Bairon's expression remained serene.
He chuckled, "I don't need three days. I merely wished to commend you."
"You plan to dive in and capture me?" Donovan sounded as though he had heard the most ludicrous joke.
On the ship, Bairon was undoubtedly the most formidable magus of the White Gull.
But in the sea, Donovan was confident he could give a good fight.
"Donovan, have you ever considered something? Without food, one starves; without water, one dies of thirst. What happens without air?" Bairon inquired.
Confused, Donovan asked, "What do you mean?"
"Without air, one suffocates," Bairon stated.
Mustering the "Lightness" spell, he slightly bent his knees, and with a leap, he dived off the White Gull.
"So, you're actually diving in after me? Come on then!" Donovan laughed.
But his laughter quickly died.
For he realized Bairon's jump was a bit too high.
Initially, Bairon soared higher than the White Gull's mast.
But he didn't stop there; he continued to ascend until he vanished into the sky.
"What is he trying to do?" Donovan was puzzled.
As he was racking his brain for answers, he suddenly sensed something.
Squinting against the blazing sun, he noticed a tiny dark speck above him. Gradually, the dot became clearer and clearer.
In the next moment, Donovan recognized it.
It was Bairon.
Astonishingly, he had soared above Donovan and was now descending rapidly, one foot stretched out, aiming straight for him.
As Bairon descended, the image grew sharper for Donovan.
He could see the sole of Bairon's shoe coming closer and closer.
Then, he noticed a white substance on it.
Ice!
The ice expanded, growing crazily until it transformed into a frosty blossom with a diameter exceeding two meters, composed of numerous sharp spikes.
"Holy crap!" Donovan exclaimed.
Donovan's face paled, furiously burning his Mindergy, diving swiftly into the deep sea like a darting fish.
Crash!
The massive icy blossom smashed onto the ocean's surface, causing a massive splash that soared over 20 meters high.
The colossal 2,000-ton White Gull swayed from the impact.
"So, this is the power of Master Stewart..." Frank mumbled, a dazed look in his eyes.
Having released the ice blossom, Bairon immediately activated "Lightness".
With a few leaps, he landed on the railing of the White Gull.
Emerging from the seabed about ten meters away, the surrounding water around Donovan was tainted red, signifying he was wounded.
"That's it! Finish him off, Master Stewart!" Frank's face lit up with ecstatic glee.
However, out of respect and fear of Bairon, he dared only to cheer silently in his heart.
"Bairon!" Donovan's face twisted in rage, the earlier traces of his carefree and even contemptuous smile now entirely gone.
"This is just the beginning," Bairon responded with calm composure. "Remember what I told you? Without air, one suffocates."
Before Donovan could even comprehend the full meaning of Bairon's words, Bairon leaped off the White Gull once again.
Tense and alert, Donovan's eyes locked onto Bairon, preparing to dive into the depths the moment Bairon soared upwards.
The previous ice blossom had pierced through one side of his shoulder blade; if hit once more, he would surely perish.
But soon, Donovan detected something amiss.
Bairon didn't ascend to great heights this time.
Instead, he hovered low, zooming directly towards Donovan, once again stretching out one foot with the sole rapidly frosting over.
Uncertain of Bairon's intentions but knowing he couldn't afford another hit, Donovan impulsively plunged into the ocean's abyss.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Frank rushed to the ship's railing to observe.
As Frank witnessed Donovan hastily diving into the depths, and Bairon's foot missing its mark, he couldn't help but silently lament, "What a pity."
However, the next sight made his body shudder with awe.
Bairon, whose foot hadn't landed on Donovan, wore an eerily calm expression, as if everything was anticipated.
With a swift pivot of his ankle, Bairon lightly stepped on the surface of the water.
Having witnessed the power of the Ice Blast Magic Circuit under the fundamental laws of the world, Bairon chose this moment to reveal his true prowess.
The moment his foot touched the undisturbed sea, the water immediately solidified into ice.
Bairon stood upon it, his eyes deep and contemplative, recalling the time he saw the Ice Blast Magic Circuit in the world of the Dark Tower.
"Ice Blast," he whispered.
Centered on Bairon, countless icy tendrils pierced outwards beneath the water's surface at lightning speed.
