Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 855 - 119: An All-Out Duel

Chapter 855: Chapter 119: An All-Out Duel

Atop the clock tower, the hour and minute hands on the face of the clock were twisting frantically, rotating forwards and backwards, causing concern that the delicate clockworks might collapse at any moment. In sync with its madness, the hanging pendulum’s swing became larger and larger, at times moving so fast only a blur remained, at other times slowing as if it had just come to a stop mid-air. The stone surface of the clock tower, along with the changes of the pendulum and the face, became mottled and worn one moment, as if it had endured the ravages of a myriad years, and pristine the next, as though it had just been built, giving onlookers the impression that time within the boundaries of the clock tower, perhaps even time within this entire space, had become distorted—a second here could be but an instant, or it could become eternity.

From a distance, if one’s eyesight were good enough, they would notice a few new wrinkles on Victor’s youthful face and a layer of gray coloring Felic’s golden hair. In less than a minute, both men seemed to have aged considerably, but neither paid any heed to this. Instead, after floating up to the original platform of the clock tower, they stepped backward and reentered the tower’s main door, which closed firmly behind them, leaving Pannis and Vivian separated from them in two different worlds.

All this time, Pannis had ample opportunity to rush in for an attack, but he did not do so. Instead, he watched from a distance, his expression as somber as the gloomy sky outside, cautiously maintaining a certain distance from the clock tower.

"Be careful," Pannis said to Vivian without turning around, his back to her. "Don’t step within ten meters of the clock tower—no, ten meters is too little, keep a distance of at least thirty meters."

"Is it very dangerous?" Vivian’s energy sense didn’t detect any unusual energy around the clock tower, but knowing Pannis as she did, she knew he wouldn’t be joking at a time like this and asked seriously, "Is there a special energy field that is undetectable?"

"Yeah, incomprehensible, undetectable, but very dangerous," Pannis replied, protecting Vivian as they both took a few steps back to put even more distance between them. He spoke with a grave tone, "Back when I fought alongside Philarx, his mastery of Time magic was limited to borrowing time to allow him to cast different magics simultaneously. I never imagined his student would be able to develop Time magic to such an extent. Be careful around that clock tower; the rules of time have likely become abnormal. If you break in rashly, you might be affected by the chaotic rules of time. I guess you’re not interested in experiencing the condition of an eighty-year-old body prematurely or reverting to the age of three, right?"

"Don’t talk about such scary things. The thought alone sends chills through me," Vivian said as she hugged her arms and shivered, complaining, "Thinking about suddenly becoming eighty years old is terrifying."

"They think the same," Pannis sighed and said. "Don’t be fooled by their fine words; in the end, they’re just afraid of death, which is why they’re trying everything possible, even taking other people’s lives if necessary, to delay their own demise as much as they can. The goal might be noble, but they’ve chosen the most erroneous path. However, that’s hardly surprising; Tower Mages have always cared little for good and evil, justice and wickedness, they are utterly self-serving and prioritize pragmatism above all."

"I’d rather die of old age than extend my life in that way," Vivian said, shaking her head emphatically. "Regardless, I am still a person; my humanity won’t allow me to consume the flesh and lives of my kind to satisfy myself."

"Which is why you’re not one of them," Pannis turned, smiled, and looked at Vivian’s face. "That’s why you are Vivian, the good sister of Catherine and Lina, and the most popular teacher at Starshine Magic Academy, right?"

"Humph, even if you compliment me, I won’t be happy," Vivian retorted, her youthful face flushing slightly as she turned her head away, yet she couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle softly, "Hehe, I feel the same."

"Don’t pick up habits from that Lina," Pannis rolled his eyes in resignation and said, "It’s not at all endearing."

"I’ll tell her that when we get out," Vivian glared at Pannis before speaking seriously, "Now what should we do? Just let them prepare to attack? I have a feeling that if this continues, their final assault will be very dangerous."

"There’s nothing we can do but wait," Pannis shook his head. "The rules of time are too mysterious; I can’t understand them, and I don’t dare to launch an attack to interfere with their battle prep. I feel that getting closer might lead to something terrible. However, even if they launch their final attack, they have their weaknesses. As long as we can hold on during their assault, we will be able to secure a final victory. So all we need to do now is wait quietly and prepare to counter it when the time comes."

