"Mentor Lucien..." Carly said, her hands clenched so tightly that her fingernails were digging into her flesh.
"He came specifically for me," Lucien said comfortingly, as he turned his head to look at Apollo and even flashed him a smile.
Truthfully, Lucien had been a bit worried that this guy might chicken out at the crucial moment.
Apollo's expression was cold, and he remained silent.
If there was a chance, he would definitely not hesitate to use his prized possession to kill Lucien later.
Lucien, however, paid no attention to his expression, instead focusing on the system panel. At that moment, on the right side of the Torch Fire Technique, there were three upgrade options available for Lucien to choose from.
Increase attack power, reduce spiritual power consumption, or enhance casting distance.
"Attack power." Lucien glanced at Apollo not far away and selected the first option without hesitation.
Boom—
Countless fragments of knowledge flooded into Lucien's mind. The sudden influx made his body shake slightly.
"Mentor!" Carly exclaimed, while Apollo felt a surge of joy inside.
In his view, Lucien's symptoms clearly indicated that his injuries were forcefully suppressed and not fully healed.
Apollo even began to doubt whether Lucien's firm demeanor just now was a deliberate ploy to intimidate him, so he could trick him into handing over his valuable magic tools.
Thinking this, Apollo sneered internally and also felt a bit relieved.
After all, there had been a moment just before when he nearly fell for Lucien's bluff.
...
The news that Lucien and Apollo were going to fight a battle to the death quickly spread.
Many Second-level Wizard Apprentices and quite a few Third-level Wizard Apprentices were very interested in this duel.
After all, one of the participants was a well-known "invalid" within the academy, the kind people kept tabs on.
The only reason there had been no action was that greed and caution were still at odds.
Now having the chance to gauge Lucien's power, many people came to gather.
If Lucien showed any signs of weakness during the fight, even if he chose to admit defeat to save his life, he would still face a pack of greedy wolves ready to tear him to pieces afterward.
Similarly, if Apollo were to sustain severe injuries in this fight, he might very well become the next Lucien!
The fight was set for the morning.
When the sun came up, its light spilled over Greybone Academy, adding a touch of warmth to what usually looked like a somewhat sinister Wizard Academy.
At that moment, Lucien felt unusually calm, as if what he was about to face was not a battle to the death but an ordinary lesson.
Carly sat obediently by his side. She wanted to help Lucien, but had no way to do so, which made her appear somewhat anxious and lost.
"Alright, I'm going up now," Lucien said gently, squeezing Carly's hand.
Carly looked up, trying her best to appear calm, not wanting her emotions to affect Mentor Lucien's upcoming battle.
"Watch closely later, the 'Blazing Technique' model of witchcraft. Your development of it isn't quite there yet!" Lucien said, smiling warmly and then tousling Carly's little head.
Carly was momentarily stunned, and it was only after Lucien had already left the temporary resting room that she belatedly followed him out.
By then, quite a few Wizard Apprentices had already gathered outside the duel arena.
They all silently watched the two on stage, many of the apprentices' eyes shining with an unusual gleam.
At that moment, Yellen was also among the spectating crowd, wearing a hood that concealed his identity. By his side was Nolian, similarly dressed.
Yellen was on his tiptoes, his gaze fixed on the two Wizard Apprentices in the arena, his pale face showing a hint of madness.
"Die! Die!" Yellen screamed in his heart, and if anyone besides Apollo wanted Lucien to die the most at the scene, it was probably him.
He desperately longed for Lucien to be pierced through the skull by one of Apollo's special short spears!
"Lucien mentor..." On the other hand, Carly's eyes also held a deep longing.
She hoped that Mentor Lucien would survive and could, as he had said, transform a brand new Wizard World.
"You're asking for your own death," Apollo's eyes flashed with madness. He had found a special short spear during a previous adventure, but although it was called a short spear, he knew it was actually a part of a broken lance.
This broken lance was astonishingly powerful, but it also had a problem he had never exposed.
That was, each use would cause irreparable damage to the lance.
Therefore, Apollo was reluctant to use this precious Witch Tool unless absolutely necessary. However, today, he planned to use up a valuable opportunity to kill Lucien on the dueling ground!
Lucien looked at Apollo indifferently, not uttering a word, ignoring Apollo's trash talk.
He had thought of a way to intimidate the others with his method of combat. Thus, he was waiting for the official start of the battle.
At this moment, the two stood twenty-five meters apart, facing each other.
This was also a relatively safe distance. Even if some long-range witchcraft was used for a sudden attack, there would be some time to react. However, for Lucien, this distance was not far at all.
"The duel... begins!" announced a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice of the patrol team from Greybone Academy with a wave of his hand.
Lucien's right hand lightly patted a "pendant" hanging at his waist, immediately causing this simple Witch Tool, made mainly of bat pituitary, to start vibrating slightly. At the same time, it emitted ultrasonic waves that were difficult for human ears to catch.
On the other side, Apollo already had a short spear in his hand. He raised the spear, making a throwing gesture. Just a simple build-up of power had already triggered the numerous runes on the broken lance, causing terrifying thunder to start accumulating on it.
The thunder was continuously accumulated, gathering at a point on the spear tip, and emitting a terrifying aura.
This was a force powerful enough to kill a third-level Wizard Apprentice! And this was only because the lance was itself broken and fractured. If it were a complete lance, Apollo estimated, it might even threaten or kill a Formal Wizard!
"Die!" There was a bloodthirsty glint in Apollo's eyes.
But in the next instant, he was terrified to feel the temperature around him suddenly rising!
Whoosh—almost instantly, a special blue-purple flame enveloped Apollo, turning him into a literal fire man.
"Ah..." Apollo screamed in the flames. Although he used a disposable Witch Tool for protection the moment he was ignited, creating a protective barrier around his body, the special flame still burned fiercely. Even through the protection, it made him feel unbearable heat.
At this moment, Apollo was bewildered. He had no idea how Lucien had attacked, and moreover, why hadn't his Wizard Robe protected him?
When had he launched the attack?
And, what witchcraft was this?!!
But the next moment, Apollo realized that he was on the verge of death, for his protective means were dwindling under the relentless burning of the flame.
In a panic, he looked toward the referee beside him, seeking rescue, but in the next moment, his protective means failed, and the shield shattered. He was forced to rely solely on his spiritual power! By now, he could hardly speak, only managing to stagger forward two steps.
Pop—In less than two seconds, the layer of protection formed by spiritual power burst. The terrifying blue-purple flame directly ignited his body.
Under the scorching of the blue-purple flame, Apollo wanted to say something, but the rapid burning of the fire made him unstable, and he staggered and fell to the ground.
Lucien watched Apollo coldly as he was gradually consumed by the flames.
Though the help-seeking look in Apollo's eyes before his death made Lucien's heart quiver, he quickly suppressed the tremor.
The law of the jungle!
This is the law of the Wizard!
If today it were he who was weaker, would Apollo have spared him?
Lucien let out a soft breath, then silently watched as Apollo's body curled up under the burning flames and began to emit black smoke.