Three pitch-black crescent rings whistled through the air, slicing toward Lynn's neck, chest, and waist.
However, the scene that the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress had anticipated the sight of Lynn being cut into pieces never materialized.
Instead, the thin layer of pale green light covering Lynn's body silently neutralized all the attacks.
There was no explosion, no tremor, not even the slightest disturbance. The three black crescent rings melted away like snow meeting the warm sun, vanishing without a trace.
"This is impossible!"
The Lord of Nightshadow Fortress's eyes widened in shock, his face filled with disbelief as if he had just seen an illusion.
He stared intently at the faint green glow surrounding Lynn, his heart filled with doubt and uncertainty.
"That's… energy from a permanent wizard imprint? But that should be impossible for any official wizard nowadays…"
A sudden realization struck him, and his expression changed drastically.
At that very moment, Lynn's eyes snapped open. Deep within his pupils, a brilliant emerald light flickered radiating vitality, like the first green sprout of early spring.
"Kid, you're lucky you successfully evolved. Otherwise, you would have been sliced to pieces by that attack just now!"
The will within the maple tree reminded him of the perfect moment, its tone carrying a hint of urgency.
"Don't hesitate to end him now!"
Lynn's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress.
His eyes, sharp as blades, swept over the three energy fluctuations surrounding his opponent, instantly recognizing his identity as the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress.
Lynn was no stranger to this powerful third-level wizard.
During the Furnace War, he had personally witnessed the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress battling Aestry high in the sky, demonstrating overwhelming strength.
But now, under the influence of the Withering and Flourishing Poem, everyone was suppressed to the level of a third-level apprentice!
And at this very moment, Lynn had taken a crucial step forward his Yfgríd had successfully evolved, making him unmatched in the apprentice realm!
Lynn now had four primary means of attack:
Enchanted artifacts
The spells he had learned himself
The first-level spells innate to Yfgríd
Yfgríd's true form
While his enchanted artifacts and personal spells had some offensive power, they weren't enough to overwhelm a third-level apprentice.
Meanwhile, Yfgríd's first-level spell, Echo of Vitality, granted near-absolute immunity to apprentice-level magic but it lacked offensive capabilities. If an enemy chose to flee, Lynn wouldn't be able to stop them.
That was why the will within the maple tree had urged him to unleash his extraordinary plant Yfgríd!
As Rosalind had once taught him, a nature wizard could command their extraordinary plant in battle once it had fully evolved.
And Lynn's Yfgríd had already reached the level of a formal wizard. Against a mere third-level apprentice, this was nothing short of a dimensional suppression.
That was the very reason why the will within the maple tree had such confidence in him!
The Lord of Nightshadow Fortress, an experienced third-level wizard, immediately realized the danger the moment he sensed the change in Lynn's aura.
Without the slightest hesitation, he assessed the situation and swiftly took action.
Chanting rapidly, he unleashed his mental energy like a flood, casting two high-level zero-ring spells in an instant!
"Shackles of the Undead!"
"Phantom Soul Snare!"
A powerful surge of negative energy condensed in the air, forming countless wailing specters.
This undead, with broken limbs and twisted faces, let out horrifying shrieks as they lunged at Lynn a binding-type control spell!
At the same time, negative energy surged around the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress as he activated Phantom Soul Snare.
His figure vanished like a ghost, reappearing three meters away in the blink of an eye, moving so fast that he left behind faint afterimages.
As an experienced battle-hardened wizard, he had swiftly determined that he could not win in a confrontation.
His strategy was clear use control spells to restrain Lynn, while he used speed-enhancing magic to escape!
Lynn suddenly froze for a brief moment, inwardly marveling,
"What incredible reflexes! What precise decision-making! Impressive!"
At that moment, a strange emerald-green pattern emerged on his forehead, exuding an eerie yet unrestrained aura, making him seem even more dangerous and formidable.
If this battle had been fought on completely equal terms, Lynn might indeed have been forced to watch helplessly as the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress escaped.
But unfortunately, this battle was anything but fair.
With Echo of Vitality protecting him, Lynn was entirely unfazed by the undead lunging toward him.
