Anti-Mage (4)

This little knife looked utterly ordinary. Even an Ordinary Person who saw it lying on the ground might not bother picking it up, but Adam knew perfectly well that Quilina's later spellcasting had all used it as a medium.

The Abyss Egg emitted a mixture of longing and wariness. When Adam brought the egg closer to the knife, it unexpectedly turned completely fearful.

"What exactly is this?" Adam did not pick it up by hand. Instead, he used telekinesis to toss it from afar into his Personal Space, intending to consult materials and study it after returning to the academy.

After Quilina died, the Dense Forest seemed to have fallen completely quiet. There was no sign of Magic Beasts nearby, nor were there any other energy readings deeper within. Adam continued onward into the depths of the forest and soon arrived at that Open Ground.

"There's an Energy Aura." He walked to where Fuen had been, scooped up a handful of dirt, and found Fragments of potion containers and a few remnants within it.

Adam shook the Abyss Egg. It had already returned to normal and directed its perception toward another direction.

"They've already left. Have they begun attacking the town?"

Several kilometers outside Bran Town, Clark and Fuen stood silently in the shadows. Before them, several thousand wind wolves had formed a Battle Formation and were launching a suicidal assault on Bran Town.

The Knight Order had nearly been wiped out. Every spell cast by the wind wolves struck the Rune Barrier squarely, sending ripples spreading across it.

Clark took out the contract again. Quilina's name upon it shattered and faded away. "Quilina is dead too."

"That Tower apprentice was actually that strong?"

Fuen's expression changed drastically. He knew exactly how powerful Quilina's Parasitic Demon was. If Clark's Negative Energy Magic had not happened to counter her, Quilina should have been the strongest among the four of them. Yet even she had died?

Clark tore the contract apart, then said, "An unforeseen variable. Why would an apprentice of that level leave the Tower instead of properly studying Advanced Knowledge and come to this borderland?" He naturally took Adam for a Senior Apprentice on the verge of advancement. Only a Strong Person of that level could possibly kill Laru and Quilint one after another. That was power on the same tier as his own.

"Could he be relying on the power of magical items?" Fuen asked. Then he pointed at William and the other two, who were struggling to kill wind wolves with rune weapons. "Didn't he arrive in the same hovercar as those three Newbies?"

Clark paused slightly. If that were the case, it would naturally be for the best. It would mean Adam had a decent background, perhaps even a Formal Mage among his direct relatives. Magical items would eventually run dry. What he feared was Adam being a true Strong Person, for he was currently within the Ruling Area of the Tower, and there were no elders from his School of Thought behind him to support him.

Damn it, he cursed inwardly. Why did I have to encounter an unforeseen variable at a time like this, at the final juncture of my advancement? I only need to breach a few more towns, and I'll gain enough accumulation to advance to Mage!

In Clark's plan, they had originally intended to raid along the boundary of Mordo Tower's Ruling Area, then take a warship from the coastline and leave the Mage Continent. Yet he had not expected trouble to arise just as the plan began.

"If we hadn't let Quilina leave earlier, her Parasitic Demon would have greatly sped up the collapse of the Rune Barrier," Fuen said in a low voice.

A dark glint flashed through Clark's eyes. Fuen dropped to his knees in agony and slammed a fist into the ground.

"Are you questioning me, slave?" With no outsiders around, Clark no longer needed to maintain his unfathomable facade. Before Fuen, the slave who belonged to him, he revealed his true colors.

Fuen buried every expression in the shadows. His face twisted hideously from pain and warped with hatred as he said in panic, "No, my Master."

Clark planted his foot on Fuen's head, pressed it against the ground, and viciously ground it back and forth. In an icy tone, he said, "Use all your potions. These wind wolves are still far too weak."

"Why are these wind wolves so strong? Why are there so many of them?!" Reili said helplessly, her voice thick with tears.

She discovered that the wind wolves had grown even more frenzied. They abandoned magic entirely, relying only on their bodies to slam into the Rune Barrier before Self-Destructing.

"William, my Mental Power is almost exhausted. I can't connect to the ether anymore." Terry weakly stepped away from the rune weapon and spoke with difficulty.

William sat cross-legged nearby, constructing his Meditation Method. Hearing this, he said, "Reili, you're up." He showed no reaction at all to Reili's crying. At a time like this, he had no leisure to pity a delicate flower, nor the time to look after others. He was exhausted too. Reili and Terry were too weak; he had borne the task most of the time. If not for telekinesis, he would have collapsed long ago.

Reili walked sobbing to the control platform and haphazardly poured magic power into attacks against the wind wolves. "Why did this happen? Why did Adam get to run away? Does he not care whether we live or die?"

The more Reili thought about it, the sadder and more indignant she became. She cursed loudly, "That coward, that selfish bastard!"