"Is it because of the situation they just showed?" Vivian said thoughtfully, "It seems that time magic indeed comes with a price, the stronger the time magic, the greater the price to be paid."

"You’ve seen it too, haven’t you?" Pannis nodded, "Given their lifespans, I’m afraid they won’t last much longer. Heh, no wonder there’s never been a word about Philarx using time magic in this way. To influence time, one will inevitably be bitten back by time. It’s just a matter of how long the two of them have left. I suppose they’re making a final stand—if they can’t keep us alive during the duration, then they’re the ones who’ll die."

"You’re right," Victor’s voice suddenly became very loud, spreading from the clock tower and outwards, "You have bored me. Indeed, I cannot catch you, but I have heard my teacher mention that you only have a few years with your Inherent Psychic Domain, and its strength is not high. So, the best way to deal with you is to directly target your domain. If your domain is destroyed, you will naturally weaken along with it, while the life we’ve spent can be replenished through reserves. Of course, you can choose to flee, but regretfully, the others and all the ordinary people in the city will have to be buried with you because of your flight."

As Victor proclaimed, a strange energy field began to expand evenly around the clock tower. The surrounding sand sea, white bones, and night sky turned into bizarre lights and shadows under the erosion of the energy field, eventually returning to nothingness. In the middle of this void, only the clock tower still stood in its place.

"Thinking I’ll flee? You’re not qualified enough for that. Save those useless words until you’ve truly become a deity," Pannis finally understood what the opponent wanted to do. He calmly drew his one-handed sword, and the energy that diffused within the vast Inherent Psychic Domain rapidly gathered around him. Pannis gazed at the Magic Tower and said in a low voice to Vivian, "His way of fighting is strongest at the clock tower, but the weakest spot is also the clock tower. Once the clock tower, symbolic of the Inherent Psychic Domain, is toppled, his tactics will have completely failed. Therefore, I will mobilize all my energy to tear open his energy field and charge directly at his clock tower. As long as I succeed, they will no longer be able to stand against us."

"But what if you fail?" Vivian asked softly, "What will happen to you if you fail?"

"Fail? Heh, I’ve calculated it, and the chances of success are very high." Pannis said with a smile, "Even if I fail, don’t worry. I won’t die, and besides, she’s protecting me."

As Pannis spoke, he reached out his hand to the side. Nellie’s phantom also lifted her armored arm simultaneously, placing her metal-clad hand into the palm of Pannis. Although there was no contact between reality and phantom, Pannis pretended to hold Nellie’s hand and said with a light laugh, "Maybe I alone might fail, but when two people are together, even facing a deity, we can put up a fight. And also, some mistakes made once are enough; I will not back down this time. Nobody can make me take even half a step back."

Standing behind Pannis, Vivian’s gaze lingered on the two hands that pretended to clasp each other. Her expression flickered with indescribable emotions, but eventually, it settled on a determined smile. She spoke lightheartedly, "I believe in your power. At this time, there’s not much I can do to help, so I’ll stand from a distance and wait for the news of your victory."

"Of course, you will hear from me soon," Pannis nodded and added, "But be ready for battle. After their assault fails, there might be a final backlash. You must hold on and be vigilant at all costs."

"Don’t worry, and even if you’re confident of victory, still be careful." Vivian tugged at the hem of Pannis’s clothes and whispered, "I know you won’t die, but even if it’s not real death, dying once is still very painful. I don’t want to see you go through that pain again. Besides, we’re all waiting for you—in the ’present’—don’t let us down."

"Ha, I’m not going to die," Pannis said, a bit absent-minded, blinking, "With his power, he doesn’t have the ability to kill me. I’ll be back soon."

With that, Pannis, whose energy had reached its peak, charged toward the void’s clock tower accompanied by Nellie’s phantom. As Pannis surged forward, two mightily opposed forces began to converge rapidly. Vivian turned away, using several Dimensional Doors to distance herself as far as possible from her original location. Only when she reached what she considered a safe distance did Vivian turn back and, silently praying to the god of wisdom in her heart, quietly watched from afar as the forces collided violently at the clock tower.

The next moment, the raging energy roared and exploded in all directions. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)