Attack

A great many Wizard Apprentices who had narrowly escaped disaster gathered on the deck, every one of them looking terrible.

It was said that the vicious sea monsters had slaughtered their way to the third level before the sailors sent to reinforce them stopped them. More than half the Wizard Apprentices on the fourth and fifth levels had been killed or injured, while those living in the lowest cabins had escaped unharmed despite the fright.

Binhanson spotted Green and the others on deck and let out a sigh of relief.

"It's great that you're all okay! Those sea monsters nearly scared me to death! I was thinking, how could I, the great magic apprentice from Great Tambrosen City, get eaten by sea monsters before even reaching Wizard Academy? I don't want to become those things' shit..."

As he spoke, Binhanson pointed to several people behind him. "Come, come, let me introduce you..."

Green could not help sighing at the man's good luck.

He had originally lived in a second-level cabin, damp and humid, only slightly better than the cabins at the very bottom. Yet this time, it had saved his life.

Shaking his head, Green could not help lamenting his own abysmal luck. He sighed. "I was just about to go up on deck for some air. I had only made it to the fifth level when this happened. You know, it's normal for me not to leave my room for days at a time. Sigh..."

However, no matter how Green and the others searched the deck, they did not see Wade. He had most likely become one of the many casualties.

Kiram, on the other hand, stood unharmed on the other side of the deck. He showed no intention of speaking to Green's group and merely stared coldly out at the distant sea alone.

Seeing this, Binhanson sneered under his breath, "Hmph, all he knows is how to suck up to Wizard Arowoz. Born with the face of a slave."

It was no wonder Binhanson disliked Kiram. On the journey here, Kiram had followed Wizard Arowoz around with a smile plastered on his face, attending to the wizard so thoroughly that he wanted for nothing.

Yet once separated from the wizard, the man had acted as if Green and the others did not exist. Earlier, when Yorkris had clashed with another unfamiliar Wizard Apprentice in the fifth-level cabins, Kiram had simply said, "None of my business," and walked away.

Thus, Green and the others had no interest in speaking to him now either.

Yorkris had no time to care about such trivial matters. He held his sister anxiously, staring at the hollow where her eye had been as he comforted her. "It's all right. Once we reach the Wizard Continent, I'll definitely beg the most powerful wizard to use magic and heal your eye."

After hearing her brother's words, Yorklianna forced a faint smile onto her pale face.

"Brother, don't lie to me. I may be stupid, but I'm not foolish. Are powerful wizards really that easy to meet? Besides... it's okay, Brother. Look at Wizard Dila. Doesn't he only have one eye too?"

Everyone looked at Wizard Dila, who was bustling about the deck, counting the Wizard Apprentices. One of his eyes had been replaced by a constantly spinning gear, making him look exceedingly strange. Would Yorklianna become like that in the future as well?

Everyone shuddered.

Yorkris hurriedly said, "No, no! I'll definitely heal your eye! I swear it!"

Leaving the Yorkris siblings aside, Green and Lafi were resting against the mast together. One had injured his left leg, while the other had injured her right shoulder. They made quite a fitting pair.

Green felt extremely awkward over what had happened earlier, his thoughts in turmoil, so he ignored Lafi beside him. Lafi was also somewhat distracted and ashamed of her earlier loss of composure, with no desire to speak either.

For a time, silence was all that remained between them. Their brief intimacy seemed like nothing more than an illusion, and neither brought it up again.

Soon afterward, news spread across the deck. In the sea monster attack, thirty-two sailors had died, along with one hundred and seven Wizard Apprentices. Most of the dead apprentices had lived in the fourth- and fifth-level cabins.

Elsewhere, the boatswain and the two Legendary Knights, Balon, stood beside Dila.

The boatswain had suffered no serious injuries. Balon had a deep wound across his back, but he paid it no mind.

"Master, what is it?"

Balon asked Dila in surprise. Logically speaking, since the sea monsters had been driven off and killed, Master Dila should have been happy. Why did he look even more troubled?

Ordinary people would not have been able to see Dila's concern at all.

For one thing, wizards generally did not display their emotions on their faces. For another, Dila's body had undergone certain modifications, depriving him of many subtle facial expressions. Under such circumstances, only Balon, who had followed him for decades, could detect a trace of his master's worries.

"There was something wrong with this sea monster attack on Hailun."

Dila looked at Balon with his sole remaining eye and spoke gravely.

Balon was startled and immediately thought of something. He said in horror, "Could another wizard have set their sights on us?"

"If my senses are correct, that is very likely."

Balon's dark face actually turned pale. As a Legendary Knight who had lived on the Wizard Continent, he knew very well how terrifying it was to be targeted by a wizard lurking in the shadows.

Especially on this vast sea, where they could receive no support whatsoever.

"Is it an enemy of the academy? Or are they after you, sir?"

Balon forced himself to ask.

If it was Dila's personal enemy, that would be manageable. But if it was an enemy of the academy, then all their lives might be in danger.

Dila shook his head. "Both are possible. However... there is another possibility. They may be after them."

Balon followed Dila's gaze. It was fixed on Yun Li and Bibilionna!

Balon froze, then said bitterly, "After them?"

For the sake of two mere Wizard Apprentices, even if they were geniuses, someone would risk fighting Master Dila?

"It is only a possibility. There are certain secrets involved that you do not understand."

Dila paused, then sighed. "The sea monsters have already been repelled, and my magic power is depleted. If anything truly happens, it should be soon. We will wait and see."

After another pause, a vicious glint suddenly flashed through Dila's eyes.

"But if enemies truly come for them later, Balon, I want you to do something."

Balon dropped to one knee. "Please give the order, sir."

