"Thirty times…"
Marbu roared in frustration.
But on his body, the earth-yellow wizard formation flashed with light, then suddenly exploded!
Layer upon layer of silvery metal fell from his body to the ground, each piece landing as a flat, silver-white disc.
"Damn it… my body can't take it anymore…"
Marbu half-knelt on the ground, staring in the direction Leilin had escaped, his face filled with unwillingness.
The Gravity
……
A long distance from the battlefield, inside a hidden cave.
A formation radiating a wizardly aura continuously drew in and expelled air, as if summoning something. Above the formation, an inverted "L" symbol flickered with light.
Flanking the formation stood two Knights in heavy black armor, standing guard with tense vigilance.
BOOM!
The gravity formation's radiance suddenly surged.
In an instant, a dark shadow rocketed in at a speed invisible to the naked eye, slamming straight into the center of the formation with a deafening crash.
Dust flew everywhere. The original formation was utterly destroyed, and a large crater now marred the ground.
"Pfft!"
Leilin barely managed to straighten his body before coughing up another mouthful of blood. At the same time, searing pain erupted from every part of his body, as though he had been torn apart from the inside out.
The immense pulling force of the Gravity Wizard Formation had freed Leilin from his predicament, but it had also compounded his injuries.
"A peak First-rank Wizard is truly not someone I can contend with in my current state. Every one of them has hidden cards up their sleeve…"
Leilin smiled bitterly.
"Master!" Numbers Two and Three immediately dropped to one knee in a bow.
"Good! Let's leave here quickly!"
Leilin glanced around and issued orders to his subordinates.
He was currently in a heavily injured state, with less than a tenth of his fighting strength remaining. Whether he encountered enemies or allies, he would be in great danger.
Fortunately, during this time, he had secretly established several small safe houses in the area — locations known only to him and his two soul servants, making them as safe as could be.
Until his injuries healed, Leilin had no intention of making a formal appearance before anyone.
With the support of Numbers Two and Three, Leilin's party quickly departed the area.
"Though I was severely injured this time, it wasn't without gain! At the very least, both of Marlb's trump cards — the Metal Life Form and the Gravity Wizard Formation — have been completely exposed..."
Intelligence on peak First-rank Wizards was extremely rare and valuable.
Leilin had previously gathered some information on Marlb through the Thousand Leaves Hand and
Perhaps this was because his power and status were insufficient.
"Chip! Were all the previous data recorded?" Leilin asked silently.
"Marlb's specific data has been recorded. Generating character sheet!" The Chip's mechanical voice sounded in Leilin's ear, and in the next moment, a blue glow flashed before his eyes as a virtual screen appeared.
"Marlb Lilliter — Peak First-rank Wizard. Estimated Strength: 10.7. Agility: 9.5. Constitution: 23. Spirit: 79. Mana: 79. Mana is synchronized with Spiritual Power. Spiritual Elemental Transformation attribute: Metal. Progress: 78–85."
"Unique Skills: 1. Metal Life Form — After fusing with a pure elemental Metal Life Form, all manner of fatal injuries to a human body become ineffective. Constitution is greatly increased, and Metal-system Wizard spells receive an additional bonus. However, the user loses human tactile sense. 2. Gravity Wizard Formation — Gravity Wizard Formation runes detected on the body surface. Estimated completeness: 56. All data recorded! Can release gravity attacks ranging from 2 to 25 times normal, with a range of one hundred yards! Estimated maximum power: 29 times!"
After this exchange of blows, Leilin had uncovered the majority of Marlb's specific data.
It could be said that if they fought again and Leilin took targeted countermeasures, the probability of Marlb dying at Leilin's hands would exceed fifty percent.
This was merely the advantage reflected in the raw data. A gleam flashed in Leilin's eyes. "Chip! Build a character model and simulate the optimal elimination plan. Factor in Numbers Two and Three as well..."
Instantly, scene after scene of combat flashed through Leilin's mind.
A little over ten minutes later, the Chip's feedback came through.
"Based on the latest data simulation results — target eliminated! Number Two eliminated, Number Three severely wounded, primary lightly wounded!"
Looking at the plan the Chip had produced, a slight smile appeared on Leilin's face. "Marlb! The next time we meet will be the day you die..."
......
Outside the Ganges Secret Realm, in that same inverted castle.
Inside a room as cold as a freezer, surrounded by enormous blocks of ice.
Hightower, wearing a pair of thick, cumbersome glasses, stared unblinkingly at a beaker that was bubbling continuously before him.