He lightly stepped forward, and beneath the grass, a surge of green energy suddenly pulsed it was the life force hidden within the earth.
Like a shooting star, the green light streaked forward moving even faster than Phantom Soul Snare!
In the distance, the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress was just about to escape Lynn's range when a sudden sense of doom gripped him, and his expression changed drastically.
"Damn it!"
In that instant, the ground beneath him shattered.
Countless massive roots erupted like writhing dragons, surging toward him with unstoppable force!
The Lord of Nightshadow Fortress's face darkened. He frantically channeled his mental energy, narrowly dodging the primary attack, but still tumbled clumsily to the ground.
Panting heavily, he looked down and his face contorted in agony.
His body was already riddled with searing wounds, and one of his legs had been pierced clean through by a tree root. Blood gushed out like a fountain, making him grit his teeth in pain.
Had this battle taken place outside, his enchanted robe would have protected him even if he stood still, these roots wouldn't have harmed him.
But under the suppression of the Withering and Flourishing Poem, his enchanted artifacts and robe were all restricted leaving him completely defenseless against Yfgríd's attacks at the level of a formal wizard!
"Damn it! I have no choice but to risk everything!"
The deep wrinkles on his face twisted into a desperate expression the last struggle of a man with nothing left to lose.
"Fall into Eternal Darkness!"
A hoarse chant rang out a forbidden spell that burned both his life force and mental energy. This was his final gambit!
As soon as the spell was cast, his aura exploded like a dying beast unleashing its most terrifying power.
Even the wound on his leg began healing at an alarming rate, though his face turned unnaturally red his life was burning away at an insane pace!
At that moment, the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress felt as if he had returned to his past self back to the days when he was just a third-level apprentice, fighting desperately for survival.
Countless life-and-death battles flashed through his mind like a dying man's final memories.
But just as he was about to unleash his last attack
His body suddenly froze.
"Wha… when did this…"
His voice trembled as he struggled to lower his gaze, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.
Somehow without him even realizing it countless thick roots had already burst from the ground, piercing straight through his chest!
These roots intertwined, forming a colossal spear, mercilessly draining the last of his life force.
His aura collapsed rapidly. The labyrinthine battlefield had been completely reshaped by the Withering and Flourishing Poem, leaving no room for revival.
The terror of his final moments was forever etched onto his withered face.
His eyes remained wide open even in death, he refused to close them.
Boom!
The root spear retracted with a wet squelch, and the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress's lifeless body crashed to the ground with a dull thud.
Just like that
A third-level wizard.
The ruler of the Nightshadow Fortress.
A once-mighty force in the outside world.
Had perished.
From a distance, Lynn stood in silence, his gaze fixed on the fallen body.
A hint of disbelief flickered in his eyes as he murmured,
"…Was it that easy?"
And now, this formidable enemy had been slain by his own hands...
No, to be precise, he hadn't even truly made a move!
With the power of Yvegrid, it had taken merely twenty seconds from start to finish for this once-arrogant Grand Wizard to fall completely!
"Heh... isn't that perfectly normal?"
Just as Lynn was caught up in his complicated emotions, an aged yet calm voice rang out it was the will of the Maple Tree, letting out a soft chuckle.
"He was, after all, a third-level Wizard, experienced in battle, quick to react, and he even managed to delay you for about twenty seconds. But remember, he was merely a being suppressed to the level of a third-tier apprentice. If it were a first-tier Wizard, a second-tier Wizard, or even an ordinary third-tier apprentice, you would only need ten seconds, or perhaps even less, to finish the battle."
The suppression of The Withering and Flourishing Poem had forcibly locked everyone's power at the third-tier apprentice level.
And Lynn was the only one who retained the full strength of a true Wizard.
A mere third-tier apprentice, no matter how formidable, could only struggle for a few extra seconds. The outcome was inevitable death at the hands of the great Wizard!
"Heh, go after that otherworldly creature. It took over my body, and there's no guarantee that, given enough time, it won't break free from this suppression. Deal with it as soon as possible! And the Azure Spirit it too has scattered across this space..."