When people were in despair, they always found something to vent upon. At that moment, Reili had completely forgotten that she had once worried Adam would take a share of her reward and become a burden to them.

Zack saw several energy blasts strike empty air and flew into a rage. At a time like this, it was gambling with everyone's lives. From the other side, he roared, "What are you doing?! Damn it, do you have a death wish?!"

William shot Reili a vicious glare, but any rebuke was meaningless now. He walked over to Zack and asked, "Mr. Zack, when will the academy's reinforcements arrive?"

Bran Town had four rune weapons. Zack and Thomas each operated one, while William and the other two jointly operated another. On the remaining side, the townspeople defended, using human lives to hold back the wind wolves.

Zack fired a blast savagely, blowing several wind wolves into bloody pulp. Then, panting heavily, he said, "How would I know?! Just hope they get here quickly—and that they aren't Newbies like you!"

Wind wolves were low-level Magic Beasts, after all. As long as they were hit by a rune weapon, they would certainly die. Their numbers dwindled with time, and just as everyone relaxed slightly, an enormous wind wolf charged toward the town with its fur standing on end. It rammed headlong into the barrier. The energy crystal inside the Wind Wolf King exploded, placing an enormous burden on the barrier. The ripples grew larger and larger, and the barrier became unstable.

Thomas's anxious voice rang out. "Our Energy Stone reserves are running low. Luckily, all the wind wolves are dead. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to hold out much longer."

But shortly after his words fell, a blackish-gray spell came flying from afar and struck the Rune Barrier with tremendous force.

"Damn it, it's Negative Energy Impact. The Anti-Mage has appeared!"

In the distance, a gray Crystal Ball appeared in Clark's hand. He toyed with it, his gaze dark and sinister.

"With Laru and Quilina gone, the pace of attacking towns is too slow. At this rate, the Formal Mages of the Mordo Element High Tower will arrive soon." Clark watched the last wind wolf die. "In that case, Fuen will have to be sacrificed."

Fuen sensed the malice coming from Clark's soul. He crawled at Clark's feet, looking up at him in panic like a dog about to be abandoned. "No, no, my Master. I am your most loyal servant. You can't do this!"

Clark smiled and placed a hand on Fuen's head, gently stroking it as he said tenderly, "Of course, Fuen. You are my most loyal slave. Now, your Master needs your help..."

Fuen trembled all over, his voice shrill. "Master, no, don't!"

"Shouldn't you offer everything to your Master?"

"Why? Why?!" Fuen knew he was about to die, but he was unwilling to accept it. "You won't kill me so easily, Clark! You'll pay the price!" Mana Fluctuations surged forth. Fuen abruptly raised his head and opened his mouth. A nauseating light gathered in his throat as he attempted a desperate struggle against Clark.

However, under the Master-Servant Contract, such resistance was futile. With a thought from Clark, Fuen's head exploded into Fragments. Clark reached out and lightly scooped up the gray fluctuations, tossing them into the Crystal Ball. The Crystal Ball then exploded. Clark roared a brief, obscure incantation, and a Negative Energy Impact wave blasted toward Bran Town.

Clark kicked Fuen's body away and sneered, "Fool. You actually dreamed of resisting me. If I hadn't needed you to despair, would I have wasted so much breath on you?"

Clap, clap, clap. Crisp applause rang out. Clark abruptly turned around and cried out, "Who are you?!" Not far behind him, Adam floated in the air. A chill ran through Clark's heart. Someone had approached behind him without him noticing. If he had been ambushed just now...

"A splendid performance. Splendid magic. Tell me your magic, and I'll let you leave. How about it?" Adam said to him.

Clark quietly backed away as he said, "You're the apprentice who killed Laru and Quilina? You want my magic? Then of course..." Clark suddenly roared, "Despair!"

"You want my magic? Hahaha, what makes you think you deserve it? Do you feel despair?"

Along with his words, a strange fluctuation passed through the Telekinesis Barrier and entered Adam's mind. Adam felt his head buzz, but the negative emotions had only just risen before they were suppressed and severed by the absolutely rational Logical Thinking.

"Negative Energy Magic?"

Adam shook his head, completely unharmed, his eyes shining with fascination. This magic could actually treat the Telekinesis Barrier as though it were nothing. It was too marvelous.

Clark was utterly horrified. "How can you be fine? No apprentice can resist Negative Energy Magic!" He cast spell after spell. "Fear! Anger! Sorrow!" Three fluctuations struck Adam precisely, yet they were still useless.

Negative Energy Magic could not be called anything but powerful. It could directly stir the deepest emotions in another's heart, plunging its target into endless self-denial until they finally broke down and died. But to Adam, it was a joke. Negative emotions? What were those?

Adam could be called Clark's absolute Nemesis.

"One last chance. Hand over your magic, and I'll let you leave. Otherwise, I'll kill you." Adam delivered his final ultimatum to Clark.