Then, the ice tendrils exuded a chilling mist, intertwining with one another, solidifying into ice.
A circular ice slab, spanning over a kilometer, appeared before Frank.
All this unfolded in merely five seconds.
At this point, Frank was at a loss for words to describe his feelings.
Thump. Thump. Thump...
From beneath the ice, desperate knocks echoed.
It was Donovan.
His pupils dilated, a clear sign of imminent suffocation.
Frank's mind raced back to Bairon's words— "Without air, one suffocates."
"So that's what he meant." Frank muttered to himself.
For five or six seconds, Donovan pounded on the icy barrier above him.
Realizing the futility of his actions, he decided to dive deeper, swimming forward in desperation.
But despair gripped him soon enough, as no matter how far he swam, a white expanse of ice always stretched out above him.
"Poor Donovan, he was laughing so joyfully earlier," Frank remarked with a smirk.
Walking casually atop the ice, Bairon trailed Donovan.
A kilometer's stretch of ice is neither too long nor too short.
Donovan could certainly make it to the end, but by then, he would be completely exhausted, unable to muster any more strength for aquatic antics.
Five minutes later...
Donovan finally reached the edge of the ice barrier.
Mustering the last remnants of his Mindergy, he conjured a hydrospell, propelling himself out of the water and onto the ice.
He sprawled there, gasping for air in great heaving breaths.
"Care for another round?" A voice inquired.
With great effort, Donovan opened his eyes only to find Bairon standing behind him, looking down with a hint of condescension.
"I concede," were the last words Donovan managed to utter before passing out.
Crouching down, Bairon searched Donovan's person.
It didn't take long for him to find the object he was after: the Legacy Treasure of the Elf clan.
It was a green leaf, roughly the size of an adult's palm.
Gazing at the leaf in his hand, Bairon was momentarily lost in thought.
Ever since his awakening as a magus, he had heard tales of the Legacy Treasure more times than he could count.
Yet this was his first time truly holding one.
A radiant green with beautifully intricate veins, at a closer glance, they eerily resembled a Magic Circuit.
Safeguarding the leaf, Bairon conducted a thorough search on Donovan, ensuring there weren't any magus rings or other spell-related gear.
Gripping the collar of Donovan's shirt, he hoisted the unconscious man, activating "Levitation" and flew towards the White Gull.
As Bairon set the unconscious Donovan on the deck of the White Gull, the crew and passengers who had eagerly awaited their return erupted in cheers.
"Return them to where they belong," Bairon instructed, his voice curt, as he turned and made his way to the first-class cabin.
Every newly awakened magus, upon registering with the magus guild, takes a sacred oath. One tenet of that oath is clear: a magus is a guardian of the world.
Bairon held this vow close to his heart, even if it meant he was celebrated with the fervor usually reserved for a troupe's star performer.
"Understood, sir!" Frank immediately summoned the first mate, instructing the sailors to their posts and the passengers back to their quarters.
On the White Gull, Bairon's word was considered divine.
When he spoke, it was as if the will of a demigod was being expressed.
Once everyone was in place, a foreboding sense of unease settled in again.
"Captain, there's still no wind," the first mate whispered to Frank, drawing close.
The crew and passengers began to stir with anxiety.
"I see," Frank remarked, glancing at the limp sails and the still waters.
"I'll go speak to Magus Bairon. Do what you can to calm the crew and passengers."
"Aye, Captain," the first mate responded.
...
Within the first-class cabin area, Bairon dragged Donovan back into the room once occupied by Stephen.
While Donovan had "surrendered," he remained a magus.
Who knew what chaos might ensue once he awoke and his Mindergy was restored?
Currently, only Bairon could keep a vigilant watch over him.
Seasoft, although a half-Elf naturally endowed with spellcasting abilities, simply wouldn't do – she was too naive for such a task.
Lost in thought, Bairon looked up to find Seasoft standing at the door.
"What do you need?" Bairon asked, a hint of weariness in his eyes.
To capture Donovan alive, Bairon had cast spells consecutively, especially the ice flower and the massive circular block of ice.
Not only had these spells drained the Mindergy stored in his magus ring, but even the Mindergy in his mind was nearly depleted.
Now, it was paramount for him to meditate and restore his Mindergy swiftly.