Whoosh!!
A golden mist-like figure descended from the sky, wielding a silver-white longsword, slashing straight at Somlai!
Somlai reacted quickly, but the mist-shrouded figure was even faster!
Squelch!
The longsword, wrapped in sharp currents of air, cut toward Somlai's neck!
Boosted by the momentum of flight, the strike was as fast as lightning. In an instant, it shattered the Steel Armor spell protecting Somlai, then continued tearing through his flesh, slicing deep, and finally stopping at his spine!
Somlai let out a howl of pain, yet even while suffering such a grievous wound, he did not lose the will to resist. His face twisted viciously as he jerked his head, clamping Lynn's longsword against his spine!
At the same time, a glimmer of power lit up in his right hand.
Zero-Ring Intermediate Spell Flesh Touch!
In the blink of an eye, Somlai's right hand turned dark red, wreathed in a corrosive, hazy mist.
It was a powerful spell for apprentice wizards, known for its piercing and corrosive force, perfect for close combat.
Whoosh!
Somlai's fingers closed together like a blade, stabbing toward Lynn!
In that instant, Lynn willed his weapon to shift the silver bracelet sword shrank back, reverting into a wristband.
As Lynn prepared to retreat out of range, Somlai abruptly halted his attack. Without any warning, he suddenly pulled back at high speed, trying to escape!
Truly a seasoned second-rank apprentice, Somlai's combat instincts were razor sharp.
His seemingly desperate counterattack had left room for change. The moment he realized he could no longer restrain Lynn, he decisively abandoned the strike and turned to flee!
Lynn arched an eyebrow, unruffled. He surged forward once more, pressing the attack!
Thanks to the Golden Mist Form spell and a lesser Tailwind charm, his speed now far surpassed Somlai's. He quickly closed the distance again.
"Member of the Golden Mist Society! If you kill me, aren't you afraid of sparking a war between our two Societies?!"
Somlai, seeing no way to escape, roared desperately.
Because Lynn's face was half-hidden by the golden mist, and because the spell he used was one normally only first-rank apprentices could barely manage, Somlai failed to recognize his pursuer's true identity.
Lynn merely gave a cold sneer and kept advancing.
But then Somlai looked more carefully, suddenly recognizing him. His voice shook with disbelief:
"Lynn Kent… how could it possibly be you?!"
Realizing the truth seemed to spark a flicker of confidence in Somlai. He stopped abruptly, baring his teeth as he hissed:
"I wasn't even looking for you, yet you dare deliver yourself to me!
"The Golden Mist Form… no matter how you pulled off that spell, your mana must be running dry by now…"
As his words fell, the blood patterns on Somlai's body writhed to life, releasing scarlet energy.
The hideous wound at his neck began closing rapidly, regenerating flesh at alarming speed. Within moments, it had half healed.
And just then, Lynn's next strike came!
Somlai didn't dodge. Instead, another glow flashed across his body as he re-cast Steel Armor.
Clang!!
Lynn's silver wrist-sword pierced through the steel-like barrier again, but because Somlai retreated in sync, the thrust only left a shallow wound across his chest.
A heartbeat later, Somlai cast Steel Armor on himself yet again.
He glared at Lynn, lips curling into a grin:
"My mana's still more than half full. But you, Lynn… how much longer can you last?!"
Rustle rustle
Just then, the earth beneath Somlai stirred. Vines burst out of the soil, coiling around his feet.
His eyes flashed with annoyance as he braced himself to tear free.
But suddenly, a figure hurled itself at him!
"Ahhh!"
Mardo, eyes bloodshot, charged forward. Scarlet lines crawled across his exposed neck as he reinforced himself with every defensive and strength-enhancing spell he knew.
Like Somlai, he also unleashed the stored energy from his blood patterns, empowering his entire body, and threw himself at Somlai with reckless fury!
Not far behind, Giggs stood with one hand outstretched, pouring all his effort into controlling the vines that bound Somlai's feet.
"You can't hurt me, Mardo!" Somlai roared, thrusting his right hand forward, fingers tipped with the corrosive glow of Flesh Touch.
Lynn, however, wasn't idle. Seizing the opening, he lunged forward again, thrusting his blade at Somlai.
Somlai's eyes narrowed, but he didn't hesitate; he immediately shifted his assault, intending to force Lynn back.
Mardo was nothing more than a third-rank apprentice. He couldn't even break through Somlai's Steel Armor. He wasn't worth worrying about!
But in the very next instant, Somlai's expression changed drastically.
Contrary to his expectations, Lynn did not evade the incoming Flesh Touch. Instead of retreating, he met the attack head-on!
"Damn it!"
Somlai cursed inwardly. He had no intention of trading wound for wound, so he quickly retreated.
Yet just then, he caught the faint curl of a smile at Lynn's lips.
Before Somlai could make sense of it, his left foot suddenly sank into something like a bottomless mire.
He stumbled, instinctively trying to wrench his foot free, but an overwhelming suction locked around his ankle.
Glancing down, Somlai realized he had stepped straight into a trap!
He had already walked right into the range of the Gray Hands Mire!
Several ashen-white arms burst from the ground, clutching at his ankle!
These gray hands weren't like Giggs' vine tendrils, fragile and easily broken. To move even a single step forward, Somlai had to exert his full strength, and even then, all he could manage was to drag himself inch by inch. There was no chance of tearing free completely!
Chi!
Lynn struck again, his blade piercing Somlai. The Steel Armor that encased his body shattered once more.
This time, with no space to dodge, Somlai's body was torn open by a gaping wound.
And there was nothing he could do in return.
Using the speed of his Golden Mist Form, Lynn would strike and then immediately retreat, darting into the air.
Somlai, however, was anchored in place by the Gray Hands Mire, unable to budge!
As for long-range spells, Somlai knew some, but he wasn't skilled at them. After a few ineffective attempts, he gave up entirely.
Panic gnawed at him, though he still forced himself to sound calm:
"Three medium-strength zero-ring spells, plus the constant drain of that Golden Mist Form… I'll enjoy watching how long you can keep this up!"
Lynn didn't answer. He only smiled faintly and pressed the assault.
Once. Twice. Thrice…
After another shattering of his Steel Armor, Somlai finally broke. His eyes went bloodshot as he roared:
"Impossible! You're just a third-rank apprentice… a third-rank apprentice!"
It was true that the Golden Mist Form consumed a massive amount of power. Most of Lynn's magic was being burned just to sustain it.
Throughout the fight, he had only dared to use one extra spell, Tailwind.
But what does my limited mana have to do with White Raven Sword Qi?
Lynn thought quietly to himself.
He had no interest in explaining. Instead, he coldly declared:
"Your time is up, Somlai."
Then he launched another strike.
A few minutes later, Somlai's life force was completely extinguished.
In the end, he never managed to outlast Lynn's magic reserves.
Mardo and Giggs walked over, their expressions heavy with mixed emotions.
Mardo's eyes welled with tears.
Canceling the Golden Mist Form, Lynn exhaled in weariness, though his heart finally felt light.
At last, the problem was dealt with.
But… things aren't completely over yet.
Lynn turned toward Giggs and Mardo, a smile tugging at his lips.
"How about we pay a little visit to Somlai's home? I'd wager his estate is… quite substantial."
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