"Zero-level advanced energy spell! An advanced wizard apprentice?!"
The black-robed wizard wiped the blood splattered on his face, disregarding the loss of his flesh servant. His eyes flickered with intense fear and anxiety.
Without any hesitation, he turned and ran in the opposite direction of the incoming spell, a stark contrast to his previous composed demeanor in the face of numerous gray-robed wizards.
However, he hadn't taken more than two steps before the ominous whistling sound echoed once more.
"So fast?!"
The black-robed wizard instinctively turned his head, only to see another terrifying blue-black orb of energy, just as large as the previous one, if not slightly larger, heading his way.
The blue-black energy orb was incredibly fast; the black-robed wizard had no time to dodge.
He could only quickly raise a protective shield using his magical equipment, snarling through gritted teeth, "Two advanced apprentices teaming up against a mere Level 6? Are all gray wizards of your Gray Wizard Lands this shameless?"
"Boom!"
The black-robed wizard took the full brunt of the blue-black energy orb.
The orb exploded, leaving a large crater in the soft ground.
With a crisp sound of something shattering, the black-robed wizard was flung into the air like a broken kite by the blast's shockwave.
His black robe was in tatters, his body emitting faint wisps of smoke, covered in wounds.
Against a zero-level advanced spell, a mere mid-level protective magical item was utterly inadequate.
Blood gushed from the black-robed wizard's mouth and nose; his internal organs were all but shattered.
Yet, he still clung to life, desperately trying to lift his head, hoping to glimpse the two advanced apprentices who had sealed his fate, and if possible, spit blood at them in defiance.
Meanwhile, the gray-robed wizards, just released from the weakening field, were in a state of shock.
The situation had changed so rapidly that none of them had time to react.
One moment, the powerful, malevolent black-robed wizard who had dominated the battlefield was at their mercy. The next, he was nearly obliterated by two terrifying orbs from nowhere, unable to mount any resistance.
From the black-robed wizard's words, it seemed two advanced wizard apprentices had arrived.
Though they couldn't fathom why two advanced apprentices would venture to this remote treehouse district, there was no doubt that they had been saved from certain doom!
All eyes were fixed on the direction from which the orbs had come.
Under the disbelieving gaze of the black-robed wizard and the hopeful eyes of the gray-robed wizards, finally, a figure emerged from the forest.
It was a young man, handsome and youthful.
His tall, graceful form in a gray robe quickly closed the distance, reaching the group in a few strides.
As he walked, a massive blue-black orb hovered above his outstretched right hand.
The intense energy field surrounding the orb created an invisible, violent airflow in the air, lifting the young man's shoulder-length chestnut hair and the hem of his robe, exuding a powerful and commanding aura.
Yet, upon recognizing the young man's face, the gray-robed wizards were stunned, their mouths agape in disbelief.
"R-Ronan?!"
The black-robed wizard on the ground was equally incredulous.
He struggled to lift himself, peering desperately behind the young man, muttering incessantly, "Impossible! How can this be?
A Level 5 apprentice can't possibly cast such a powerful spell!
Someone's hiding behind you, right?
Come out, I see you!..."
"Boom!"
Ronan pressed the [Energy Missile] in his hand downward, and the blue-black orb rapidly expanded, engulfing the black-robed wizard who continued to mutter under his breath.
The half-step expert-level [Energy Missile] was formidable, creating a massive crater in the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently.
Seeing the black-robed wizard reduced to ashes, Ronan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He remembered Old Wills's advice well.
Black-robed wizards were like the villainous cultists from martial arts novels of his previous life. If not thoroughly killed, they might use their last breath to unleash some bizarre, unpleasant trick.
This obliteration ensured he was dead for good.
However, Ronan couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
He had blasted the black-robed wizard into pieces, destroying any magical equipment he might have had.
Had he used his sword for the final blow, he might have salvaged something.
Ronan poked around the debris at the crater's edge, eventually finding a tattered pouch.
Not expecting much, he reached out to touch it and realized...
"A storage pouch?!"
Ronan's heart skipped a beat, his chest filling with immense joy.
Storage pouches, imbued with [Space] runes, were a rare type of magical equipment. Even the most basic ones were worth a lot.
Even if the pouch were empty, its presence was a significant find!
Without showing any emotion, Ronan tucked the storage pouch into his robe, then turned his attention to the group.
Seven people in total, two dead, two injured.
It was worse than he had hoped, but better than his worst-case scenario.
The deceased wizards were a man named Bunir and a woman named Barbara.
Bunir was one of Linus's followers, and Barbara was Linus's lover, both having joined the group in the past two months.
Ronan didn't know them well, so their deaths didn't affect him much.
He did feel some sympathy for Mr. Jolin, who had lost an arm.
Though the Jolin couple had aligned themselves with Linus early on, they had shared their apple pie and meat pasties with him.
After checking on everyone, the gray-robed wizards looked at Ronan with a strange expression.
Their eyes were a mix of shock, fear, respect, disbelief, and various other emotions.
It was as if they were meeting the real Ronan for the first time.
Previously, the Ronan they knew was perceived as a "showpiece," relying on some rune talent and potions to reach mid-level apprentice status, without true strength.
Now, the young man before them, handsome, powerful, mysterious, exuding the calm and composed aura of a strong wizard... this was the true Ronan!
"Hiding it well, huh!"
Ronan seemed to read this thought in Linus's eyes.
But after meeting Ronan's gaze, Linus quickly looked away, hiding his shame and jealousy.
Ronan watched Linus, who, like Mr. Jolin, was missing an arm and looked pale and shaky, and he couldn't help but smirk.
He had learned from the others about the battle details, gaining a newfound "respect" for Linus.