Fight in the Marsh

In the depths of the night, due to Bosain's suggestion, the five of them abandoned the idea of resting and all gathered inside one room, where they each took turns for the night watch.

As it seemed, the enemy team had the same idea.

"They have left the inn." -Somberly warned Leylin, who was monitoring the other team's acolytes with the help of Aralis.

Upon hearing his voice, the other 4 acolytes, who were all previously snoozing either on the sofa or on the bed, suddenly opened their eyes.

"I analyzed the sound of their footsteps as they left. They were all heading in the direction of the Zither Moon Mountain Plains." Continued Leylin.

"Choosing nighttime to start a war, eh? Let's catch up with them!" -Bosain excitedly spoke.

As people who had survived the Bloodbath, he, Merlin, and the others had all experienced the letting of the enemy's blood. As far as this situation was concerned, not only did they all lack the common fear experienced by newbie acolytes, but instead, they all were looking forward to it for some unknown reason.

During this whole time, their knapsacks were unopened and left in the corner. Merlin and the rest hurriedly strapped them on and left the inn. As they moved outside, Leylin had discreetly assumed his position at the rear, as he calmly observed every move from his teammates. Especially Bosain.

Unlike his companions, Leylin had scanned the enemy group and was perfectly aware of the real threat they posed. He would use the upcoming fight to gauge the true abilities of the Lilytell heir, as well as have some fun himself.

So far, he had everything under control, and it showed as his blank face momentarily shifted from an unreadable expression to a bloodthirsty grin.

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A total of 10 black shadows had disappeared into the Zither Moon Mountain Plains, under the dim glow of the starlight. These were the first group of acolytes to leave the inn.

Minutes later, five additional figures that were hard to track using one's eyes also rapidly left the town for the entrance of the mountain range.

'The other party wouldn't be so naive that they think they could outrun us. The only possibility is that they chose to fight on their own terms, and will likely set up many traps along the way to the swamp… Mines, basic summons, and mayhaps even a few alchemical combat elixirs… Hopefully, they shall live up to my expectations.' -Leylin's eyes gleamed with cunning, surmising the thoughts of the other party.

[Your side consists of only level 3 acolytes and you even have 4 magic artifacts. I did not detect any energy waves from magic artifacts on the other party. Unfortunately, it appears this will be a one-sided massacre, Doctor.] -Aralis chimed in.

'Of course, it will... You have misread me, Aralis. Naturally, I did not wish to be tested in this instance. That would be impossible, as those acolytes are little more than rats compared to me. No, what I am eagerly awaiting is to see what creative ways my teammates use to defeat our fodder-level opponents. That is to say, I am sure only Bosain would be able to win without using his full strength. As for Merlin and those other two randoms, I know they might even be at risk of dying…'

[In other words, you just want to spectate this battle?]

'Correct. There is no need for my direct involvement. In fact, it is in my best interest to preserve my resources and energy for when it truly matters…' -Leylin's lips curled into a wicked smirk before it disappeared completely.

A branch that was in the way was broken as Roth dashed through, his speed was not lowering the slightest.

Through meditation, acolytes can reflect their magic power on their own bodies, greatly enhancing their physical qualities. Concerning level 3 acolytes, the increase of Spiritual Force alone can already bring their vitality up to 2.5, equal to that of a Knight. Moreover, a level 3 acolyte could, through various self-experimentation, obtain stronger and larger physical prowess.

Nevertheless, all of this enhancement would never actually be quite as effective as the kind of 'organic' growth one would obtain if they cultivated the Knight path, just as Leylin had.

The pitch-black night, together with the jumbled branches and vines, could not hinder the speed of Leylin and his party.

"The other team has stopped!" Merlin drew to a halt and scrutinized the whole surrounding.

Towering trees with their tops seemingly supporting the heavens, the dense foliage and undergrowth completely shielded them from the starlight, and only trickles of starlight were visible through the leaves.

But this was just enough for acolytes to see.

"This distance is already far from the town. Even if we released any energy waves through spellcasting, no one would discover it!" -Merlin took out a beautiful small wand of a dark blue color. It was a summoning-type artifact of the same type Leylin had stolen from Jayden at that time. This was the most popular kind of offensive magic artifact for its ease of activation and great destructive power.

"You actually took out your magic artifact, just to deal with a few pieces of trash?" -Bosain laughed and retracted his hand into the large sleeves of his tunic.

