EXPLOSION

"This is not part of the plan! Why would those bastards ran toward here?" Max stood on the tall tree stupefied when seeing the dark apprentices ran heading his location.

He planned to let the group of dark apprentices and Black Plume Snake fight each other to death and he will deal a finishing blow and kill them when both sides are heavily injured. This way he does not need to risk his life against any of them.

However now, the dark apprentices decided to retreat and ran from the giant snake but ill-fatedly they heading toward Max's hiding area.

The worst part is that the giant winged snake was berserk and lose its sanity. The Black Plume Snake ignores it injuries and chases after the dark apprentices.

Max stunned not for long and promptly escape to another direction. Unfortunately, one member of the dark apprentices' group perceived Max's presence when Max running away. "There is a lone apprentice of the left side. Probably those from the light side"

The female dark apprentice that led the group noticed it too.

"A light apprentice that stray from his group? Nonetheless, this is our chance! Run toward him! Let he be our sacrifice!" The female dark apprentices shouted to command her group.

Max that busy running away from the commotion also heard her loud voice. He turned his head and looked at the group of dark apprentices that around fifty meters away from him but distance is closing fast. His Wind Walk spell is slower than their movement spells regrettably. Leading the group of six dark apprentices is the female dark apprentice wearing a black robe like others. What made her different from other dark apprentices is the golden necklace she wearing on her neck. The fact she wore it outside of her robe rather than hide it inside is intriguing. The moonlight shone on her shows a beautiful pale white face, black eyes, and long black hair. While all other dark apprentices are injured after being attacked by a giant snake, she alone remained unharmed. Not even a stain of dust on her robe or face.

"That bitch! She planned to use me as a bait to distract the Black Plume Snake!"

It is not a secret when she shouted even until to Max's location. He can easily figure out her plan.

"Did you really think I would let you go? You will die!" The lanky figure of black-robe dark apprentice charged towards Max with his long robe flapping and grey hair rustling. His face reveals a very sinister expression.

"A mere rank 2 apprentice dare to plot against us. Do you really think we don't know? You hiding here must plan to fish in the troubled water right? Haha! Just obediently be our bait and accept your death!"

Max remained silently for a breath of time after listening to his mockery. He knew that today could not end well.

"I cannot keep running like this. Sooner or later, they will catch up with me and then I'm the one will get hunted by the giant snake!"

Max's hand reached inside his robe and took out a fist size black metal ball.

"I prefer to use this under controlled condition for the experiment but desperate time called for desperate measure. SECOND's simulation already shows the degree of the explosion is not weak but just how strong it is required an appropriate field test."

Max raised his throwing arm to aims at the dark apprentices but suddenly lowered his hand again. "No! I cannot aim if I throw it using this unstable stance. I need to get proper footing for an accurate throw but in this situation, it is not possible."

Max currently being engaged in a great escapade with a group of dark apprentices that almost catch up with him and a giant winged snake behind them chasing.

"What to do? What to do? Fight with a sword? No! I'm not skilled enough to beat a giant snake that almost Mage level with a sword. Acid Splash spell? Same reason! I cannot aim accurately. Ice Puppet Spell? Yes!"

Max focused on manipulating Ice mana on his hand. His footsteps did not stop, his left palm grabbing lightly through the air. A block of ice appeared on his hand and change shape. The process happened in a short span of time. The ice block changing shape and finally, a figure of a bird smaller than Max's head appeared.

The Ice Puppet spell that Uriel taught is a process of shaping ice mana into the desired shape and then input a simple command for the puppet to move. The bigger puppet or complex command required more mana provision. At Max current state, Max can only afford to create a small ice bird puppet but that is enough for his plan.

Max command the ice bird to grab the black metal bomb with its beak and flew heading the dark apprentices' group behind him.

An ice bird soaring toward them is definitely suspicious and eye-catching.

"Haha! That your last card. A little bird. Watched me how I destroy your last hope! Remember when you arrived at underworld, tell them Ukoban Fireripper is the one who killed you!"

The lanky dark apprentice that called himself Ukoban brought his right arm forward and a blazing fire surrounding his hand.

"No! Stop!" The female dark apprentices that leading the group noticed something suspicious on the ice bird and warned Ukoban to stop but too late.

"Don't worry Lady Eleanor! This thing cannot stop me!" Ukoban raised his blazing hand punching toward the ice bird and ignored her warning.

"That is enough" Max grinned.

"Activate!"

The moment Ukoban's hand touched the ice bird, the black metal ball inside the ice bird grip exploded.

BOOM!!

A gray-colored light flash bringing destruction.

[Warning! Warning! A large explosion capable of threatening the host is detected! Recommend for the host to retreat 100 meters away!]

"Too late!" The point of explosion is less than fifty meters away. Max was thrown away from the impact of the explosion hitting the tree branches.

"The explosion was too strong!" Max lamented.