Chapter 43
Rafael was newly promoted to the Gilded Phase, so he hadn’t mastered many spells yet.
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Byron had been diligent, giving him three spells to choose from during his Foundation Phase, including the Azure Sword Art, the Chaotic Blade Art, and a basic attack spell for mages.
Rafael had chosen the Azure Sword Art and the basic attack spell but he’d been lazy and hadn’t fully mastered either, always thinking it didn’t matter.
But now, in the middle of a fight, he finally realized that he was too weak.
But it was too late to regret it now.
“If I can just make it back, I’ll study my ass off!” Rafael swore to himself.
Luckily, even though he’d slacked off on everything else, Byron had forced him to grind the Gale–Storm Incantation for a whole year. Thanks to that, his getaway speed was top–notch.
At least when it came to leading five people on a wild goose chase through the woods, Rafael totally nailed it. He even managed to lure them away.
However, he was almost out of tricks.
A barrage of blood arrows shot out, sealing off every path ahead. If Rafael tried to push forward, it’d be a one–way ticket to death.
He had no choice but to stop.
As the five guys closed in, Rafael gave a nervous laugh. “Hey, guys, is it too late to beg for mercy now?”
“Go to hell!” the leader shouted.
The lead mage swung his blade down. As a mage at the Gilded phase, his strike was unstoppable.
Rafael threw up his arms and managed to block it with a loud crash.
Only then did everyone notice the shield on his arms.
Rafael broke out in a cold sweat. “Thank goodness I actually learned this one.”
It was the mana Shield, which was a lifesaver when it came to blocking hits.
But the enemy’s strength was overwhelming. Rafael was knocked back several steps by the sheer force.
Before he could catch his breath, a swordsman from behind swung at him.
Rafael hit the ground, rolled like hell, and scrambled out of the encirclement, clutching his head and screaming at the top of his lungs, “Laura, help me.”
Craig, getting desperate, yelled, “Burrow Spell, you moron.”
Rafael snapped to attention. “Oh, right. the Burrow Spell.”
Rafael cursed inwardly, ‘Shit, what’s the chant for the Burrow Spell again?”
Just as death was about to catch up to him. Rafael’s memory kicked in. In a flash of light, he dove straight into the earth.
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Chapter 43
སཊཱི, 23,–
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At the same time, Craig cast his spell. A wild gale tore through the forest, sweeping the thick, drifting mist straight toward the five mages from Blood Rainbow.
But then, an even stronger wind came roaring in from the other side, blowing the toxic fog right back toward Craig.
Craig was fine, but Rafael, who’d just poked his head out of the ground, sucked in a lungful of poison. “I’m about to suffocate,” he gasped.
But a moment later, Rafael thought bitterly, ‘Honestly, suffocating might’ve been the better way to go.
Countless bubbles started to form on his skin, dark purple–black spreading fast. Rafael reached out in despair. “I’m gonna die.”
Craig skidded in on his knees, slammed a pill into Rafael’s mouth. “Swallow it.”
The antidote slid down Rafael’s throat, saving his life at the last second. But Rafael was still paralyzed, so Craig slung him over his shoulder and took off running like hell.
The five guys were hot on their heels, but soon, screams echoed from behind.
“It’s poison ants,” one of them yelled.
“That pretty boy who ran off is a poison master,” another shouted.
Craig was sprinting for his life, but even then, he couldn’t help yelling back, “I’m an Apothecary. Get your facts right!”
I’m the student of my mentor, the outstanding Apothecary, Craig thought.
Even though he was told to keep quiet about his identity, Craig wasn’t about to give up being an Apothecary for anything. No matter what, this was who he was. Nobody could change that.
Rafael was getting bounced around so much he felt like he was gonna puke. The numbness in his arms and legs was fading, but he just felt worse and worse.
“Bro, I think I’m seeing mushrooms flying,” he groaned.
Craig just groaned.
“This idiot had to suck in the Ink Poison, which is the worst. If I hadn’t shoved the antidote down his throat, he’d be out cold by now. But man, the side effects are nasty as hell, Craig thought
“Hang in there, man. I’ll clear out the rest of the poison for you in a bit,” Craig said.
