Chapter 12: Apprenticeship and Conclusion

As Dean Bruce swung the Wind Spirit Sword, his wrist flicked slightly, causing a drop of blood to slide down the blade and drip onto the ground.

Xerath Cade's heart was filled with terror. If his body hadn't been bound, he would have likely collapsed to the ground in fear.

That sword strike had truly brought him face to face with death.

In a calm tone, Dean Bruce said, "Xerath, I'm giving you one last chance. I hope you can provide me with a satisfactory answer."

On the surface, Dean Bruce appeared relaxed, but inwardly, he regretted the situation.

He had just wasted a precious advanced magic scroll!

That scroll was worth thousands of gold coins!

But it had to be used.

Otherwise, how could he extract the information he needed from Xerath Cade about the mastermind behind the plot?

As for casting the spell himself?

All of Dean Bruce's magic power was tied up in maintaining the The Compassion of Heaven and Earth spell, and he could only sustain its binding effect. He had no capacity to cast additional spells.

Moreover, the only other spells Dean Bruce had mastered were basic spells, which wouldn't be strong enough to harm Xerath Cade and might easily expose him. Thus, he had no choice but to rely on the magic scroll.

Xerath Cade gritted his teeth. "I... I really don't know!"

Upon hearing this, Dean Bruce was in no mood to be lenient. He reversed his grip, and the Wind Spirit Sword danced like a butterfly, swiftly slashing across Xerath Cade's face.

"Ah!"

Screams followed. "Damn you, just kill me!"

"You damned monster, I really don't know. Please, I beg you, spare me."

"Devil, you're a devil! Kill me, I can't take this anymore…"

"Please, just end it! I'm begging you, kill me quickly!"

"..."

And then, the voice stopped abruptly. Dean Bruce scanned the area and frowned.

Xerath Cade's head hung to the side; he had clearly taken his own life.

It was evident that he chose to end his suffering rather than endure the torment of the Wind Spirit Sword any longer.

Dispersing the Wind Spirit Sword, Dean Bruce began to ponder deeply. [If he chose to end his life, then he truly might not have known the identity of the mastermind. But this raises another question: why would someone target me, a mere teacher at a primary magic academy? And why send a talented dual practitioner like Xerath Cade to kill me?]

[Given my current status and the abilities I've shown, it doesn't make sense. This suggests that the mastermind has another agenda."

"But what could the reason be?]

[Could it be that I have some hidden identity? Like in the novels I read in my past life, am I some god reincarnated or a secret royal heir?]

Taking a deep breath, even with his imagination running wild, Dean Bruce couldn't determine the true reason behind the plot.

The clues left for him were too few to piece together a clear picture.

[Forget it for now. I'll just have to be more cautious in the coming days. If the mastermind tried to assassinate me once, they'll definitely try again. After enough attempts, I'll be able to catch them and figure out what's going on!]

Having made up his mind, Dean Bruce calmed his thoughts. He took a final look at Xerath Cade, confirming that he was indeed dead, and then dispelled the The Compassion of Heaven and Earth spell.

He had no choice—his magic reserves were nearly depleted.

Rustle, rustle—

As the spell dissipated, Xerath Cade's lifeless body slumped to the ground.

Joan Michelle quickly stepped forward, waved her staff, and the fire element surged wildly, instantly forming a fireball that she hurled at the corpse, igniting it in flames.

"This guy deserved to die!" Joan Michelle glared at the burning remains with intense hatred, then turned to Dean Bruce with hopeful eyes, asking eagerly, "Will you take me as your apprentice? Even as a servant would be fine! I'm willing to swear a life-and-death contract. If I ever betray you, let my soul be forever damned in hell, suffering the curses of demons!"

In the world of magic, contracts were far more binding than modern-day agreements. Once a contract was established, it couldn't be broken. If one attempted to break it, the gods themselves would ensure the offender faced the consequences.

Unless, of course, one possessed the power to challenge the gods—otherwise, a contract was an irreversible bond.

This showed just how completely Joan Michelle had been convinced by Dean Bruce's charade. She wouldn't have been willing to make such a vow otherwise!

