Chapter 8: Ruthless
No matter how fast Jack was, it was impossible for him to evade Sein’s spell that required no incantation.
The Acid Wand truly lived up to Sein’s expectation as an item crafted by Master Morsidor. It had been only less than twenty hours since he last used the wand, yet it was already fully self-recharged without the need for Sein to replenish it himself.
This remarkable feature was one of the characteristics of an advanced magic item.
Master Morsidor had included magic inscriptions and elemental crystals inside the wand, so that it could complete energy cycles independently and recharge itself.
While it could only be used once at a time, the wand had an incredibly short cooldown period, allowing it to be used again in just twenty hours.
It was no wonder that Liliana showed interest in his Acid Wand. A magic item of such caliber was certainly a rarity, even among senior initiates.
The corrosive acid it released could effortlessly melt through the scale of high-level magic beasts, let alone a mere human like Jack.
Everything happened in just a split second. Jack’s miserable scream rang out before the other magic initiates could even figure out what had just happened.
Although Jack was indeed physically strong, he was nothing compared to a high-level magic beast.
Sein aimed his Acid Wand at Jack’s chest. As long as he could hit his target with the corrosive acid, Jack’s body would be dissolved into a pool of yellowish muck regardless of how powerful he was.
Since Jack was an intermediate initiate, his reflexes were a lot better than Elrik, whom Sein had killed.
His powerful physique and superior focus would have also allowed him to forcefully shift his muscle tissues in the most critical moments in order to save his own life.
A loud sizzle was heard, and white corrosive fumes drifted upward when the corrosive acid discharged by the Acid Wand hit the door of a nearby shop on Black Street. It was only at this moment everyone managed to get a clear view of the damage inflicted on Jack’s body.
One of the junior initiates gasped in shock as he witnessed the gruesome sight of Jack’s entire right arm rotting away. The short sword glowing with a pyro elemental pattern that Jack held in his hand had also dissolved into a pool of metallic residue, along with his skin and bones.
This short sword was merely an ordinary weapon with decent craftsmanship. It was not even a piece of magic equipment, so it was no surprise that it stood no chance against Sein’s Acid Wand.
Battles among magic initiates were often decided in mere seconds because they could only cast a single spell at a time and their defenses were usually weak.
Furthermore, Leena’s sudden attack had caught Jack’s group off guard. Even the passers-by and shopkeepers on Black Street failed to react in time.
The explosion of nearly twenty Minor Fireballs filled the air with smoke, followed by a cacophony of screams and groans that echoed through the street.
Apart from Jack, the weaker junior and fresh initiates in his group were undoubtedly the unluckiest.
However, the chaos did not end there. As Leena’s incantation finally came to an end, a massive beam of black light, about two meters in diameter, shot out from her bracelet.
As a senior initiate, Leena’s strength and control over her magic meant that she was unstoppable by most intermediate and junior initiates.
Unlike Sein’s Corrosive Acid spell, the two advanced magic that Leena had cast were both area of effect spells.
Leena seemed to have thrown caution to the wind, not holding back even though they were on Black Street.
Two more male intermediate initiates in the area let out miserable screams.
Only the female initiate, who was well versed with sonido magic spells, managed to retreat from the center of the battlefield after unleashing her Banshee’s Scream spell. Consequently, she was the only intermediate initiate remaining among the group that had surrounded Sein.
Although Sein and Leena had put on a remarkable display of magical prowess, they did not come out unscathed.
In addition to being struck by the Banshee’s Scream spell unleashed by the female intermediate initiate, the two male initiates had managed to cast a spell each before getting knocked down by Leena’s beam of black light.
Spear Rush and Pyro Chain Blade, both of which were intermediate magic spells, detonated in close proximity to Sein and Leena.
Sein was fortunate to escape relatively unscathed, with only one of the three spears grazing his arm. Pyro Chain Blade caused moderate burns on the left side of his torso, scorching a third of his black academy robe.
Leena’s condition was no better than Sein’s. It was a battle where both sides suffered injuries.
Fortunately, the generally slower casting speed of the junior initiates and their hesitation to unleash their spells on Black Street worked in Sein and Leena’s favor, sparing them from more severe injuries.
Aside from three basic magic spells exploding near Sein, no other magic spells were fired at him.
Despite lasting no more than two minutes, the battle wreaked havoc on Black Street and caused a commotion that surpassed anyone’s expectations.
This was the power of magic spells, the glory of the elements.
Several shops were now engulfed in flames and the roads were damaged. Groans and cries of pain filled the air.
Since Sein only used the instant magic spell stored within the Acid Wand, he still had some strength left.
A minor fireball manifested in his palm. It was noticeably larger compared to the ones released by the other two junior initiates before.
It was a clear indication that his focus and mana levels were close to the standards of an intermediate initiate.
He could not help but wonder if engaging in battles had the potential to sharpen his mental focus and enhance his mana capacity.
Before Sein ventured into the territory of the Giant Saltwater Crocodile, he did not notice such a significant growth in his focus and mana levels.
Sein, clutching the minor fireball in his palm, had one clear intention—to finish Jack off on the spot.
Mages were usually good at assessing situations and making sound judgments. By now, Sein had already swiftly deduced that the trouble that Elrik had brought upon him in the White Raven Forest was likely instigated by Jack.
Being charitable toward the enemy would equate to being cruel to himself.
At this moment, Sein could not concern himself with the potential consequences of publicly fighting and murdering someone on Black Street. All that consumed his thoughts was the desire to swiftly finish off the man before him.
Those who fought for survival in the unforgiving Underworld had all been hardened by their brutal experience, and it was this harsh life that instilled in them a deep sense of hostility and ruthlessness.
Jack’s pale face was now filled with fear and disbelief.
His eyes darted between Sein’s Acid Wand and the minor fireball that was gradually growing hotter in Sein's palm.
His once-arrogant demeanor had completely vanished. He endured the excruciating pain of losing his right arm and began pleading shakily, “Y-You can’t kill me! Fighting is prohibited on Black Street, and...”
Before Jack could finish his sentence, three stern voices boomed from above. “STOP!”
Three owls, each with a wingspan of over a meter, descended rapidly. The commotion on Black Street had been so awful that it had drawn the attention of three academy overseers.
Sein remained unfazed by Jack’s empty threats. The arrival of the academy oversees only fueled his determination to end things quickly.
Nothing good would come out of keeping Jack alive, so Sein chose to silence him once and for all.
What surprised Sein was that just as his Minor Fireball spell found its mark on Jack’s head, creating a burst of crimson red, two more loud explosions echoed in the vicinity. Leena had acted even quicker than Sein.
Birds of a feather indeed flocked together.
Two intermediate initiates were now dead by Leena’s hands.
As Leena shifted remaining focus to the third female intermediate initiate, the three academy overseers finally acted and restricted Leena's movements with Aero Chains.
Similarly, Sein’s hands were bound by the Aero Chains, but not before causing a resounding explosion that left Jack as nothing more than a headless, armless corpse.
This incident undoubtedly marked one of the most shocking and extreme occurrences on Black Street and the Black Magic Academy in the past two years.
The three academy overseers were visibly enraged. Just before they could reprimand Sein, one of the owls froze.
It turned out to be the same overseer Sein had encountered the previous day.
Due to the similar appearance of the academy overseers, Sein failed to immediately recognize it. Yet, this owl clearly remembered Sein.