Charlie quietly crept to the edge of the swamp, buried the potion bottle with the magical mark, and then stealthily returned.
The basic agility potion would last for three hours, boosting Charlie's agility coefficient to nearly 2.4, putting him in a completely new state: his body felt lighter, his muscle coordination improved, and his explosive power and reaction speed increased by at least 80%, with his maximum running speed reaching three times that of before.
This was why he dared to approach the swamp alone; even if he encountered a swamp beast right away, he was confident he could easily shake it off.
The Eagle Eye potion provided him with 3 points of dark vision, and combined with the chip's capabilities, Charlie was able to perceive everything within a hundred meters in the pitch-black night.
Given that it was deep into the night, there were unknown dangers lurking in the wilderness. If Peter's team hadn't caught up, their most likely choice would be to stay put.
Using his memory, Charlie began to make his way toward the camping site.
Large areas of wildfires had been extinguished by frost magic, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke. The fierce battle in the reeds had attracted the attention of nearby apprentices, while the magnitude of the commotion forced others to keep their distance. As Charlie made his way through, he detected no signs of people.
Gradually, Charlie stealthily approached the outskirts of the campsite, stopping fifty meters away. He crouched down silently, listening intently to the distant sounds. He needed to ascertain the status of his teammates to avoid Peter potentially venting his anger on them, which would be disastrous.
"What's his status now?" a faint voice asked from afar.
Charlie could discern that it was Peter's voice.
"He... is still in place, seems to be resting," another voice replied.
"Over by the swamp?"
"Yes, he has been there for more than half an hour."
Peter fell silent.
Another voice speculated, "He was injured by arrows while escaping and burned by fire, so his condition is terrible. Of course, he wouldn't dare to run around at night."
After a pause, Peter asked, "Then why did he rush toward the swamp? Is it a panicked decision? Or is he trying to lure us in, intending to take us down with him?"
"Uh… I'm not sure."
"The Muddy Swamp hasn't been cleaned in years; there are many vengeful spirits and elemental beings, quite troublesome. My teacher warned me not to approach unless you're at the level of a Star Mage," Peter seemed to be talking to himself.
"What should we do then? Should we pursue?"
Peter pondered, "Set up personnel to monitor his movements during the night. If anything happens, wake me immediately. Tomorrow, we'll put an end to this trouble and send him on his way!"
"Understood."
The conversation ended there.
Charlie clenched his fists, realizing he hadn't expected Peter to be so intent on eliminating him. The absence of any mention of the Fishman Lord indirectly suggested that the theft was merely an excuse. Charlie speculated on two possible reasons: first, Prince Weining offered him ample compensation; second, Peter held a disdainful view toward someone like him, a low-tier apprentice, not even considering him a peer. Charlie felt that the latter reason might carry more weight.
During the conversation, Charlie hadn't heard any movements from his teammates, which made him uneasy. However, logically analyzing the situation, they had likely already left.
After all, Qingtong was a student of Lady Angelina, and Qianxue had considerable influence in the secular world. Peter's family could not escape the sway of worldly power, and Qingtong and the others had no direct conflict with him. Moreover, tonight's events had escalated, making complete concealment impossible. Therefore, they should be safe.
As for the Ghesta brothers and Erin, as long as they didn't act rashly, they were most likely fine.
Charlie did not act immediately; Peter was not like Daniel. He was decisive in killing, with a meticulous mind and his own principles. Unless he saw actual bodies, he wouldn't let his guard down.
Yet, Charlie was patient; he was like a lone wolf in the wilderness—cunning and full of endurance. He found a comfortable position to half-lie down, the chip regulating his breathing, controlling his heart rate to a very slow pace, minimizing energy consumption.
In the cold winter night, it was easy to feel sleepy; no matter how cunning a hunter was, they would occasionally doze off. Time would gradually dull their vigilance, especially against a group of apprentices.
Charlie remained quietly crouched in the reeds for over an hour. At two o'clock in the morning—the darkest, windiest, and coldest moment of the night—his chip emitted a warning. Slowly, he opened his eyes, his deep gaze glimmering in the dark. His body began to awaken; he gently moved his limbs and, after checking his equipment, Charlie slowly moved forward.
The sea breeze brought waves of tide sounds, rhythmic and orderly, rustling the reeds. Charlie moved in sync with the rhythm of the sea breeze, either advancing or pausing; the ambient noise perfectly masked his movements. His opponents had no one with the ability to filter out sounds like he did, so he didn't worry about being discovered.
Gradually, Charlie crept within twenty meters of the group, with only a thin layer of reeds separating them. He could hear the even breathing of about a dozen people.
Nineteen individuals, not one missing.
