Strange noises came from overhead.
There were also the distinctive fluctuations of magic arrays being annihilated, one after another, along with the sound of magic stones shattering. The wizards' expressions kept changing, as though something had seized their hearts.
Ruger had already begun casting spells, all of them on himself, of course. Among them were Heartstring Scales and Ainige's Heart Chamber Arena. After some thought, he added a Light Body Spell as well. The wizards beside him, who had just entered combat readiness over a misunderstanding, no longer needed to go through elaborate preparations. Their expressions, however, were far from pleasant.
The camp held more than just the few wizards in the tent. There were somewhat larger numbers of Two-Ring Wizards and One-Ring Wizards, and even some Wizard Apprentices. Some had been brought along by their mentors as assistants, while others, thinking highly of themselves, had willingly paid a price to witness the prowess of invaders from another world. That was how the world of wizards worked. Most people would not go out of their way to harm you, but neither would they stop you. At this moment, the apprentices' mental power fluctuations were the most chaotic of all.
Ruger suppressed his aura, steadied his mind, and glanced around.
In truth, he was still somewhat weak. The reserves within his life fighter mark were circulating through his body, releasing slowly, but that stored vitality could only offer a little relief. This weakness felt more like exhaustion from overexertion. A lowly life-form had been read like a book by a powerful, unusual being of a higher order of life. Such utterly unguarded contact left him suffering from discomfort and exhausted afterward, even if the other party bore no ill will, even if he had experienced it many times before.
So he