Merlin bit his tongue and merely looked away to avoid uttering anything that would incur the wrath of the young master.

Looking at Aralis's scan result, Leylin was somewhat speechless. Under the detection of Aralis, Bosain too held onto his own magic artifact. It was even one which could immediately be activated.

This behavior of Bosain, where he contradicted himself by speaking one thing but doing something else, was something Merlin and those other two acolytes were used to. But Leylin could only find it amusing, in a condescending and arrogant way. In his eyes, his companions were little children waddling about in the darkness of the road to power.

On the other side, Shaya and Roth also made their individual preparations. As for Leylin, he did not even bother unsheathing his Shifting Dagger. It was an identical copy of the one he had lost during the Bloodbath, and he bought it mere days before leaving the academy.

Acolytes who survived the Bloodbath were extremely clear on one point— even a lion has to use its full force to catch a rabbit. No matter how weak the opponent seems, one must not slack off. If not, the loss of one's own life might happen.

However, that did not apply to one particular acolyte, who was more than prepared to use his party as meatshields while he held back at a safe distance.

"Let's go and get rid of them!" -Merlin laughed sardonically and stepped out first.

After going past a black leafy tree, Leylin saw a dark green marsh. The surface of the swamp had many dried branches and leaves, interspersed with the corpses of other animals.

On the other side of the swamp, the 10 acolytes that they saw previously were standing there quietly.

What was different about their outfits was that on the cloak and robes, they were already wearing the badge that represented the academy they were in.

"Sage Gotham's Hut." -Merlin icily said.

"Acolytes of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy!" -The leader of the other party had some guesses about the identity of Leylin's party.

'It seems like another fresh bunch of magicians will soon be dead. Good.' -Leylin rejoiced in his heart. Both parties, the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy and the Sage Gotham's Hut, had just ended the war. Hence their mutual hatred was as deep as the sea.

Although the mediation by the Lighthouse of the Night had made them sign a peace treaty, that was at most a form of restraint for the official Magi. As for acolytes, if the two sides were to see each other, then it was certain that one side would perish.

The two parties stood quietly and faced off the other. For a moment, even the air seemed to have congealed.

"Prepare yourselves for combat!" -Bosain had his hand raised high. The other hand was ready to grab his magic artifact.

"It seems like this will be a show worth seeing…" -Muttered a certain someone who was already hidden in the darkness of the nearby trees.

"Don't go easy on them!" -Shaya's medium-sized wand, which had a green jewel as its center of power, was already drawn.

'She would be the first one to charge in with the elemental spells that characterize her battle style.' -The hidden entity deduced.

"Do not worry, young lady, we are not here to play around!" -The moment he opened his mouth to speak, a murderous glint flashed in Merlin's eyes and the wand on his hand radiated a ray of blue light. "Ready your weapons!"

The two parties suddenly lunged. There was one moment where time seemed to come to a standstill— a still image where both parties stood face to face, as if the world had been taken out of focus. The next moment, the air turned to chaos.

"Let the real fight begin!" -Bosain took out a red jewel from a hidden pocket and immediately shoved it into the empty socket on his magic artifact.

Leylin raised a brow and smirked. 'It appears our dear leader does not plan to leave anything to chance. He means to end our enemy in one swift, devastating move.'

Then, with a loud cry, he thrust the shining artifact high in the air and brought it down on the ground, causing the entire region to shake.

A massive explosion of hot air scorched the surroundings, and a fierce arcane blaze was unleashed.

After the massive explosion which had suddenly rendered the landscape, Leylin finally moved. He could sense the other party on fire, and their life force slowly draining from their corpses.

"Well done. Not too shabby for a degraded family heirloom." -A look of cold indifference was etched on his face, and his gaze turned to Bosain- and then started laughing. "Oh yes, I like you. You don't have the same dull air as our compatriots. I'll enjoy torturing you to death."

Meanwhile, the other party was all on the ground, but the enemy leader quivered to his knees, and even through all the blood running down his neck and hands, his furious expression promised an act of swift revenge on the Abyssal Bone Forest acolytes.

"Help, guys!" -Shaya screamed as she too crawled away from the fire. She had been inadvertently caught in the enormous blast. "Make it stop!"

"I'll end this now! We can't risk it! Our enemies are knocked down, and we may never get another chance to finish them so easily. Forgive me, Shaya!" -Said a struggling Bosain as he prepared a spell formation with one hand.

