Chapter 88: Chapter 88: High-Level Rune Gem
If Heb had previously felt a sense of superiority as a level 3 wizard apprentice looking down on Sunan, that arrogance had completely evaporated.
He now sensed that Sunan was no ordinary level 2 wizard apprentice.
The other's strength exceeded his expectations by a wide margin.
Suppressing his greed, Heb began to focus intently on dealing with Sunan. Accompanied by strange chants, one second-circle spell after another was unleashed.
Brilliant spells filled the courtyard within moments.
Although Heb hadn't yet mastered spell silence or instant casting, he had already grasped the technique of **Segmented Casting**.
This technique was similar to using magical items; it allowed him to release prepared spells in a quick, truncated manner by merely uttering fragments of the incantation.
Essentially, it was a pared-down version of spell silence.
It was also a prerequisite skill necessary to master spell silence.
Segmented Casting demanded a stringent mental capacity, usually only attainable by level 3 wizard apprentices.
With it, the speed of casting spells would increase by two to three times compared to before.
Sunan felt as if he were facing a storm of spells.
If it weren't for the powerful defenses of the Extreme Protection Ring, he would have been turned into a pincushion by now.
"One second-circle spell has already depleted nearly 100 points of my Extreme Protection Ring's defense; with a maximum of 1000 defense points, I can only withstand eleven second-circle spells at most. I need to end this quickly."
"Looks like I can only rely on that."
Taking a deep breath, Sunan flipped his wrist, and a glowing rune gem appeared between his index and middle fingers.
In the next second, he hurled the rune gem.
Heb watched this unfold, not giving it much thought.
Previously, Sunan had thrown several rune gems, and their power was comparable to energy runes. He didn't even need to activate his protective magical items; he could easily counter them with his energy runes.
Seeing Sunan use the same trick again, Heb paid little attention and continued casting his spells.
But a moment later, he was horrified to see the gem suddenly explode in midair, transforming into a lightning bolt the size of a barrel that came crashing down!
The terrifying force instantly enveloped Heb, sending a chill down his spine.
In his panic, Heb had to interrupt his spellcasting, gritting his teeth against the pain of mental backlash as he quickly unleashed energy runes.
Boom!
In a blinding flash of lightning, the necklace around Heb's neck and the ring on his left index finger flared brightly before dimming rapidly.
The defenses of both magical items were shattered in an instant!
Following that, three layers of earth energy runes held for just a blink before they too were torn apart!
The lightning then engulfed him, darting around his body like electric snakes as intense pain forced a blood-curdling scream from his lips!
Fortunately, being a level 3 wizard apprentice endowed Heb with exceptional mental resilience. He grit his teeth, directing energy particles to disperse the crackling electricity around him.
With a surge of blue light, the plant energy particles rushed in, quickly healing his wounds.
While healing, Heb's gaze remained fixed on Sunan, filled with astonishment.
What in the world was that gem?
Why did it possess such terrifying power?
At that moment, Sunan had already produced a second rune gem and hurled it forth.
After realizing the presence of a wizard apprentice backing the Marquis of Golden Rock, he had thought of synthesizing rune gems as a trump card.
These high-level rune gems were the result of his actions.
Each one was composed of eighteen rune gems, boasting a power twenty to thirty times that of an ordinary rune gem!
It wasn't that Sunan wanted to use more rune gems for synthesis, but eighteen was the maximum he could manage.
Any more, and the synthesized high-level rune gem would be beyond his control, risking self-harm.
It was akin to a three-year-old attempting to fire a gun—unable to handle the recoil.
Swish!
The rune gem erupted in a blaze of intense flames, surging toward Heb like an unstoppable tide.
Heb's expression changed dramatically, and he retreated, desperately trying to block it with energy particles while casting spells.
**Elemental Shield!**
A layer of faint light sprung from his palm, quickly enveloping his body.
As soon as he completed the spell, the torrent of flames engulfed him.
As the name implied, **Elemental Shield** was designed to mitigate elemental damage dealt to the caster.
However, even so, Heb emerged from the inferno with significant injuries, new charred wounds scattered across his body, leaving him looking utterly disheveled and lacking the composure he had earlier.
"Damn it!"
Heb's face twisted with fury.
