"Lord Leonard."
Everything had settled, and Anna and her two companions greeted him with respect.
"Is this Defensive Witch Array the masterpiece of a Basar Wizard?"
Colin looked up at the Protective Shield that had now become invisible above and then turned to Anna and the other two, who were unscathed under the protection of the Fire Element, and inquired.
"Yes," Ante nodded, "This is a concealed Array that comes with the Transmission Array. Its main purpose is to prevent energy from scattering and causing unnecessary disturbances… Hmm, it also has a certain sound-nullifying effect."
"So… these shields can't actually prevent objects from entering or leaving?"
Colin's expression was a bit odd as he glanced involuntarily at the two priests who had lost consciousness at his feet.
Even if the two priests had chosen to proceed through the shield rather than stopping in front of it, he was confident that he would have been able to subdue them.
But it would still have caused him some trouble, and now…
Withdrawing his gaze, Colin checked on the two priests again, ensuring they would not wake up any time soon, and that their vital signs were stable enough to not suddenly die.
"Alright, I need to meditate for a few hours, and after advancing to a First Rank Intermediate Wizard, I will activate the Transmission Array and leave this place."
He stood up and said to Anna and the others.
The changes in Magic Power during advancement were quite apparent, so there was no need to conceal it.
"Lord Leonard, you're not even a First Rank Intermediate Wizard yet?!"
As soon as Colin had finished speaking, Ante's eyes widened in disbelief and he exclaimed in a low voice.
Could it be that Colin, who could cast such powerful witchcraft, had not yet achieved the level of a First Rank Intermediate Wizard?!
"Could it be that you hail from one of the top Schools of the Siya Continent... hmmm, like the Yista School or something…"
As he spoke, Ante also thought of another, even greater possibility. He swallowed and looked at Colin, murmuring, "Could you be a genius Wizard directly under the Supreme Council?!"
Beside him, Anna and Old Jack also showed shock. First Rank Wizards were not uncommon, nor were those who could cast spells beyond their Rank.
But those who could cast spells two Ranks above and sustain a complete battle were exceedingly rare!!
These Wizards, without exception, were the pride of their respective Schools, and as long as they did not die prematurely, becoming a High Rank Wizard was a foregone conclusion for them!
However, contrary to their expectations, Colin on the other side shook his head.
"I come from an affiliated School under the Yista School…" he said softly, glancing over the three people.
Anna, at that moment, was disheveled, with fresh blood seeping from her scalp.
Colin paused slightly, then unobtrusively conjured a drop of emerald Ancient Tree Spring on the tip of his finger and passed it to her.
"Healing Magic."
"Alright, keep an eye on these two priests and inform me of any changes immediately."
After speaking, Colin sat down regardless of anything else and quickly entered into meditation.
On the other side, Anna hesitated for a moment, then gently opened her red lips and drank the drop brimming with Life Force.
As the Ancient Tree Spring was ingested, a tingling sensation immediately spread from her scalp.
A flash of surprise crossed Anna's eyes; she resisted the itch without scratching, knowing it was the sensation of the wound healing rapidly.
"Another First Rank Advanced Healing Magic!" Ante, observing carefully, exclaimed again in shock.
Ordinarily, a Wizard capable of casting a spell two minor Ranks above their own could already be considered a genius!
Yet the Wizard Leonard before them had cast, just from what he had seen, at least three spells!
One spell somewhat resembled the Fireball Technique, one was a Healing Magic, and another was a Summon Fire Element with great power, almost of First Rank Upper level.
No, not just these… There was also an unknown Defensive Witchcraft on him; Father Hanfley and the other priest's attacks couldn't break through that modest-looking defense!
"This Wizard Leonard, he must be someone remarkable," Anna said softly.
The reason for her whispering was merely to avoid disturbing Colin, and as for what she said, Anna had no intention of being discreet.
After all, for Colin, a First Rank Wizard, even if she went to the farthest corner of the cave to whisper, he would probably be able to hear it.
And if not, it would adversely affect the trust that had taken time to build between them.
The Healing Magic that Colin placed near her mouth just now was probably also a way of testing trust…
Compared to Anna's complex thoughts, Ante was much simpler in his belief that Colin had not lied to him, so he said with some confusion,
"Indeed, an affiliated School under the Yista School is not low in status, but Lord Leonard, you should be a buried genius there!"
Anna did not speak, only carefully watching over Father Hanfley and the other priest with Old Jack.
