CHAPTER 503: 10 SHOTS

Carl sat cross-legged on the Magic Flying Carpet, his fingers moving delicately as he controlled a distant Puppet that swiftly approached.

"An empty boat meets no resistance; grudges incite murderous intent."

He mused aloud, "Speaking of which, Wizard Viers probably doesn’t even know when he provoked me. After all, back then, I was just a young Wizard who had recently advanced."

Unfortunately... I nearly died at your hands. A gentleman must avenge such wrongs!

The main reason was that his strength was now sufficient. Plus, it just so happened that he had encountered Viers’s disciple committing atrocities in the Dream Market. Otherwise, as time passed, the matter might have been indefinitely delayed, perhaps even forgotten in some dusty corner.

"Blame yourselves, master and disciple, for your countless evil deeds," Carl continued. "Even without me, you would have eventually fallen into someone else’s hands."

Hmm... So fast!

The technique Viers had placed on his disciple, Tas, was a Grudge Curse, a common type of spell among Wizards. Once someone killed Tas, the curse would transfer to the murderer. The curse was difficult to remove, like a maggot clinging to bone. Yet, the caster could clearly sense the curse’s location and would seize any opportunity to strike down the marked person.

However, such a technique couldn’t deceive Carl. With a simple spell, he transferred the curse elsewhere, turning it into bait to lure his enemy out. Unless it was an imperceptible and untouchable method like those employed by the Green family, it was truly irresolvable.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...

It’s unknown when it started, but the sky became blanketed with dark clouds, punctuated by lightning and thunder. A torrential downpour followed.

In the mountain forest, a cheetah-shaped construct sprinted at breakneck speed. Its claws dug into the ground, sending soil flying as it shot forward like a black streak. Its body was fitted with over a dozen exhaust ports; at full power, its speed could leave flying birds far behind.

「Mid-air」

A Fire Line raced forward. The Fire Line was faint, yet undimmed by the curtain of rain. After a few flickers, it shot down towards the construct below.

BANG!

The cheetah construct instantly shattered into pieces, revealing Wizard Viers’s figure.

"Come out!" he looked around, his voice cold. "You lured me here for this, didn’t you?"

RUSTLE, RUSTLE...

The surrounding forest rustled, as if phantoms were weaving through the trees. Carl’s voice then sounded, "I thought that boy Tas was exaggerating. I never imagined you’d actually become a Second Circle Wizard."

To become a Second Circle Wizard by relying on plunder as a Black Wizard, without any backing or connections, was indeed a rare feat.

"Heh..." Wizard Viers sneered, "You only realize it now? Too late!"

"So what if you’re a Second Circle Wizard?" Carl was not impatient. "Judging by the time, you’ve only been a Second Circle Wizard for three to five years. You’ve probably only constructed a single Second Circle Magic. If I’m not mistaken, it must be that Merging Fire Technique—a magic incapable of killing enemies. A Wizard who hasn’t mastered Second Circle Magic isn’t a true Second Circle Wizard!"

"Hmph!" Wizard Viers snorted. "You can try!"

ZZZ...

He suddenly waved his Magic Wand. Instantly, hundreds of sparks appeared around him, shooting wildly in all directions. On an unseen plane, myriad Elemental Particles, guided by the Magic Circuit, collided with rapid, fierce intensity. The sparks instantly blazed brighter.

Lotus Roar to the Sky!

Hundreds of enormous fiery lotuses bloomed in the air. The extreme, soaring temperature instantly vaporized the nearby raindrops into billowing steam. Carl, who had been hidden within, was forced to reveal himself.

"There!" Wizard Viers’s eyes narrowed. With a pull of his Magic Wand, the surrounding air instantly grew violently turbulent.

Sea of Fire!

Instantly, within a radius of several hundred meters, flames surged like oceanic waves, consuming everything in their path. He hadn’t mastered other Second Circle Magic. However, with the spiritual power of a Second Circle Wizard, even his One-Circle Witchcraft could unleash astonishing destructive force. If he were in a mortal city, Wizard Viers could reduce a large city to ashes within an hour, leaving no survivors! In contrast, even a Taboo Knight would find it difficult to exterminate an entire city’s population in such a short period. This was the difference between them.

SPLASH!

Amidst the Sea of Fire, a torrent of water surged against the fiery tide, splitting the inferno and claiming nearly half the area.

"A Second Circle Wizard?" Wizard Viers was shocked. However, upon seeing Carl’s appearance, the tension in his heart eased slightly.

So young. He must have only recently advanced to the Second Circle. Otherwise, if he had cast Second Circle Magic, I probably couldn’t have withstood it.

One-Circle Witchcraft—Flame Giant!

