Chapter 9 (2/2)
“We didn’t find him. He’s escaped!” one of them reported.
“If he’s escaped from the Magic Academy, he’s likely in a disguise, and we have no way of finding him now. It’s a pity we didn’t bring the hounds from the Black Forest.
Terry frowned deeply. He felt helpless.
Just then, a cold voice rang out from the darkness beside them. “What is going on here? Why is the Portal Tower in ruins? Why is Jiggs dead?”
Heads turned to the source of the interruption. They saw a middle-aged Dark Elf dressed in a black robe with silver trim, holding an ebony staff as tall as he was. He stood at the gate of the enclosure around the tower.
A pair of Dark Elf Warriors fully clad in armor followed closely behind him.
The Dark Elf Assassins straightened their backs at the sight of the newly arrived elf. “Master Holmes,” they all said in unison.
Holmes, he was a Level-2 Battle Mage and a member of the Silver Moon Mage Council. He was well known for having single-handedly defeated three Elite Assassins from the Norton Kingdom. Not only did he slay them, but he also left the battle completely unscathed.
In the plans for the ambush of Gladstone City, he had been tasked with activating the Portal Tower and sending a detailed report back to the Dark Elf Army 30 miles away.
For his safety, he was only supposed to enter the tower after the Magic Academy had been cleared out.
The academy had been cleared, but the crucial Portal Tower had been destroyed as well. What was the point of him coming here?
“What on earth happened here?” Holmes barked. He looked at Jiggs’ corpse and strode up to it, crouching down to examine his wounds.
“A Level-0 Earth Spike? Was he killed by a Magician’s Apprentice!?” For the life of him, Holmes just couldn’t understand what was going on.
A Level-3, fully-armored Dark Elf Warrior with Battle Aura had actually been defeated by a single Earth Spike. It was a disgrace to the Dark Elf Warriors!
No, a disgrace to all Dark Elves!
“I demand an explanation!” Holmes’ voice was as sharp as knives.
Terry took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Lord, it happened like this.”
He began to describe what he had seen. He told every detail, from the young human Magician’s appearance to every word Commander Jiggs had said. He recited every response and explained every attack. He left nothing out.
He spoke in simple but descriptive words. As the Dark Elves listened, the battle scene was re-enacted in their minds. They saw a young, powerful, composed human Magician.
His magic had been like a web of death. The moment he appeared, the web had begun to weave. Each spell had been a thread, binding his prey and ultimately suffocating them.
When Terry had finished, the Dark Elves all shivered. They could never have imagined that such a formidable character had been hiding in the Lower Magic Academy.
At the same time, they rejoiced that they hadn’t encountered that dangerous Magician themselves. They knew that they wouldn’t have been able to stand there listening to Terry’s tale otherwise.
Holmes’ face was dark. He was a Magician and therefore knew better than anyone else here how dangerous this human counterpart was.
Nine Level-0 Spells within just one second. Precise magic control. What spellcasting skill!
Two barrages of Fireballs to rile Jiggs up, and a Grease Spell to make Jiggs vulnerable, and finally finishing it all with a Vector Throw. Thinking of the intricate planning of the battle had him in a cold sweat.
“This is a master tactician!” Holmes concluded.
He made up his mind then and there. “He has achieved so much at such a young age. If he is allowed to grow, he will become a large threat! We must kill him!”
“But Lord, he has already escaped from the Magic Academy.”
“But he’s left his scent. He will have left footprints, all of which can be tracked.”
Holmes laughed coldly. The fiery-red crystal on his staff glowed brightly. A beam of Mana shot onto the ground, causing the earth to bulge out and writhe, finally taking the form of a 6-foot tall hound.
Earth Hound
Level-2 Spell
Effect: Condenses earth elements into a gigantic hound. The hound’s strength knows no bounds. Its eyesight and sense of smell are exceptional.
(Note: Don’t ever let an Earth Hound get a hold of your scent!)
Where the Earth Hound’s eyes should have been instead sat round black holes. When it had fully taken shape, Holmes pointed towards Jiggs’ corpse. “Find the killer!”
The hound pounced onto Jiggs’ body, sniffing furiously.
After about ten seconds, the hound let out a howl, then turned and darted out towards the outside of the Magic Academy. It sniffed the ground even as it ran.
“You, and you. Send this report back to Marshal Lorde at the camp outside the city!” Holmes passed a scroll to the Dark Elf Assassin. He could only rely on the Assassins to deliver the report on foot since the Portal Tower had been destroyed.
“Yes, Lord.” The Assassin took the scroll and vanished into the night.
“The others, follow me!” ordered Holmes.