All those ruthless taunts, the swift and piercing arrow rains, and those brazenly roaring spells—he was about to return it all to them!
A cruel smile crept onto Charlie's lips as he slowly pulled out his gnarled wooden staff.
In the next moment, "Mana Storm" was activated. It was the second time he used this skill, and he was entirely adept at it. Accompanied by the activation of the embedded inscription circuit within the staff, pure mana surged wildly toward the core magic array, enveloping Charlie's arm.
The incantation for the Fireball spell repeated over and over, dark and lingering, like a devil's whisper. The orange fireball in Charlie's hand grew larger and brighter, and the surrounding reeds began to catch fire, unable to withstand Charlie's fury.
"Enemy attack!"
Perhaps sensing the tremendous magical fluctuations, Peter abruptly woke up, sitting up in a panic, his eyes reflecting a series of fireballs...
Boom!
A mushroom cloud soared over ten meters high in the reeds, a fierce shockwave spreading in all directions, flattening large swathes of reeds. Thousands of square meters of wild grass ignited simultaneously, flames rising high into the sky, illuminating the area as bright as day.
Countless venomous insects and beasts were driven out, fleeing in all directions, even causing a minor beast tide and creating further chaos.
In the center of the flames, a hysterical roar pierced the ears.
"Charlie! You madman! I'm going to kill you! I'll wipe out your entire family! I swear!!"
Upon hearing this voice, some felt joy, while others felt dismay.
The Ghesta brothers stood at the edge of the reeds, watching the rampant wildfires, and could not help but exclaim, "The boss is the boss; he's more professional than us at everything. Even setting a fire has such a big commotion, impressive!"
Qingtong then said, "Qianxue, you should feel relieved now! To be able to make such a powerful counterattack means Charlie is in excellent condition. He knows many spells, and healing himself shouldn't be a problem."
Erin couldn't help but interject, "Yes, and our teacher left us a lot of alchemical potions, which we can definitely use."
Qianxue nodded silently, saying softly, "Now I'm worried about other issues."
On the other side of the reeds, a group of people watched the towering flames, falling into silence.
"Your Highness, the flames are fierce; we'd better move downwind. Such a large-scale wildfire will probably take days and nights to stop," one apprentice advised.
The boy called "Your Highness" gasped for breath, seemingly trying to vent the pent-up frustration within him. Since participating in this event, everything had been going wrong.
First, his good fortune with Su Xi was inexplicably interrupted, then he returned to hear that Qingtong had left his team to hang out with her old friends. Furthermore, the planned assassination attempt on Charlie had encountered many issues. Daniel had proven to be an unreliable fool; not only had he failed to kill Charlie, but the equipment he had given him was also stolen.
After hearing that furious shout from the reeds, Weining suspected that Peter's operation had likely failed as well. It was truly frustrating!
Weining mused, "With such a powerful magical display, it must be no less than level five; Peter possesses a rare treasure and won't die, but his brothers might be in serious trouble. Who knows how many can be saved?
Charlie is a ruthless character; he's not only meticulous but also quite cunning. He shows no hesitation at all. My assessment of him has risen another level.
Qingtong is so naive; she must never be with this guy. Otherwise, she'll be completely devoured by him."
"What is Your Highness planning to do?"
Weining sneered, "Since he dares to act so ruthlessly, he should at least pay a price. Peter is surrounded by a dozen Gold Badge apprentices; a level five spell would wipe them all out.
Ha! In the Arcane Circle, Gold Badge apprentices should never become expendable pawns. This Iron Badge apprentice dares to use such lethal force; either he's driven mad, or he
is unfamiliar with the academy's rules. He doesn't even consider how many lives he's risking."
"Does Your Highness intend to play politics then? Should we join forces with Peter?"
Weining chuckled disdainfully and replied, "No need to reach out to him proactively; Peter will come to us on his own. We just need to sit back and enjoy the show! Lord Ferinand is infamous for valuing his reputation; as long as we drag him into this mess…
Heh! With a bit of maneuvering on my part, Charlie will basically be a dead man!"
"What about his teacher, Anthony? Won't he step in to seek justice?"
Weining scoffed, "What is Anthony? Don't talk to me about Mages—he's not even a Solar Mage anymore. He's someone who has been kicked out of the teaching ranks. A person like that has no power to influence decisions; he can be easily ignored.
Let me tell you, rules are rules, and those rules usually bind the lower levels. At our level, the game is played without rules, only power matters; whoever has the power wins."
"Your Highness' plans are truly intricate! I only just realized the profound meaning behind your setup. It's simply brilliant!" the apprentice flattered him.
Weining chuckled with satisfaction, his mood lifting, and said, "Let's go! We need to check on Peter and do him a favor—save his life."