"Banshee's hair, ground lizard's nails, plus... the silk sac of the Durock spider..."
He muttered incomprehensibly, his hands moving like precise machinery as he continuously added ingredient after ingredient into the beaker.
"Daughter of Crimson, descend upon this place!"
Once the materials in the beaker had completely melted, Hightower spread his hands toward the open air and began chanting incantations in a strange language, like a ritual prayer.
Hum...
The ground began to tremble, and a bloody stench started to permeate the small room.
In that instant, Hightower seemed to see a vast ocean of blood surging toward him.
The ocean of blood condensed in an instant, transforming into a tall, magnificent, yet faceless woman — a bizarre figure.
The woman's form was ethereal, floating in midair.
"...fjigial!" Hightower recited a long string of ancient incantations, extremely difficult to pronounce, his tone deeply obscure and filled with a primal, savage aura.
"Chirp chirp..." After hearing Hightower's ritual chant, the woman finally spoke, emitting a bizarre sound like a bird chirping or an insect fluttering its wings.
"Quickly! Bring them in!" Hightower said to the old woman behind him.
The old woman clapped her hands, and two rows of attendants dressed in black filed in, dragging in over a dozen humans with black bags over their heads, their bodies still shivering.
"Chirp chirp!" The woman in midair let out an excited cry. Then, she leaned her body forward slightly.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
From the bodies of the captives, countless enormous gashes suddenly split open, and blood gushed out like fountains.
The attendants on both sides immediately retreated as if fleeing from the plague.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The blood converged into streams. It drifted eerily through the air, flowing from below toward the woman suspended in midair.
After a brief moment, not a single trace of blood remained on the ground, while the red coloring on the woman's body seemed to have grown even more vivid.
Having received her offering, the woman nodded. The featureless expanse of her face rippled and shifted, forming the shape of a teapot.
Drip!
A single drop of blood-red liquid fell from the spout, plunging straight into the beaker below.
Crack!
The instant the drop landed in the beaker, a burst of crimson flames erupted, engulfing the entire vessel. Within the burning fire, various other sounds occasionally emanated from inside — like the wailing of tormented spirits.
The moment the flames ignited, the woman vanished eerily from midair.
Neither Hightower nor the old woman noticed how she had departed.
"How is it?" The old woman stared fixedly at the crimson flames. The firelight spread outward, casting a chilling expression across her face.
Under the glow of the red fire, the old woman's features seemed twisted, making her look utterly fearsome.
"This is the most promising method I've arrived at through numerous experiments, and I've further enhanced it through the ritual, borrowing a trace of power from the malice within the blood… For this curse, this should be the most effective antidote!"
Hightower gazed at the gradually dying crimson flames, his expression perfectly calm. A hint of wisdom gleamed in his eyes.
"I certainly hope so! The time until Jenna's curse fully activates is growing critically short…" the old woman murmured.
Hearing this, a strange flicker seemed to pass through Hightower's eyes.
Although Jenna had inherited the gift of prophecy and was the hope of the family, Manla was still her relative. Such actions, even by a White Wizard's standards, seemed rather excessive.
But Hightower concealed his hidden expression well, never letting the old woman notice.
Boom!
A few minutes later, the crimson flames died out completely, revealing a peculiar, solidified object inside the flask.
The object resembled some kind of soft-bodied creature — like a large lump of jelly, still writhing unconsciously.
"It worked!" A hint of a smile appeared on Hightower's face.
Immediately after, his expression turned serious as he addressed the old woman solemnly. "…Madam, although I have a great deal of confidence in this method of removal, curses are extremely troublesome things. Some Black Wizards like to add all manner of vile toxins to them, and if they aren't handled properly, things can become very difficult indeed. So, if… I mean if, there is any possibility, it would still be best to speak with the Wizard who cast the curse—"
"No need! My family will not compromise with anyone! Fate stands behind us!" The old woman refused flatly, leaving Hightower with no choice but a bitter smile.
Worried about the possibility of a chain reaction from the curse, Jenna and Manla had been placed far apart from each other during the treatment.
Hightower wore a white robe adorned with numerous runes that shimmered with a milky-white glow.
At that moment, he held aloft a vessel in his hands, and the soft-bodied creature lay quietly within it.
Hightower glanced at Manla, unconscious on the laboratory table, then finally turned to look at the old woman one last time.
The old woman nodded, her face expressionless.
Seeing this, Hightower could only sigh inwardly before his expression turned grave. "Then, I shall begin…"