And so, four hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Accompanied by a surge of Magical Power, Colin successfully advanced to a First Rank Intermediate Wizard.
With his current Talent, such a minor level advancement was all smooth sailing.
"Congratulations, Lord Leonard, on successfully advancing to a First Rank Intermediate Wizard!" Anna led the congratulatory remark.
Colin nodded slightly, carrying both Hanfleys to the side of the Transmission Array.
Five minutes later, after figuring out how to activate the array,
Colin stood at the right corner of the Transmission Array, gently exhaled a breath of stale air, and began infusing it with Magic Power with his hand.
Beside him, Ante gently pricked his fingertip and pressed it onto the protruding device in front of them.
The next moment, accompanied by a buzzing sound, the silver Transmission Array suddenly lit up with numerous azure arcs tinged with gold.
"Hisss!" Ante instinctively released his hand, taking in a sharp breath.
Colin also felt a tingling sensation, but fortunately, it was bearable.
After patiently inputting Magic Power for a while until all the azure arcs turned golden, Colin slowly withdrew his hand.
Normally, a Transmission Array, especially a reliable and sturdy long-distance one, would require at least a Third Rank Wizard to construct.
However, Wizard Basar was only a Second Rank Wizard. Plus, given the current sensations of the array's use, Colin couldn't help but speculate,
"The scattered arcs also attack the user... This Transmission Array must be a flawed piece."
"I fear it's for one-time use..."
Feeling that the structure of the Transmission Array wasn't very stable, Colin grew a bit worried.
But looking down at the still unconscious Hanfleys at his feet, he took a deep breath and began filling the Transmission Array with Magic Stones.
At this point, there was no other choice but to continue forward.
After placing the Magic Stones, Colin, Anna, and Ante took their positions at the center of the Transmission Array. He turned and asked,
"Ready?"
"Yes," the three of them replied in unison.
Colin nodded slightly, turned his gaze away, and flung two Fireballs towards the Hanfleys.
Once the Fireballs were accurately suspended above the Hanfleys' heads,
Colin nodded slightly again, looked down at the Transmission Array, took a gentle breath, and willed his thought.
Crackle and pop!
Countless dazzling golden arcs, like frenzied dancing serpents, burst forth from around the silver Transmission Array, emitting blinding light.
Some arcs even reached the top of the cave.
Fortunately, the Transmission Array's inherent concealment array kept all the noise within the cave, preventing any sound from reaching the outside.
This spectacle only lasted for a moment.
The next second, silence returned to the cave, which plunged back into darkness.
At the same time, the two Fireballs hovering above the Hanfleys began to sink gradually.
In just an instant, they cleanly eliminated both the Hanfleys' life force along with their souls.
However, just as the Hanfleys died, a grand and chilling consciousness suddenly descended upon the place.
With the arrival of the consciousness, the entire cave seemed to fall into night, becoming pitch dark, and a sticky aura spread out, with dark liquid flowing down the stone walls.
After a brief moment, the consciousness abruptly left, leaving behind only a few dark red mottles in the cave.
Then, two Divine Believers clad in black and red unexpectedly appeared within the cave.
"Bishop Ella."
"Bishop Valentine."
After exchanging greetings, they went straight to the point.
"Following the goddess's oracle, in this cave, two priests lost their lives and souls... and it was the work of Wizards!"
"Yes, they left through the Transmission Array," Ella deduced, approaching the remains of the silver Transmission Array.
"The spatial fluctuations are still present. The current situation is critical. I request the goddess's assistance to reopen the transmission channel and go after that Wizard," Valentine suggested with his eyes closed, feeling the space.
"No need," Ella shook her head and lowered her voice after scanning the surrounding area: "Those two priests did not know the key information, the matters concerning the Elf Clan are currently known only to those above Bishops."
"Moreover, this Transmission Array, I find it somewhat familiar.
It seems to be the handiwork of that Second Rank Wizard called Basar, who I encountered on the Pahama Islands a long time ago."
Speaking to this point, Ella organized her thoughts for a moment and continued:
"The goddess said there is also the presence of a First Rank Intermediate Wizard here.
If I'm not mistaken, this incident should be the doing of the remnants of the Basa Family.
We were never able to find Basar's son and daughter; it is likely that they were rescued by Basar's old acquaintance through this unnoticed Transmission Array."
"… That's likely. Recently, the Sea Domain's defenses on the front line have been tight, not even letting a fly through, let alone a First Rank Intermediate Wizard!"
Valentine nodded in agreement.
Then the two conducted another search of the area before leaving together.