Chapter 58: Do You Call This a Mage?

Black mud swamp, mist swirling thickly.

“Young Master Zhao, Xia Qingyue already warned Lin Mo in advance—will Lin Mo really come? Or is he just scared off?”

The henchmen beside Zhao Yu had grown impatient.

Zhao Yu sneered, his tone certain:

“You don’t understand Lin Mo at all. I’ve been fighting him since we were kids—even when we were in diapers, adults used to pit us against each other.”

“For these eighteen years, though he outwardly seems lazy and carefree, his core is more arrogant than anyone else’s.”

“Besides, he just took first place in the Trial Tower, breaking the record.”

“He’s at his peak right now—even if he knows I’ve gathered people here to wait for him, he’ll still come.”

Hearing their boss’s analysis, the surrounding henchmen exchanged glances, then their faces lit up with sudden understanding; their earlier restlessness vanished instantly.

“No wonder you’re Young Master Zhao! You’ve got that kid’s mind figured out perfectly!”

One henchman swung his fist, grinning savagely:

“Heh, if he dares show up, we’ll teach him how to be a man! Make him understand why the flowers are so red!”

Zhao Yu narrowed his eyes and turned to face the fifty or sixty elite examinees behind him.

He took a deep breath, his voice booming:

“Listen up—all of you! If you can knock Lin Mo out today, I, Zhao Yu, will triple your previous rewards!”

At these words, the crowd erupted.

“Young Master Zhao is generous!”

“Take down Lin Mo!!”

“Take down Lin Mo!!”

The shouts of dozens merged into a thunderous roar.

At that moment.

Lin Mo’s figure appeared within everyone’s line of sight.

Everyone instinctively gripped their weapons, held their breath, and stared fixedly ahead.

This feeling…

Was like the long-awaited boss finally spawning.

Tense, thrilling, eager, yet tinged with a strange fear.

Lin Mo stopped walking, frowned slightly, and poked his little finger into his ear.

“Tch… so noisy.”

“I could hear your wailing from miles away—someone might think a funeral’s going on.”

“…”

The entire scene fell dead silent.

“Lin Mo!”

Zhao Yu strode forward from the crowd, wearing his usual arrogance and mockery.

“You really dare show up?”

“You knew this was a trap. You knew this was the Black Mud Swamp—and still you came alone.”

Zhao Yu shook his head, letting out a mocking sigh:

“Should I say you’re overconfident… or that you’re stupid to the extreme?”

“You got first place in the first stage, broke a record—do you really think you’re invincible now?”

Nearby, beside a dead, crooked tree.

Xia Qingyue was wrapped in a white glow—the effect of “Soul Protection.”

Though she couldn’t move, her consciousness remained clear.

Watching Lin Mo, alone, Xia Qingyue felt desperate.

Young Master Lin…

This is the Black Mud Swamp—a terrain that suppresses fire and earth, and the other side has dozens of elite examinees…

Can he really win?

Facing Zhao Yu’s mockery, Lin Mo acted as if he hadn’t heard a word.

He ground his sole into the black mud beneath him, then glanced around.

“Young Master Zhao, you’ve got to admit—you picked a good spot. Mud that won’t even hold a wall—perfect for burying people.”

“Burying people?”

Zhao Yu’s smile froze.

Why?

Why, at this point, was this guy still so calm?

The terrain clearly counters him!

The numbers clearly overwhelm him!

All the advantages are on my side!

Why can he still wear that expression?

A nameless rage surged straight to Zhao Yu’s crown.

“Fine! Very good!!”

Zhao Yu’s face twisted, roaring:

“You dare talk back even as death approaches!”

“I’ll see if you can stay so calm when it’s time!”

“Attack!”

At Zhao Yu’s command, dozens of examinees erupted simultaneously—colorful skill lights flared instantly.

Yet.

Lin Mo moved faster than them.

【Quicksand Domain】, activated!

A ripple surged from Lin Mo, instantly sweeping across a kilometer radius!

They were stunned to find the once-soft, muddy ground had transformed into swirling quicksand vortices.

A terrifying suction pulled up from beneath their feet.

“What’s going on?!”

“I… I can’t move!”

“Even displacement skills won’t work…”

Zhao Yu realized it too.

He snapped his head up—just in time to meet Lin Mo’s cold, mocking gaze.

Lin Mo stood still, slowly raising his right hand, index finger extended, pointing directly at Zhao Yu.

Hum—!

Dark red dots rapidly condensed, spinning wildly; the air around them warped from heat and friction.

Meanwhile.

The immobilized examinees noticed bright red rings glowing beneath their feet.

Dense and countless, like hell-blooming red spider lilies, radiating an aura of destruction.

“This… what is this…?”

Zhao Yu’s pupils shrank violently, “Lin Mo! What did you do?!”

Lin Mo’s lips curled slightly as he spoke calmly: “Nothing much. Just wanted to send all of you… straight to heaven.”

“???”

Zhao Yu froze.

The next instant,

BOOM—!!

A spiraling dark red flame, with apocalyptic force, instantly tore through the air and pierced straight through Zhao Yu’s chest!

At the same moment,

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!

Over twenty thick pillars of flame erupted from the red rings!

Accompanied by fifteen exploding fireballs falling from the sky, the entire Black Mud Swamp seemed to ignite in an instant!

Crimson flames shot skyward, tearing open the gray sky and swallowing every scream along with it.

Dozens of white columns rose.

The glow of “Soul Protection” activating—dense and countless.

Fifty or sixty people—two-thirds instantly wiped out.

The flames faded, thick black smoke rolled.

Only a handful remained on the field.

Either they were lucky, avoiding the red rings entirely, or they were tank-class types, positioned well enough to suffer only glancing burns.

But now, every one of them was filled with terror, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

“Didn’t… didn’t hit me…”

One of the examinees muttered to himself.

He lifted his head and looked at the boy.

In the glow of fire, Lin Mo’s shadow stretched long and thin.

This is…

the value of clearing thirty levels in twenty-four seconds?

A silent pressure surged toward them.

“He’s used all his skills! Now’s the chance!”

Amid the deathly silence, a roar rang out.

It was the triplet brothers.

They had better luck—avoiding direct hits from the fire columns, only suffering glancing wounds.

Still, they were left half-dead.

“Let’s go! If we knock him out, the millions are ours!”

Men die for wealth, birds die for food.

Driven by the immense temptation, the three brothers unleashed their final reserves.

Just then, the binding effect of the quicksand ended.

They charged at Lin Mo with full force.

“Die!!!”

The eldest roared, raising his tower shield.

The second and third brothers followed close behind, ready to flank him.

BOOM—!!!

Crimson magma erupted out of thin air, instantly engulfing Lin Mo’s entire body.

Lin Mo clenched his right fist; molten magma flowed along his knuckles.

He charged forward and punched straight into the massive tower shield!

CRASH—!!!

A deafening explosion.

The tower shield shattered instantly!

The fist’s momentum didn’t wane—it slammed hard into the eldest’s chest.

“Puh!”

The eldest spat a gout of blood and flew backward.

Mid-air, a white light flared—he was instantly knocked into protection mode!

This sight left the second and third brothers stunned.

Wait.

Sure, their eldest’s health was low.

But you just shattered a tank’s shield with one punch—and sent him straight into protection mode.

You call this a mage?