Lynn carefully put away the golden scales and the miniature maple tree, keeping them close.
"Windwalk!"
His pupils narrowed slightly, a faint green glow flickering within them.
As he chanted the incantation, the energy of wind-elemental particles swirled around him, making his body as light as the wind itself.
In the next instant, he took a step forward, dashing toward the distance like a shooting star.
Lynn had long prepared an entire set of sorceries for himself within the Furnace, covering aspects such as combat, defense, control, and movement.
And the Windwalk spell he had just cast was a mid-tier zero-circle sorcery designed to enhance movement speed.
The realm created by The Withering and Flourishing Poem was vast.
Previously, the [Landscape] was filled with a labyrinthine maze that scattered the apprentices and Wizards, making encounters exceedingly rare.
But now, the maze had vanished, replaced by a singular scene that forcibly gathered everyone into the same space.
As a result, the likelihood of direct clashes was now significantly higher than before.
Deep within the dense forest.
Lynn abruptly halted his steps.
His sharp gaze swept forward, spotting two figures appearing on either side of him.
Both were third-tier apprentices, not suppressed full-fledged Wizards.
However, their eyes burned with unconcealed hostility.
The tall, thin Wizard apprentice on the left took a deep breath, his eyes filled with fervent greed as he spoke:
"You've got something on you that we want. Hand it over obediently! Otherwise, you won't be leaving here alive today!"
Before his words had fully settled, the stout apprentice on the right let out a cold, mocking chuckle:
"Just a friendly reminder resurrection is no longer possible in this space. So, if you die here, you're dead..."
Yet, before either of them could finish speaking, Lynn merely raised an eyebrow.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
A sudden tremor cut off their threats.
"Ahhh!"
"What... what is this?!"
Two agonized screams echoed through the forest.
The ground surged violently, and two thick roots burst forth like spears from the earth, shooting skyward and tearing through the air like javelins piercing the heavens.
Squelch!
From bottom to top, the roots impaled the two Wizard apprentices with unstoppable force.
They didn't even have time to react or cry out in alarm before being completely torn apart.
Lynn didn't so much as blink. He didn't even pause, simply stepping over their fallen corpses without a second glance clearly, scenes like this had become routine for him.
And just as he walked past, the two roots suddenly twisted and let out a deep rumbling sound.
"Boom!"
Under the force of the roots, the two apprentices' bodies exploded into a mist of blood, filling the air with a thick, metallic scent.
Yet, a faint green halo from Lynn's Echo of Vitality shimmered around him, hovering a few centimeters above his body, blocking all traces of blood and gore.
His robe remained as pristine as ever, not a single speck of filth upon it.
But Lynn's brow furrowed slightly in frustration.
"I've lost count of how many people I've killed already..." he muttered under his breath, then raised his head and asked, "Can you suppress your aura a little?"
He was growing tired of this.
These third-tier apprentices were as weak as insects he could crush them with ease but their relentless pestering was slowing him down.
And he had more pressing matters to attend to tracking down that otherworldly creature and recovering the scattered Azure Spirit.
"Impossible... I can't do anything right now."
The will of the Maple Tree responded, its voice filled with exhaustion and helplessness, clearly drained of power and in desperate need of recovery.
Lynn remained silent for a moment before tentatively suggesting:
"Then… can you release my mentor? She's a full-fledged Wizard, and with her exceptional plants at her disposal, she would be far more useful than just me alone."
However, the Maple Tree's will sighed again:
"Ah, I wish I could! Conversing with her is far more enjoyable than with you. But right now, I can't even touch her seal, let alone free her…"
Lynn's eyes flickered with a hint of resignation.
Glancing around, he murmured:
"People are targeting me because of your aura. That otherworldly creature is probably avoiding it as well. We need to figure out a way to increase our movement speed and track it down faster..."
Just then, a distant, ethereal sound suddenly reached Lynn's ears.
The sound was faint, almost indistinct, but Lynn recognized it instantly.
After all, he had once faced this very sound head-on.
It was the roar of a dragon!
"It's that black dragon! If I can capture it, that would make things much easier!"
Lynn's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, he rushed toward the direction of the sound...
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