Leaning close to Balon's ear, Dila said darkly, "Kill both of them! They are geniuses the academy sees only once in a century, with extremely valuable innate magic. They may very well become powerful contenders in the Holy Tower Qualification Battle in the future! If Lilith Wizard Academy cannot have such geniuses, then neither can any Wizard Academy that may be our enemy!"

The sea wind blew wildly as the sun gradually rose higher, waves of heat rolling in.

At last, everyone could no longer endure the scorching temperature and began returning to the cabins. Only a small number remained resting on deck, including Green and Binhanson.

As for Lafi, Yorkris, and Yorklianna, the three had already returned to the cabins.

"Hey, Green, since the wizard's room has been destroyed, where do you think he'll stay tonight? Oh, right, and those two as well."

The two Binhanson referred to were naturally Yun Li and Bibilionna.

"I don't know. Probably the fifth-level cabins."

Green answered indifferently.

Yorkris chuckled. "Same as I guessed. But Yorkris, Yorklianna, and Lafi all live on the fifth level. I wonder whose room will be unlucky enough to get requisitioned."

Green curled his lip. "So many people died on the fifth level. Why not just use any of their rooms? Why does it have to be one of theirs?"

"That's not necessarily true! A lot of people died, but plenty of rooms were damaged too..."

Just as Green and Binhanson were bickering idly, a shadow fell over them. They assumed it was merely a cloud passing overhead and paid it no attention. But after the sound of countless flapping wings and irritating caws reached them, they finally came to their senses and looked skyward in horror.

Above their heads, upon a vast black cloud that blotted out the sky and was made of countless pitch-black crows—whether thousands or tens of thousands was impossible to tell—stood a hazy figure gazing down at Hailun.

Though the distance made it impossible to see the figure clearly, the mere aura of magic power emanating from it plunged everyone into a suffocating, ominous terror, as though Hailun were about to crash into an iceberg.

For a moment, everyone on deck could see nothing but endless darkness formed by black crows.

"Heh heh, wizard aboard the ship, come out."

The calm voice was somewhat hoarse, like Arowoz's, making it impossible to tell whether its owner was male or female.

Dila emerged from the cabin with a magic staff in hand. His wide gray robe fluttered as he flew into the sky with an ugly expression, facing the mysterious wizard atop the cloud of countless crows in the distance.

Suddenly, after seeing the newcomer's true appearance, Dila's face changed dramatically. "A... Second-Level Wizard!?"

"Heh heh, I haven't seen you before. Lilith's Cottage Wizard Academy has quite a few promising seedlings. I am requisitioning this Hailun. Since you have some potential, get lost."

Showing Dila no respect whatsoever, the terrifying wizard atop the dark cloud spoke in a commanding tone, as if he disdained even fighting Dila.

Dila's expression became exceedingly ugly, so grim it seemed water might drip from it.

As one of the most outstanding Arcane Wizards of this generation in District 19 of the Seven-Ring Holy Tower over the past century, Dila was acknowledged by many Arcane Wizards as someone highly likely to advance to an even higher level!

After centuries of accumulated wizardly knowledge, Dila was confident he could contend even against many old monsters who had lived for ages. Yet he had never expected today's enemy to be a Second-Level Wizard.

A Second-Level Wizard was generally part of a Wizard Academy's management. They were the academy's core at the grassroots level!

Almost every dean of a Wizard Academy had countless connections to the great beings at the highest levels of the Wizard World.

Moreover, the gap between wizard ranks was enormous. The reason was simple: each advancement granted a wizard abilities belonging to an entirely new level, abilities that ordinary magic or innate talents could never offset or match.

Dila hesitated.

If he simply surrendered the academy's Hailun for no reason, the responsibility would be immense. Yet with his status as a First-Level Wizard and his talent, which made him highly likely to advance to Second-Level Wizard, it would not cause too much trouble if it were an ordinary Hailun.

But the key was that there were two wizardly geniuses aboard, the kind seen only once in a century. And with the Holy Tower Qualification Battle approaching...

Dila said in a low voice, "You may have Hailun, Master. May I take two people with me?"

"Hmph! I told you to get lost at once..."

After a cold snort, the frigid voice from the cloud suddenly turned into an angry roar. "You seek death!"

No one had expected Dila to strike first, launching a surprise attack against a great wizard one rank above himself!

An ice spear radiating astonishing cold shot forth like an arrow loosed from a fully drawn bow, streaking a pale white trail across the sky with a piercing shriek as it stabbed toward the Second-Level Wizard's heart atop the dark cloud.

However, with the Second-Level Wizard's furious roar, an astonishing surge of magic power erupted—so powerful that even Wizard Apprentices who had never practiced meditation could sense it. The terrifying magic power scattered some of the clouds in the sky, while violent sea winds burst outward from the Second-Level Wizard, churning up waves across the ocean.

Clink...

With a soft chime, the ice spear shattered into countless ice crystals. Almost at the very instant the Second-Level Wizard unleashed his power, Dila rode his magic staff and fled toward the distant sky in a streak of light.

But a massive dark cloud pursued close behind him, refusing to let go.

"You cannot escape!"

The wizard in the dark cloud roared as the two gradually vanished beyond the horizon.

Only then did Green and Binhanson seem like drowning men who had been dragged ashore, gasping desperately and greedily sucking in the fresh air around them.

When that Second-Level Wizard's magic power had erupted, every Wizard Apprentice on deck had felt as if the end of the world had arrived. They had been completely unable to breathe.

"That scared me to death! I thought we were done for just now!"

Binhanson clutched his chest. Perhaps because he was so terrified, he added, "This life is impossible to live! Escaping death twice in one day, and we haven't even reached the Wizard Continent yet! Is the Wizard Continent even a place for people to live?"

Green too took deep, ragged breaths, his face grim as he muttered, "It looks like something major is about to happen."