Shock

These Combat Department Wizard Apprentices formed a temporary defensive formation, continuously casting various spells that countered fire elements in an attempt to suppress the Magic Beast.

But with too few people, their suppressive firepower was greatly diminished.

The Fire-Element Magic Beast's flaming breath and wide-area lava impacts tore gaps through their defenses again and again.

"Their defensive system is far too brittle. There are too few of them; they can't form sufficient group protection at all."

Benjamin watched as one apprentice's energy shield shattered instantly beneath a lava impact from the Magic Beast. The apprentice was blasted away and slammed heavily into the rock wall behind him, leaving behind a scorched, human-shaped indentation.

"Their energy is too dispersed and lacks resilience... and their shield types are too limited to adapt to different forms of attack." And the defense of these shields is far too low. Could these really just be spells from Level 2 Apprentices?

One apprentice was instantly killed when the Magic Beast suddenly unleashed magma infused with earth-element power, and the apprentices clearly began to fall into disorder.

The Wizard Artifacts and potions they carried were also being rapidly depleted. Their chants and casting gestures carried obvious agitation and panic, while the efficiency of both their offense and defense plummeted.

At last, after the Magic Beast let out an earth-shaking roar, an enormous wave of fire spread outward.

The apprentices' line of defense completely collapsed. Several people were swallowed by the flames, letting out miserable screams.

The survivors dragged their injured companions with them as they fled in rout away from the Magic Beast, their faces filled with despair.

"They collapsed that quickly..." Benjamin could not help shaking his head inwardly.

He had originally thought they could at least hold on for a while longer. With a sufficiently capable leader, killing this Magic Beast should not even have been much of a problem.

But now, it seemed that his expectations for ordinary Combat Department Wizard Apprentices had been a little too high.

Benjamin also came to understand that the Combat Department apprentices he usually encountered in the Logistics Department, those who could afford to take Alchemy as an elective, were basically all rather gifted or capable. That was why they could bear the ongoing expenses of an elective.

Truly ordinary Wizard Apprentices were like the people before him. Though they had barely reached Tier 3 Apprentice, they had not mastered many spells or pieces of equipment suitable for Tier 3 Apprentices at all.

Benjamin did not reveal himself immediately. Only after the figures of those bedraggled fleeing apprentices had completely vanished from view did he step out from behind the crystal ore.

He walked toward the shore of the lava lake, a hint of eager excitement in his eyes.

This Fire-Element Magic Beast should have been the first creature he had encountered that did not exist in a living form, but was instead composed purely of elements.

"A structure made from pure energy... The fundamental particles of this world are clearly similar to those of my previous life, yet a creature like this can actually be born. Could this be the legendary silicon-based lifeform?" Benjamin's eyes burned.

In any case, he was very interested in this thing!

Sensing Benjamin's presence, the Fire-Element Magic Beast stopped pursuing its enemies. Its massive body turned, and it charged toward him with a roar.

Benjamin did not stand on ceremony either. He directly activated the Attack-Type Rune Artifact. The round pendant spun before him, giving off a low hum.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four fireballs shot out almost simultaneously. Like four miniature shells, they struck the Fire-Element Magic Beast's chest with terrifying force and perfect accuracy!

Before the echoes of the explosions had even faded, another four fireballs shot forth.

The violent fire elements were compressed and detonated to the utmost limit under the Rune Artifact's guidance. Every fireball was several times more powerful than those of an ordinary wizard!

Though it was a Fire-Element Magic Beast, its enormous body trembled violently beneath Benjamin's continuous bombardment of fireballs.

"Roar!!!"

The Magic Beast let out an enraged roar and attempted to retaliate with flaming breath.

However, Benjamin gave it no chance at all. Moving at high speed, he circled the Magic Beast and subjected it to saturated bombardment.

Fireballs, fireballs, and more fireballs!

The dense explosions went on without end. The area, whose temperature had already been high, showed signs of growing even hotter beneath the ceaseless blaze.

This Fire-Element Magic Beast, nearly comparable to a Level 1 Formal Wizard, could not organize an effective counterattack at all beneath Benjamin's sustained, high-frequency assault.

Its body gradually collapsed and disintegrated beneath the terrifying blows, spraying lava in every direction.

In less than two minutes, the once-arrogant elemental Magic Beast wailed as it turned into a cloud of scattered elemental particles, finally dispersing into the air.

Benjamin let out a breath and put away the Rune Artifact, which had become somewhat hot to the touch.

Activating his shield, he walked to the center of the lava lake and picked up the high-value score token that glimmered there. He casually gathered some essence fragments left behind after the Fire-Element Magic Beast dissipated, then left the area that had been ravaged by flames and elemental tides in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away, atop a twisted dead tree.

An apprentice lay prone there, his pupils contracted and cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

He tightly gripped a concealed Scout-Type Wizard Artifact. The energy fluctuations from the Level 2 Apprentice artifact's faint glow barely managed to project the distant scene before his eyes.

Only when Benjamin's figure disappeared beyond the range of the magical surveillance did the apprentice's tightly wound nerves slowly relax. His breathing came rapidly, and his body began trembling uncontrollably.

Only then did he suddenly realize that he had unknowingly been holding his breath.

He had arrived somewhat earlier and had personally witnessed Benjamin reach the battlefield, followed by the rout of those apprentices.

He had assumed Benjamin would choose to hide like he had, or simply leave.

But what had he seen?!

That guy had actually faced the fire Magic Beast alone—a creature that even an entire team could not contend with?!

What shocked him even more was that battle.

No, perhaps it should not have been called a battle. It should have been called a "slaughter."

That apprentice... had no casting windup, no complicated incantations. He merely kept pouring fireballs at the Magic Beast without pause!

The fireballs came in an endless stream, astonishingly fast, and their power was so terrifying it made one's heart tremble.

"How... how is this possible?" The apprentice's hands shook, and he could barely hold the Scout-Type Wizard Artifact steady.

That tiny figure had faced alone the terrifying Magic Beast that could crush their entire team.

Only two minutes!

That enormous, terrifying Fire-Element Magic Beast had actually been killed just like that!

"Who... who exactly is he?" The apprentice lay flat against the dead tree, keeping his body low for fear that the slightest sound would draw that "monster's" attention.

He had gathered plenty of information about those "geniuses," yet he had never heard even the slightest thing about this apprentice.

He remained sprawled across the dead branches for quite some time. Only after confirming that the other party truly had not noticed him did the apprentice slowly climb down from the tree.

The moment he landed, he cast several enhancement spells on himself and sprinted away without looking back, heading in the opposite direction from Benjamin's departure.

What a joke!

He would rather be beaten to death than encounter that kind of monster. Otherwise, he would not even know how he died!