by Zhuang Bifan
Orrin did not speak, but only stared at the other party in the eyes; the hands that were hidden in his sleeves were trembling even harder.
"To be honest, Orrin, I was quite surprised. I've always thought you wouldn't dare to participate in the trial…" When Gryffindor laughed, his long, slender eyes were squinted once more; the effeminate feel he gave off annoyed Lin Li.
"Please go away." Orrin's words were still plain and concise, but judging from his husky voice, he was definitely not as calm as he sounded.
"Heh heh… Orrin, you're still the same. Alright, I'll leave right away. I hope I can still see you at the final qualifying competition." Gryffindor took a step backward with the smile still on his face, and his contemptuous eyes swept over Mason's face. There was some mockery in his tone. "But, to be honest, Orrin, your luck is really bad. Look at your teammates, he's actually a real level-nine mage…
"Wait…" As he spoke, he suddenly saw Lin Li, who was just next to Mason. Gryffindor seemed to have discovered a new continent. "Oh my God… If I'm not mistaken, this one should be a level-seven mage, right?"
"F*ck…" How could Mason swallow the insult? He clenched his fist and wanted to dash forward to punch him, but as soon as he took a step out, he was held back tightly by Lin Li. This was the guild hall. If Mason dared to make trouble here, he would surely be driven back to Chevan City. In the end, Lin Li could not just stand and watch him do something silly. They were roommates sharing the same dorm, after all.
As for the something-findor… Anyway, the coming days would be long; Lin Li was in no hurry at all.
"Orrin, you're really unlucky…" Gryffindor's laughter was pompous amid Mason's bawl. "You're actually met with such two teammates. Looks like I may not necessarily see you in the qualifying competition. Hahahaha…"
"Scram!" Orrin's hoarse roar alarmed everyone. The 20-odd young mages turned their heads and looked at him in confusion.
And then there were whispers all around.
"Look, that seems to be Orrin from the Rotterdam Guild!"
"Yes, yes, yes… I remember him. He's the magic genius who was beaten by Gryffindor three years ago."
"So it's him…"
"I heard that this fellow is really impressive. It's a pity he has met Gryffindor. How unlucky…"
Gryffindor seemed to revel in their discussions. It was not until the murmurs died down that he went away with a satisfied expression on his face.
"Orrin, if you're unable to complete the trial missions, come and beg me!"
Chapter 106 - Fantama Panthera
"Let go of me!" Mason shouted as he struggled furiously.
Yet, how could he surpass the almighty Master of Blacksmith in physical strength? Lin Li had been acc.u.mulating his strength over the years by hammering on metals. Not to mention a Mage like Mason, a Warrior would not have escaped the grasp of Lin Li.
"Forget it, Brother Mason. You'd…" Just when Lin Li wanted to persuade him, his thoughts were interrupted by a group of men in black robes entering the guild hall in the distance. There were about 10 people in that group, and their leader, a dignified man in his mid-40s, had a magic staff in his hand.
This man looks familiar… thought Lin Li, though he could not remember where he first met him.
While he was still pondering over his identity, the leader had already reached the middle of the guild hall.
"Please be silent!" This command, despite being spoken in a voice not as resounding, was clearly heard by each and every individual present.
Immediately, the bustling guild hall became quiet.
"The trial starts now," announced the middle-aged man. Without further ado, he got to his point and instructed, "You are required to take one of the eight number plates from my hands. Take note of its number and go look for your mentor."
Right after ending his speech, a group of young mages crowded around him, and the quiet guild hall grew noisy again.
"I'll go," volunteered Mason as he dashed into the crowd. Yet, after a while, he was seen coming out of it with a very disappointed expression on his face. "I was too slow. This was the last number plate left…" said Mason in a dejected tone.
What's the great deal about being last to collect the plate when the order doesn't matter? thought Lin Li as he remained quiet.
"Felic, we've gotten a 'six'!"
