Karin had no idea what a stir the "spell he had created" had caused inside the spire. He had already left Sunfury Spire more than half an hour earlier.
Passing through the towering city gates guarded by two Spellbreakers, Karin left Silvermoon City!
"Oh, honored mage, I never expected you to come out of Silvermoon City so soon... You must have come away with quite a haul..." The moment he arrived at the Hawkstrider station, the Goblin he had met once before came running out!
Without giving him a chance to object, she took the bundle of books from Karin's hands and led him over to Karin's plump Hawkstrider.
The Hawkstrider looked as lazy as ever, chewing great mouthfuls of feed... Karin took the reins and asked, "How much?"
"Just one silver coin... Oh, no, no, no! It's an honor for a distinguished mage like you to visit my humble establishment. How could I possibly ask for money..."
Despite her words, the moment Karin took out a silver coin, the Goblin snatched it up!
"You're far, far, far too kind, Mr. Mage! How could I possibly accept your gold coin..."
Karin smiled, paid the Goblin no further attention, and mounted his Hawkstrider!
The Hawkstrider was not fast, but its gait made for a very steady ride. Bored, Karin took a book describing Slow Fall out of his bundle and leafed through it at leisure on the bird's back.
Time passed quickly. Before he knew it, the familiar little wooden cabin appeared ahead, and Karin closed his book.
He was already dreaming of returning to his little bed for a good, long sleep.
"Host, be alert!" The All-Knowing Eye's piercing voice suddenly rang out in his mind. "A humanoid harboring extreme hostility toward the host has appeared ahead... Current distance: 400 yards!"
"A humanoid harboring extreme hostility?" Karington froze.
In that moment of distraction, the All-Knowing Eye spoke again. "Approaching rapidly. 300 yards... 200 yards... 100 yards..."
Karin needed no further warning from the All-Knowing Eye. He could already see a figure in red not far ahead...
He was another Elf mage, apparently no longer young, holding a long, elegant staff and wearing red robes like Karin's... But the conspicuous clover emblem on his right breast made his status clear: a Third Ring mage!
"Karin Sunfury?" There was a questioning note in the stranger's voice, along with what sounded like anger.
Karin furrowed his brow and asked quietly, "Honored mage, what can I do for you?"
With a flash of light, the Third Ring mage vanished, then reappeared an instant later less than fifty yards from Karin!
"Blink! His command of this elementary teleportation spell is highly practiced. He is clearly a very experienced Third Ring mage!" The All-Knowing Eye's voice rang out in his mind again. "Host, exercise caution. If you engage him in combat at your current stage, your probability of victory is only 0.7%!"
Karin's expression grew grimmer. "Honored mage, what exactly do you-"
Before he could finish, the stranger swung his staff at Karin without hesitation.
With almost no casting motion, a slightly smaller but more fiercely blazing fireball shot from the tip of the staff toward Karin!
Instinctively, Karin conjured an ice shield in front of himself, blocking the fireball's path... Unfortunately, it did not last long. The fireball shattered the shield outright, and the remaining blast surged mercilessly toward him!
The powerful impact nearly knocked Karin off his Hawkstrider. Fortunately, his first-circle mage robes absorbed the residual blast and spared him injury!
"Oh? Not bad reflexes." The mage gave Karin a somewhat surprised look.
"The Third Ring spell Flame Shock! The force of that blast reached a full 47 horsepower! Host, exercise caution. Your Frost Armor cannot withstand more than a few attacks of this level!"
Karin felt a burning sting across his face, while his mind suddenly felt somewhat depleted. Panting, he asked, "Who exactly are you?"
"Dune Morningwind!" The mage walked toward Karin as he answered calmly. "Mr. Karin, Enclair, whom you defeated in a duel a few days ago, is my son!"
"Enclair?"
"Yes. Ever since your strange magic struck Enclair during the duel, we have been unable to dispel the poison on his body... So, Mr. Karin, I would like you to accompany me to the Morningwind family and help rid Enclair of that poison!" Though the mage Duen sounded polite, his voice carried an unmistakable, powerful threat!
Only then did Karin understand. Melf's Acid Arrow had actually countered even a Troll's formidable regeneration, so its effects would surely be worse on a race as fragile as Elves... Enclair probably had never recovered after being hit last time, and now his father had come looking for Karin!
But Karin was not foolish enough to obediently follow him to the Morningwind family! Even if he helped dispel the poison afflicting Enclair, the Morningwind family probably would not let him off easily! Rather than surrender without a fight, he might as well...
"I see, Mr. Duen..." Karin began slowly. "I wouldn't necessarily mind going to the Morningwind family with you, as long as you... have a taste of this!"
Karin hurled the bundle on his Hawkstrider's back at him with all his strength!
Duen was already prepared. He was still somewhat wary of the young first-circle mage before him... If the poison that had afflicted Enclair struck him, he knew he would fare little better!
The moment he saw Karin make his move, he used Blink without hesitation to move several dozen yards away, simultaneously firing a Fire Blast that struck the flying bundle.
The smell of scorched paper immediately filled the air, and loose pages fluttered everywhere!
"They're all books!" Duen froze.
Karin was not about to let this opportunity slip away. Taking advantage of Duen's retreat with Blink, he lashed his Hawkstrider's back without hesitation. "Go!"
The normally indolent Hawkstrider seemed to understand that its master was in danger, and it took off at full speed!
"Trying to run!" Duen immediately caught on and hurled a fireball without hesitation... But in those few brief seconds, Karin and his Hawkstrider had already fled more than a hundred yards!
Frost Armor!
Karin had no choice but to cast this defensive spell again, one he had mastered fairly well!
Thick frost armor enveloped Karin and his Hawkstrider, blocking the fireball's full force.