Chapter 129: Ogre Mage

Chapter 129: Ogre Mage

"Lizardfolk, we're just passing through", Luo En said calmly.

"We have no intention of seeking trouble, nor do we carry anything valuable. Letting us pass benefits everyone."

The Lizardfolk leader released a shrill hissing laugh.

"Nothing valuable? Then what's that around your neck? My tongue can perceive the energy fluctuations it emits."

Luo En only realized now that he'd been unconsciously wearing the emerald leaf brooch gifted by Ai Lan - which indeed contained a faint trace of natural mana.

"Last chance, human", the Lizardfolk leader threatened, his curved blade gleaming coldly.

"Hand over anything valuable, and I'll spare your lives."

Luo En inhaled deeply as spiritual energy began circulating through his body.

"Looks like negotiations failed. Ready, Andie?"

"I've been waiting impatiently", Andie replied, his eyes already glowing golden while faint scaly patterns emerged across his skin.

The Lizardfolk leader roared furiously, raising his blade to signal his subordinates to attack.

But at this critical moment, Luo En struck first.

"Sound Wave Oscillation!"

Invisible mana ripples erupted from Luo En's palm, slicing through the air at astonishing speed toward the three Lizardfolk at the front.

The creatures didn't even have time to raise their shields before the invisible shockwave struck them.

Their bodies flew backward like ragdolls thrown by a giant's fist, crashing into the walls several meters away. Dark green blood immediately spilled from their mouths and noses.

Simultaneously, Luo En flicked his wooden staff, which instantly reverted to its original ironwood sword form. Like lightning, he darted toward the right flank of Lizardfolk.

The blade moved like flowing water, each swing carrying precise, lethal sharpness.

"Slash..."

The sword cut cleanly through two Lizardfolk's throats, the incisions so precise and swift that barely any blood splattered.

The two creatures collapsed without even time to scream, their expressions frozen in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Andie showed no signs of holding back.

He inhaled deeply, fully activating his Crimson Bloodline, causing dense crimson scales to appear across his chest.

"Dragon Breath!"

A torrent of scorching flame erupted from Andie's mouth, transforming into a raging fire stream that engulfed the Lizardfolk group.

The flames were so hot that the air itself warped in the heat.

The remaining three Lizardfolk had no time to evade before being swallowed by the inferno. Their agonized screams echoed as their bodies endured continuous searing.

The battle lasted mere seconds. All eight Lizardfolk warriors lay dead - charred corpses and decapitated bodies littering the ground without a single survivor.

"These guys were completely pathetic", Andie said, smoke still rising from his mouth as he stared at the corpses with disappointment. "I was hoping for more of a challenge."

Luo En knelt to examine the Lizardfolk leader's body, noticing a strange mark - an intricate spider-shaped tattoo on the inner left arm.

"This isn't just a random robbery", he said, pointing at the tattoo. "This is likely Mora's mark. I can sense mana in it, indicating they were under her control. I seriously doubt these mercenaries would die for a master."

Andie leaned closer for inspection, a contemplative glint in his eyes. "Spider... Old Spider Mo La?"

"Highly probable", Luo En replied, standing up and brushing dust from his hands. "Looks like Ao Tuo was right. Mora certainly enjoys 'testing' her visitors."

They continued forward with heightened vigilance.

This section of Lizard Alley was nearly deserted, the damp, shadowy lane flanked by dilapidated buildings. Occasional scurrying sounds echoed - whether rats or something more sinister remained unclear.

They walked for about ten minutes when heavy footsteps suddenly approached from ahead, shaking the ground itself.

"Careful", Luo En halted immediately, his spiritual energy spreading outward to detect the approaching presence.

"Something big's coming", Andie warned, gripping his sword hilt while preparing for battle.

Moments later, a massive figure appeared around the corner.

It was an Ogre Mage standing nearly three meters tall, its skin an unhealthy gray-green hue covered in warts and scars.

The most striking feature was its oversized head, particularly the single enormous eye on its forehead, surrounded by mysterious tribal tattoos etched across its body.

Clad in rough animal hide armor, it wielded a thick staff embedded with a gemstone emitting purple light.

"Ogre Mage", Luo En whispered, his expression turning serious. "This one's far more dangerous than an ordinary ogre."

The ogre mage let out a guttural roar, its single eye flashing purple light.

"Human... I can sense your unique mana. My master finds it intriguing", it rumbled, waving its staff. The gemstone flared brightly, unleashing a beam of purple mana directly at Luo En and Andie.

"Look out!" Luo En shouted, golden-red mana instantly condensing around him, rapidly expanding into a ring-shaped barrier.

"Radiant Halo!"

The golden-red halo intercepted the purple energy beam mid-air, creating a blinding flash and deafening explosion.

The shockwave cracked nearby walls, sending debris flying.

"Powerful mana..."

Luo En took a step back to avoid residual energy waves, clearly outmatched in raw mana output.

"No wonder even High Apprentices hesitate to provoke them."

The ogre mage seemed momentarily shocked by Luo En's counterattack, but quickly responded with a furious roar. Its tribal tattoos began glowing ominous patterns while its single eye turned blood-red.

The surrounding air distorted as concentric mana waves spread outward.

"Spiritual attack!" Luo En instantly recognized the technique, rapidly forming a spirit barrier while warning Andie.

"Protect your consciousness! It's trying to disrupt our spirits!"

Andie clenched his teeth, his brow furrowing as he visibly resisted the invisible spiritual shockwaves.

