“You fool! Did you think you could escape from me?”
Keren’s eyes, emerging from the flames, were filled with anger. However, with his hair completely wet and plastered to his face, and dark circles under his eyes, he also looked quite exhausted.
I struggled to control the flames with my staff. As I did so, the flames flickered, causing Keren’s face to appear and disappear repeatedly.
Count Furst spoke.
“It’s that mage from earlier.”
“He seems to know our location because of this fire. He’ll follow us to the end. I think we need to go to Master right away. I can’t extinguish this with my power alone.”
The Count wore a serious expression.
“I understand. Let’s depart immediately.”
We left the New Continent Company building. As we exited, we saw numerous bodies of soldiers and natives scattered haphazardly.
At this point, the five kidnapped children were no longer the main issue.
“With so many dead, why did they withdraw so easily?”
“The natives don’t quibble over deaths in battle. They make a vow before engaging in combat. They swear not to blame anyone even if they die.”
“……”
“In their lawless, barbaric society, they wouldn’t have survived if not for such a culture of vows.”
Count Furst explained in a calm voice.
I suddenly became curious.
How could he remain so composed when all the soldiers were dead and the company could no longer be maintained?
When we reached the main gate, Oshalo was waiting for us. Crom’s body was nowhere to be seen, likely handed over to Legless Monkey.
Count Furst took out a small stone from his pocket. It was a butterfly-shaped piece. As he rubbed it, a purple light emerged, and the form of a butterfly rose up and began to fly in one direction.
He must have always used this to find the cabin.
We followed the purple butterfly into the forest. However, even as we did so, flames kept shooting up, often burning trees, and I had to exert myself each time to control them.
If we were to encounter Keren in a place like this, we’d be reduced to ashes without even putting up a fight.
I gradually came to a halt.
“Ran? What’s wrong?”
There was seriousness in Count Furst’s eyes, but his overall expression was incredibly calm.
Right, I need to stay calm.
“I’ll go to the coast. You go to Master. Please go and call Master while I buy time.”
“What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“Please, Count. If we continue like this, that fire mage will definitely catch up. There’s no time to explain.”
Count Furst hesitated for a moment, looking at me with uncertain eyes, but soon slowly walked over and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Your resolve is firm.”
“Yes.”
“With this, consider the debt for saving your life fully repaid. You no longer owe me anything, Ran.”
“……”
“Then, make sure you stay alive. I’ll bring your Master as quickly as possible.”
After saying that, Count Furst began to run, following the purple butterfly.
Oshalo, who was standing beside me, watched me for a while before turning away without saying a word.
He probably didn’t know what to say.
I took a deep breath.
I couldn’t be certain, but if Keren had been in the sea, he wouldn’t have been able to perform that fire magic that revealed his face in the flames just now.
Fire magic is incompatible with seawater, after all.
He probably arrived at Marshal Harbor by some means, which is why he could confirm my location through that fire magic.
And if he’s already arrived at Marshal Harbor at that speed, he’ll catch up even quicker in a forest like this.
Moreover, fire magic becomes even more powerful in the forest.
Encountering him in the forest would mean instant death.
I started to quickly walk towards the direction where I could smell the sea.
Keren had been sailing for over a month. He couldn’t even summon his familiar. He performed tremendous fire magic, but that’s why he’ll be even more exhausted.
So, at the coast, I might be able to hold him off somewhat.
Besides, I have his robe in my hands.
I quickly put on Keren’s robe that I had been holding.
It’s better for me to wear it than to leave it somewhere for him to reclaim.
The key question is, how long do I have to hold out before Master Avana arrives?
I already knew the answer to that.
She won’t come.
Master Avana doesn’t fully trust Speria yet. Therefore, she can’t send her away, nor can she leave the castle herself.
And sending Psyche is even more out of the question. After all, Psyche’s safety is the most important thing to Master Avana.
That’s why she took me as a disciple in the first place.
In the end, I have to overcome this.
I have to break through this situation alone.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
I began to walk quickly toward the coast. The forest ended, and a steep cliff appeared.
Standing at the edge of the cliff and looking down, there was nothing but pitch-black darkness where light couldn’t reach. It seems incredibly deep.
I looked at my left hand.
If I don’t do something about this big fire, I won’t even be able to take out my magic book.
But if I simply relinquish control and abandon it, Keren could reclaim it and gain power from it. Then I’d have no chance at all.
At that moment, a bright flame rose from far away in the forest. And at an astonishing speed, it arrived in front of me in an instant.
“So here you are, you little rat!”
Keren was enveloped by three fireballs. One was above his head, and the other two supported his body beneath his feet.
That’s how he was able to move at such an incredible speed.
