"It's an adult Storm Giant Elf!!!"
"Damn it! How did this thing show up on this route? Wasn't it cleared out before?"
"Where are the Wizards from the various academies? We need their help!!"
Several exasperated voices rang out.
"Activate the Large Defense Magical Array first, or those apprentices are dead for sure!"
With the sound of an incantation, a layer of milky-white glow surged over the walls of the entire airship. At several breaches, green light flickered as vines continuously climbed, sealing the cracks tightly.
"Huff... huff..." Leilin's face was flushed, and he was gasping for breath.
When the Storm Giant Elf spoke earlier, all the apprentices present had felt a wave of extremely cold, oppressive pressure attack them.
Vast, overwhelming, and carrying blatant malice!!! It nearly suffocated Leilin.
Fortunately, once this defensive array activated, Leilin felt the pressure lift considerably.
Otherwise, perhaps in another moment, all the apprentices in the hall would have suffocated to death.
"Humans, you will pay for your recklessness!" the Storm Giant Elf roared.
The sound penetrated the array, causing the milky glow to tremble.
"Great Child of Nature! Please calm your wrath! We have a token of passage here!" A voice Leilin found somewhat familiar spoke—it was the airship captain.
"This is the agreement we made with Lord Storm King, granting us passage!" Gegewu's voice was full of confidence.
"A token?" The Storm Giant Elf's voice was tinged with confusion, followed by another roar: "Pandala is free!!! The pact of the tribe does not govern me!!!"
"Roar! Howl! Domigan—Budala!" As the incantation sounded again, the lightning outside suddenly grew ten times more violent.
"Damn!!! It's a wanderer, I hit the jackpot!!!" Gegewu's voice came again, but without its usual confidence, replaced by sheer exasperation.
"Everyone, attack at once!!!"
BOOM!!!
A dazzling array of lights flashed outside the window, entangled with the lightning.
The airship began to tremble slightly.
Leilin's face was somewhat pale. Now he could only pray that the wizards would unleash their formidable power and drive away that damned Storm Giant Elf; otherwise, high up in the sky, he wouldn't even be able to run.
"Bang!!!"
After another loud crash, the airship returned to calm.
"Is it gone?"
"Just a newly matured Storm Giant Elf, at most equivalent to a semi-elementalized Formal Wizard. There are nine of us; its escape is only natural!"
The wizards' conversation drifted in from outside, clearly not suppressed—they were probably trying to calm the apprentices' spirits.
Sure enough, the apprentices present erupted in cheers upon hearing this.
"Oh! Praise the great wizards!"
"Damn! I thought I was going to be smashed into mincemeat!"
"Haha! Look at that coward, he actually wet his pants!" The apprentices loudly mocked some poor wretch, venting their lingering fear.
Leilin glanced over.
Earlier, when the Storm Giant Elf was speaking, Jiamen had released the vines binding Kreweir. Now Kreweir was nowhere to be seen, while Jiamen, though his face was a bit pale, stood in the center of the area, maintaining a victor's posture.
"The Chip didn't detect Jiamen carrying any Magical Items before; he must have gotten it recently. And the only source is Duolote!!!"
"So! After getting that Magical Item, Jiamen immediately started challenging Kreweir's position. If not for this accident, he might have actually succeeded!" Leilin thought to himself.
Because of the Storm Giant Elf's interruption, the conflict between Jiamen and Kreweir ended inconclusively.
From then on, Kreweir tried to avoid appearing in the same place as Jiamen whenever possible, seemingly afraid of the other's Magical Item.
And this battle had a significant impact on Leilin.
"Kreweir has already fully activated his Life Energy, crossed the threshold, and become a Formal Knight. Yet he's still as fragile as a lamb in front of an apprentice wielding a Magical Item! It seems the power of Wizards is indeed far superior to that of Knights!"
"I was originally thinking about activating my Life Energy, but now it seems, if I haven't managed it by the time I reach the Academy, I should give it up! I must focus all my energy on Wizard studies!" Leilin made up his mind.
As days passed one by one, the airship finally arrived at another continent.
Aside from that encounter with the Storm Giant Elf, the airship had also met numerous flying creatures along the way, making Leilin realize that not only was the Death Sea difficult to traverse, but the skies also held dangers.
Fortunately, Gegewu's token was effective against most creatures, and conflicts were avoided.
During this period, the airship landed several times, disembarking batches of teachers and students, and the airship gradually became less crowded.
Unknowingly, another dozen or so days passed.
BANG!!! The airship landed on the ground, and the entire compartment jolted violently.