Chapter 291: What Has This Kid Been Eating to Grow So Strong?!

"Has Mother gone mad? Wasn't she just supposed to test Wood's abilities? Why is she getting so serious now?

Wood is my sister's child! What if he gets hurt?"

Seeing Claire use advanced magic right from the start, Therese became frantic. She thought her mother was going too far. Even if Claire still held a grudge against Zenith, that was no reason to take it out on a child.

Just as Therese was about to step in and stop the battle, someone behind her placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Please wait a moment, Lady Therese. Lady Claire has no intention of harming Master Wood. She only wants to see his true strength, which is why she had us standing by."

The person who appeared behind her was the Latreia family's butler, accompanied by a Temple Knight who specialized in healing magic. Both were skilled advanced mages.

Their purpose for being there was, of course, by Claire's order—to be ready to heal any injuries sustained during the spar.

As the enormous, toothy shark made of water lunged at Wood, everyone present thought he was bound to get hurt.

However, Wood quickly proved that his abilities far surpassed their expectations.

With the giant water shark about to bite down on him, Wood swiftly formed a water blade in his hand. With lightning speed, he sliced downward at the approaching shark.

Unlike typical magic attacks or techniques reliant on energy, the arc of his blade created a slash so powerful it split the massive shark in two, leaving a deep gouge in the ground.

"He used magic to cut through magic…"

Therese stared, dumbfounded by what she had just witnessed. She had seen plenty of mages before, but using magic in such a way during combat was a first for her.

"No… it wasn't just magic. The slash that cut through Lady Claire's water magic… it looked like magic, but I didn't feel any mana at all.

That means it wasn't magic. What he used was some kind of combat technique, one we've never seen before."

Therese had assumed Wood was using magic, but the butler and the Temple Knight healer, both experts in magic, knew better—Wood hadn't used any magic at all!

Wood, having effortlessly cleaved the water shark in half, didn't stop there. He quickly closed the distance between himself and Claire, pressing the attack.

Realizing she didn't have time to chant a spell, Claire gripped her staff tightly and used it like a sword to block Wood's strikes.

Claire was trained in the Water God Style of swordsmanship, and her staff, crafted entirely of mythril, not only served as a conduit for magic but also as a formidable longsword.

Wood, however, was using the Sword God Style, which focused heavily on offense. Given that his skill in swordsmanship exceeded Claire's, even with her proficiency in the defensive Water God Style, she found herself continually forced back.

Claire had once been an advanced-level Water God Style swordswoman. Though she was no longer in her prime, the fact that Wood could pressure her like this only confirmed his status as a "Sword Saint."

Just as Wood thought it might be time to ease up and let his elder save face by conceding the duel, he noticed a sudden smile spread across Claire's face.

"The Sword God Style is indeed powerful and aggressive. Your unique combat techniques are also quite impressive.

But focusing only on the enemy in front of you while ignoring threats from behind… well, that's a dangerous mistake to make."

Hearing Claire's words, Wood quickly turned around in shock, only to realize that he had fallen into her trap.

The massive water shark he had sliced in half hadn't disappeared.

Instead, the two halves of the shark had split into two large masses of water, now floating ominously behind him.

With a wave of her mythril staff, Claire forced Wood back. Her mana surged, and the floating water masses transformed into a swarm of deadly piranhas.

"Don't forget, child, I am a Saint-level water mage. Against someone with greater swordsmanship, why wouldn't I rely on my superior magic instead of swordplay?"

The piranhas, born from water, moved through the air at terrifying speed, quickly encircling Wood.

The butler and Temple Knight healer, thinking the match was over, started moving forward to heal Wood.

But just as they stepped forward, they saw Wood draw a magic staff from his back. In the next moment, they felt a massive surge of mana, and the air around them grew suddenly and intensely hot.

"No way…"

"Fire Saint Magic: Crimson Nova!"

In the stunned silence that followed, a crimson magic circle appeared on the ground. A towering pillar of fire shot up from the Latreia estate's garden, sending a wave of heat washing over everything.

The roaring flames, upon exploding into existence, not only raised the temperature to scorching levels but also instantly vaporized the water piranhas surrounding Wood, turning them into steam.

"A Saint-level fire mage… This boy can't be more than fifteen, right?"

As the flames gradually died down and the charred earth came into view, the Temple Knight, a healer who specialized in magic, muttered to himself in disbelief as he stared at Wood.

"Lady Therese, didn't you say Master Wood was a Sword Saint? What in the world is going on here?"

Not only the Temple Knight but also the Latreia family's elderly butler looked stunned. His gaze shifted to Therese, hoping for some explanation.

However, what the butler didn't know was that Therese was just as shocked as they were.

The earlier battle had convinced everyone that Wood was indeed at a "Sword Saint" level of swordsmanship. But what no one had anticipated was that Wood was not only a Sword Saint—he was also a Saint-level fire mage!

Up until now, Therese had believed that in her mother's youth, Claire had been something of a prodigy, blessed by the gods with both immense talent in magic and remarkable skill in swordsmanship.

But now, Therese realized that her mother paled in comparison. Her nephew was the real prodigy!

At just twelve years old, Wood had already become a rare SS-level adventurer, possessed Sword Saint-level swordsmanship, and had reached the rank of Fire Saint as a mage.

Moreover, whether it was his swordsmanship or his magic, it was clear that Wood wasn't your typical "Saint-level" combatant. He had mastered both combat techniques and chantless magic!

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 400+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a