Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Once the invisibility spell faded, the Great Oak and the small cabin materialized within the barrier. Pelan made no attempt to conceal them, replying in a flat, emotionless tone: “This is my mage tower. The treasure you seek isn’t here.”

Mage tower?

Stevie’s expression clearly betrayed disbelief.

No mage—however reclusive or eccentric—would build their mage tower in the Nightglow Forest! This place was a notorious, perilous forbidden zone!

Noble mages resided in elegant manors or majestic castles—not in desolate wilderness, erecting towers like relics from a bygone century!

Moreover, this tree looked highly suspicious…

Joe glared at the youth who had just “jumped” him and sneered, “Kid, you’re saying this is your mage tow—”

His retort died mid-sentence. Lou Guanyue cut in with a smile: “Shut up, fool. The consequences of offending a Grand Mage are far beyond what a lowly insect like you could possibly endure.”

“Huh?” Joe feigned hysterical amusement, suddenly slapping the mage beside him repeatedly, his facial muscles twitching. “Fuen, did you hear that clearly? Even some wet-behind-the-ears brat dares call himself a Grand Mage. How come you’re still just a weak apprentice mage?”

Fuen staggered under the blows, nearly toppling over. He pressed his lips together and muttered softly, “I’m not an apprentice mage anymore.”

But no one paid him any mind. The female assassin, Ena, tossed her hair and mocked, “That’s rich.”

Stevie replied with a thin, humorless smile: “Kid, don’t you know Grand Mages are legendary figures? Their names and deeds are celebrated by academies and the Church alike. Not just anyone can claim the title of Grand Mage.”

…This isn’t a joke… Pelan thought, his face blank. A living, unknown Undead Grand Mage stands right before you.

Though even if his power were acknowledged, people would likely avoid singing his praises—unless, perhaps, they were trying to frighten a disobedient child.

Joe finally ceased his raucous laughter, straightening up while clutching his stomach to fix Stevie with a look. “Stop wasting breath on them. These two are probably using the magic barrier to buy time, waiting for reinforcements. Once we shatter the barrier, we’ll see how tough they really are.”

“Captain, I’ll handle the mage in the black robe.” Ena drew a dagger from nowhere, concealing it beneath her palm; her eyes darkened instantly.

No matter how powerful a mage might be, once a skilled close-combat assassin closed the distance, they were as good as dead.

The adventurers raised their weapons once more, preparing to attack. Pelan grew increasingly bewildered. Weren’t they having a friendly discussion to resolve a misunderstanding? How had they ended up on the verge of combat again over a few words?

He ignored the shouting warrior entirely and instead turned his gaze toward the Divine Mage.

The tip of the other’s staff flickered, beginning to trace arcane runes. Yet Pelan hesitated.

The most terrifying aspect of a Necromancer was their ability to summon an endless, hopeless army of the undead.

Moreover, a Necromancer’s primary method of combat was commanding their undead legions—directing formidable undead to fight their enemies.

But his undead army… well… was still in the process of being assembled.

The newly recruited member…

Pelan glanced at Lou Guanyue with a complex expression, meeting his apprentice’s innocent, expectant gaze. “Master, since they refuse to believe me, let’s stop wasting words. Just blast them with a super-tier destruction spell!”

Pelan: …

How would he even know a super-tier destruction spell?

If he truly used necromantic magic to kill the Divine Mage standing before him, the Church of Light would undoubtedly place a bounty on his head—and force him into a life on the run.

That conflicted directly with his future plans. Pelan had no intention of revealing his identity—let alone killing these adventurers.

Unaware of Pelan’s dilemma, Lou Guanyue continued provoking the adventurers with a thoroughly挑衅 expression.

Stevie sneered and raised his staff. He wanted to see what kind of super-tier magic this “Grand Mage” would unleash!

“Now!”

Complex high-tier spells required substantial chanting time to cast; super-tier spells—reserved exclusively for Grand Mages—naturally demanded even longer. Yet the youth across from him appeared utterly unhurried, not even bothering to draw a wand.

Stevie began second-guessing. Could it be that this seemingly young man was actually an ancient monster inhabiting a youthful form?

No—such beings usually possessed volatile, eccentric tempers. How could his demeanor remain so mild after provocation? They were almost certainly bluffing—buying time!

“Damn it—let’s see what tricks you’ve got!” Stevie gritted his teeth, muttering as he slashed his staff through the air even faster.

His teammates, of course, wouldn’t stand idle. They seized their weapons and launched a fierce assault against the barrier.

This alchemical magic barrier had strict limits on duration and mana absorption. It couldn’t hold much longer. Pelan estimated that one more strike equivalent to a high-tier spell would shatter it completely.

He turned to his magical apprentice and spoke—reasoning that seeking aid from a Martial Saint wasn’t shameful in the slightest: “Yue, can you drive them all away without killing them?”

Lou Guanyue froze momentarily, clearly unprepared for Pelan to test his strength at this very moment.

A faint regret stirred in his heart, yet he wore a subtle smile. “Of course—but is driving them away enough? Don’t you need anything else…?”

“No. Nothing else is needed.” Pelan refused decisively.

He had no desire for the somewhat sadistic Martial Saint to expose unspeakable matters before such a large audience.

“Fine.” Lou Guanyue shrugged. “But Master—could you cast a blessing-type spell on me first? Taking on six people alone might be a bit strenuous.”

Especially when he had to restrain his strength and avoid killing them.

