The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 434: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle, - 3: Madness Part 2

Chapter 434: Volume 9: Phantom of the Ancient Castle, Chapter 3: Madness Part 2

The term almost burst from Komer’s mind, no wonder even he found it difficult to control his own emotions.

Looking at the expressions of the Puppet Mage and Rebury, the smoke, extremely faint and nearly colorless and odorless, was not magic, but a dark plant-based concoction, and though its onset was not rapid, its effects were quite long-lasting.

It could excite the nerves of those who inhaled it, greatly amplifying their emotions toward those they despised and hated; colloquially speaking, it would trigger an outburst of emotions that the poisoned individual inherently loathed. Often this resulted in violent displays of Martial Power. What puzzled Komer, though, was why the Mysterious Magician suddenly shifted his animosity toward Vladimir Koff.

The dark mist had some effect on cultivators of Dark-based magic, though not much, but its impact on those practicing Light and Holy types of magic was especially pronounced. Komer had spent a considerable period studying potion-making under a quirky Half-Beast Pharmacist, acquiring quite a few skills in this area.

A series of Light Shields continuously revolved around the Mysterious Magician, and the Fighting Qi bursting from the two Dark Knights’ Knight Spears could not fully destroy the Magician’s protective Light Shield. The formidable Light-based attack magic forced the two Dark Knights to dodge desperately to avoid its lethal power. This was the true display of the Mysterious Magician’s strength. His use of Flight Technique, quick as the wind, was truly astonishing, and both Komer and Rebury had to admit that in this respect, no one in their adventure party could match him.

"Mr. Mihailovich, if I may be so bold, where exactly does this Mage Lome come from, and who recommended her to partake in this adventure? Was it you?"

Seeing the two Dark Knights struggling increasingly to withstand the Mysterious Magician’s relentless assault, and recognizing that her powerful demonstration of Light Magic was proof enough of her very close ties to the Bright Holy Teaching, Komer knew all too well that once she broke free, everyone present, including himself, would face endless trouble. It compelled Komer to prepare in advance.

"Ah, she came recommended by a friend, who, because of travels abroad, couldn’t join us and so suggested this Mage Lome, reputedly proficient in Light Magic. On this issue, you may rest assured, Lord, that amid our circle of friends, all are like-minded. No outsider could intrude," Mihailovich hastily explained, clearly grasping the implication in Komer’s words.

"Mr. Mihailovich, I’m afraid your words are hardly satisfying. Look at her use of ’High Clouds’; it’s the purest form of Light Magic. I can’t imagine any Dark wizard who could cultivate Light Magic power to such an extent. No one but a natural-born Light Mage could achieve this!" Shaking his head, Komer obviously couldn’t accept what Mihailovich said, especially since Mihailovich himself didn’t seem to know much about this Mysterious Magician. A simple letter of recommendation from a friend was far from trustworthy. "Mr. Mihailovich, unless you can persuade Mage Lome to cease and submit herself for our inspection, please excuse us for any disrespect we must show her."

Casting a glance at Rebury, Mihailovich also understood the only way to dispel the doubts of those present was to have Mage Lome stand down. He couldn’t fathom why Mage Lome had suddenly attacked the two Dark Knights; throughout their journey, the Dark Knights hadn’t offended her in any way. Why then was she attacking them with such hostility and resolve? It was no wonder the others had grown suspicious of the Mysterious Magician introduced through his own channels.

"Mage Lome, please, halt your attack! Whatever the issue, can’t we stop and settle this through peaceful means?" At this moment, the Puppet Mage had no choice but to toughen up and make one final plea.

In response to the Puppet Mage’s kindly summoning, the Mysterious Magician seemed to sense it, and as he spun around to face the Puppet Mage, before the latter had time to recover, two Holy Thunderfires descended from the sky and directly struck down towards the head of the Puppet Mage.

Even though the Puppet Mage had an astonishingly quick reaction, he lacked any guard, and after dodging the first Thunderfire attack, the second struck unreservedly upon his Skeleton Warrior, who had taken a hit for his master. The powerful Holy Light Power struck the dark warrior from the depths of the underworld, cracking his skull, which was adorned with a red headband that slid off after the silver shield and short sword fell to the ground. After a brief wobble, the Skeleton Warrior finally collapsed with a crash, reduced to a pile of debris.

Fuming with rage and seeing his prized luxury Skeleton Warrior perish in one blow without any protection, the Puppet Mage was burning with anger from within. Never expecting his good intentions to be repaid in such a manner, Mihailovich let out an enraged roar, "Hrmph!" With fingers moving in a strange, complex gesture, a wisp of black smoke began to emanate from between them, "Black Flame Burst!"

This was an ancient Dark Magic that had been lost, a forbidden spell that drew upon the very essence of the caster, only to be used in terribly urgent situations, as magicians were reluctant to invoke it. Not only was this magic challenging to cast, but it also harmed the caster upon a successful incantation, requiring a significant period of recovery. And yet, such lengths were not necessary at this time, illustrating just how incensed the Puppet Mage was over the loss of his puppet.

Rebury, too, had successfully cast his spell; three sets of shadowy circles that were barely visible overlapped and successfully snared the Mysterious Magician, who was preoccupied with a powerful confrontation against two Dark Knights. Meanwhile, Komer chose to launch his attack with "Heavenly Thunder Punishment," a potent thunder-based magic.

The Mysterious Magician’s strength far surpassed everyone’s imagination, not only were the two Dark Knights suppressed under her Magic Attack, but she also had the extra strength to unleash two Holy Thunderfires, shattering a top-tier Skeleton Warrior.

While it was unclear why this person chose to openly confront them at this time, it seemed there was only one reason – perhaps the treasure hidden behind the secret door was so enticing that she became crazed with greed, hoping to monopolize it – this seemed like the only plausible explanation, aside from Komer, who vaguely knew more.

The forbidden magic unleashed by the Puppet Mage morphed into black feathers in the air, lightly adhering to the surface of the huge jointed Light Shield that had formed around her. Even as the two Dark Knights, who had pushed their Fighting Qi to the limit, struck the sturdy Light Shield with their Knight Spears, they could only cause the shield to emit a strange halo, never quite breaking through the defensive wall.

As these black feathers touched the Light Shield, they immediately exploded with a violent sound, and the interplay of black and white light burst forth brilliantly. However, with each feather’s reaction with the shield, the brilliance of the Light Shield dimmed, and when Komer’s "Heavenly Thunder Punishment," transformed into countless black grid-like nets and densely covered the Light Shield, the intense power of the thunder-based magic caused the already weakened shield to show countless cracks.

The Dark Knights, not willing to miss such an opportunity, almost simultaneously launched twin black beams from the tips of their spears. In a flash of lightning, they viciously slammed into the Light Shield, and with a clear sound of shattering, the composite shield finally met its end and collapsed violently, just as Rebury’s triple Dark Binding snugly seized the body of the Mysterious Magician at the right moment.