Chapter 83: The Duel

Chapter 83: The Duel



"Who?"

"There's an assassin!"

Old Harry rushed out of the room in a panic, only to find Siebel's residence reduced to ruins.

The highly toxic acid had formed a raging torrent, swirling like an uncontrolled tornado within the courtyard.

Wherever it passed, houses collapsed, and flowers and plants were crushed.

Within the torrent, a human figure seemed to be enveloped, but under the corrosive acid, their flesh rapidly dissolved.

By the time they hit the ground, only a pile of white bones riddled with holes remained.

"Miss!"

Old Harry leaped, stepping on several raised areas of the ground, avoiding the acid, and jumped in front of Siebel.

"Senior Sister."

Karl's movements were even quicker.

He appeared beside Siebel as soon as the acid landed, reaching out to support her, but his expression immediately changed.

"Are you alright?"

Something was wrong with Siebel!

Karl's timely discovery of the assassin had also startled Siebel, allowing her to successfully counterattack and kill the assassin.

However, she had been injured by the sudden attack.

"Poison!"

Siebel's face turned ashen, her body cold, and she trembled as she raised her left arm, revealing a shallow scratch on it.

Her eyes filled with fear, and her voice quivered:

"Cyclone Venom!"

The wound was less than three centimeters, barely breaking the skin, and couldn't even be considered an injury. Still, the strange poison had already spread throughout her body.

Siebel could feel her consciousness becoming blurred, and her body stiffening more and more.

As an apothecary, she was well aware of the poison she had been affected by and the consequences it would bring.

Death!

"No!"

Her lips trembled:

"I don't want to die yet!"

Few people could face death without fear, and Siebel was no exception. She was still young.

"Senior Sister."

Karl's voice remained calm:

"Is there a way to cure the poison?"

Cure the poison?

Siebel's eyes lit up, and a burst of vitality radiated from her gaze as she tightly gripped Karl's sleeve.

"Mentor!"

"The mentor might have a solution!"

It was only a possibility, as Cyclone Snail venom was extremely rare. She had only read about it in books, and it was particularly effective against wizard apprentices.

But even with just a sliver of hope, she wasn't willing to let it go.

"Then let's go find the mentor."

Karl spoke up:

"Harry, I'll take Senior Sister to see the mentor. You and the others follow behind."

"This..." Old Harry hesitated for a moment, glanced at Siebel, and then nodded firmly:

"Good!"

He slapped his own face in frustration, each strike landing with a resounding smack.

"It's my fault for the security breach. Old Harry should have been more vigilant."

As a guard, he had failed to prevent the assassin from silently infiltrating the master's room.

"Now's not the time for that." Karl's expression turned cold:

"Prepare the best horses and get some ice from the Chad family."

The horses should be ready soon.

In a short while, the horses were prepared, and the carriage was filled with ice.

The journey to the Black Swamp began.

...

Three days later, the Black Swamp came into view.

This place was a forbidden zone in the eyes of ordinary people.

Dense fog, invisible poison, and treacherous bogs that could easily trap the unwary—it was not a place for normal people to survive.

"Whoa!"

Karl pulled the reins, dismounted, and approached the carriage.

Inside, Siebel's body had become noticeably rigid, her consciousness alternating between clarity and haziness.

Due to prolonged exposure to the ice, her skin developed large patches of frostbite, and her long hair was covered in white.

She resembled a delicate ice sculpture, fragile and ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

The once vibrant life force within her had faded, and even a gentle breeze could easily extinguish her remaining life energy.

"Senior Sister."

Karl lifted the carriage curtain and spoke:

"We can't take the carriage into the Black Swamp. We'll have to ride horses and may even need to walk a certain distance."

"..." Siebel struggled to open her eyes, her lips trembling:

"Okay."

Her voice was barely audible; if not for Karl's keen hearing, he might not have heard her speak.

Death was drawing closer.

Perhaps the Grim Reaper had already arrived at her side, awaiting the moment when the last strand of life energy would be spent, ready to swing his scythe and collect her soul.

Karl chose the sturdier of the two horses pulling the carriage and helped Siebel onto the horse's back.

"Giddyup!"

The horse galloped into the thick fog.

The Black Swamp was a vast marshland with scattered, sturdy islands.

One such island served as the base for the Swamp Alliance, located on the largest 'island.'