I didn’t know fire magic could be applied like that.
The more you know about magic, the more mysterious it becomes.
I said,
“If you promise not to harm me anymore, I’ll return your robe and the fire, senior.”
Keren’s face contorted at those words.
“Ha! How dare you! You should be on your knees begging! The fact that you, who don’t even have a good staff, are looking me in the eye is insolent enough. You speak as if you’d attack if I don’t comply with your demands.”
“Then I’ll assume you intend to harm me.”
“Harm? Ha! I’ll capture you and make you neither dead nor alive… How about that?”
His voice cut off as my body vanished over the cliff’s edge.
My body began to fall down the thousand-foot cliff. A tingling sensation ran through my nerves from the tips of my fingers to my toes.
But I kept my mind clear and gripped my staff tightly, looking up at the receding cliff top.
As expected, Keren quickly arrived at the edge of the cliff and looked down at me.
He extended his staff, and at the same time, I also extended mine.
Ssshh!
As the psychic forces collided, blood burst from both my nostrils once again.
It might never be possible again, but it’s something that I managed to block it even once.
“Damn it! Even if I’m in terrible condition, this is ridiculous!”
His curses were understandable.
To be evenly matched in a psychic battle with a mage much weaker than oneself would warrant such an outburst.
How much further must I fall?
Splash-!
I quickly looked at my left hand.
The spark that should have been there had completely disappeared.
The spark Kalasta gave me also disappeared as soon as it entered the sea, so this was expected.
I immediately summoned my magic book. And quietly read a water magic incantation underwater.
As long as I’m in the sea, I should be safe.
But.
The water seems to be getting hotter and hotter.
I hurriedly finished reading the incantation and cast the spell.
At the same time, the seawater around me started to boil, and in an instant, it vaporized and evaporated.
I found myself floating in a suddenly created circular empty space.
“Hahaha! Did you think you could escape by entering the sea?”
Long fire tails had formed on both of Keren’s legs as he floated in the air.
The fireball that was on his head was gone.
So that’s what he used to evaporate the seawater.
He extended his staff towards me, and a powerful psychokinesis tightened my body.
“Kuhak.”
I spat out blood.
It feels like my entire insides are being sliced up.
Not only external pressure, but it seemed even my internal organs were under the pressure of the psychic force.
My body slowly rose, and soon appeared right in front of Keren’s face.
As he momentarily gave an intense look, my staff suddenly snapped in the middle and fell down.
Keren smiled wickedly.
“I’ll give you credit. It’s truly hard to believe you’re just an apprentice. However, you’ve caused me too much loss. I’ve already lost three sparks because of you. Do you know how difficult it was for me to obtain them? You’ll have to become my slave. You’ll work under me until you die to make up for the losses you’ve caused me.”
I opened my mouth to speak. But I couldn’t open my mouth at all due to his psychokinesis.
“Oh? You learned water magic, and now you’re gaping like a fish! Haha! Fine. Are you hoping for my mercy as a last resort? I’ll only free your tongue. Go ahead, beg with all your might. My heart might just change.”
As soon as he finished speaking, I realized my tongue had regained its freedom.
You’ve made a mistake.
“Gather!”
No sooner had I finished speaking than the vapors scattered around quickly turned into water.
Especially around Keren’s face, they gathered to surround his mouth and nose.
“Cough. Kuhub. Kuhuhub.”
Keren’s eyes slowly rolled upwards as his breath was suddenly cut off.
At the same time, I felt his psychokinesis significantly weaken.
Now’s the time.
I sent out psychokinesis to hold Keren’s entire body while simultaneously controlling the water blocking his nose and mouth, starting to push it into his throat.
“Cough. Kureu. Kkoreuruk.”
Keren struggled, moving his limbs. It was because my psychokinesis was crude without my staff.
But Keren didn’t just take it. He persistently dug through the gaps in my crude psychokinesis, managing to move the two fireballs that were on his two legs.
The two fireballs flew towards my chest and face.
Bang-!
Bang-!
It’s hot.
It’s too hot.
As the pain from the fire is felt throughout my body, even my mind seems to become faint.
But I absolutely can’t let go.
If I don’t kill him, I’ll die.
And so, with me engulfed in fire and Keren in water, we both fell into the sea below.
Splash-!
The flames burning my face and chest disappeared in an instant. But the power of the water blocking Keren’s airway became even stronger.
I focused my mind even more and more, blocking his nose and mouth.
If I let my guard down even a little, he will push away the water with his psychokinesis.
But I can’t breathe either.
My vision gradually blurred, and my breath became shallow.
At some point, I couldn’t hear well either.
I soon lost consciousness.
