Farewell, Mage Kevin (Part 2 of 1)

Compared to two years ago, Kevin's Dragon Breath is now more powerful and his movements are more skillful, making him appear to be handling it with ease.

Since there were four Kevin appearing after the mirror image, it became very difficult for Bai Xiaowen to effectively interrupt Kevin's Dragon Breath while the summoned creatures were frozen—at least single-target interrupt skills were unusable.

Fortunately, Bai Xiaowen also has area-of-effect skills.

Intimidation!

A powerful aura spread out, and all four Kevin were immediately gripped by a moment of Fear Status! The flame energy that the Dragon Breath had not yet gathered quickly dissipated.

In fact, the best course of action for powerful spells like this is to interrupt them just before they are cast, as this can cause severe backlash against the caster.

However, this kind of gambling-style interruption is often accompanied by risks. If you don't know the target's casting speed or the spell the target is casting, you can easily miss the opportunity to interrupt and let the opponent successfully cast the spell.

Bai Xiaowen had learned about the Spirit Realm Rules regarding the effects of "interruption".

There are different types of interruptions.

Common interrupts include "forced imbalance or displacement," such as the Skeleton Sword-and-Shield Soldier's Shield Bash, the Skeleton Champion's Whirlwind Slash, and Li Shuyi's Savage Charge.

Another equally common way to interrupt is to "apply hard crowd control," which includes, but is not limited to, fear, charm, polymorph, paralysis, taunt, stun, etc.

The third type of interruption is "silence," such as "Silence," "Strangling Assault," "punching," "Rebuke," and so on.

These three interruptions all forcefully stop the opponent from casting spells, essentially preventing the target from casting the corresponding spell or skill, and thus avoiding the cooldown period. After the control effect ends, the spell can still be cast.

Besides the three methods mentioned above, there is another, less common, interruption method: specialized interruption spells—spells that have no other function than interrupting spellcasting.

Examples include "Counterspell" and "Devour Magic".

These specialized interruption spells, in addition to interrupting the target's current spellcasting, also put that spell on cooldown. While the affected enemy cannot cast the spell again, they can still reposition, perform basic attacks, or cast other spells.

Compared to the three interruption methods above, each has its advantages and disadvantages. This interruption method is most suitable for dealing with spell-type bosses.

In terms of principle, Counterspell is about disrupting the opponent's "Spell Model" in advance. This concept is not commonly used by Awakened Ones who rely on skill bars for combat, as it involves a deeper core of the Spirit Realm Rules. However, according to experts' research, it does make sense.

When Spell Model is destroyed, it's equivalent to the caster casting a failed spell—the spell goes on cooldown, and the lost Divine Might is not refunded. If you master the Counterspell skill, you can even create a powerful effect where similar spells cannot be cast for several seconds. This effect is often seen in the additional effects of upgrading the Counterspell skill to LV4 and LV7.

On the battlefield at this moment, all four Kevin were simultaneously gripped by fear, allowing Bai Xiaowen to fire shots one by one to identify the true identity of one of the Kevin.

One after another, the mirror images Burst. Bai Xiaowen's third shot finally struck Kevin's true form between the eyebrows, and blood splattered everywhere!

Kevin was momentarily dazed when a phantom of an Orcs chieftain roared and charged towards him. The destructive aura made Kevin's heart tremble for no reason, and his Life Value dropped another notch.

"Hateful!"

Kevin was furious. He clearly remembered how weak Dio Skellboom had been two years ago. If the other party hadn't cheated, he could have crushed him with a flick of his wrist.

Now that Dio has grown to such a terrifying level, after a series of battles where he successively eliminated the two Boss Tier, the Vampire Overlord and the Death Knight, he was still able to beat him so badly. This made the usually arrogant Kevin feel extremely frustrated.

That's right, Kevin followed Bai Xiaowen all the way and witnessed him killing the Vampire Overlord on the first floor.

To be honest, the Vampire Overlord was stronger than the Death Knight, but his intelligence was Suppression by Bai Xiaowen. Furthermore, the swarm of bats in Night Demon Form collided with Bai Xiaowen's Orochi Nagi, so it did not cause Bai Xiaowen any significant loss in strength. Therefore, Kevin continued to be patient until the Death Knight replaced nearly half of the summoned creatures, including the Butcher, before he finally decided to appear.

[This is all thanks to the Soul Stone. The Soul Stone should have belonged to me.]

The more arrogant a person is, the harder it is for them to acknowledge the excellence of others. When Kevin sees Bai Xiaowen's strength, he will only feel jealousy and resentment.

