Nangong Pei's expression turned extremely ugly as he watched the six Beginner Mages slowly approach the One-Eyed Demon Wolf, which had been freed from its restraints.
"A bunch of bastards!"
If these people had not belonged to the Hunter Union, Nangong Pei would have wanted to teach them a lesson.
"Looks like your calculations fell through," Lu Wu said with a laugh when he saw Nangong Pei's expression.
"You're a little bolder than I imagined. Honestly, I admire you somewhat," Nangong Pei said with a cold snort. "I won't attack you, but I certainly won't let you have an easy time."
He pulled a packet of medicinal powder from his pocket and flung it straight at Lu Wu.
This stuff was precious. Nangong Pei had spent a fortune buying it specifically after Lu Wu agreed to come.
He had worried he would not get to use it, but now was the perfect opportunity.
"What's this stuff?" Lu Wu raised an eyebrow and dodged the powder.
What Lu Wu had not expected, however, was for magical energy to surge around Nangong Pei, who then kept moving forward like a phantom.
Lu Wu had already prepared his magic and had no intention of holding back.
His seven Stars were ready, and powerful fluctuations of magical energy appeared around his body.
Fire Burst: Burning!
Silently reciting it in his mind, Lu Wu thrust his right hand straight toward Nangong Pei.
The fire Star Path had been ready for some time, but Lu Wu had not released the spell.
His control was extremely strong now. With advance preparation, he could cast magic very quickly.
A huge burst of crimson flame shot from his palm, carrying scorching heat as it lunged toward Nangong Pei like a blazing crimson beast.
The fireball was extremely fast, and on top of that, the ground beneath Nangong Pei's feet seemed to soften, rapidly shifting him closer.
Nangong Pei had already prepared the second packet of powder in his hand. He had never imagined that Lu Wu would have already cast a spell?!!
But hadn't this brat's little girlfriend said he still could not cast magic?
At his age, he certainly looked as though he had only just awakened, and there had been little magical energy about him!
Bang!!
With no time to dodge at all, Nangong Pei took the fireball's attack head-on, and the clothes all over his body were burned to tatters in an instant.
"Aah!!!"
His agonized scream instantly rang throughout the stands, leaving almost everyone dumbfounded.
Then waves of cheers rose from the stands. The people who came here lived in luxury every day; they came to watch demon-hunting performances for nothing more than amusement.
They had thought the one called Lu Wu would be taught a lesson, but instead, he had taught someone else a lesson.
Many of those cheering wanted the situation to escalate.
They wanted to see an even bigger spectacle, constantly hurling abuse in an attempt to provoke Lu Wu or the people in the arena.
Wave after wave of sound battered him from every direction. Under these circumstances, Lu Wu did not know why, but his blood inexplicably began to boil.
"Ice Vine: Freeze!!"
"Raging Waves: Expulsion!"
Two Intermediate Mages reacted first, casting Beginner Magic of the Ice Element and Intermediate Magic of the Water Element at Nangong Pei, who was rolling and wailing on the ground.
Bone-piercing frost enveloped Nangong Pei directly, while layer upon layer of enormous Fierce Waves battered Lu Wu's fireball.
"Don't you know private fighting is forbidden here?" An Intermediate Mage who had not acted saw that the flames on Nangong Pei's body had been extinguished, went over to examine him, and spoke to Lu Wu in a low voice.
Although no one had died, Nangong Pei's burns were quite severe.
"That's right. Come with us to the Magic Association and explain yourself, or they'll come looking for us," the Water Element Intermediate Mage said gravely.
"Why didn't I see you stop him when he attacked me?" Lu Wu was rather displeased to hear this.
He did not believe these people had failed to see Nangong Pei use Earth Element magic to approach him.
The ground beneath Nangong Pei's feet had softened just now because he had used Beginner Magic of the Earth Element, Earth Wave: Shift, to approach him.
"We warned him not to use magic to attack you. He is an Intermediate Mage, after all. If he really wanted to harm you, he wouldn't need to approach you at all."
"So you did know what he was approaching me for." As Lu Wu spoke, he looked at Nangong Pei lying unconscious on the ground.
These people had certainly put out the fire very quickly. They must have been watching all along.
"You're so young, yet you strike so viciously!" Realizing he had been exposed, the man challenged him.
Lu Wu grew wary at this. If this man was in league with Nangong Pei, he would probably be left with more than he could stomach.
Fire Burst was far more powerful than he had imagined.
But this was the Hunter Union's territory, after all. If they insisted on standing up for Nangong Pei, he would not be able to hold them off.
"Roar!!!"
Before Lu Wu could answer, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf's furious roar pierced the clouds, and the Water Element mage's expression changed.
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to the One-Eyed Demon Wolf. Its body was covered in wounds, and its single eye had now turned blood-red.
It completely ignored the six mages who had been fighting it, its single eye fixed firmly on Lu Wu.
This thing... why did it suddenly go berserk? Lu Wu's heart sank.
Ignoring everyone else completely, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf raced toward him, roaring.
The Water Element mage's expression turned rather ugly at the sight. "Sure enough, this thing has gone berserk."
The mage examining Nangong Pei's condition immediately picked him up and walked behind the Water Element and Ice Element Intermediate Mages.
"Act. We can't let this beast cause casualties," the Ice Element Intermediate Mage said decisively, an extremely powerful aura of magic erupting from his entire body.
"This beast's aura is probably beyond Servant Level. Why is it suddenly forcing an advancement?" The Water Element mage prepared his magic as well.
They prepared their spells in just a breath or two, but Lu Wu, who had already been prepared, felt a chill run down his spine.
There was something wrong with that powder!!!
He had dodged Nangong Pei's initial cloud of powder, but now some seemed to have gotten onto him.
Otherwise, there was nothing that could provoke the One-Eyed Demon Wolf to this extent. It seemed to want to kill both him and Nangong Pei.
Seeing those Intermediate Mages prepare to act, Lu Wu cautiously moved toward them.
Compared with the One-Eyed Demon Wolf, these people were far less likely to kill him.
Even if they were in league with Nangong Pei, they would at most leave him injured.
If they killed him in full view of everyone, some of them would likewise be put to death by the Magic Association.
The two Intermediate Mages paid Lu Wu no attention. Their auras were extremely powerful, and frost covered the area around the Ice Element mage. Even from some distance away, he could feel the cold.
Suddenly, however, a cage of flames rose from the ground, separating those people from him.
These flames were purplish-black and radiated intense heat. The grass on the platform rapidly withered and yellowed.
This is bad.
Lu Wu discovered that everyone in the arena had been surrounded by cages of flame, even those Beginner Mages.
Only he and the charging One-Eyed Demon Wolf were left outside. The frenzied One-Eyed Demon Wolf had already been watching him, its eye gleaming with ferocity.
It had even been willing to endure attacks from the others, as though it bore him a hatred so deep that they could not live beneath the same sky.
Now he was the only one left in the arena, and in the blink of an eye, it was just over ten meters away from him.
Lu Wu kept his gaze fixed on the One-Eyed Demon Wolf. A mass of crimson flame covered his hand as he continuously drew magical energy from his Fire Element Stars, enlarging the fireball in his hand.
His forehead was already covered in sweat. Lu Wu knew he had only one chance.
If he failed, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf would tear him apart.
The thick, robust Stars rapidly dimmed as their vast stores of magical energy were drained. Lu Wu even felt somewhat mentally exhausted.
Yet he dared not let his guard down.
"Roar!!!"
The One-Eyed Demon Wolf was extremely fast. When it came within a dozen or so meters of him, Lu Wu pushed off hard and charged toward it.