Gray-robed Wizard Addison had sent invitations to various places in the Gandor Kingdom to form the alliance.

But Karl received shocking news upon arrival.

"Our mentor is dead?"

"Yes."

The one receiving Karl was Senior Wizard Apprentice Arthur, who claimed to have been close friends with Adolph.

"Adolph played a significant role in the Swamp Alliance's expansion into the Black Swamp. He obtained a Green Potion from the Gray-robed Wizard and then secluded himself to break through," Arthur explained.

"Unfortunately..." He sighed, "the breakthrough attempt failed, and the backlash from the arcane energy caused his head to explode, leaving no trace of his soul."

......

"Carl, what's going on?" Arthur raised his head, silently calculating the time:

"It's been two months, no mistake!"

"Didn't anyone inform you?"

"No." Carl's face darkened:

"No one mentioned this matter."

Time didn't add up! Over a month ago, Tim still messaged Siebel, but never mentioned Adolph's passing.

Could they forget something so important?

"Carl!" As he spoke, Tim, dressed in wizard robes, rushed in, beads of sweat still on his forehead:

"When did you arrive, and why didn’t you send a message in advance?"

"Just now," Carl frowned, then asked:

"Why didn't you inform us about the mentor’s passing?"

"mentor?" Tim arched an eyebrow, not answering the question but correcting him:

"Carl, your address is a bit off. The mentor did not officially take you as a disciple."

"You can only call him teacher!"

"cough...” Arthur interrupted with a couple of coughs:

"According to the customs between wizards, if there was no prior will, The mentor’s inheritance will be divided among his official disciples. Only those who have followed and studied count."

In the world of wizards, the relationship between master and disciple is far more significant than blood relatives.

After all, a disciple would inherit the mentor's path, while ordinary people possessing wizard knowledge would only bring disaster.

The formal relationship, the title should be mentor, not teacher.

If Carl called Adolph teacher, it would mean he had no right to inherit the legacy.

"teacher?"

Carl seemed to guess something but couldn't grasp the fleeting spirit light, then realized:

"the mentor already took me in, this matter is confirmed by a letter, Tim, you must have known."

"i didn’t know," Tim snorted:

"Forging a letter is not hard, and the mentor has already passed. Saying it was him is as good as he wrote it?"

It had been two months since Adolph passed!

Tim messaged to Mutan city to receive someone!

Encoutered by assassins in Mutan city!

disciple!

In an instant, everything connected in a line, all doubts had clarifications.

"..." Carl stared at the other, suddenly spoke:

"so it was you who hired the assassins,, try rid us the the the the the us the you you the to take the inheritance and the mentor left behind the legacy!"

"what do you mean?" tim’s eyes narrowed, a flash of panic crossed his face, but quickly turned to anger:

"I had no idea of any assassins?"

"no idea?" carl stepped forward, staring at him:

"you deliberately didn’t tell us about the mentor’s passing, but let us go to Mutan city to meet the mentor’s junior descendants."

"by coincidence, we encountered an assassination attempt there, I and my elder sister… nearly got harmed!"

Just thinking about the situation, a surge of anger rose in his heart, making him clench his fists.

He had never been so close to death!

"what do you intend?"

Tim took a step back, a wave of magical light rippled over his body:

" going to Mutan city to receive someone was the mentor's arrangement. as for not telling you about the mentor's passing, it was just because I had a lot on my plate, waiting till Siebel arrived wasn’t too late to say."

"saying it along the way would only make my younger sister and elder sister sad."

"forget it!" carl stepped forward:

"you just wanted to take the inheritance alone, that's why there were assassins to kill us?"

"except..."

"you never thought the assassination would fail, and both my elder sister and I come to the black swamp."

"nonsense!" tim roared:

"your encounter with assassins has nothing to do with me, who knows what you offended whom outside?"

"and..."

"you weren't even the mentor’s disciple!"

"not?" carl asked:

"there is a letter from my teacher, and my elder sister can vouch for it."

"letters can be forged, and as for siebel lying there, unable to speak clearly due to her weak condition."

"Arthur, can the swamp alliance help?"

"this girl mastered poison resistance, a zero-ring spell, yet still poisoned." Arthur sighed:

"this poison is hard to cure."

"it was not just them, the secretions of the spiral snail’s secretion affected a few others and some onlookers."

Among them, a wizard with a pointed hat and a long staff, squinted:

"the spiral snail is a special magical creature, I heard the hand of shadows specifically bred a few."

