Facing the powerful elf radiating immense energy, Headmaster Wilfred dared not be careless.
He instructed the Olu mages behind him, "Take the children and evacuate everyone inside this castle."
"Yes, Headmaster," the Olu mages replied.
It was rare to see Headmaster Wilfred so serious, and the Olu mages immediately followed his orders and led the students to safety.
Soon, the castle was filled with alarms, and the chaotic sound of footsteps and clashing furniture echoed throughout the building.
Luke lowered Clear Sky's level to 80 to conserve power and stood silently, waiting.
Meanwhile, she accessed the information about Headmaster Wilfred on her consciousness phone.
At 172 years old, he was the 27th headmaster of the Olu Academy and held the position for the longest time.
This was thanks to his partial lineage as a spiritualist.
Longevity, diligence, and talent had bestowed upon Wilfred extraordinary achievements in magic.
The Epoch game categorized Wilfred as a five-star hero, but like many other heroes of tremendous true strength, he was considered a five-and-a-half-star hero by player standards.
However, this wasn't the same as challenging the five-and-a-half-star Red Dragon Niercol, and Luke wasn't confident in using level 120 Clear Sky to defeat Wilfred within ten seconds.
Her phone's battery didn't have enough charge for a ten-second appearance of level 120 Clear Sky.
Using level 100 Clear Sky should be enough to escape.
After all, considering Wilfred's age, his old arms and legs wouldn't hold up to too much trouble, even if he transformed into an owl.
Soon, the commotion died down, indicating that the people who needed to evacuate had already left.
Headmaster Wilfred broke the silence first, saying, "You don't seem as wicked as Councilor Vajil described. He said you killed over a hundred people in the Cape District. Is that an exaggeration?"
Luke admitted readily, "No, he's absolutely right... I killed many people in the Cape District."
Headmaster Wilfred continued, "Councilor Vajil also said you stole a summoning item from the Alchemist Association of Storm Surge City called 'the heart of the Red Dragon Niercol.'"
"That thing wasn't stolen by me."
"Do you have it?"
"I refuse to answer!"
To Wilfred's ears, Luke's response was practically an admission.
"I can sense that you hold no ill will toward the Olu Academy, and I don't want to make an enemy out of someone as troublesome as you. However, I must know the purpose of your presence here. Tell me! As long as you don't harm the academy, I can let you go."
While looking through Wilfred's information, Luke had stumbled upon something interesting.
"Headmaster Wilfred, you are good friends with Professor Felix, aren't you?"
Wilfred's expression changed slightly, and he replied solemnly, "Yes, Felix and I are good friends. He was even my teacher. He is a true genius, able to master any academic field effortlessly. If it weren't for some special circumstances, he would have been the 27th headmaster of the Olu Academy. What did you discover about this?"
"I know that you, as the headmaster, have a lineage of spiritualists and can transform into two different forms—the tree monkey and the owl. Given your relationship with Felix, you must know that he guards the hidden library in his spiritual form. I guess that when you found out I entered the library, you chased after me and hid as a phantom. You've been following me ever since, which is how you managed to save Lydia in time. Now, you're blocking my path because of the 'Book of Calamity.'"
Having her purpose revealed, Luke decided to drop the pretense.
Wilfred tightened his grip on his staff and struck the ground again, causing a burst of magical energy to spread from beneath his feet. The walls and ceiling tiles on both sides of the corridor flipped, and the narrow passageway quickly expanded.
With a loud rumble, the ceiling rose...
Space unfolded, walls shifted, and rooms split and rotated, forming a vast hall the size of four basketball courts.
"I can sense the demise of Felix's soul. It was a relief for him, but you cannot take the 'Book of Calamity' with you. Since you're familiar with the hidden library, you should know what happened here in the past. It is a mysterious artifact that only brings disaster. No one can control it, and anyone who harbors such thoughts will be corrupted by its darkness. Hand over the 'Book of Calamity,' and I can let you go."
On the ground before Wilfred, a magic array unfolded, and a barrier rose.
From within the barrier, continuous roars could be heard.
After the barrier descended, a gigantic gorilla appeared. It pounded its chest fiercely, displaying extreme agitation, but the outer edge of the magic array restricted its movements.
With its crimson eyes fixed on Luke, the gorilla waited to be unleashed.
Finally, Headmaster Wilfred issued a warning to Luke, saying, "This castle has been enchanted as a whole and is incredibly resilient. You won't be able to escape! You may not be a purely wicked elf; your mind has been influenced by forbidden techniques. Hand over the 'Book of Calamity,' and this is your last chance."
Seven whirlwinds emerged within the hall, crackling with electricity.
Luke didn't expect to end up in this situation.
It deviated from the normal course of the plot.
She had made too much noise, attracting the Storm Surge City Security Bureau and the Empire's secret agents. It was difficult to not alert Headmaster Wilfred.
Now, the only option was to engage in a magical battle with him.
Ice Dance Garden.
As ice mist blossomed in the air, the temperature in the hall plummeted rapidly.
Rain began to fall, lightly pattering on the ground and quickly freezing into a layer of ice.
The rain turned into ice crystals and snow, swirling and dancing in the whirlwinds.
The ice mist continued to bloom.
The hall was filled with storms, lightning, and ice and snow.
And a gigantic gorilla roared within the magic array.
Luke gripped the Stardust Blade and addressed Wilfred, "Headmaster Wilfred, you're over 170 years old. Don't be so confident in your own abilities. If I were to kill you, the Olu Academy wouldn't be able to withstand such a blow."
"It seems you're prepared. Then let's battle!"
"Bring it on!"
Headmaster Wilfred struck the ground with his staff once again, breaking the binding formation for the summoned creature. The gorilla burst forward like a speeding truck, using both hands and feet to charge at Luke. Deep claw marks were left on the icy surface, and the ground of the hall trembled.
On the icy surface, Luke's feet glided like ice skates, allowing her to easily slide aside from the gorilla's attack route with a slight tilt of her body.
The gorilla, caught off guard by the sudden change in direction, fell on the smooth ice surface and uncontrollably crashed into the wall.
Meanwhile, Luke, gliding on the ice, rushed toward Wilfred at meteoric speed.
Behind her, the colossal gorilla slammed forcefully into the wall, causing the entire castle to shake.