Chapter 66 Mali

　　"Ahem, I'll tell you, but you gotta let us go and give us some water and food," Sain faced Stanton, when suddenly a voice came from behind him.

　　Mali, an Intermediate apprentice who had been weakly lying in a sandy depression, struggled to stand up.

　　Pale lips and a deathly white face showed that Mali was not in good shape.

　　Nevertheless, he still held a Magic short wand in his hand, which appeared to contain a powerful Intermediate spell.

　　"Your Magic Spring is almost depleted, Sain. I remember it hasn't been long since you were promoted to Intermediate," Mali declared once again.

　　"If you let us go and give us food and water, I'll tell you everything we know."

　　Mali's show of strength impressed Sain, but he noticed that Mali's attention was mainly focused on the fallen Advanced apprentice, Stanton.

　　These two guys obviously had a genuine emotional bond.

　　Stanton was willing to let Mali draw blood to save him, and Mali was most concerned about Stanton at the moment.

　　The intense emotional connection between these two male Dark Magic Apprentices made Sain feel strange.

　　Looking at these two guys who were willing to sacrifice their lives for each other, he felt absurd -- he was the bad guy!

　　Taking a deep breath, Sain turned around and sneered, "You can try to unleash the spell in your Magic short wand and see if it can harm me."

　　"But I guarantee that Stanton will definitely die under my Fireball first!"

　　"And you, in the end, will certainly die under my Acidic Wand of Strength. As an Intermediate apprentice, you should have heard of this Advanced magic tool," Sain said calmly.

　　Sain's reply made Mali's face even paler.

　　But it was Stanton who reacted more intensely.

　　This big guy paid no attention to the Fireball spell pressed against his neck, and the sound of flames sizzling and burning flesh could be heard as he struggled to stand up again.

　　The toughness of Stanton's vitality made Sain doubt whether a Minor Fireball Spell could really take his life.

　　After all, this guy had previously withstood two Intermediate-level spells with just his flesh and blood!

　　Sain had never seen such a freak before, who could withstand magic without a Magic Shield.

　　The Minor Fireball spell in Sain's hand grew stronger with the infusion of his Magic Spring, and the smell of burning filled the air.

　　Just as Sain was about to cast a spell at this guy, it was actually Mali across from him who stopped him.

　　"Don't do it!"

　　Mali directly threw away his Magic short wand.

　　Faced with Stanton, who was burned again by the Minor Fireball spell, Mali stumbled towards him, even falling twice on the way.

　　Sain lifted his Magic short wand a few times as the weak Intermediate-level apprentice approached him, but ultimately put it down again.

　　He could see that this weak Intermediate-level apprentice posed no threat, and after voluntarily throwing away his Magic short wand, this guy had lost his last bit of resistance.

　　Taking a step back, Sain left space for the two in front of him.

　　After all, they were neighbors.

　　Although the recent events were unpleasant, Sain was not in a hurry to kill them immediately.

　　They were the only two living people he had seen since he arrived in the Yellow Sand World.

　　Even just talking, or even fighting, was better than Sain wandering blindly alone in the desert.

　　Mali, who had reached Stanton's side, moved his head onto his lap and whispered something to the severely injured giant.

　　Stanton, who had swelled to two and a half meters during the battle, had already shrunk back to two meters after it ended.

　　The tattered black magic robe on him spoke of its wear and tear, but his muscular physique was a testament to the enormous strength he possessed in his prime.

　　The sappy exchange of sweet nothings between the two men sent shivers down Sain's spine.

　　Stanton was at a loss for words, his consciousness muddled, and so he let Mali do most of the talking, in hushed tones.

　　Through Mali's whisperings, Sain gathered that these were two weak Dark Magic Apprentices who had survived the harsh realities of Mosobla City's underground world for 22 years.

　　Stanton's advanced apprentice strength was not attained through training but rather the result of being experimented on by official Dark Magicians.

　　Moreover, it seemed that all this time, Mali had been the one in charge while Stanton, with his strength, lacked the brains.

　　But the two had recognized each other and had a bond so strong that Sain couldn't help but compare it to his own relationship with Lena.

　　Sain had thought that Mosobla City's underground world was a place of deceit, darkness, and betrayal, but he hadn't expected to come across such deeply affectionate men.

　　Stanton and Mali's profound connection softened Sain's cold demeanor.

　　Especially since he could see that the two men were defenseless, the fireball spell in Sain's hand quietly extinguished, and he held the Acidic Wand of Strength ready, just in case of any instability.

　　"Okay, tell me what happened."

　　"Where are those advanced apprentices and aspiring Magicians who entered this yellow sand alternate world in the early stages?"

　　"And how did you two meet?" Sain asked nonchalantly.

　　Although Mali was extremely weak, he managed to answer Sain's questions.

　　Under Sain's scrutiny, Mali slowly recounted everything he knew.

　　...

　　Mali had indeed entered the Space-Time Rift with Sain, but he had arrived a week earlier.

　　Mali had gone through two nights and, through the other's words, Sain accurately learned the duration of daylight in this yellow sand world - fifteen days in Wizarding World time.

　　When asked about the location of the Advanced Apprentices and the aspiring Magicians, Mali pointed towards a certain spot in the desert and replied.

　　"They should be heading in that direction, but it'll take about ten more days to get there, according to Stanton."

　　Mali's direction coincided with the direction in which Sain's two elemental orbs were emitting heat.

　　This meant that Sain had been on the right path all along, easing his mind.

　　As for how Mali and Stanton had met...according to Mali, they had always had a mysterious connection between them.

　　Originally, this connection was unique to Stanton and seemed to be the result of the Dark Magician's modifications to him.

　　However, Mali had gradually developed this connection as well, and ever since Mali arrived in the yellow sand world, Stanton had disregarded the warnings of the other Advanced Apprentices and aspiring Magicians in the camp and had forcibly set out to find Mali in the depths of the desert.

　　It must be said that Stanton was foolish, despite being an Advanced Apprentice, as he had failed to prepare adequately for the journey into the desert and nearly perished along with Mali.