Before Mason's voice faded, Lin Li saw a short and skinny old man walking towards them. He had a goat-like beard, and like the other mentors, he was dressed in a black robe.
"Those two sly fellas and that… and that idiot! Come here now!" that old man shouted from afar.
"Who's the idiot that he was referring to?" Mason asked foolishly in a low voice, but was ignored by his two teammates.
Lin Li and Orrin proceeded towards the old man diligently, leaving behind Mason, who was still standing there in a daze.
"Idiot! Are you not coming?" the old man shouted again. This time, Mason understood whom he was referring to…
"Let me first introduce myself. My name is Macklin, but you'd better address me as Mr. Macklin," ordered the old man in an unfriendly tone as he glared at them, hoping to make himself appear fiercer than he was. Yet, it was the goat-like beard that gave him away, revealing him to be a pretentious man instead. He continued, "I had made a bet with the others on this round of trial that my team would definitely enter the placement round. Regardless of your abilities, if you make me lose the bet, you are going to get it from me the hard way. Do you understand?"
"Yes…" mumbled the trio together as they gulped down their saliva anxiously. Their hearts had also started to curse this damn mentor…
"Louder!"
"Yes, we do!!"
"Very good. But before I win the bet, I need to verify your abilities," said Macklin as he glanced at Lin Li and Orrin. Then, he emphasized in a serious tone, "Remember, I meant real abilities!"
"…"
The underlying meaning of Mr. Macklin's instruction would have been clear to any dimwitted fella. Lin Li just could not understand how the old man could see right through him. The Mana Concealment Potion was so advanced that even Gerian would not be able to decipher the real level he was at!
"Is this very strange to you?" the old man asked, grinning, as though he knew how to read minds. Without waiting for Lin Li to respond, he continued, "When I was your age, this was what I did as well."
"…"
"Alright, shoot if y'all have any questions. If not, let me bring you to an interesting place now."
…
That was the Nightmare Mountains—the most dangerous place in Alanna.
The four of them stood in front of a pitch-black cave. Macklin pointed at the cave casually and told the trio, "There lives a little kitten inside this cave. I'll lure it out, and you are to battle it single-handedly. I would like to see who can kill it."
"I shall go first!" Mason volunteered enthusiastically after observing how relaxed Macklin was when he made his speech, thinking that it would be an easy task.
"Sure, you go first, then," said the old man with an amused laughter that caused his goat-like beard to twitch. Before Mason realized it, he had already gone far into the cave…
Soon after, a series of groans could be heard by the three men, and that was followed by two shadows emerging from the cave at top speed one after another like two arrows, shooting out from it.
"Mason, it's your turn now!" Macklin left the cave with the Levitating Spell, which allowed him to swerve off in the air, leaving the dumbfounded Mason by himself…
Looking at the pair of blood-red eyes before him, Mason's heart dropped.
W-W-Was this the "little kitten" the old dude was referring to??? Indeed! What a kitty! Damn him…
As a level-nine mage, never would Mason have dreamt of confronting a level-12 magical beast alone. What was more, this beast was the most powerful of the other level-12 beasts, and the killer of mages—the infamous Fantama Panthera!
Mason was facing the Fantama Pan
thera by himself.
"GRRR!" The beast growled as it pounced towards Mason like a threatening black stroke of lightning.
"Help! You've got the wrong man!" Mason cried helplessly. How would the Fantama Panthera entertain his pleas?
To them, all humans were prey. Who cared if they were plump or lean?
The Fantama Panthera instantaneously bridged the distance of at least 10 meters between them, and appeared in front of Mason.
Mason employed the Delaying Spell onto the beast and the Hastening Spell onto himself before scurrying off.
That old man had to be joking when he made a level-nine mage deal with a Fantama Panthera!
Lin Li saw the dire situation Mason got himself into.
Alternating between the Delaying Spell and the Hastening Spell would only let him stand a chance of defeating a beast of a level lower than 10. For the level-12 Fantama Panthera, however, doing so would only mean sending himself to death.
