"Firebird!"
A small bird, formed entirely of flames, flapped its wings and soared forward, diving toward an apprentice from the Nightshadow Fortress.
The apprentice's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with shock. Before he even had the chance to cast a defensive spell, the firebird engulfed him in an instant, reducing him to a pile of charred remains.
"That's it?"
The Furnace apprentice curled his lips into a smirk, his eyes brimming with disdain.
"Frost Kiss!"
His companion sneered as he chanted another spell. A surge of ice magic followed immediately, striking another Nightshadow Fortress apprentice with precision.
Frost quickly spread across the apprentice's body, freezing him in place. In the next moment, his body shattered into countless icy shards, scattering in all directions.
The two Furnace apprentices were brimming with confidence. As wizard apprentices, they held a significant advantage over ordinary trainees.
However, the tides of battle soon shifted. Before they could let out a breath of relief, rustling sounds echoed from the depths of the forest more Nightshadow Fortress apprentices were approaching.
Several more figures emerged from the dense shadows of the trees, surrounding the duo and leaving them no chance to escape.
As the saying goes, even ants can take down an elephant when there are enough of them. Though these two were among the elite of the wizard apprentices, they were not full-fledged wizards yet. The gap between them and the Nightshadow Fortress apprentices was not insurmountable.
The lingering scent of the hallucinogenic mist had already given away their location.
With an increasing number of Nightshadow Fortress apprentices converging, the situation was turning dire…
At the same time, Lynn and his two companions were making their way toward the main force.
Before setting out, the trio had reached a consensus:
They would avoid direct conflict with the Nightshadow Fortress apprentices and prioritize regrouping with their main force.
After all, within their group, only Sonya possessed overwhelming combat power. Lynn and Colin were relatively weaker in battle, relying more on their survival skills.
At the start of their journey, things had gone smoothly.
Aside from narrowly avoiding an ambush by Nightshadow Spiders, they encountered little danger along the way.
However, luck could not be on their side forever.
By the morning of the following day, Lynn found himself facing the first true battle of his wizard apprentice career.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse canopy, casting scattered patches of light onto the ground. The air shimmered with faint beams of the Tyndall effect.
Suddenly, the silence of the forest was broken.
From behind a thick tree trunk ahead, four figures slowly emerged.
Dressed in identical wizard robes, each bore a pitch-black insignia on their chests a mark of the Nightshadow Fortress apprentices.
The two small groups met in the depths of the woods, and in that instant, the air grew tense.
The seven apprentices locked eyes, the killing intent between them growing thick.
A gentle breeze rustled through the forest, but it only served to intensify the oppressive atmosphere, as though an invisible rope had bound the two groups in a deadly standoff.
Lynn's expression remained as calm as still water, showing neither fear nor panic. Instead, his gaze was steady and composed.
To him, the most lopsided battle he had ever faced was the entrance trial at the Furnace his life-or-death duel against Russell.
At that time, he had been nothing more than a skinny, frail figure, forced to fight against a brawny, battle-hardened knight's squire.
Compared to that, today's fight was hardly as daunting.
Though they were outnumbered four against three and Lynn was only a Second-level Wizard Apprentice, the difference in power was not insurmountable.
Raising his hand slightly, the crystal orb concealed within his robes stirred gently.
Using his mental power, Lynn guided the orb, quickly scanning the opposing group's power levels.
"Two Third-level Wizard Apprentices. Two Second-level Wizard Apprentices. Mental power readings: 25, 26, 13, and 12."
He whispered the information to Colin and Sonya.
From the very beginning of their partnership, the three had openly shared their strengths to establish tactical coordination.
Lynn, thanks to his teacher's gift, had naturally taken on the role of the team's scout much to Sonya's envy.
Though Rosalind's students weren't known for their combat prowess, their other skills were undeniably enviable.
Their strategy was simple:
Analyze the opponent's strength before engaging. If they could win, they would fight. If the odds were against them, they would flee without hesitation.
At this moment, the battle was within their ability to handle!
"Take this Blazing Impact!"
Colin was the first to launch an attack. His voice rang out like a war horn, echoing through the woods.
Without the slightest hesitation, he swiftly chanted his spell. In just three breaths' time, a blazing column of fire burst forth from his hands, surging straight toward one of the Third-level Wizard Apprentices.
Blazing Impact was an advanced Zero-Circle spell, its incantation more complex than ordinary spells. However, Colin had mastered a unique "segmented casting" technique, allowing him to drastically shorten the casting time.
His attack was sharp and decisive, the roaring flames surging forward with unstoppable force.
Meanwhile, Sonya fearlessly engaged another Third-level Apprentice and one of the Second-level Apprentices.
Her movements were swift and practiced, wasting no time. Within moments, she unleashed two spells simultaneously.
Lynn caught a glimpse of Colin and Sonya's actions out of the corner of his eye but had no worries about their combat prowess.
His crystal orb had already analyzed their mental power levels Sonya boasted a staggering 35, while Colin reached 38.
Though Colin's true power was somewhat limited due to consuming an "Earth Fruit," Sonya could unleash her full strength without restraint.
As for Lynn himself, he locked eyes with the remaining Second-level Wizard Apprentice.
Though the opponent's mental power exceeded his by two points, such a small gap was far from insurmountable.
"Twelve points of mental power… Without magical artifacts or potions, he can at most cast five to six mid-level Zero-Circle spells."
Lynn swiftly analyzed the situation in his mind.
His opportunities to cast spells were extremely limited due to the presence of Yfgríd, he could only release one spell.
Thus, every move had to be calculated with precision, ensuring a successful hit.
Just as Lynn was deep in thought, his opponent made the first move.
"Wraith's Breath!"
The Nightshadow Fortress apprentice chanted his spell, his low voice blending with the eerie whispers of the wind.
"A negative energy spell?"
Lynn's pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
A hint of excitement flickered in his eyes.
Compared to more common elemental spells, negative energy spells were far more sinister and unpredictable at the apprentice level.
But with the Heart of Floral Language in his possession, Lynn had absolute confidence in countering any attack.
As the spell took effect, a bone-chilling cold swept over him, seeping through his robe.
A terrifying apparition emerged before him.
A. ghostly woman with disheveled white hair, her eyeballs hanging loose, her mouth grotesquely stretched open.
From her lips poured a thick, inky-black aura of resentment, rushing toward him like a deadly mist.
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