"I don't believe it. You're just saying that on purpose, aren't you?"
Tolezas's cunning eyes darted around, drifting behind Leilin.
"See that? After hearing what you said, your little girlfriend is quite upset!"
"Boring!" Leilin didn't even turn his head.
"But, it's time to end this!" Leilin looked up at the sky. The light was brighter than it had been at dawn.
Wizards were clearly rational people. Tolezas's earlier threat against Leilin had only been a one-in-ten-thousand hope at best; his true purpose was most likely to stall for time until other apprentices arrived as reinforcements!
The Black Bone Forest Academy apprentices were at an absolute disadvantage in this blood battle. Now on the second day, the enemy's apprentices would certainly have started gathering. Once Leilin was discovered, it would be a free-for-all against him.
When that happened, spells would rain down like a deluge. Even with the Falling Star Pendant, the energy within wouldn't last long.
"What do you mean, end this?"
Several spellcasting materials appeared in Tolezas's hands as he took a few steps backward.
"End this boring game, of course!"
A cold gleam flashed in Leilin's eyes, and he immediately chanted several syllables.
Ssscrack!!! Clusters of red-green gas spread continuously across the frozen battlefield.
The white ice and thin mist dissolved at a rapid pace the moment they came into contact with the red gas, and the temperature at the scene kept rising.
Meanwhile, the green mist kept refilling the field, instantly reducing visibility — one couldn't see another person within three meters.
"This is what I prepared especially for your spells — Burning Death Cloud!"
Leilin said softly. All his chatter with the enemy earlier had actually been a cover while the Chip frantically calculated, set up the battlefield, and secretly scattered various auxiliary materials.
"Just some corrosive gas!"
A look of contempt crossed Tolezas's face as blue electric current surged across his entire body. If the current covering him before had been a thin layer, it had now ballooned to an inch thick.
"Go!" Tolezas pointed, and the blue current charged straight into the red-green cloud.
Sizzle!!!
Wherever the lightning struck, the red-green gas kept evaporating, revealing patches of open ground.
But the smug expression on Tolezas's face hadn't lasted even a moment before his expression suddenly changed.
"This magical fluctuation! You! You're not some first-rank apprentice at all — you're third-rank!!!"
As a wave of energy violently erupted from the center of the red-green cloud, all the electric serpents were directly corroded by the green gas. A streak of green even followed the lightning's trajectory, spreading back toward Tolezas.
"No!" Tolezas gave one deep look at Leilin within the cloud and turned to flee.
Leilin immediately flicked his hand, and a green ring-shaped spell enveloped Tolezas's body. His sprinting figure suddenly slowed as if shackled by chains.
Ssscrack!!! The red-green smoke cloud spread to Tolezas's location, wrapping him up entirely.
The smoke grew thicker and thicker until Leilin could no longer see Tolezas with the naked eye.
Crackle-pop!!! Flashes of lightning and thunder rumbled continuously from within the Burning Death Cloud, along with Tolezas's screams and cries of pain.
A cold smile played at Leilin's lips. This death cloud was an improved version of his earlier spell, specifically infused with neutralizing agents highly sensitive to lightning-type energy particles. It could be said to be the natural nemesis of all lightning-system apprentices!
Listening to the screams echoing from within the death cloud and the sound of flesh being corroded, Biji's face behind Leilin showed a look of distress.
"I'll kill you!"
A few dozen seconds later, Tolezas burst out of the death cloud's range, still wrapped in a shroud of smoke, and charged straight toward Leilin.
"Ah!" Seeing Tolezas's current appearance, Biji and the other apprentice couldn't help but cry out in horror.
Tolezas's upper body was mostly bare, much of his clothing corroded away. His body was covered in festering pustules oozing yellow pus. One eye had fallen completely out of its socket, held in place only by a few red blood vessels, leaving the eyeball dangling against his cheek. Combined with the missing chunks of muscle from his face, Tolezas was now a perfect replica of the zombies from Leilin's previous life.
"Even though apprentices can use energy particles to modify their physiology, such tenacious vitality is truly extremely rare!"
Leilin extended both hands forward. The black bracers on his wrists automatically extended outward, ultimately transforming into a black longbow. An arrow tipped with barbs was nocked onto the bowstring.
"Wind force and humidity calculations in progress. Trajectory adjusted!"
With the Chip's assistance, Leilin's archery was now fully comparable to that of a so-called master.
Swhoosh-swhoosh-swhoosh!!! Four arrows were fired by Leilin in succession. Black streaks of light split the air and pierced straight through all four of Tolezas's limbs, pinning him firmly to the ground.
"Heh-heh!!!" Tolezas struggled, chunks of flesh still falling from his body. It seemed even his vocal cords had been damaged — he could no longer produce a single complete word.