"Damn Dio... No matter the cost, I will take back the Soul Stone!"

Kevin suddenly pulled out an ancient scroll, which instantly shone brightly! Powerful magical energy spread out. Judging from his expression, he was clearly in pain.

A layer of black mist suddenly rose from the ground around Kevin, and deathly white arms stretched out from the cracks in the ground, firmly grabbing the ankles of Bai Xiaowen, Li Shuyi, and all the summoned creatures. After being grabbed, everyone's Life Value slowly decreased, except for Kevin was maintaining the casting action.

S-Tier Scroll: Necrotic Touch.

Based on his Insight, Bai Xiaowen received a notification from the Spirit Realm Rules. He was somewhat helpless; Kevin truly lived up to his reputation as one of the top archmages in the Northern Frontier, his wealth was simply too abundant, and he had just pulled out an S-Tier scroll like that.

"Master Kevin, you're such a spendthrift!" Bai Xiaowen exclaimed in anguish.

"Enough! This is an ancient scroll I found in the Frozen Ancient Tomb, so using it on you isn't a waste. Once you obtain the Soul Stone and absorb its power, you'll be able to create powerful necromancy scrolls like this yourself!"

A look of madness crossed Kevin's face. He spread his arms and shouted passionately, "Turn to bones under the touch of the dead!"

Kevin's body was shimmering with colorful light. Bai Xiaowen recognized it as the "Arcane Shield" he had used before, which could block single-target spells and also had a mitigating effect on AOE spell damage.

Kevin used this spell clearly to prevent Bai Xiaowen from having any backup plans and interrupting his Necrotic Touch casting process again.

"Tsk."

Bai Xiaowen sighed and gently raised her hand.

A giant wolf, the size of an adult water buffalo, appeared out of nowhere in front of Bai Xiaowen.

The Pack Leader Angerclaw, with its fur glossy and smooth like ribbons, had a pair of emerald green eyes that gleamed with a fierce light.

Kevin was momentarily stunned. With his sharp eyesight, he could certainly see the ferocity of the Rageclaw.

"You... how could you have hidden such a summoned beast! It's a living being, not an undead!"

"Why not?" Bai Xiaowen said with a smile. "Speaking of which, I should thank you, Master Kevin. It was you who helped me infuse the Soul Stone with the Soul Essence of a powerful creature, enabling me to perfectly achieve my goal and not be limited to the path of a necromancer. I can not only summon undead creatures, but also other races."

Rageclaw snorted, exhaling hot breath from its nostrils, and stared at Kevin with ill intent.

Necrotic Touch is a large-scale, continuous control spell. As soon as the Rageclaw appeared, countless deathly white arms stretched out from the ground, pulling at its four legs as well.

Kevin, true to his archmage status, possessed remarkable mental fortitude. He sneered, "You've been hiding this powerful beast all this time, just to lure me out... Fine, I admit I underestimated you, but nothing has changed! Necrotic Touch has also sealed off this stupid wolf's movements; it poses no threat to me whatsoever!"

"Yeah?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head with a smile. He placed one hand on the hind leg of the Rageclaw, where the light of the Four-Color Talisman flickered.

Ultimately, it transformed into a red, Berserk Talisman!

Rageclaw, its fur turning red rapidly. The deathly white arms under its feet, like leeches encountering salt, quickly withered and burrowed back into the ground.

The Rageclaw moved with lightning speed, reaching Kevin in an instant and slashing out! Kevin's Arcane Shield was completely powerless against physical attacks and was knocked off by the claw, leaving blood splattering everywhere.

Kevin cried out in pain. As a high-ranking chief mage, he lacked experience in facing powerful Leader Tier beasts. He could only activate Blazing Dash, his feet bursting with fire as he fled quickly. Whenever he found an opening, he would activate his wand, the tip of which would shoot out a series of tiny Ice Spike to fight the Rageclaw.

These Frost Shard were originally meant to slow down enemies. However, with the Berserk Talisman buff, Rageclaw was completely immune to crowd control, and Kevin's spells could only reduce Rageclaw's Life Value.

Rageclaw shares Life Value with Bai Xiaowen, with a total of over 600 Life Value points, making it incredibly stable. Kevin's attacks will only trigger Rageclaw's Blood Frenzy passive, making it even more dangerous.

Bai Xiaowen's Divine Might was also greatly depleted from the continuous battles, so he took out the artifact he obtained from the Jiajing Plane World: the Freehand Notes.