“My blessing magic… you likely can’t use it right now. However, I can cast a simple speed-enhancement spell on you.” Pelan’s face remained utterly impassive as he withdrew a dull gray magic wand.

Lou Guanyue didn’t ask why he couldn’t use it. After receiving the Wind Spirit’s blessing, he distinctly felt his body grow slightly lighter.

He curled his lips, took two swift strides—and stepped outside the barrier.

Joe hadn’t expected Lou Guanyue to emerge voluntarily. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he charged forward, gripping his greatsword in one hand and clenching a fist in the other—closing the distance in mere steps.

Beside him, the female assassin Ena raised her arm and thrust her blade toward Lou Guanyue’s head.

Boom!

The air cracked. Lou Guanyue vanished—suddenly, inexplicably gone. Their attacks struck empty air. They stared at each other, stunned and disoriented.

What happened? Was that an illusion? How did he do it?

The thought flashed through Ena’s mind—but she had no time to dwell on it. Vigilantly scanning her surroundings, she spotted Lou Guanyue reappearing roughly three meters to her left.

She whirled around—only to feel a sharp object press against her throat the next instant.

“Too slow, Miss Assassin.”

Lou Guanyue chuckled lightly, shifted his fingers slightly—causing the table knife to change direction and skim past her neck. Then, with a precise elbow strike, he slammed her to the ground. In one fluid motion, he raised his other hand to block the descending sword blade, tensed the instep of his foot, and delivered a downward kick from above.

He paid no heed to the charging warrior or the arrows about to rain down upon him. In an instant, he surged toward the mage cowering at the very back.

To defeat a mage is simple—just interrupt their chant.

The enemy was far stronger than he had imagined; his teammates went down in a single clash. Fuen was shocked and poured more magic into maintaining the "Water Curtain Spell" before him.

Lou Guanyue sank into a stance and swung his arm, the sharp blade piercing the clear blue water curtain but couldn't push through. Ripples spread out from the tip of the blade like waves, dissipating the force.

Lou Guanyue raised an eyebrow, surprised that such an ordinary-looking "Water Curtain Spell" had such a miraculous effect. Was this the defensive magic of this world?

He instinctively looked over at Pelan, wondering how a necromancer would deal with a situation like this.

Would he summon a horde of undead to wear down the spell's power?

Or use a mind-control spell to interrupt the casting?

He wondered if this magic, somewhat similar to the bald monks' "Golden Bell," could withstand his puppet threads.

At the center of the water curtain, Stevie's chant was almost finished. His lips fluttered rapidly, and his expression grew solemn and sacred.

"Whenever the holy light of the sun spreads across the land, the blessings of the gods..."

Just before the magic was complete, a cold blade pressed against his neck. Behind him, Fuen lay silently on the ground, and the surrounding water curtain had vanished.

"You..." A chill ran down Stevie's spine. Before he could finish the last line of the chant, the blade pressed closer to his neck.

True to Pelan's trust, Lou Guanyue understood the principle of "take down the leader first." By taking Stevie hostage, he made sure his teammates wouldn't dare make a move.

"If you don't stop your magic, I can't promise this blade will stay clean."

Stevie scowled indignantly. Just as he was about to use a defensive magical item, he heard Lou Guanyue say leisurely, "Before your turtle shell takes effect, I'll slit your throat first."

Stevie's face instantly paled.

"Your Excellency!"

Someone else arrived.

Fred had felt the huge surge of magic from deep in the forest, figuring someone was fighting over treasure. He immediately led his teammates toward the source.

To his surprise, both groups were people he "knew."

Pelan was also surprised to see the newcomers—the noble lady and young master he had encountered on the street last time. Were they also here in the forest searching for Austin's treasure?

Were they here to join in attacking his tower too?

Indeed, nobles and members of the Church of Light were the most troublesome and tricky.

"Captain, their accomplices are here!"

"Fred?" Stevie, in his hostage state, was equal parts furious and frantic, not daring to move recklessly. He stared intently at the other man. "So you were the ones who discovered the treasure first, set up an ambush, and deliberately lured us here!"

"Ambush? Treasure?" Shana murmured in confusion, looking bewildered at her brother. "When did we find treasure?"

Stevie exclaimed in astonishment, "Aren't you with them?"

"Stay still. Who says we're with them?" A red mark appeared where the blade pressed against his skin. Lou Guanyue smiled at Fred and the others, said coolly, "What, are you also here to go treasure hunting in my and my teacher's home?"

"No, no, no, Your Excellency, you misunderstand." Fred quickly clarified, flashing Pelan a fawning smile. "We happened to pass by and will leave immediately."

After hearing Lou Guanyue's words, Fred quickly realized that Stevie and his group likely thought there was treasure here and had barged into Pelan's residence.

As if joking—even if Austin's treasure were truly buried here, something coveted by the Magic Saint, small fries like them wouldn't dare to snatch it.

Stevie's expression froze instantly.

Your Excellency?

In the Church, only those above the rank of Bishop, who represented the will of the gods, could be addressed as "Your Excellency." Similarly, for powerful figures like Grand Mages and Martial Arts Masters, adding the suffix "Your Excellency" when addressing them face-to-face was a sign of respect.

Could it be? This youth, who didn't even seem like a magic apprentice, was actually a Grand Mage-level powerhouse?

Yes, it must be. His student easily subdued all of us.

Realizing he had offended a Grand Mage, Stevie now wished he could kneel immediately and beg for forgiveness.

Author's Note:

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Sorry, sorry, I'm late QAQ