“Whoa, a mushroom just flew right into my mouth. I’m gonna take a bite,” Rafael mumbled.
Craig caught the odd sound and immediately sensed trouble. He spun around, threw up his hand, and managed to snatch two darts out of the air. The third was stuck between Rafael’s teeth.
Craig just stared, utterly speechless.
Rafael spat it out. “Man, this thing’s way too tough. No way I’m biting through that.”
Craig didn’t even get a chance to check if the dart was poisoned. That split–second of distraction was all it took. Two attackers had already closed the gap.
One of them slipped around to the back and slashed his blade right at Rafael.
Rafael was still completely out of it, totally oblivious to the threat creeping up behind him.
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Chapter 43
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Craig saw it in a flash and threw himself in the way, using his body to block the strike. But that move left his right side wide open. If the enemy landed a hit, Craig would be seriously hurt.
That wasn’t
even
counting the
that b
was about to get flanked from both sides.
Right then, Craig let the pressure of the Gilded explode,
retreat.
Corening into a flash of gold that forced both attackers to
The mages from the Blood Rainbow look
mortified after they staggered back ten steps.
“He is at the Late Stage of the Gilded Phase,” one of them blurted out, his voice trembling with disbelief.
‘How can he be this young?‘ another thought.
Craig was just in his early twenties, and Rafael was only around eighteen. But both of them were already rocking the Gilded Phase.
Craig was already at the Late Stage of the Gilded Phase.
In the cultivation world, if one hit the Gilded Phase by fifty, they would be considered to have some talent. If they made it by forty, that would be pretty impressive.
But anyone who managed it before thirty was a one–in–a–million prodigy.
Marietta Barber, who came from the High Sanctum of Archmagi reached the Gilded Phase at sixteen. That was why she was a total legend.
Figuring out a mage’s age was simple. Once they reached the Gilded Phase, their lifespan would shoot up to five hundred years, and their looks would freeze at that moment.
So whatever age people were when they hit the Gilded Phase, that would be how old they would look forever.
There was also an option of using a Rejuvenation Elixir to make one look younger.
But Rejuvenation Elixirs were
crazy rare and expensive. Most people wouldn’t waste their money on something like that.
Seeing how young Craig looked, they’d figured he was at the Late Stage of the Foundation Phase at best. But now they realized both he and Rafael were far from ordinary.
Meanwhile, these guys were all well into their thirties.
Bitterness and envy gnawed at them.
‘How are these two so insanely gifted?‘ they thought.
“Now we really can’t let them get away,” one of them muttered.
They are too damn gifted. They have to go,‘ another thought.
Only three guys were left on the team of Blood Rainbow. Two were downed by poison, sprawled out behind.
The third came stalking forward, bow slung over his shoulder, his gaze icy and filled with killing intent.
He raised his bow, string pulled tight, ready to let an arrow fly.
Craig backed away slowly, keeping his bleeding arm tucked close trying not to let anyone see.
But there was no way to hide it. These mages were all at the Gilded Phase. Blood in the grass was like a neon sign to them.
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Chapter 43
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The remaining Blood Rainbow students sneered while conjuring blood–red arrows.
Craig spun around and bolted..
“Freeze” one of them shouted.
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A binding spell locked onto Craig, slowing him down. If he ditched Rafael right then, he might’ve been able to break free and make it out.
But Craig didn’t.
One of the Blood Rainbow guys sneered, “Such impressive friendship. Kill him, Emerson.”
The blood–red arrow whizzed through the air.
Craig still didn’t let go of Rafael. The arrow slammed into him, broke through his guard, but didn’t strike him fatally.
Suddenly, a Vellum Sigil flared up on its own, transforming into a protective charm that wrapped around them both.
Craig blinked, momentarily stunned.
The three guys on the other side were just as shocked.
Sensing trouble, the three barked out, “All together, now!”
But before they could even finish, two sword beams flashed down from above and shot in from the front.
One carried the crushing power of the Giantforce Sword.
The other was the Trial of Conscience.
Both swords slammed down in front of Craig, cutting off the deadly attacks. Right behind them, two graceful figures appeared.