[Freehand Notes Lu": This is a collection of essays by Xu Wei, a talented scholar of the Ming Dynasty. Reading it grants the effect of Thoughts Flow Like a Spring," restoring 1 point of Divine Might per second for 30 seconds. Uses: 3/3. Special item.]

After using it, Bai Xiaowen's Divine Might, which was originally on the danger line, gradually increased at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Bai Xiaowen put away the two remaining copies of the Freehand Notes, gripped the gun with both hands again, and activated the Desert Eagle's Rapid-Fire Mode!

Although Kevin was currently in the Blazing Dash state, moving at an astonishing speed, Bai Xiaowen possessed an advanced level 7 Shooting Specialty! Without interference, his various predictive shots still achieved a considerable hit rate.

Bai Xiaowen cunningly aimed his gun at Kevin's legs. He knew that it would be difficult to hit vital organs in the upper body when the enemy was moving at high speed. It would be better to spray bullets at the legs, hoping to gradually inflict injuries and make it easier for Rageclaw to pursue.

The Rapid Fire bullets prioritized quantity over accuracy, and finally three shots hit the same spot, causing blood to gush from Kevin's thigh! Even with his Blazing Dash, his steps became unsteady, like that of an old man in his twilight years.

The Rageclaw wouldn't let it go, Pounce forward and unleashing a barrage of Bite and Rend attacks, focusing their assault on Kevin's legs!

Crack! The Rageclaw's strike triggered Critical Hit, tearing a large chunk of flesh from Kevin's leg, revealing the white bone beneath. Then, the Rageclaw bit down, snapping Kevin's leg bone in two!

Kevin collapsed to the ground with a thud, the Rageclaw ' claws already gripping his shoulders. Fear finally showed on his face.

"Dio! You can't kill me... If you kill me, you'll have no place in the Resistance Army! Lord Usok won't care whether your reasons are valid or not!"

"And then?" Bai Xiaowen shook his head. "Archmage Kevin, I never expected you to be so naive when you were about to die, repeatedly trying to harm me. How could I possibly let you go!"

With a powerful downward Suppression of its Rageclaw, Kevin was pinned to the ground by the combined force and agility of the attack. This wasn't a powerful Suppression move, but merely Overwhelming Crush in attributes.

"I'm willing to buy... my life! Spellbooks, magic scrolls, potions, and gold and silver treasures... I'll give you anything you want!" Under the Bite of Rageclaw and Bai Xiaowen's ranged attacks, Kevin's voice was intermittent, mixed with painful screams.

"Farewell, Mage Kevin."

Bai Xiaowen let out a soft breath, and the final shot struck Kevin in the temple. Critical Hit, Vital Strike, depleting Kevin's last bit of Life Value.

A Large Golden Treasure Chest materialized.

The effects of Necrotic Touch had long since worn off. Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi walked over and looked at the corpse of the black-robed mage Kevin lying on the ground.

Once upon a time, Kevin was incredibly powerful, a boss that Bai Xiaowen had to look up to, just like Goliya.

But now, Bai Xiaowen can stand upright in front of these high-level bosses.

Rageclaw hadn't come out for a while, so it affectionately licked Bai Xiaowen's palm. Bai Xiaowen raised his hand to stroke Rageclaw's fluffy head, and Rageclaw obediently lowered its head, its forehead gently rubbing against Bai Xiaowen's palm.

"Go to the main node room ahead, get some rest, and recover your strength."

Bai Xiaowen collected the treasure chest that Kevin had dropped, and the two of them, along with the wolf and other undead summoned creatures, crossed the portal.

This main node room was much larger than a normal room, and it had an indescribable oppressive feeling, as if an invisible energy permeated it. After entering the room, the "Yin-Energy Envelopment" Bai Xiaowen, Li Shuyi Bai Xiaowen, and even Rageclaw finally disappeared.

"Xiao Wen, did you know all along that Kevin was following us?" Li Shuyi asked.

Bai Xiaowen nodded slightly. "Yes, Kevin's appearance did not surprise me."

"This underground tomb is so dangerous, how did he, a mage who is incapable of close combat, get in? And how did he manage to follow us the whole way without losing us?" Li Shuyi asked curiously.

"Kevin must have tampered with us. When I first came to the Aaron Plane World and did my Class Change quest, he left an Arcane Beacon on my Soul Stone, which could be used to locate Soul Stone. The Silence Spell Scroll we used to infiltrate Northshire City before this attack was cast on us by Kevin. At that time, he was perfectly capable of setting up a small spell like Northshire Arcane Beacon on me or you."