Chapter 533: Escape Route


    ?


    Through his Sphere of Resonance, Adam was able to sense everything that was happening in his near vicinity.


    So when he noticed Gore sneakily making his way toward therge crater, his lips formed a smirk. "Hehe, not so easily."


    The next moment, he dodged Stratford''s ice-w attacks by a hair''s breadth, while at the same time weaving a series of hand signs.


    "You damned rat!" Stratford roared in annoyance.


    Except for the first punch that he hadnded on the youth, he wasn''t able tond another one since then. Adam was simply too agile, causing him to be shocked.


    But suddenly, he saw gray smoke cover the youth''s body, and a momentter, he disappeared!


    Rank 2 Spell: Foggy Step!


    Seeing Adam reappear thirty feet away from him and then disappear again, Stratford''s eyes narrowed.


    It would appear that he has mastered the art of teleportation, he thought grimly.


    This is going to be more difficult than I had imagined.


    Without wasting another moment, he followed after him at his fastest speed. Although he had other things left toplete, he needed to first take care of Adam.


    Not just because the youth had foiled his ns, but also because he was a highly dangerous Magus. If Stratford kept him alive, he would continue to obstruct his way.


    It was better to get rid of the problem first before resuming his ns.


    -


    Gore couldn''t contain the excitement bubbling inside his heart as he slowly approached the crater at the center of the town.


    So the tunnel behind that red door leads to an underground ce that is directly under the town, eh? Looks like I''ve been involved in some conspiracy spanning centuries...


    I heard Adam call that entity Stratford, he thought to himself as he soundlessly traversed the cobblestone streets.


    Well, whatever that Rank 3 Magus is nning, I don''t care... While he''s busy dealing with Adam, I''ll go take a look at the underground chamber.


    Although Adam was fighting Stratford, Gore was still alert about any dangers he might face once he descended down the hole.


    Not for a moment did he believe that his path to acquiring the treasures would be an easy one. He was not that naive.


    If he sensed any danger, he would immediately retreat. But he at least had to try. But even he didn''t expect the thing that would happen to him the following moment.


    The space in front of him distorted and gray smoke suddenly materialized out of nowehere. From the gray smoke, a figure donning ck robes and a ck pointy hat emerged.


    "Where are you going, partner?" Adam asked in an exaggerated tone.


    Gore''s eyeballs almost popped out of his sockets.


    Damn this bastard! He found out my location despite me using an advanced concealment spell?!


    His footsteps came to an abrupt halt and he stopped right in front of Adam. "Get out of my way," he said.


    But suddenly, an overbearing and evil aura descended down on him from behind. Gore didn''t even need to take a nce to figure out who it was.


    "Partner?" Stratford''s tone contained unbridled dread and fury. "So one diverts my attention while the other ransacks myir? Unforgivable! I will kill you both!"


    He swung his arms at the two Magi, releasing two w-shaped projectiles imbued with ice magic.


    Gore''s entire back was drenched in cold sweat. The aura of death consumed his entire being and he found it difficult to even move.


    Damn you, Constantine!! He cursed inwardly.


    Right at that moment, Adam''s cold chuckle rang in his ears. "Hehe, we''re now in the same boat, Darkmore. Fight with me and we may stand a chance."


    His eyes briefly shone with the pattern of the white lotus and he added, "Your dear familiar was probably killed by those weeping trees, wasn''t he? Who do you think is controlling those trees?"


    The youth dashed past him like a bolt of ck lightning. He got into a horse-stance position, gathering arge amount of mana in both palms that had already been coated in fire magic. Then, he generated two enormous walls of osciting mana that rotated outwards.


    Hand of Doom: Fire Style!


    GREAT BARRIER!!


    BOOM!!!


    The two w-shaped ice projectiles mmed against Adam''s Great Barrier, resounding in a deafening sound that shook the very ground itself.


    Blood spurted out of Adam''s mouth as he gritted his teeth and channeled even more mana into his hands. The osciting wall of mana hummed with even greater intensity.


    Finally, in an astonishing twist of events, the Rank 3 Stratford''s w-shaped ice projectiles were deflected away!


    At the same time, Adam''s Great Barrier also dissipated and he was hurled away into the distance, spewing blood from his mouth and other injured parts on his body.


    His departing words rang like loud bells inside Gore''s mind.


    "Avenge your familiar, Darkmore!!"


    "OHHHH!!" As soon as the barrier disappeared, Gore charged forward with bloodshot eyes, having already prepared his spell. "Jora, I will avenge you!!"


    Rank 2 Spell: Fireball!


    The great sphere of fire shot toward the white werewolf who was standing there in absolute


    shock.


    Stratford had never imagined that a mere Rank 2 Magus''s magicbat technique would be able to deflect a magic spell of a Rank 3 Magus.


    Even back in his day-several centuries ago-Magi who could battle higher-ranked Magi


    never existed.


    BOOOM!!


    In his state of shock, Stratford was consumed by the fireball. Only one thought echoed inside


    his mind.


    Has magic advanced so much in the time that I was underground? Or...


    Is this kid simply a monster?


    ...


    At the southern gates of the town, all of Adam''s squad members had already gathered. The local residents of the town were at their wit''s end by now. The weeping trees stationed around the town walls were putting a lot of pressure on them.


    Even though they hadn''t attacked the people yet, just their mere presence and the way they were recklessly iling their branches around caused them to be filled with panic and fear.


    Moreover, for a while now, deafening sounds of fighting wereing from the direction of the town square. This caused the townsfolk to be helpless.


    "We''re done for!"


    "There''s no way out!"


    "I-I don''t want to die!"


    "Somebody help us!"


    They screamed in desperation, looking for a way out of this hell hole. Thanks to thebined efforts of Adam''s squad members, however, they managed to stay together in one ce. Kenley nced at Adam''s students and asked nervously, "Did Lord Constantine tell you of a


    way out?"


    Adam had instructed Kenley and Wagner to reach the southern gates after they had killed the five local Magi. Although they failed their missions, they arrived here nontheless.


    "You guys do have a way out... right?" Wagner asked in a panic.


    Eleiney and Aiden simultaneously looked at Art.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Y-Yes!" The youth nodded. "Professor did give me something. He said it will secure our


    escape route."


    "What did he give you?!" Kenley pressed.


    With a trembling hand, Art took out a small item from his inner robes. "This!"


    It was a ck orb!


    The same orb that had allowed Mayor Hobbs and the others traverse the Weeping Woods!