Chain Fireball!

Big Flame Burst!

His figure flickered. As the Magic Circuits in his Sea of Consciousness lit up, he unleashed one First Ring Fire Magic after another.

In the blink of an eye, a Flame Giant, roughly ten meters tall, materialized in the clearing, wielding a massive flame sword that it swung horizontally. Furthermore, clusters of massive fireballs bombarded the area relentlessly. Moreover, an enormous, blackened flame hovered mid-air, swelling larger and larger until it exploded. The might of the explosion was so fierce that even the surrounding mountains seemed to tremble.

In comparison, Carl’s techniques were less ostentatious. He manipulated water currents, forming them into water dragons that danced and lunged through the air with vivid, lifelike movements. Meanwhile, his body was wreathed in Thunderclap, allowing him to swiftly evade the incoming attacks.

Wizard Viers had immersed himself in Fire Magic for over a hundred years, mastering numerous fire spells and gaining rich combat experience. To have reached his current level as a Wanderer was naturally extraordinary.

As for Carl... he had trained for a shorter time, but he had fortunately experienced a Divine Gift, granting him exceptional affinity with Water Magic. When casting the same type of magic, his was more potent. While Carl had less experience in duels between Wizards, when it came to raw, life-and-death combat, Viers was far from his match.

For a time, the two Wizards exchanged blows. Both were Second Circle Wizards employing One-Circle Witchcraft, making it difficult to determine who held the upper hand.

"No wonder you dared to kill Tas and lure me here. You do have some skill," Wizard Viers growled. "But that’s as far as you go!"

SWOOSH!

With a light wave of his hand, two Second-tier Late Stage Seals materialized before him, emitting terrifying fluctuations of power. Although not as potent as magic cast by a Second Ring Late Stage Wizard, they could easily kill a Wizard who had just entered the Second Circle. Moreover, he had two!

Flame God Roar!

A massive maw formed of flames suddenly coalesced in the air. It gaped wide and let out a furious roar. As the roar sounded, a Fire Line swept out in all directions. Everything the Fire Line touched was bisected; not even Elemental Particles could escape this fate. This kind of attack, on a molecular level, was simply impossible to resist.

"Hmph!" Wizard Viers scoffed. "Let’s see you survive this!"

"Impressive!" Carl’s voice came from behind him. "My turn!"

Six-Star Soul Killing Technique!

Six First Order peak Dead Souls shot forth, their shrill shrieks piercing the air as they charged at Viers. Although these Dead Souls were First Order, they possessed Second Order traits. The combined spiritual power fluctuations from all six could momentarily daze even a Second Circle Wizard. Viers was no exception.

Seeing the Dead Souls bear down on him, the situation now inescapable, Viers’s face turned deathly pale, his eyes wide with terror.

I’ve just advanced to the Second Circle! I have five hundred years of life! The Green family already promised to take me to the Kaliem Continent! In the future, I could even cultivate the Green family’s external heritage! The Third Ring is within reach, my future is bright! Am I going to die here today? I’m so unwilling!

BANG!

The intangible Dead Souls slammed into Viers as if striking a Copper Wall Iron Curtain, and were sent tumbling backward. A mantle of black light enveloped Viers, like a great bell, shielding him from the Dead Souls’ assault.

"Viers!" a familiar voice rang out, tinged with displeasure. "It’s fortunate I felt uneasy and followed you. Otherwise, you’d likely be dead by now. Your death is trivial, but my item would have been lost."

Badden, who had appeared on the scene, shook his head at Viers. He then turned to Carl, his brow furrowing as he said, "You... I seem to have seen you somewhere before."

Carl’s expression darkened. Dealing with Viers was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so I didn’t bother to disguise myself. I used my true appearance.

"I remember now!" Badden’s eyes brightened. "You’re a disciple of the Six Rings Tower! And you’ve actually become a Second Circle Wizard..."

"No!" He seemed to perceive something, his eyes abruptly narrowing as he continued, "Why do you carry our family’s Resentment?"

Resentment! Only those who kill a blood relative of the Green family become tainted with it. And currently, in the Magic Forest, there’s only one such person... Conni from the Dream Market! So... Carl, the disciple of the Six Rings Tower, is the master of the Dream Market! He’s Conni, the one who killed Gold!

Badden’s heart contracted.

SWOOSH!

His vision blurred. Numerous hand seals materialized from thin air, their terrifying might pressing down so intensely that trees in a wide radius simultaneously bowed their crowns. The ground, as if struck by a colossal hammer, abruptly sank.

Ten Thousand Buddha Hands—Thousand Hand Realm!

"Die!" With a fierce glint in his eyes, Carl attacked ruthlessly. No one leaves alive!