet no resistance at all. They nearly Divided into Two her entire arm, severing the blood vessels, muscles, and Bones within.

The intense pain jolted her awake. Ophelia rapidly retreated, as though the grievous wound to her arm had not affected her at all. "Krystal!"

The Magic Beast followed like a shadow, continuously launching lethal attacks at Ophelia. Like the other Magic Beasts, it had no concept of its own kind. Anything that stood before it was casually sliced apart.

Ophelia fled for her life. Her eyes could not capture the Magic Beast's movements, and she could only rely on her instinct for danger to evade fatal blows. In a short time, she was already covered in wounds.

Krystal was drenched in anxious sweat, but the Magic Beast was too fast. She had no way to aim at all. She was so frantic she was on the verge of tears. "Miss Ophelia, I'm sorry, I can't..." She did not dare turn around and could only plead to Adam, "Adam, please, help Miss Ophelia."

Adam knew this was not the time to hesitate. This Magic Beast was too great a threat. If Ophelia died, then without her restraining it, Adam was likewise not confident he could hit it.

"Focus and prepare your magic. We only have one chance," Adam said to Krystal.