"This guy's stronger than I imagined..."

Realizing its spiritual attack had limited effect, the ogre mage shifted tactics.

It slammed its staff into the ground, chanting an obscure incantation.

The earth trembled as loose stones and dust began coalescing into three towering stone golems, each over five meters tall and radiating strong elemental mana.

"Destroy them!" the ogre mage commanded, sending the stone titans charging at Luo En and Andie.

"I'll handle these rock giants. You deal with that ogre!" Andie shouted, fully activating his Dragon Kindbloodline until his entire body was enveloped in crimson scales.

Luo En nodded, his gaze sharpening with intense focus.

"It's time to go all out."

A sudden surge of spiritual energy erupted within him, like an invisible storm raging through his body.

The ogre mage sensed danger, its single eye flashing with fear. It waved its staff, forming a protective mana shield.

"Spirit Interference!"

Luo En unleashed his spirit field, sending invisible ripples expanding outward.

The waves pierced through the air, directly striking the ogre mage's spirit core.

This technique was specifically designed by Wizard Apprentices to target intelligent beings.

The mana shield shattered effortlessly under the spiritual assault, causing the ogre mage to let out a pained howl as its massive body staggered backward, its staff slipping from its grasp.

Its eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend how its defenses had been breached so easily.

But Luo En didn't relent.

Following up on the spirit interference, he channeled his light and fire elements, condensing them within his body.

"Radiant Halo - Maximum Output!"

This time, the halo was three times larger than before, spanning six meters in diameter. Golden-red mana danced along its edges, glowing with dangerous brilliance like living embers.

The halo shot forward at incredible speed, piercing through the ogre mage's body.

Unlike the standard Radiant Halo, this attack contained significantly more concentrated mana. While lacking the efficiency of a Full Mage's Overmagic Technique, it still dramatically increased the strike's power.

As the halo pierced through, the ogre mage's body appeared to ignite from within. Golden-red mana could be seen flowing through its veins beneath the skin.

Its massive eye lost focus, its mouth gaping wide without sound.

A shadow-like figure flashed before the ogre mage, its ironwood sword gleaming coldly.

"Dawn Cross Overlimit!"

The blade moved like a meteor streaking across night skies, its trajectory almost too fast to track.

A perfect cross-shaped incision appeared on the ogre mage's chest and neck, the edges so precise they seemed measured with a ruler.

The ogre mage's expression froze in shock and terror as its massive body slowly collapsed. The ground shook upon impact, sending dust swirling into the air.

The light in its eye quickly faded, life dissipating in an instant.

Simultaneously, the three stone golems lost their mana support upon their master's death, crumbling into piles of lifeless rubble.

Andie panted heavily, multiple bruises from falling debris visible on his body, but otherwise unharmed.

"That was incredible", he said, staring at the ogre mage's corpse with wide eyes. "You ended it almost instantly."

Luo En sheathed his sword calmly. "Direct confrontation wastes too much energy. The best strategy is to strike from an unexpected angle with decisive force."

He approached the ogre mage's corpse, picking up the staff and examining the purple gemstone at its tip.

"A mana crystal, still retaining some residual energy", he noted, casually dismantling the staff to extract the mana crystal. "This might prove useful for my future research."

Unfortunately, wild spellcasters like this typically used crude spells they'd naturally awakened. Otherwise, he could have collected more spell models.

Andie glanced back the way they'd come.

"We've eliminated over a dozen Lizardfolk warriors and an ogre mage capable of rivaling a High Apprentice. That guy must've had some serious mental issues sending so many elite fighters to their deaths like that..."

"I doubt things will end this easily", Luo En nodded, continuing forward. "But regardless, today I must see that old crone and find out why she attacked us."

They pressed onward, the surrounding environment growing darker and more sinister.

Spiderweb-like patterns faintly marked the walls while the air carried an ancient, mysterious aura.

Turning the final corner, an ancient brick structure came into view.

A faded wooden sign hung above the doorway, simply carved with four words: "Maze Pawnshop."

"We're here", Luo En took a deep breath, warily observing his surroundings. "Stay vigilant. This place reeks of danger."

Carefully approaching the pawnshop, they pushed open the creaking wooden door that looked like it might collapse at any moment.

Inside was a dimly lit space cluttered with various ancient artifacts - faded paintings, broken sculptures, rusted weapons, and dusty jewels. The air carried that same ancient, mystical atmosphere.

"Anyone here?" Luo En called softly, his spiritual energy scanning the surroundings.

A faint movement responded from behind a curtain in the corner.

The curtain slowly parted, revealing a hunched figure - the very same yellow-skinned old crone.

"How rare to have visitors", the old crone rasped, her voice like tree bark scraping against stone.

"A young Wizard Apprentice and Bloodline Knight. Living in the Black Mist Jungle all these years, I rarely see such a pairing."

Luo En and Andie remained alert, their gazes locked on the old crone.

"Are you Mora?" Luo En asked directly.

The old crone smiled, revealing a toothless grin.

"Yes, child. I am Old Spider Mo La. Seems you already know my name and still dared to come here. What courage."

Luo En stared into Mora's deep-set eyes.

"The ambush in Lizard Alley earlier, and the Lizardfolk and ogre mage on the road today - were they all your doing?"

Mora's smile deepened, her eyes flashing with approval. "Clever child. Yes, those were my little 'greetings.'"

"Greetings?" Andie scoffed, golden light flashing in his eyes. "You call that a greeting?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end