landbeastnovel Chapter 96 The Duel
Chapter 96 The Duel
Ban Ad Magic Academy.
The white obelisk points straight to the sky, and at first glance it looks like a candle.
Inside a studio at the top of the tower, a magical crystal chandelier shimmered with a warm yellow glow.
The surrounding bookshelves are filled with a huge number of books, so much so that the shelves are bent under the weight.
The space was filled with the smell of formaldehyde.
One of the largest glass bottles is the most eye-catching.
It was filled with a green liquid, in which terrifying poisonous creatures dangled: spiders, centipedes, snakes, toads...
On the shelf next to the glass bottles, there were also many small jars containing human and non-human organs.
And in the very center were a pair of green and yellow cat eyes.
A middle-aged man dressed in a purple wizard's robe leaned back in a wooden chair, holding a parchment book in his hand.
Suddenly, the crystal ball next to the wooden table emitted a silvery luster.
He glanced at it, continued turning the pages, and said casually.
"Come in."
As soon as he finished speaking, the wooden door to the studio was pushed open.
A young wizard dressed in a similar style walked in.
"Teacher Artamon, I just received a letter addressed to you."
Having said that, the young wizard stepped forward to the table and respectfully presented the letter in his hand to Atamon's side.
Atamon didn't look at him, but simply closed the parchment book, placed it on the table, straightened his cuffs, and then took the envelope.
He opened the envelope, took out the letter, and after just a glance, Atamon's deep gaze first showed surprise, followed by deep disdain.
"Want the stone ring? See you at Crow Hill at noon today."
"Teacher, what happened?"
The young wizard asked in a low voice.
"It's just a rat." Atamon stood up. "George, how's things going with Adcale?"
George said seriously, "I've already spoken to the judge. No matter how Holt tries to argue, it won't work."
"Besides, everyone in the entire capital knows how much our teacher adores Count Grafiakan. This damned freak actually slandered you, saying you were the culprit who harmed the Count and deliberately framed the Witcher. This is simply outrageous!"
George was filled with indignation.
Atamon remained expressionless, but his hands unconsciously gripped the table.
"I told you long ago, this is the despicable nature buried deep within non-human beings."
"You go and follow up on this matter, bribe the judge, and have Holt imprisoned on the grounds that he defamed my reputation."
"He's in the capital, so it's not convenient to act directly against him. But this man has a lot of murders on his record. No matter how well he hides it, there will always be something on him. Send him to the gallows, understand?"
George smiled knowingly and said, "Yes, I understand, teacher."
If there's no evidence, just fabricate some. They've practically delivered it to our doorstep; are we going to let him get away with it?
"Alright," Atamon waved his hand, "I have research to do tonight, so don't disturb me. But keep the portal open at all times, as I might come over at any moment."
"Yes, teacher."
George left the studio and gently closed the wooden door.
Atamon lowered his gaze slightly, looking at the letter in his hand.
Fingers ran over the letter, sparks flew, and the letter gradually burned to ashes.
The firelight illuminated his cold, sinister face.
"Wizard, you have quite the nerve, humph!"
That night, at Crow Ridge.
It had just rained lightly here not long ago.
At midnight, a thick, damp fog enveloped the entire mountain range.
Ravens cawing overhead tolled a death knell.
A middle-aged man dressed in a purple wizard's robe strolled across an open meadow.
The grass was covered with dew, which dampened his trouser legs.
He was arrogant, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings, and the swirling mist made him snort coldly.
"As agreed, I have arrived. Mysterious wizard, shouldn't you show yourself?"
The only sound in the silent environment was his voice.
"Sir, you wouldn't be afraid to come out just because you saw my face and recognized me, would you?"
Atamon called out loudly, but still received no response.
His brows furrowed slightly, and his solidified body began to etherealize, transforming into a ball of purple light that dissipated into the air.
A phantom image of a human figure.
A moment later, Atamon returned to the spot, staff in hand, his expression sinister.
"They ran away?"
He muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a six-pointed star array appeared on the lawn. As the space became viscous, a sharp sword wind attacked from behind him, slicing towards Atamon's neck.
The latter reacted quickly, and the gem embedded in the top of the staff flashed with an earthy yellow light.
"boom!"
A layer of condensed yellow protective shield instantly covered his body.
The immense power made the shield hum and left cracks that threatened to shatter it.
At the same time, a high-pitched chant came from Atamon's mouth, and his staff struck the ground.
An extremely violent whirlwind swept outwards from the staff, causing his purple robes to flutter wildly.
The fog, which covered an area of several hundred meters, was immediately dispersed by the gale.
Atamon whirled around, looking at the black-robed figure that had appeared, his tone laced with mockery, "Gravity Peril? Wizard, you underestimate me."
Before he finished speaking, a powerful mental shock burst forth from Atamon's eyes.
Arwen was struck dumb and quickly retreated.
Even with the amplification from the [Dual Soul] buff, he was still in a daze under the mental impact of a master wizard.
"Ugh!!!"
Atamon's staff pointed towards Arwen's location, the rushing wind carrying a scorching heat.
The crimson flames, like a fiery serpent, coiled and approached.
Arwen's eyes flashed, and he formed a hand seal, unleashing a green fan-shaped flame.
The two flames collided, and the terrifying heat distorted the space, turning the surrounding lawn into scorched earth in an instant.
The violent aftershocks blew open Arwen's already drooping hood, revealing his pale face covered with black veins.
"Signs? Cat's Eye?" Atamon was slightly surprised, then grinned maliciously, "Heh, Witcher, it really is you."
Arwen straightened up, gripped his greatsword tightly, and slowly maneuvered against Atamon.
His gaze swept over the protective shield that was about to crumble like shattered porcelain.
A rough estimate suggests that one more sword strike is needed to shatter it.
The illusion just now was seen through by the [cat] and the [blizzard].
As for the fire serpent, it could barely hold its own thanks to the blessing of the [ghostly green flames], the [brown owl], and the [lingering effect of meditation].
And this foggy weather was a location he had carefully calculated with Frey's help.
He entered stealth mode using the [Phantom Mist Invisibility] skill, but his stealth was broken by Atamon's gale.
This series of arrangements is enough to kill the vast majority of self-proclaimed extraordinary wizards in the world.
But killing Atamon, the top wizard in the entire continent, was still too much of a stretch.
Atamon slightly raised his forehead, his pupils like polished metal, and while looking down with disdain, the staff in his hand was always pointing at Arwen's location.
Arwen suddenly charged out, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of him, his raised greatsword shattering the magic shield.
The purple-robed wizard neither dodged nor evaded; his arrogant gaze was like that of a cat watching a mouse in its palm.
The sword continued to flash, and a dark figure appeared out of thin air in front of Atamon.
"when!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out.
A powerful force surged from the sword, making Alwin's hand go numb, as if he had struck steel.
In a moment of shock, a fierce gale swept in, its terrifying force compressing and shattering the air like a massive avalanche.
The dual soul and the blizzard allowed him to see through the situation.
We absolutely cannot take that punch.
As Alder unleashed his shock seal, he rapidly retreated, steadied himself, and stared intently into the distance.
Have they finally released the golem?
In the moonlight, the dark figure slowly raised its head, revealing a pale, lifeless, and rugged face.
Alwin's cat-like eyes suddenly narrowed, his heart felt like it was being gripped, and a chilling killing intent flashed in his eyes.
In the other person's deep-set eyes were a pair of lifeless amber cat eyes.