'Dumb whore got caught herself in the fire. If you're not even able to move away from the area of effect of your own teammate's spell, then you do not deserve to live a second longer.' -Leylin concluded with a nod.

A colorful reddish purple sigil appeared in front of Bosain.

"What are you doing, Bosain?!" -Roth demanded an answer.

"She's our comrade!" -Merlin was appalled as well. He knew that if it came down to it, he could never stop his leader.

But they were blissfully ignored. Leylin obviously did not voice any complaint or even made his presence known; he just watched Bosain with interest from within the shadows.

As grim realization dawned on the faces of Roth and Merlin, as the attractive Shaya screamed for a reprieve. But to no avail. A deadly ray of Negative Energy shot out of the noblest acolyte from his pale fingertip.

As the ray of Negative Energy was unleashed, the other team let out shrieks of terror. The acolytes who got caught in its range were all instantly destroyed. With no one left standing, the other team soon fell silent, and the eerie quiet returned to the area, interrupted by the occasional crackle of flames and the sound of dissolving bones and flesh.

Bearing a considerable fraction of Bosain's magic power, the spell's latent potential was already superior to that of his magic artifact. But it also took a heavy toll on his Mana Energy reserves.

Neither Shaya nor their enemies could withstand even a second of the attack. Their entire bodies, along with their magic artifacts and items, were reduced to ashes in an instant.

"Despicable! How could you do that?!" -Roth yelled in disdain at his leader. Merlin's hands trembled with barely contained anger.

"This is war..." -Bosain told coolly. Though beneath his mask of resolve, and unbeknownst to his teammates, he had ironically begun to develop some feelings for the girl he had just killed. Alas, his ambitions and cowardice won out in the end, driving him to presently regret his actions.

"And as it seems, it's not over yet. Despite your best -albeit lacking- efforts, the enemy has prevailed." -Leylin pointed out, as he walked to the middle of the area with a casual stride.

"Where the fuck have you been, anyway?!" -Bosain exclaimed as he turned his head, letting out his frustration and laying it on his companion.

"Observing the fight. It is because of this that I noticed how the concealed level 3 acolytes escaped the confrontation." -Leylin stated with an unreadable expression on his handsome countenance.

"Wait, what? What do you mean?" -Merlin asked confused.

"Speak clearly!" -Bosain had no patience for Leylin's ambiguousness.

"I will not waste my time explaining something that you should have already realized on your own. In fact, it is best for your growth as Magi that you figure it out yourselves. Just know that it will fall to me to correct your mistake, Bosain— and dispose of those who fled the battlefield."

Leylin's words cut deep into the pride of Merlin and Bosain. As for Roth, he was still mourning his fallen comrade and did not pay much attention to the ongoing conversation.

Before anyone could reply to Leylin's declaration, the Farlier heir disappeared in front of their eyes using his Grand Knight speed, leaving behind a team with a storm of mixed feelings.

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"Shit! That was close, Boss!" -One hooded acolyte said as he tried to regain his breath. Having to employ one of his magic artifacts to escape the previous battlefield was the one thing he did not expect when coming into contact with that Abyssal Bone Forest bunch.

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'd never imagined that one of the strongest from that trash-tier academy would have come here." -A taller figure, who wore a set of more expensive robes, replied. He too was feeling nauseous from the blinking effect of that magic artifact. In truth, they were not very far from the place where his team had been obliterated.

"In hindsight, you should feel incompetent." -A voice echoed through the marsh. It was grave and carried a sense of wisdom. The two acolytes tried in vain to search for the source.

"It was only to be expected that a group who came all this way to this godsforsaken region, would have a compelling reason to do so. And that would only signify that their means and resources would be on par with yours. In other words, only those of noble descent or who occupied an important place in their academy would dare explore this poisonous land."

"Who...?! Who said that?!" -The apparent leader asked, as he wielded a staff with a green sun on its tip.

"Right now, I can confirm that you acolytes were nurtured in a greenhouse, and possess no real experience of seeing a war field that reeks of blood. You are as hopeless as sheep in the face of the butcher. I am he. Your adversary!" -Leylin appeared right in front of them, with his hands extended outwards but facing the sky, as if he were issuing a challenge.

He looked at the two acolytes with a pitiable look. Then he smirked. He guessed that these Sage Gotham's students did not even participate in the previous Bloodbath. Their childish mentality was the same as when they were inside their academy.