Chapter 24: The Formal Wizard

Locke and Raun exchanged glances.

Locke spoke first: "Then, respected Witch Barbara Wayne, may I ask what kind of magic the White Bone Order specializes in?"

"What benefits would we gain by joining?"

Barbara Wayne replied: "The White Bone Order specializes in the magic of the Spiritualism School. Our mastery of the White Bone Branch within the Spiritualism School is unmatched in the southeastern corner of the realm."

"Additionally, we excel in the Curse Branch and Hex Branch of the Spiritualism School."

"Once you join, you'll be free to do whatever you desire—murder, arson, anything goes. The only important rule is that each month, you must offer a Blood Sacrifice to the leader of the White Bone Order. Other than that, we have no restrictions... Ha ha ha... Doesn't that make you want to join?"

Locke was speechless. He wanted to become a wizard to study magic and explore the truth, not to join a cult.

That said, what kind of freedom was murder and arson? He wasn't a psychopath—why would he need that kind of freedom?

Locke politely declined: "Ms. Barbara, my primary affinity is with the Wood Element. It doesn't align well with the magic your White Bone Order specializes in, so I'll have to pass."

Raun quickly added: "My primary affinity is with light element particles, and my secondary is with wood element particles. I don't meet your requirements either."

Barbara Wayne's expression darkened instantly. "Gentlemen, it seems you prefer punishment over courtesy."

"I am a First Class Wizard Apprentice, while you are merely third-class wizard apprentices. Before me, you're barely stronger than feeble infants."

"Since that's the case, I'll take you by force."

Barbara Wayne pointed a finger at the Enchanted Item in Raun's hand. To his horror, the faint silver glow on his enchanted silver cross sword rapidly dimmed, swallowed by darkness.

Raun exclaimed, "Why? How is this happening? Why has my Enchanted Item lost its power?"

Barbara laughed. "You've walked too short a distance on the path of magic. There are things you simply cannot comprehend yet. This was your greatest reliance, and now it's gone."

"So..." She turned her gaze to the Mandala Vine coiled around Locke's right hand. "Young man, you've taken the wrong path."

"That plant of yours displeases me. You clearly have talent in Necromancy—I can see the thick aura of death clinging to your soul."

Locke's heart skipped a beat. So, it was him they were after all along. Raun had just been dragged into this because of him.

She was a Black Wizard, with high affinity for negative energy particles. Naturally, she could sense his own affinity for them.

He was the primary target.

Most likely, on this Wizard Ship, many Wizard Seedlings with an affinity for negative energy particles had already been marked by various Black Wizard organizations.

Barbara Wayne raised her hand, eyeing the Mandala Vine on Locke's arm. "So, I'll rid you of that eyesore myself."

"Plant magic is nothing before Necromancy."

Locke was startled. The Vine Hand was a spell he had spent two years mastering. If it were truly sealed by the opponent like Raun's Enchanted Item, all his effort over those two years would have been in vain.

But the problem was, he had no idea what method the opponent had used to seal Raun's Enchanted Item.

As a First-Class Wizard Apprentice, the opponent's techniques were completely beyond his comprehension.

Now, Locke was beginning to understand just how deadly it was in the Wizard World to be unable to decipher an opponent's methods.

It signified a vast gap between two wizards—so vast that one couldn't even understand the other's magic.

Having just entered the Wizard World, he was already facing a relatively seasoned Black Wizard. This was far too difficult for him.

Just as Locke was about to chant Vine Hand and desperately resist, his heart suddenly sank. He felt something pressing down on him—an immense pressure that forced both Locke and Raun beside him to drop to one knee.

And it wasn't just them. Even the enigmatic Barbara Wayne in front of them was kneeling on the ground, gritting her teeth in frustration.

The thirty zombies surrounding them exploded in an instant, reduced to fragments.

Barbara Wayne seemed panicked. "A Formal Wizard… This time, the Wizard Ship is actually led by a Formal Wizard…"

"Damn it, there's a Formal Wizard from the White Wizards here…"

The next moment, an even more overwhelming Magic Pressure surged toward her from all directions, causing Barbara to cough up a mouthful of blood and nearly paralyzing her.

"No way… This radiation intensity is too high. Can a living being really produce such Magic Pressure?"

