88 - Lingchi

The Green Giant?

(TL/n - Hulk.)

Lynn, who had just entered, was also startled by Nour's appearance, but he quickly realized he had overreacted. Nour's condition looked terrible, with his height exceeding two meters, a swollen right shoulder, and his chest heaving violently. Drool continuously dripped from his mouth, making him look like a grotesque monster.

So... is this the result of a failed magical transformation?

Lynn immediately thought of those deformed individuals he had seen in the South District, the so-called defects.

In his contemplation, the enraged Nour had already charged directly towards him, covering several meters in just a few steps.

Lynn extended his finger, and a wisp of fire manifested at his fingertip, quickly expanding into a roaring blaze, colliding with the oncoming Nour.

The scorching flames continued to sear Nour's green skin, but he paid no attention, emitting a painful howl. He faced the fire head-on, swinging his right fist towards Lynn.

Nour was well aware that close combat was his only chance.

Apart from the wizards well-versed in morphology, the rest of the wizards didn't have much sturdier bodies compared to ordinary people. In the face of this powerful and heavy blow, Lynn sidestepped, avoiding it. Nour's robust fist left a deep imprint on the earthen wall beside him.

Compared to the Witch hunters who had taken the Elixir of Divine, Nour lacked both strength and speed. Most importantly, his punches were unstructured, indicating his lack of experience in close combat.

However, his recovery speed was quite impressive.

Lynn keenly noticed that Nour's burnt skin was rapidly shedding and healing, causing Nour to spiral into a frenzy. He stared at Lynn with bloodshot eyes, emitting another roar, charging like an uncontrollable tank.

Seeing this situation, Lynn refrained from using magic and instead drew his longsword from his waist. At such a close range, using white phosphorus fire was too dangerous, and even the Liquid Nitrogen-Ice Domain couldn't ensure a quick kill.

Moreover, he needed to keep Nour alive.

Observing Lynn's intention to fight him with a sword, Nour felt that the wizard in front of him must have lost his mind in a panic.

Nour had already figured out that his opponent was not a morphology-focused wizard, or else he would have used magic to transform himself when Nour got close.

But what could a Wizard do when faced with a close-range confrontation?

Nour's face revealed a triumphant, malicious grin. Perhaps he would become the first apprentice to kill a proper wizard in a head-on battle.

However, Nour quickly realized that things were not as he had imagined. His opponent's strength wasn't great, and his speed wasn't remarkable, but he consistently evaded attacks by a hair's breadth. Nour's body seemed to actively expose itself to his opponent's blade. In a moment, deep bloodstains had been cut into his green skin.

Even though these injuries healed within seconds, Nour's expression began to show signs of unease.

Nothing came without a cost, and his healing ability was no exception. As an apprentice wizard, the limited magic in his body was being swiftly drained. It wouldn't be long before he was completely depleted.

Thinking of this, Nour's attacks became increasingly frantic, which only made his vulnerabilities more evident.

On the other side, Lynn immediately noticed that Nour's strength, speed, and regenerative abilities were slowly weakening.

It's time...

Lynn's gaze focused, and he bent down to avoid Nour's enormous right fist. Then, he swung his sword again, piercing accurately from the side and lodging the blade into the crevice of Nour's spine.

Nour roared, attempting to rise and retaliate. But he quickly realized in horror that his lower body had lost all control, and he could do nothing to change his situation, his body helplessly limp on the ground.

What kind of magic is this?

Nour was completely panicked. Soon, the ground beneath him, already ravaged and distorted, rapidly cracked and transformed into fine sand, engulfing his body. A few seconds later, it solidified once more.

Nour recognized these two spells: "Fossil to Mud" and "Mud to Stone."

In just a brief moment, most of Nour's body had been embedded in the ground, and he was completely immobilized.

"This wizard, you can't kill me... otherwise, Lord Radak will not spare you, and the 'Blood-Red Thorns,' you have no idea of their power..." Nour screamed fearfully.

His answer was a sword thrust from top to bottom, piercing his shoulder. Nour's sharp cries were instantly replaced by agonizing wails.

Lynn withdrew his longsword, pointing it at Nour's head this time and stated concisely, "I ask, you answer. You scream one second longer, and I'll cut you one more time."

Nour's cries stopped at once, but he continued to watch Lynn with pain and fear, unable to speak.

"Nour, a student admitted to Iyeta Academy in the ninth batch, six years ago, you were forced to leave because you couldn't pass the elemental and morphology exams. The next year, you joined the 'Blood-Red Thorns'..."

Lynn calmly recited some of the information he had acquired from Laut, eroding Nour's psychological defenses. Then, he turned to Nour and continued to speak.

"I know a lot about you, Nour, so you better not attempt to lie in front of me. Otherwise, the consequences are something you won't want to know."

"Now, tell me, on that morning three days ago, where were you, and what did you do?" Lynn inquired.

"I was at the 'Broadaxe Tavern.' A halfling named Ralph found me and wanted to exchange airship blueprints for a bounty..." Nour's gaze flickered as he stuttered.

Lynn's gaze turned cold instantly, and this time he thrust his sword through Nour's right arm. A sharp pain immediately elicited a painful howl.

It was obvious that Nour was lying.

Because, on the day before Ralph's death, he had just conducted a flight experiment, and the 'Blood-Red Thorns' wouldn't issue a reward until the afternoon or evening at the earliest. On that afternoon, the halfling was still assisting with airship control, and he was responsible for the night watch. He had no time to gather such secretive information.

You must think I'm a fool...

Lynn glanced at the still uncooperative Nour, with a touch of amusement in his voice.

"Do you know, where I come from, there used to be a very interesting punishment, called 'Lingchi?' It involves using a knife to cut the prisoner's flesh piece by piece..."

"But don't worry, the executioners' skills are definitely better than you might imagine. They avoid the major arteries and ensure that each piece of flesh they cut off is of consistent length and thickness... To prevent the victim from fainting too soon, they often sprinkle some saltwater on the blade..."

TL/n -

Lingchi (Chinese: 凌遲), usually translated "slow slicing" or "death by a thousand cuts", was a form of torture and execution used in China from around the 10th century until the early 20th century. 

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You can read - 

Scientific Wizard (up to Chapter 200)

Wizard + System (up to Chapter 155)