In response to Biji's accusation, Leilin Farell rubbed the bridge of his nose and could only remain silent.
At the same time, he felt a twinge of relief at the back of his mind — fortunately, he had changed his appearance beforehand. Otherwise, it would have been rather awkward facing Biji in the future.
But that was all there was to it.
Leilin walked over to the massive crater left by the explosion. A perfectly round badge lay right at his feet — once shiny and pristine, it was now coated in dust and flecked with remnants of blood and flesh.
"That apprentice was obviously some kind of genius from their academy! He was in the materials Guofate gave us before — the name was Torresas, I think! His badge alone is worth at least fifty contribution points!"
Leilin studied the badge lying quietly beside his boot, his expression conflicted.
Right now, the badge was literally at his feet. All it would take was a slight bend to pick it up.
With it, Leilin would have enough contribution points. Once the Blood Battle ended, he could exchange them at the Academy for a standard dose of Gehrin Water.
Although, after hearing the evil spirit Roman's intelligence on Wizard advancement, Leilin had his reservations about using that method to break through, Gehrin Water was exceedingly rare. It would be best to secure it first — even if he didn't use it personally, handing it over to the Chip to reverse-engineer its composition and formula would be well worth it.
However, the badges of enemies and the notable apprentices of Black Bone Forest Academy all bore unique markings. The moment Leilin presented this badge, it would be tantamount to admitting he was the one who had killed Torresas!
Leilin certainly hadn't forgotten — the man had a mentor behind him!
Though Black Bone Forest Academy was his backing, Leilin didn't want to paint a target on his back before he had even advanced to become a formal Wizard.
Who told Black Bone Forest Academy to be in the weaker position right now? If the other side stepped slightly out of line, the Academy could only swallow its broken teeth and say nothing. But if their own side crossed the line, it would be far easier to become targeted. That was the tragedy of the weak!
Leilin absolutely dared not take that gamble!
Therefore, despite feeling a pang of reluctance, he decided to let the badge go.
He was still using a disguise anyway. Once he removed it afterward, as long as he himself never said a word, no one would be able to prove he had killed their genius apprentice.
"Perhaps... giving this badge to Jiamen or Merlin wouldn't be a bad idea!"
Leilin kicked the badge at his feet, a smile crossing his face.
He had just glanced over — Jiamen had been knocked unconscious at the edge of the battlefield. The man looked wretched, but at least he was still alive and hadn't suffered any truly serious injuries.
"But there are still two insects left to deal with!"
Leilin turned his gaze toward a cluster of bushes nearby. With a sudden flick of his hand, two tubes of fiery red potion shot through the air.
Bang! The two test tubes collided in midair and erupted into a massive sheet of flames, sweeping toward the bushes like a curtain.
Whoosh! Whoosh! The instant the curtain of fire descended upon the bushes, two dark figures shot out and landed on the open ground to the side.
Silver Claw Sollen and the other golden-haired apprentice both wore grim expressions as they stared at the crater left by Torresas's self-destruction.
"Even Torresas the Lightning Thrower died at that guy's hands — heavens, that guy is an absolute freak!"
Sollen stared at the expressionless Leilin, roaring internally. Torresas the Lightning Thrower — that was a lunatic whose reputation even surpassed his own Silver Claw! And now even he had fallen to Leilin. So just what level of strength did Leilin actually possess?
"If I'd known he was this strong, only a fool would have followed!"
At this moment, a feeling called regret was steadily corroding Sollen's heart.
"What do we do?" The golden-haired female apprentice glanced at Sollen, saw that he already had thoughts of retreating, and silently cursed under her breath.
"What else can we do? It's up to him whether he lets us go!"
Sollen spread his hands and gave Leilin a slight bow. "Powerful one from Black Bone Forest Academy, your strength has convinced me. Sollen will not stand against you in the future..."
At Sollen's submissive display, the golden-haired female apprentice pursed her lips but ultimately said nothing.
After witnessing Leilin's power and ruthlessness, she was more than a little frightened too!
As for avenging their fallen classmates? The mortality rate among apprentices at White Forest Castle and Gothic Sage's Cottage might not be as horrific as Black Bone Forest Academy's, but every month a few unlucky souls still died.
If Sollen and the golden-haired apprentice tried to avenge every dead apprentice, they would have to start by massacring their own academies first.
They had only tracked Leilin down because they had seen him as their prey, intending to play an amusing little game.
Now, though, Leilin's strength far exceeded anything they had imagined. He was meticulous in thought and utterly ruthless — and that sent a chill through their hearts.
"Is that so?"
Leilin was noncommittal. He put away the black longbow in his hands and walked back to where he had discarded the Cross Sword, picking up the long blade.
"What a pity. You really shouldn't have followed me."
Leilin murmured softly, then began chanting a strange incantation as he ran his hand along the surface of the Cross Sword.