Mason had only run a total of 10 steps before meeting the red eyes of the Fantama Panthera again.
What followed was an unpleasant and terrifying roar from behind.
Before Mason knew it, he felt as though he was walking on mud. The lower half of his legs had already sunk into the ground too.
Apart from having the speed of lightning as well as a set of sharp and immensely poisonous claws, the Fantama Panthera was also extremely proficient in Dark Magic.
The Decaying Spell it unleashed landed Mason in boiling hot soup.
In such a frenzied state, there was no time for Mason to think anymore. Without hesitation, Mason started to recite a spell in a hurried manner.
He could swear that that was the first time he'd ever had such a thrilling encounter.
A Fantama Panthera sprang towards him like a bolt of lightning while he recited the spell in the middle of the sludge.
In that instance, Mason was so terrified that he nearly died from a heart attack.
Just when the blue toxic claws were about to come into contact with his c.h.e.s.t, Mason finished reciting the last line of his spell…
"Pom!"
A deafening sound reverberated as the spell broke out. As a level-nine mage, it was no doubt that Mason's Power of Repulse erupted with great force, and the leopard got repelled at least 10 meters away from him. After pulling his legs out of the mud, he fled at once.
The three bystanders could only shake their heads in disapproval of Mason's shameless escape. That fella was such a weakling! The only method he employed throughout the confrontation was to escape. How could one even outrun the lightning speed of a Fantama Panthera?
The excruciating pain inflicted by the Power of Repulse agitated the Fantama Panthera.
"ROAR…!!"
This growl was shrill and penetrating. Almost everyone could sense a strange force of magical waves rising from their surroundings.
Amidst the ear-piercing snarl, Mason felt an agonizing and tight pain in his feet. Before he knew it, he'd lost his balance completely, and lunged towards the ground with his face.
While he tried to look back, what made him almost swoon with trepidation was a white skeletal arm grabbing firmly onto his ankle from the soil…
I'm dead! In that instance, this was the only thought that was in Mason's mind.
Then, he saw the coat of black rosettes prints leaping towards him stealthily…
Yet, the agony he was expecting never came.
Only a word came to him.
"IDIOT!"
Chapter 107 - The Mark of Decline
"Moron! What else do you know apart from fleeing from a small cat?" Macklin was so furious that his goat-like beard trembled. He continued ruthlessly, "Did you just use the Delaying and the Hastening Spell? Look at what a blockhead you are. Is this the limit of a level-nine mage? I can easily find any apprentice who can surpass you! Forget it… With the intelligence level you have, I recommend that you switch over to be a Blacksmith instead!"
"But—" Mason wanted to defend himself. That was a level-12 beast! How could he, a level-nine Mage, defeat it?
Yet, he was interrupted by Macklin, who stared at him in disdain.
"Did you want to rebut that that was an unfair battle? Did you want to defend yourself that the Fantama Panthera had a higher level as compared to you? Pfff… Excuses are for the weak. Now I know: you are not only a fool, but also a weakling!"
"I'm not!" cried Mason in agitation as his face flushed.
"You dare to rebut it? Then let me ask you. Why did you choose to recite the Power of Repulse when it was a great opportunity to make an attack?"
"I wanted to create some distance first…"
"What the hell, you are a Mage, not an Archer!" cried out the agitated Macklin as he nearly spat his saliva on Mason's face. "Who taught you that mages need to battle at a specific distance? With the powerful magical elements of mages, you're really dumb to have done so! If you had the time to create distance, why didn't you use it to aim a Fireball at your enemy? You could have defeated it!"
"I…"
"You'd better make sure whom you are battling next time. How would the Delaying and the Hastening Spell be effective against the Fantama Pantheras, which are experts in the field of Dark Magic? To adopt such a technique, you are really an incurable fool…"
"What did you want me to do, then?" asked Mason indignantly. "I'm just a level-nine Mage; if I don't distance myself from that leopard, do I wait for it to eat me up?"