"oh!" Arthur nodded:

"still you, Jois, have a broad knowledge."

"sir." carl stepped forward, asked:

"can it be cured?"

"it might be cured." Jois slowly nodded:

"it will take no less than forty-five magic stones!"

"fort-five magic stones?" Carl's face slightly changed, everything on him might not be worth that much.

Hmm...

‘gena ‘s armor could fetch quite a few magic stones, but it’s something he needed to survive, impossible to sell.

"my elder sister is the mentor’s disciple, she has the right to inherit the mentor’s legacy. as long as the legacy is inherited, the materials can be bought."

"Everyone!"

Karl took a deep breath and looked around:

"Is anyone willing to contribute fifty magic stones to buy the antidote for my senior apprentice? Once she recovers and inherits the legacy, I will repay the debt twofold!"

T im's expression changed.

"Hmm..." A low laugh echoed in the hall:

"Fifty magic stones, what if she doesn't want to pay back? Can you make the decision for her?"

"Right!"

"Yes!"

"..."

The twofold repayment is tempting, but one must be certain.

In the Wizard world, people are mostly indifferent, and none would willingly bring trouble upon themselves.

Just as it is now.

Everyone knew there was an issue with T im, yet not a soul was willing to step forward, all watching from the sidelines.

"Relax!"

Karl spoke with a grave voice:

"My senior apprentice isn’t that kind of person. Once she recovers, she will prove I am also a disciple of Adolph, thus eligible for the legacy."

"If she doesn’t pay, I will!"

"I can leave a written agreement, using my share of the legacy as collateral to ensure your benefit."

"Not that simple." At that moment, a lazy voice sounded, and Ans lo et, in a white robe, slowly stepped forward from the crowd.

First, he nodded to T im, then said:

"The blood of the Death Messenger Crow can indeed mix with the secretion of the S pirale Snail, but it depends on the situation."

"If the poisoning happened recently, it would be easy to resolve."

"However, the intermediate wizard apprentice has been poisoned for three days, the toxins deeply rooted in her body, even the blood of the Death messenger crow might not work."

"Ladies..."

He glanced around and said:

"If you are willing to contribute the magic stones, you may end up losing everything and gaining no reward."

Upon these words, those who had initially shown some interest retracted their gazes, one by one shaking their heads, retracting their plans.

Fifty magic stones, a lifetime accumulation for most intermediate wizard apprentices. Who dares to take the risk? And risk offending someone?

Karl's face turned grim:

"Who are you?"

"Ans lo et." Ans lo et, placing a hand on his chest, bowed slightly:

"Disciple of Wizard Maya."

Maya?

One of the three full wizards in the Alliance!

"Karl." Seeing no one respond, T im's face wore a smug:

"Have you forgotten, who brought you through the door to the wizard world? Is this your gratitude?"

His tone turned severe:

"You haven't even managed to construct a zero-ring spell, and you dare to question an intermediate wizard apprentice’s qualifications to divide the legacy!"

"You are so..."

"Whoosh!"

Before his words could finish, a streak of light flew at him.

Arcane Missile!

T im's eyes narrowed, a blob of water appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the arcane Missile, neutralizing it swiftly.

"Who says you can’t perform a zero-ring spell?"

Karl's face twisted in rage, barely containing his fury:

"T im!"

"You, this despicable and shameless person, who hired an assassin to kill me and my senior apprentice for the sake of the legacy."

"I..."

"I will fight you to the end!"

Seeing the hope of saving Sie bel fade away, while the criminal who hired the assassin goes unpunished, Karl gripped the hilt of a sword, ready to charge.

"What do you want to do?" T im raised an eyebrow:

"Here, the Swamp alliance will serve as the arena. If I lose, I will take Sie bel and leave, never to appear before you again."

"If you lose..."

"Then acknowledge my status as a disciple of my mentor, and the share of the legacy that should be yours will be mine."

"Tim!"

Karl glared at him, his eyes filled with anger.

"You despicable, shameless, sinister, and venomous little man, dare you challenge me to a duel?"

Tim's face darkened. He was a respected wizard apprentice who had never been subjected to such insults, especially repeated ones.

His anger rose, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"Karl."

"As you wish!"

"I'll personally twist your head off in the duel, just like how I personally introduced you to the world of wizards!"

Unconsciously, Ansloet frowned.