Dean Bruce smiled and shook his head, saying, "I can take you as my apprentice, but the contract won't be necessary. I trust you."

In truth, Dean Bruce would have preferred to form the contract, as it would have ensured Joan Michelle's absolute loyalty.

However, he didn't know how to perform contract magic, so he had to decline.

After all, in Joan Michelle's eyes, Dean Bruce was a powerful and mysterious mage. If he suddenly revealed that he couldn't even perform contract magic, it would definitely raise her suspicions!

"Really?" Joan Michelle's eyes lit up, and she broke into a wide, foolish grin, too excited to notice anything amiss.

At that moment, the group of over a hundred students rushed over as well.

"Teacher! Teacher! What should we do now?"

"After something like this, should we end the assessment and head back, or do we continue?"

"Teacher, when the term officially starts, will you teach us?"

Surrounded by the chattering students, now free from the life-threatening danger, Dean Bruce felt his head begin to ache from the overwhelming noise.

Despite the constant chatter of the students, Dean Bruce maintained his demeanor as a calm and powerful figure, refusing to show any signs of irritation. Instead, he smiled and said, "The situation has been resolved, so the assessment will continue!"

Before gaining his newfound powers, Dean Bruce would have likely chosen to end the assessment in such a situation.

However, now that he had acquired the tenfold insight and strength from Joan Michelle's understanding of The Compassion of Heaven and Earth, he felt confident in his ability to protect himself. Naturally, he wasn't eager to return just yet.

Taking advantage of the wilderness, he wanted to solidify the rewards and advancements he had received.

As he noticed the students about to start chattering again, Dean Bruce flicked his sleeve and sternly instructed, "Get on with what you need to do!"

Hearing this, the students exchanged nervous glances. Not wanting to provoke Dean Bruce, they obediently closed their mouths and continued deeper into the Vega Forest.

Once the students were out of sight, Dean Bruce let out a sigh of relief and quickly opened his attribute panel to check the system's latest reward—The Wind of the Night!

[The Wind of the Night—Pendant · Exquisite]

[Magic Power: +13]

[When wearing this pendant, if operating at night, the magic consumption of all spells is reduced by 10%.]

[When wearing this pendant, if operating at night, injecting magic into the pendant will render the wearer invisible for up to 300 seconds.]

After reading the description, Dean Bruce couldn't help but smile. Reduced magic consumption and the ability to become invisible? This truly was a piece of top-tier equipment!

The only downside was the night-time limitation.

During the day, the pendant's only benefit was the +13 boost to magic power.

[Well, having a magic boost isn't bad at all. Until I find another piece of equipment, this will do just fine.]

Dean Bruce took out The Wind of the Night and hung it around his neck. Immediately, he felt a warm current flowing into his body, filling him with a sense of renewed strength.

A satisfied smile curled at the corners of Dean Bruce's lips as he reflected on his latest reward. His gaze shifted, and he realized that Joan Michelle was still standing by his side, her head slightly bowed.

Noticing Dean Bruce's attention, Joan Michelle quickly spoke up, "Teacher, at what level do I need to master The Compassion of Heaven and Earth before you can teach me a new spell?"

Now that she had officially become his student, Joan Michelle had begun addressing Dean Bruce as "Teacher."

This was the first time Dean Bruce had been called a teacher, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Nodding, he replied, "When you can successfully use different elements to cast The Compassion of Heaven and Earth, I will teach you a new spell."

Thanks to the system's tenfold insight reward, Dean Bruce had a profound understanding of The Compassion of Heaven and Earth and knew that it could be cast using different elements. He couldn't help but marvel at how easily Joan Michelle could be persuaded.

After all, he had only spouted some random words, yet she had managed to turn them into a real, functioning spell.

Moreover, the magic she had grasped genuinely connected to the words and the nonsense he had come up with.

Hearing Dean Bruce's response, Joan Michelle murmured to herself, "So it really can be used with different elements! Teacher is truly amazing; every word he says holds deep wisdom. I must practice diligently and never let Teacher down!"

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Now that I've officially become your student, should I offer another gift? The previous one was too simple—hardly fitting for a high-level spell like this!"