"Moron, moron, moron, moron…" After snarling at Mason, the old man reached out with his finger.
Macklin's casual act seemed to have a great underlying force. The leopard that was previously lying calmly on the ground flew up uncontrollably.
After which, Mason witnessed how that short and skinny old man raised the leopard up by its neck single-handedly.
"Do you see this now?" Macklin lifted the Fantama Panthera up as he pointed at its exposed belly.
It was then that Mason realized it.
On the belly of the leopard, there was a dark-red light, which was flashing weakly.
Being a level-nine mage trained by the Guild of Magic, although Mason was not that skillful, he instantaneously understood what that speck of red meant.
That was the level-18 Dark Magic—the Mark of Decline!
At once, Mason's face grew crimson with shame…
The Mark of Decline would degrade any living being by at least three levels.
This means that the majestic Fantama Panthera he'd dealt with was just a level-nine beast. Being a level-nine Mage himself, it was definite that he would defeat the animal. With beasts being beasts, they not only lacked rationality as well as intelligence, but also depended solely on their natural instincts.
Yet in such an easy battle, Mason lost to the beast without a doubt. The mere thought of it made him very ashamed and embarrassed of himself.
The old man was right; Mason had been terrified.
If not for his fear towards the level-12 beast, how would he have attempted to escape from the start of the encounter, and not have any confidence to defeat it? The place where the Mark of Decline was was not concealed. If he had spared time to calm himself down, how could he not realize it?
"Do you acknowledge your stupidity now?" asked the old man. Although these words were indeed caustic, a glimpse of admiration flashed across his gaze.
Making a mistake was not scary. What made it terrifying was committing it repeatedly. Once a person realized his faults, it indicated that there was still hope for the person to grow.
"Yes, I do…" answered Mason with guilt. He nodded humbly as he got himself up from the ground.
"Very good, you can scram now." The old man waved at him, gesturing him to leave. Then, his gaze fell on Orrin. In a demeaning tone, he instructed, "That sly fella over there, it's your turn now!"
Orrin remained quiet as he walked towards Macklin.
"Wait a minute…"
Just when Orrin wanted to unleash his first attack, the
old man stopped him.
"Compared to that moron, you are more astute. I can't let you do it so easily…" Macklin continued.
Orrin felt a wave of mana. After that, he saw the red glow on the belly of the Fantama Panthera dim.
Having escaped from the restraint of the Mark of Decline, the Fantama Panthera gave a deep growl of freedom. It had finally recovered its identity as the great and terrorizing level-12 magical beast again!
Orrin did not say anything. He just gave the beast a deadly stare, and started reciting his complicated spell. This created brilliant and dazzling magical runes around everyone. The surging mana mirrored the massive currents generated by a seething ocean.
"Magnificent…" Lin Li gasped from a far. Orrin's abilities were higher than what he'd previously imagined. It seemed that Orrin was at either the peak of level-10, or even level-11—just a little bit away from Lin Li.
"Grrrr!" At this moment, Macklin had also just loosened the restraint on the Fantama Panthera. A black shadow bolted out like a sharp arrow from the dark.
The distance of 10 meters was covered by it immediately.
Orrin's recital was a hastened one. As he raised his magic staff, a huge tremble was created in the ground, and what followed was an ear-shattering eruption.
"BOOM!"
Soil particles flew up into the air, and a thick stone spear pierced the ground from below.
Thereafter, everyone witnessed how critically the stone spear had struck at the Fantama Panthera.
Lin Li could not help but gape at that instance. When the Fantama Panthera was running at full speed, it could be said that it was as quick as a lightning bolt. At that moment, it would be almost impossible to attack it with the Ground-Piercing Spell.
Once the Ground-Piercing Spell was cast, a shrill cry from the leopard could be heard.
That arrow that emerged from the darkness seemed to hit a wall of copper. Everyone could hear the sound of bones breaking, and see blood splattering all over. After that, the Fantama Panthera escaped at top speed as though it was whipped.
