As Sain supported Zoro outside Master Mosido's house, an intense battle erupted nearby. It became clear that the earlier explosion was no mere accident. At that moment, a formally recognized dark sorcerer clad in a green robe was dueling against Master Mosido. The sorcerer had a towering plant creature, several meters high, fighting by his side.
"Hand over that apprentice, and I will let this be," the green-robed sorcerer shouted from the sky.
"I'll hand you my foot!" Master Mosido barked in anger.
Several metallic discs transformed into golden flashes, shooting towards the green-robed sorcerer under Master Mosido's control. Each of these discs was capable of cutting through steel, and the magical runes inscribed on them could unleash intense heat and flames in an instant. These discs were Master Mosido's true trump cards; he wouldn't choose to reveal them unless provoked to genuine anger.
Despite having two layers of verdant magical shields in front of him, the green-robed sorcerer was clearly rattled by Master Mosido's ferocity. Among formal dark sorcerers, this green-robed mage was certainly not weak himself, especially with his carefully nurtured plant creature assisting him. It was no wonder he dared to create havoc without understanding Master Mosido's capabilities.
The sorcerer community was notorious for being ruthless and difficult to deal with. One should not be fooled by the relative "calm" of the Dark Magic Academy in Mosbra City. Over the past decade, during his time at the academy, Sain had indeed never witnessed any clashes between formal dark sorcerers. However, a mere decade seemed trivial compared to the hundreds or thousands of years these sorcerers had lived. The higher the rank of the dark sorcerers, the longer their lifespans—an evolutionary result of their existence, a transformation from lower life forms into something higher!
It was evident that Master Mosido had not exercised in years. Long periods spent conducting experiments in the laboratory had left his ancient body somewhat stiff. Yet, the metallic discs swirling around him moved with great speed, occasionally sending out blinding sparks of elemental energy that clashed against the green robe sorcerer's elemental shields.
As for the plant creature standing several meters tall, it had developed large, grotesque scars across its body. A translucent, acidic slime seeped from these wounds, indicating that it, too, was sustaining significant pain. Observing this creature triggered a memory for Sain, reminding him of the monster composite beast he had encountered during the grade assessment with Mike the "Death Hand." Both creatures exhibited formidable vitality and were suited to the role of a frontline tank favored by sorcerers. However, the plant monster before him was evidently stronger and larger than the one he had previously faced.
As Sain contemplated whether he could contribute to the battle between the two formal dark sorcerers, Phyr approached them with an unusual and complex expression on her face.
"Sain, did you kill the green-robed sorcerer's apprentice?" she inquired.
Sain's mind momentarily went blank. He had spent the last half month in his mentor's lab, hardly engaging in any other activities. However, he quickly recalled that he had killed the low-tier apprentice Ilke, who had been considered by Master Ketherin of the plantation. The pale mask that he now possessed had been a gift from Master Ketherin to Ilke.
With a bittersweet expression, Sain pulled the mask from his pouch and thought, "Could the green-robed sorcerer in the sky be Master Ketherin of the plantation?"
Sure enough, when Sain revealed the pale mask, the green-robed sorcerer's demeanor shifted, suddenly appearing much more agitated. Dark sorcerers' mental prowess was capable of covering hundreds of meters, and some with special detection spells could sense faint disturbances from even greater distances.
Upon realizing that Master Mosido was a formidable opponent, Ketherin had likely lost any desire to continue the fight. Concerning himself with a low-tier apprentice was merely a pretense to instigate trouble rather than avenge Ilke. His goal was simply to capitalize on the situation.
"Your apprentice killed my disciple. If you hand over that little brat down there, I can overlook this incident and leave!" Ketherin shouted, pointing at Sain within his green magical shield.
Ketherin's unexpected declaration made Sain's scalp tingle with fear. He felt as if a powerful mental force had locked onto him, and even the towering plant creature was moving toward him, branches waving threateningly. The overwhelming sense of powerlessness and weakness within Sain made him want to retaliate.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen.
"Ha! Do you think I'll hand over my apprentice? Who do you think you are!" Master Mosido sneered.
At this, a brass-colored metal staff appeared stealthily in Mosido's hand. There had been no warning; perhaps Mosido had completed the spell incantation in silence beforehand, or the staff itself contained a powerful magic within.
With a frigid tone coupled with Ketherin's increasingly desperate expression, the powerful spell "Meteoric Descent" appeared in the space surrounding them—one that was similar to the power of a near-second-tier sorcerer.
A massive meteorite, easily five meters in diameter, enveloped in searing flames, hurtled directly towards Ketherin.
Compared to such a colossal force, Sain's minor fireball spell and Lina's explosive fireball magic felt like fireflies next to the moon.
"Damn it, no!" Ketherin screamed out in anger and fear.
In a critical moment, this sorcerer made a desperate choice, abandoning his carefully nurtured plant creature and ordering it to jump in front of him as a shield.
The plant creature, which had been inching closer to Sain, leaped up at once.
When Sain looked up again, he saw the giant, burning carcass of the plant monster blocking his view and Ketherin's silhouette fading into the distance.
"Humph!"
With a disdainful snort, Master Mosido, holding the metal staff, gulped down a green potion and commanded the metallic discs to pursue Ketherin. Clearly, he was not planning on letting the sorcerer escape so easily.