Here he was, a proud level 3 wizard apprentice, reduced to this sorry state by a mere level 2 wizard apprentice. If word got out, he would be the subject of ridicule.
What was worse, he had just boasted about making Sunan feel the taste of death—but now he was the one being pushed to the brink, utterly humiliated.
"I swear I will kill you!"
As his furious roar echoed, Heb's emaciated body suddenly swelled, rapidly inflating like a balloon.
In mere moments, he grew over three meters tall, covered in thick black fur, his limbs becoming extraordinarily robust. His exaggerated muscles exuded raw power, making anyone who gazed upon him feel weak in the knees.
"Transformation?"
"No, wait, Transformation is a fourth-circle spell. A level 3 wizard apprentice shouldn't be able to master it."
"It must be bodily modification; this guy has integrated the bloodline of a beastized human into himself!"
Sunan's eyes narrowed slightly.
It appeared that Heb had conducted extensive research on the bloodline of beastized humans.
Now, Heb's eyes had turned an eerie shade of crimson, and his massive mouth emitted a foul stench.
With a furious roar, he charged toward Sunan with heavy, thunderous steps, like a tank on the offensive.
Boom!
Sunan hurled a rune gem through the air, which transformed into a lightning bolt aimed directly at Heb.
This time, Heb chose not to dodge but to endure the strike head-on.
Thanks to the enhancement from the beastized human bloodline, his physical attributes had reached an astonishing level. Even as electric snakes coursed over his body, he maintained his momentum and closed the distance to within five meters of Sunan.
Gazing at Sunan's 'petite' frame, a cruel grin spread across Heb's face.
At this range, even a micro-glow level protective magical item wouldn't be able to withstand his onslaught!
That brat was as good as dead!
Heb was consumed by murderous intent, excitement surging through his chest.
However, as he closed in, he was bewildered to see that Sunan wore no sign of panic; instead, a faint smirk graced his lips.
An inexplicable sense of unease welled up within Heb.
In the next second, an icy blast erupted from Sunan, sweeping outwards like a storm!
Crack! Crack!
The air quickly crystallized, and a thick layer of ice rapidly spread across the ground.
Heb had no time to react as he was instantly coated in a thick layer of frost.
His massive body seemed to slow down dramatically, as if time itself had been altered.
Seizing the opportunity, Sunan swiftly retreated and created distance, while a ring on his right middle finger glowed faintly.
In an instant, a multitude of black mist surged forth, coalescing into a giant claw imbued with a thick aura of death.
**Claw of Calamity!**
Facing the ferocious giant claw, Heb, now coated in ice and slowed, had no way to evade. He could only watch helplessly as the claw struck him with devastating force.
Rip!
The sound of tearing fabric echoed as multiple bloody gashes appeared on Heb's body in an instant.
The dense aura of death seeped into his wounds, continuously corroding his flesh, and blood flowed like a fountain from the deep lacerations.
"Ah!!"
A chilling scream escaped from Heb's lips.
Despite his outward appearance, the Claw of Calamity's intense negative energy was violently attacking his internal organs and bones.
The agonizing pain caused his eyes to turn increasingly bloodshot, and he seemed to slip into a frenzied state. His eyes transformed into a dull crimson hue, as if his pupils had exploded within his eye sockets, glowing faintly with a blood-red light.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Thick clouds of blood mist erupted from Heb's skin, rising into the air.
The extreme heat rapidly melted the frost coating his body.
"It's similar to a berserk transformation."
Sunan smirked.
While such a state could significantly boost combat power, it would inevitably impact one's rationality.
And for a wizard, maintaining a clear and rational mind was of utmost importance.
Sure enough, once his mobility returned, Heb roared and charged at Sunan, transformed into a frenzied beast.
Sunan remained calm, flipping his palm to reveal three rune gems.
In the next moment, the three rune gems flew through the air, transforming into bolts of lightning aimed directly at Heb!
Boom!
The deafening roar of thunder echoed across the courtyard.
Brilliant flashes of lightning engulfed Heb entirely, leaving him nowhere to hide!
The fine arcs of electricity spread outwards, nearly consuming the entire courtyard. The battling beastized humans, the giant bear, and Yinglong were all momentarily paralyzed by the electric arcs.
Only the steel golem remained unaffected, seizing the opportunity to punch one of the beastized humans into a pulp.
