Chapter 34: Power and Forbearance

When Luge arrived running and stumbling, the snake-catching had already ended, or rather, had not truly begun yet.

A wizard apprentice was blocking Ba'angte's path; it was precisely the enthusiastic man who had left earlier and was the first to actively greet Luge, while the shrunken Gray Long-Neck Saint Lord lay motionless behind him, several shadow-formed claws gripping the snake's body tight, but clearly these strange claws were not the main reason for its immobility — mere claws would not make it unable to struggle even a little.

"We meet again, poor little guy."

The enthusiastic man was still enthusiastic, but Luge did not dare greet him; the situation before him was clearly wrong.

"I really don't know what experiment your mentor is doing; I remember that those who shed test subject status and become wizard apprentices are all listed under the experiment host's name, calling them mentor — this is truly interesting, but why remodel you into this appearance, hmm... so meticulous, flawless; if kobolds could not become wizard apprentices, I would think you are a genuine kobold." The enthusiastic man spoke while looking Luge up and down, completely ignoring Ba'angte before him.

Ba'angte's fists kept clenching and unclenching at his sides, as if preventing cramps, producing a series of teeth-aching crisp cracking sounds.

"This snake, I caught it for you."

The enthusiastic man finally turned his head to face straight ahead.

"Ba'angte, you've tried catching it several times but never succeeded; I wonder if you are now sincerely thanking me in your heart?" The enthusiastic man said, laughing, "But as a good friend, it wouldn't do to accidentally cause you trouble, so don't make a mistake — best confirm first if it's the one you've been chasing all along."

Luge thought Ba'angte would be furious, but instead saw Ba'angte's face gradually regain calm, as if truly facing an old friend who liked to joke.

"Am I right? 'Strength' Ba'angte, your nickname is still spread among apprentices in different places, but we are merely a group of fifth-rank wizard apprentices — don't act like great wizard lords who possess spell sequences; I've even seen them argue — some say you always show astonishing forbearance when things happen, another group says you're a guy who never yields."

The strange shadow claws began to writhe, sending the motionless gray-white long snake to the enthusiastic man's side, coiling bit by bit around his body, from neck to armpit then winding to waist.

The enthusiastic man held the snake's head in one hand, letting the other end of the tail slide to the ground, like donning a half-body snake armor.

"Now I'll speak, you listen carefully, confirm whether it's the snake you've been seeking — hope I didn't accidentally catch the wrong one."

The man looked at Ba'angte, eyes full of expectation.

"This snake... I think... is obviously related to that little Chong Ren; look at this head, this tail, every scale — am I right, my friend?" He laughed, fiddling with the snake head as he spoke, "Haha okay! Although nothing can be seen, when facing Wizard Lord Niteli's mission, at such a tense moment, you always chase this snake — this cannot but arouse my suspicion."

After a brief silence.

He spoke again: "Then my friend, answer me now — is this the snake you've been chasing all along?"

Silence persisted; Luge looked left and right, quietly retreated half a step, then another half step — no one present seemed to care about him; this was a good thing.

Actually he was also very curious why Ba'angte chased the Gray Long-Neck Saint Lord — surely not for snake soup, to drive it to this state.

He carefully recalled everything that happened during this time; the only match seemed to be the Gray Long-Neck Saint Lord's appearance time, possibly around the same time this batch of wizard apprentices arrived in this area, but this also explained nothing — no useful information worth deducing.

Also the Gray Long-Neck Saint Lord's secret transmission to him earlier, telling him to stay away — seemingly a warning to him.

Suddenly another unfamiliar person walked out from a side passage, blocking Luge's retreat path; of course this person was most likely to cut off Ba'angte's escape route — Luge was just a bonus inclusion.

"One must know how to share secrets to be a good friend, Ba'angte."

The one blocking the rear path said.

"Only you two? Wasting my time."

Ba'angte finally spoke, tone exceptionally calm.

Seeing the rear path blocked, Luge immediately pressed against the wall; fifth-rank wizard apprentices still operated within zero-circle spell range — these few might be exceptionally strong, but still the same; so in Kalu's diary, as a low-level apprentice he would become the primary attack target when caught in similar situations.

Meaning if conflict broke out, first eliminate the small trash that might affect the situation — roughly that idea.

Bang — an explosion sounded!

As Luge expected, Ba'angte chose to act, but his target was the one blocking the rear.

This also created an opportunity for Luge; he empowered himself with Bull Strength and charged behind the fifth-rank apprentice eldest brother — eldest brother beat people, he looked for gaps to flee.

A little kobold cannot provoke big trouble.

This was his creed.

While running he also threw behind him all the bottles and jars, disgusting potions of unknown use from the small portion of inheritance he had stored in his storage bag — in an instant thick green mist spread.

Mist rolled behind him; he had already rushed out following eldest brother, and while running fired a long-prepared Freezing Ray into the dense mist behind.

When he turned his head, the blocker had already been punched airborne by Ba'angte in an instant; that fist seemed wrapped in an invisible force — before the punch even landed solidly the man was already flying mid-air, followed by a punch squarely to the body; just when he thought Ba'angte would press the attack.

Ba'angte suddenly turned back, crossing paths with him, seemingly not seeing his stunned expression at all, directly charging into the green-mist-filled cave.

Looks like that snake is really important to this guy, Luge thought.

He didn't stop; Foul Skin activated, and at the same time empowered the Magic Skin Technique spell model, casting immediately upon completion. The guy Ba'angte punched flying was most likely also a fifth-rank wizard apprentice — he had no intention of testing himself against him.

Although he also wanted to try whether he could take the opportunity to eliminate a fifth-rank apprentice, to see what effect the inexplicably changed Foul Skin would have on a normal fifth-rank wizard apprentice with a physical body.

But his cautious personality stopped him from making such a risky move.

Unless avoidance was impossible, like now.

A swaying figure stood up, looked at him, merely glanced once, then also fiercely charged into that green-mist-filled place.

However, in this passage spacious enough to hold a large barbecue party, that figure passing from the other side and crossing paths with him still casually threw a spell — saying one spell because it was so fast it reached the extreme; in an instant scorching heat rushed his face, twenty-odd fist-sized fireballs shot forth, their momentum and coverage sealing off all his possible dodging and maneuvering escape routes.

In his mind flashed the scene of himself becoming battered and ruined in an instant.

And that passerby who casually threw a spell and meant to charge through — at this moment seemed to not be faring well either.

(Chapter End)