Barbara quickly pulled out an unknown potion from her clothes and drank it.

Not just Barbara—many Black Wizards within the dark mist above were also struck down into the sea by this terrifying Magic Pressure.

All the plants on the deck swayed simultaneously at this moment, as if welcoming someone's arrival.

Every zombie on the deck sprouted a red flower from its head in an instant. The flowers absorbed the zombies' nutrients before rapidly withering and bearing fruit.

In the blink of an eye, the Zombie Rain was neutralized.

The fruits fell onto the deck and withered just as quickly. From the shriveled seeds emerged butterflies made of petals, transforming into a sea of cherry blossoms that surged toward the dark mist.

On the deck, Locke heard Mentor Jarvis exclaim joyfully, "It's the Cherry Blossom Spell, cast by Lord Zeno Smith, a Formal Wizard from our Four Seasons Garden!"

A wizard appeared between Barbara, Locke, and Raun. He wore a robe embroidered with lilies of the valley and hyacinths, and a wizard's hat adorned with at least five different flowers.

Terrifying Magic Pressure radiated from him.

Zeno Smith's gaze was indifferent as he looked down at Barbara Wayne, who was kneeling on both knees. "Little one from the White Bone Order, you've been telling some rather poor jokes lately."

"Not much skill, but plenty of big talk."

"You said my Life Magic is inferior to your Necromancy?"

"Out of respect for your teacher, who's currently collaborating with me on an experiment—get lost. Now."

Barbara Wayne's face turned pale. She never expected that this time, following the Wizard Ship, there would actually be a first-circle wizard from the Four Seasons Garden!

Without wasting words, she immediately transformed into a cloud of black mist and fled in disarray.

At the same time, many wizards within the black mist also chose to retreat.

Mentor Jarvis shouted, "Lord Zeno Smith, they've abducted at least thirty percent of the wizard apprentices. Should we pursue them?"

Zeno Smith didn't seem particularly concerned. "Thirty percent? Hmm, that's good."

"Even one percent less than I expected."

"Let those Black Wizards go. If they had no gains at all, they would wage war elsewhere."

He glanced at the Mandala Vine on Locke's right hand before vanishing from the deck.

Mentor Jarvis seemed to hesitate, but in the end, he remained silent on the deck.

He merely coldly addressed the frightened Wizard Seedlings on the deck: "Consider this your trial by fire."

"Conflicts between Black Wizards and us White Wizards are frequent in the southeastern territories."

"Now that you've encountered them early, you can learn how to fight those Black Wizards in the future."

After the ordeal, Locke and Raun sat on the deck to rest, both still catching their breath, not yet recovered from the life-and-death crisis they had just faced.

After a long while, Locke and Raun exchanged smiles, and Raun gave Locke a hearty bear hug.

Having survived this peril together, their bond had grown stronger.

Raun now seemed to regard Locke as a reliable comrade.

Holding the now-useless enchanted weapon, Raun said to Locke, "That scared me to death. I thought I'd be forced to become a Black Wizard."

Locke looked at the sword and said, "But your Enchanted Item is unusable now, isn't it? That's a shame."

Raun shrugged. "Can't be helped. Life's more important. Once we join a wizard organization, we'll find a way to lift the seal."

Locke nodded and said to Raun, "I need to look for my friends and see if they're still on this ship."

He hoped Patty and Code hadn't been taken by the Black Wizards.

Raun replied, "I should look too. Earlier, I saw a wizard apprentice from Schleswig Continent get taken by those damned Black Wizards."

"I feel terrible for my friend."

"He was just unlucky."

Locke glanced at Raun. Right now, Raun might pity his former friend, but the next time they met, one would be a Black Wizard and the other a White Wizard.

They would be enemies.

Locke quickly searched the deck and soon found Code and Patty, both still shaken.

It seemed their lack of affinity with negative energy particles had spared them from abduction.

After comforting them, Locke stared blankly at the spot where the Formal Wizard from Four Seasons Garden had disappeared. After this crisis, his desire for more powerful magic burned fiercer than ever.

The image of that wizard suppressing all the Black Wizards upon arrival was deeply etched in his mind.

Was this the power of a Formal Wizard?

He would possess it too!

(End of Chapter)