As the lightning dissipated, a massive pit several meters deep remained in the center of the courtyard.
Heb lay at the bottom of the pit, his massive body having reverted to its original form, charred and blackened, with almost no intact flesh remaining.
Five long bloody gashes marred his abdomen, the skin rolled outward in a grotesque display.
Though he appeared to regain consciousness, fear flickered in his eyes as he struggled to lift his head, emitting strange, raspy sounds as if he wanted to say something.
However, fully aware of the dangers posed by wizard apprentices, Sunan had no intention of giving him that chance. He swiftly unleashed a bolt of lightning that pierced through his forehead, throat, and heart, ensuring this man could not rise again.
With a mix of resentment and despair in his eyes, Heb finally breathed his last.
Sensing the fading of Heb's soul energy, Sunan felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Despite appearing unscathed after the battle, he had exhausted all his trump cards; if he hadn't been able to eliminate Heb, he would have had to consider fleeing.
"I've used up all my high-level rune gems." Sunan felt a pang of regret.
Each high-level rune gem cost over three hundred gold coins.
During this period, he had depleted all his coins, synthesizing only six of them.
The three he just used were the last high-level rune gems at his disposal.
Fortunately, the final strike had successfully dealt with Heb.
Meanwhile, with Heb's death, his giant bear pet emitted a mournful cry, disintegrating into ashes that vanished into the air.
The two beastized humans, bereft of their control, fell into disarray and were swiftly taken down by Yinglong and the steel golem.
Seeing that all enemies had been dealt with, Sunan relaxed and approached Heb's corpse.
"A battle that cost me nearly two thousand gold coins; I hope you have something on you to compensate for my losses."
Sunan reached out and began to search the corpse.
Due to the lightning strike, most of the items on Heb had been destroyed, including two suspected attack-type alchemical magical items.
Only the more stable protective and spatial magical items had survived the onslaught, remaining intact.
Both protective magical items were of alchemical grade and of little use to Sunan. He decided to keep them to exchange for his students.
However, the spatial ring contained a considerable trove of items.
Gold coins, gemstones, books, various materials, and miscellaneous goods.
There appeared to be over a hundred gemstones alone, more than enough to cover Sunan's recent expenses and brighten his spirits.
Nevertheless, this wasn't the time to sort through his spoils; he stored everything away, planning to tally it all later back at the base.
As he stood up, Sunan caught sight of several guards peering curiously from the entrance of the courtyard.
The outside observers, having heard the commotion die down, likely sent someone to check on the situation.
Seeing Sunan standing casually in the center of the courtyard, the guards' faces lit up with joy as they turned back to exclaim, "Lord Sunan has won!"
Before long, a crowd rushed into the courtyard.
Leading the charge, Key hurried over, his expression filled with relief upon seeing Sunan unharmed.
His gaze swept over the chaotic courtyard, now resembling a storm-tossed battlefield, and he couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
The destructive power displayed in a wizard apprentice's battle was indeed terrifying; even a hundred great knights fighting together wouldn't create such devastation.
"Where's the wizard apprentice?" Key asked, coming back to reality.
"Already taken care of." Sunan pointed to the charred corpse lying in the pit.
Upon seeing this, Key's expression brightened.
He had been worried about the threat posed by the opposing wizard apprentice for some time.
He never expected the enemy to deliver themselves to him, effectively eliminating a major concern.
"With this, we've removed the biggest threat as we head into the spring conflict." Key grinned widely.
Sunan smiled but said nothing.
Under normal circumstances, Heb's approach would have made sense.
Typically, a level 3 wizard apprentice could easily handle a level 2 wizard apprentice without any surprises.
Unfortunately for him, he had encountered an anomaly—Sunan—who had taken him down with a superior arsenal of equipment.
Heb's misfortune was simply a matter of bad luck.
Shaking his head internally, Sunan didn't explain further but instructed Key to have Heb's body incinerated.
After all, given Heb's appearance, he had likely fused with the bloodline of an original beastized human. Who knows if his corpse carried any contagion? A careless handling could potentially lead to an outbreak of Beastization Syndrome.
Key quickly understood the implications, nodding in agreement as he turned to arrange for the disposal of the body.
Sunan, meanwhile, recalled the steel golem and left the lord's manor.
He was eager to see what treasures lay within Heb's spatial ring.
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