Chapter 42: Disintegrate

For a wizard, combat effectiveness varies dramatically depending on whether they're fighting on their home turf or in enemy territory. Simply put, it all comes down to preparation.

In a sudden ambush, a wizard strolling along might be instantly killed if an assassin leaps from the bushes, dagger in hand.

But if that assassin attempts to infiltrate the wizard's home for a planned assassination—especially if the wizard has advance warning—they'll undoubtedly face a gauntlet of interlocking magical traps the moment they cross the threshold. The assassin would likely meet an untimely end without even seeing the wizard.

In this situation, Feidric was undoubtedly on his home turf. After resting during the journey back, he had recovered significantly. He casually concocted a pretext, claiming he had accidentally dropped something somewhere and asked the other three to help him search for it.

This was, of course, just an excuse to send the other three away. Feidric hadn't expected Cipher to be absent; the Catgirl was off doing who-knew-what. In a way, this was a blessing. Cipher was far more cunning than the simple-minded Aria and Douglas, making her much harder to deceive. With her out of the way, things would be simpler.

The reason for separating from the group was clear to Feidric. He knew that the Necromancer, upon discovering his Death Array—five years in the making—had been destroyed, would fly into a rage and come hunting for them. After careful consideration, Feidric had devised a plan capable of eliminating the enemy.

If it worked, all the better. But if it failed—if even Disintegrate couldn't kill the Necromancer—it would prove the enemy's strength far exceeded his expectations. In such a scenario, Feidric believed that Aria and Douglas's presence would make no difference to the outcome. It was best for his teammates to stay far away, increasing their chances of survival.

Feidric quickly set up an illusion in the Adventurer's Guild hall, then downed a batch of Magic Power Potions he had brewed himself. When Lucien arrived, Feidric manipulated the illusion to engage him in conversation, using "Franklin" as a conversation starter to stall for time. Lucien readily took the bait and started chatting.

Next came the provocation. Lucien carelessly cast a spell at the illusion, leaving an opening that Feidric's already prepared spell exploited. Seizing the moment Lucien's concentration wavered during the spellcasting, Feidric struck.

Disintegrate, a Sixth-Level spell from the Transmutation School, launched a slender red ray from Feidric's fingertip towards a visible target within twenty meters. The target could be a creature, an object, or even a magical construct made of a magical force field. Upon impact, the target would instantly crumble into dust.

(For massive objects, the spell disintegrates a three-cubic-meter portion.)

While Feidric excelled in Abjuration magic, he was even more skilled in Transmutation. To be precise, Abjuration was something he had learned later; Transmutation had been his original path.

The Transmutation School typically doesn't possess highly aggressive spells, but Disintegrate is a notable exception. Among all Sixth-Level spells, it boasts the greatest destructive power.

The red ray pierced Lucien's shield and struck him squarely in the chest. Yet Lucien didn't consider himself defeated. He raised his right hand and retrieved a scroll from his person.

In his current Undead Body, even a pierced heart or severed head wouldn't kill him. If he could just withstand this single spell and tear open the scroll, he was confident he could eliminate his opponent.

But the next instant, Lucien was stunned to see his right hand slowly turning grayish-white and crumbling into dust that drifted away.

Because Feidric was Overchanneling, using a spell far beyond his current level, his Disintegrate wasn't executed perfectly. Instead of instant disintegration, it caused a slow, gradual decay.

"No... no, what is this?! What have you done...?"

The terror on Lucien's face grew steadily, but before he could finish speaking, his entire head began to disintegrate. In about ten seconds, Lucien had completely vanished before Feidric's eyes, leaving only a pile of white ash on the floor.

Disintegrate had a fatal drawback: due to its immense destructive power, everything on the target—equipment, items, everything—was also reduced to dust. In other words, ending a battle with this spell meant there would be no looting or spoils. Most self-respecting adventurers would likely find this unacceptable.

Legend had it that a wizard in a past Hero Party once used Disintegrate, leaving the entire party empty-handed. His six teammates then proceeded to beat him senseless.

After Lucien's death, his brother stood motionless, staring blankly ahead.

Thud—

The sound of Feidric falling from his chair echoed in the room. He had consumed too many Magic Power Potions in a short period, causing a massive overflow of Magic Power that was then instantly depleted. This sudden surge and drain had taken a tremendous toll on his body.

The perspective shifted back to Cipher, who had already led Natalie out of the study on the fourth floor of Viscount Braun's Mansion and was heading down to the third.

Cipher flicked her cat ears. "The second, third, and fourth floors are empty. They're all concentrated on the first floor."

"About how many people are there?" Natalie asked.

"Too many to count," Cipher replied. "The voices are a jumbled mess. But there's definitely a lot of them. Can you handle them all by yourself?"

"If it's just guards, I should be able to..." Natalie began.

But Cipher cut her off. "There are adventurers too. I overheard them talking."

Natalie fell silent.

The guards were all uniformly Warrior Class Holders, their combat styles predictable and standardized. Each guard followed the same routine: attacking here, defending there, using specific techniques at set times.

Adventurers, however, were different. Heaven only knew what classes they belonged to or what bizarre abilities they might unleash at any moment. They could easily throw Natalie a curveball she wouldn't see coming, making them far more unpredictable.

Noticing Natalie's silence, Cipher patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry! You're not alone. You have a teammate! Trust me, I... I'll provide all the support you need, except for actual assistance!"

Natalie stared at her, utterly bewildered.