In his opinion, Tim was clearly being impulsive. There was no need to respond to the other party's provocation at this moment.

As long as he waited for Siebel's death, Adolph's inheritance would fall into his hands.

A duel would only add unnecessary complications.

But...

It didn't matter anymore!

A junior wizard apprentice who only mastered a single zero-ring spell was no match for Tim.

Duels between wizards were already rare, especially when Adolph's inheritance was involved.

News of the duel between Karl and Tim quickly spread throughout the Swamp Alliance.

Before long, the duel arena was surrounded by onlookers.

"Tim, be careful," Ansloet whispered. "I had a friend observe that person called Karl. He's actually a knight, but he's hiding his life force with some kind of means."

"Oh!"

Tim raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"I didn't expect that in a little over a year, he not only entered the world of magic but also kept up with his knight training."

When they first met, the other party was just an unremarkable knight's attendant.

"Hmm."

Ansloet nodded.

"He probably thought you didn't know he's become a knight, which is why he's provoking you into a duel."

"A knight's sudden close-range attack can indeed defeat an intermediate wizard apprentice."

A wizard apprentice's strength lies in their mysterious magic rather than their physical body.

When faced with a sudden attack, they might not have their magic ready and could be hit in a vital spot.

Just like an assassin!

Just like Siebel!

"Heh..." Tim smirked. "All good dreams come to an end. Since I've agreed to the duel, I won't be careless and let him succeed."

"A knight?"

"I'll make him understand the consequences of angering me!"

...

Karl brought a soft chair, laid Siebel on it, and was about to leave when her sleeve tightened around his arm.)



"Sister."

He turned around, slightly surprised. "You're awake."

"Karl..." Siebel's voice was weak and powerless, her eyes clouded with endless pain.

"Go!"

"Don't... leave..."

Although she was poisoned, she hadn't completely lost consciousness and was still aware of her surroundings.

She had even overheard Karl and Tim's argument.

"I can't go on..."

Siebel struggled to speak. "You go!"

"Hurry!"

For the past three days, she had suffered from the agony of the poison, a living hell.

She had come to the Black Swamp full of hope, only to hear the news of her mentor's death and Tim's betrayal. Now, she was filled with despair.

Compared to Tim's hiring of assassins, Karl's unwavering loyalty was even more precious, and she couldn't help but feel grateful.

Now, he was willing to duel Tim for her sake, which made Siebel's heart race.

She didn't want Karl to die because of her.

In her eyes, Karl had no chance of winning, and the so-called duel was just a suicide mission.

"Sister, rest and don't think about anything," Karl said, holding her hand. "I'll get you the antidote."

"Sleep!"

He had finally convinced her to agree to the duel, and the stakes were related to Adolph's inheritance. He straightened his back, unsheathed the sword at his waist, and strode into the temporary duel arena constructed with magical means.

The arena covered an area of over two hundred square meters, with both parties standing on opposite sides, separated by more than ten meters.

Tim's face was covered in a cold smile as he held his staff, which glowed with a halo, and a stream of water appeared out of thin air.

Duels between knights were usually used to uphold insulted honor and had certain rules.

However, the two clearly had no intention of following those so-called rules.

They went straight for the attack!

"Boom!"

The ground shook.

Karl transformed into a shadow and pounced towards Tim.

Battle Skill—Eagle Strike!

Battle Skill—Gale Slash!

In an instant, more than ten shadows covered the area, like layers of sword barriers, falling from the sky and slashing towards Tim.

"A knight?"

Tim raised an eyebrow.

"You've actually become a knight!"

"But..."

"What can you do?"

Zero-Ring Spell—Wave Guardian! The stream of water spun rapidly, instantly forming a giant water ball that tightly enclosed Tim.

"Boom!"

The sword shadow landed on the water ball, causing ripples to spread.

The water rippled.

But the person inside remained unharmed.

Tim's vision was obscured by the sword shadow, but his face remained calm, showing no signs of tension. He even spoke, "Among the natural school and elemental wizards, the water system has the strongest defense. Unless it's a grand knight, no one can break through the defense of the Wave Guardian."

"You..."

"How can you beat me?"

Before he finished speaking, a sudden tension gripped his heart.

"Tim, be careful!"

Ansloet's exclamation from below reached Tim's ears, and he looked up to see a giant hammer appear out of thin air.

Titan Hammer!

Please support the author!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end