Splash!
Waves slapped against the ship's hull, and droplets of spray glittered in the sunlight.
The force of the impact made the Wizard Freshmen grab onto whatever was nearby. Only when the shaking subsided did they slowly approach the deck where it met the sea.
After yesterday's experience, the Wizard Freshmen were more at ease. As one side of the deck tilted beneath the water, they jumped in one after another.
Ryan once again sensed that malicious gaze fixed on him.
A cold smile touched his lips. He gave his shoulder a slight shake, and Harak beat her wings and soared upward, gradually vanishing into the sunlight. Ryan then followed the sloping deck into the sea.
Arthur had been waiting for this moment. He followed at once, his eyes beneath his black cloak fierce with murderous intent.
Swimming came easily to Arthur. He fixed his gaze on the figure stroking through the water in the distance, and cruelty spread across his face.
But he soon discovered that Ryan was the faster swimmer.
Fortunately, Ryan gradually slowed, apparently having spotted some sea creature.
Behind them, the Wizard Ship had shrunk to a tiny dot.
They had gone a long way.
Arthur paid that no mind. With eyes only for Ryan, he drew closer while feeling around in his robe pocket for his Wizardry Scroll.
When Wizards made supernatural tools, they accounted for all kinds of conditions in which they might be used.
The parchment of a Wizardry Scroll underwent various treatments. It resisted water and high temperatures, and could even block interference to a degree, ensuring the Wizardry would activate smoothly.
The particle energy of this scroll was water-related.
Water Prison of Corruption formed a confined area of water. Enemies within it suffered intense water pressure, while the water itself became corrosive.
It was Mid-level Wizardry.
Arthur did not approach Ryan recklessly. Losing an arm had made him much more cautious.
In a setting as favorable as the sea, the Wizardry's area of effect could extend to fifty meters.
As Arthur injected particle energy into the scroll, its formation stirred. The Water Prison of Corruption stored within its compression array was about to be unleashed.
Suddenly, his sense of imminent death made Arthur jerk backward, interrupting the activation.
A strange black shadow flashed through the spot he had just occupied, moving too fast for the eye to follow. It plunged into the water without a sound.
What was that?
Arthur stared in alarm at where it had entered the water. He had sensed a supernatural aura from that shadow.
What kind of joke was this? There was a Supernatural Lifeform in this godforsaken place?
He had not detected it at all, as though it had been hidden from his senses.
Was this a trap?
By the time Arthur realized what was happening, he had lost sight of Ryan. His heart lurched as he felt something terrible was about to happen.
"Damn you, Ryan! You set me up." He tried to activate the Wizardry Scroll in his hand as quickly as possible. But his heart, already racing, was struck by pain that seemed to reach the depths of his soul.
The Wizardry Scroll failed to activate.
I can't move!
The particle energy inside Arthur grew wildly chaotic, like an engine sputtering out.
A visible crimson flush spread across his face.
The supernatural toxin known as Scarlet Scale Toxin.
A thin trickle of blood ran from a tiny wound on his cheek.
That indistinct shadow had done it.
Arthur realized it too late. His eyes filled with blood, rage, and hatred, but though he opened his mouth, no sound came out.
The Scarlet Scale Toxin's greatest property was paralysis.
An ice-cold dagger drove into his heart from behind, injecting even more Scarlet Scale Toxin into his body.
Arthur went rigid. He felt the warmth drain from his body as the sea around him slowly turned red. His life drained away with it. His eyes gradually dulled, and all expression faded from his face.
Life really was fragile. One small movement was enough to take it all away.
Ryan's cool gaze wavered slightly. This was the first Wizard he had killed with his own hands, and an indescribable feeling settled in his heart.
Splash!
Harak burst from the water and spread her wings, shaking off the seawater. The perfect lines of her body let her return to flight at once.
Her sharp talons pierced Arthur's corpse near the spine. Despite her small size, she mustered astonishing strength, lifting the body and keeping it at the surface.
Ryan had been startled just now. There was no mistaking the Wizardry Scroll in Arthur's hand.
If Ryan had not prepared extra Scarlet Scale Toxin as a precaution, and if Harak's surprise attack had not infected Arthur first...
Once the Wizardry Scroll activated, there was no telling how the fight would have ended.
Ryan was intensely curious about where the Wizardry Scroll had come from. It was far too valuable for a Wizard Freshman to obtain.
There was no way to acquire one aboard the Wizard Ship, either—except through Wizard Tuta.
Wizard Tuta's gaunt figure surfaced in Ryan's mind. He could still vividly recall the chill the man gave him.
Wizard Tuta would not interfere in affairs between Wizard Freshmen, much less hand over something like a Wizardry Scroll.
Searching the body took some effort.
Arthur had little on him besides some white bread swollen with seawater. The only other thing, and the one that made Ryan frown, was the Red Metal Ring hanging against his chest.
Tiny flecks of blue light glimmered in Ryan's eyes.
Notice: Preliminary analysis complete. This item is a finely crafted alchemical Storage Wizard Artifact. It has restrictions and requires sufficient Spiritual Power to fully imprint one's spirit upon it.
Ryan's eyes lit up. He was certain the Wizardry Scroll in Arthur's hand had something to do with this Storage Wizard Artifact.
Given its requirements, Arthur might not have gained full control of it. That meant its contents could still hold things he had never discovered.
It was exactly what Ryan needed.
He now had a way to preserve the Thorn Heart, and the prospect of exploring the Storage Wizard Artifact's unknown contents brought a delighted smile to his face.
Every muscle in Arthur's corpse remained taut. The Scarlet Scale Toxin had worked even better than Ryan expected; it had proved extremely useful in a real fight.
Harak could serve as an unexpected means of assassination.
With her sharp talons and the Scarlet Scale Toxin, a single scratch could tip the balance in Ryan's favor if his opponent was unprepared.
Ryan had not forgotten the Wizardry Scroll clenched in Arthur's hand. It took some effort to pry it free, as though Arthur's final obsession and unwillingness to die lingered in his grip.
The rage and hatred on his face still looked vivid, but his lifeless eyes would never blink again.
The corpse slowly sank into the endless depths of the sea.
Ryan gave it an indifferent glance, then swam toward the Wizard Ship.
He was eager to see what the Storage Wizard Artifact contained.
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