While the apprentices and the monsters were still in shock, a man jumped off a tree in front of them, and shouted,

"Ayo, were you guys doing something important? Come get me if you want some!"

David then ran away after shooting several stones bullets, and killing a few monsters, here and there. The monsters were provoked and chased after him in a frenzy.

Esdras has already hidden away from the point of the impact and sneaked behind the monsters towards his target.

It was because the orc wanted to hide it was a bit further off from where the bulk of the monsters were concentrated at. It can be said that it brought its own demise.

The orc was shouting something in orcish at the monsters, which he didn't understand. But it was probably ordering them to halt or something along those lines.

And that was when the reaper in the darkness struck.

Esdras controlled his silver ring and it elongated into a thin but deadly staff, the staff had a needle-sized sharp edge at the tip.

It was infused with vigor and the skill, [Penetrating vigor].

The orc immediately pulled up his axe from his belt, and actually managed to block that strike which surprised Esdras.

That axe looked like it was carved from stone, and there were several strange symbols engraved on it that released a green glow. It was now a struggle of pure brute, strength.

However, suddenly the silver staff withdrew, it literally became shorter, and then elongated again, this time completely bypassing the axe.

Unable to cope with the strange weapon, and the exchange that went completely against its expectations, its neck was sliced off in half.

It would have been completely cut off, but the orc managed to regain its bearing and moved slightly to the back.

Blood gushed like a fountain but the orc didn't seem to care it charge at him with a bestial roar.

Esdras was shocked at that tensity but he wasn't surprised very much. He opened his left hand and a chiseled stone was shot out like a missile, the size of a fist.

This was a rock that he conjured himself, it took him five minutes. This rock was not only harder than steel, there were several air holes drilled into it.

Using wind magic, he created a centrifugal air current due to the structure of the stone, when the wind passed through the passages it increased the speed and rotation.

It also amplified the shockwave of being fired with earth magic and amplified it further with wind magic. The result was a whirlwind that none was able to feel, before the impact that is.

The charging orc was pretty much going for a last stand or something and had neglected defense entirely. It might have been an attempt to throw him into a panic so he wouldn't be able to cast spells.

But that was just stupid. As a mage, Esdras had thoroughly prepared himself for an eventuality in this encounter. This was the terror of spellcasters, with enough time and knowledge the target should forget about surviving.

Before the orc could even realize what happened, his entire upper body was blown off with the power of that rock bullet. It directly turned into a blood mist that scattered in the wind.

'Holy shit.' Even Esdras would have been done for had he been on the receiving end of that attack. This was the power of elemental magic, as long as one had some imagination then it could turn trivial things into death traps.

[+125 EXP]

Esdras then turn to look at the rest of the monsters, seeing him look at them, the monsters immediately retreated. After all night, all of the monsters went to chase after David.

"Esdras?"

A familiar voice asked. Esdras looked at a disheveled Celine. She had several bruises on her hands and was covered with dirt and a bit of mud or elegant robes were in disarray.

Seeing her like this really made Esdras angry. To you think that those vermin would dare to harm her like this?

"Hello there!"

But he didn't say anything like that for now, with the best course of action as long as she's alive that was great enough.

Celine run out of the barricade and jumped into his embrace, Esdras hugged her back gladly.

"Come on, we don't have all day. Let us get out of here. Is there anyone else here with you?" Esdras asked.

This is because he was surprised that no one else was in this camp. He was sure that he saw at least seven or eight of them before they started the attack.

"They all ran away when the monsters went to chase after David, those cowards." Celine Spect out with resentment.

"Don't say that actually, I want you to be one of those cowards. They didn't know who was there, and if they were being rescued or not, I think they made the right choice to take that risk, and I know it on their own."

Esdras truly meant it if he was in their place, then it was very likely he would have run away too.

From the distance, he could hear a strong sound of panting and huffing. David was coming back looking like he was about to die.

"I… I can't run… huuuf! You guys go on without me." David set between huffs and puffs.

Oh that's right most mages were unathletic, David was already better than most since he was still just a kid and not an old man who spent decades without any exercise.

"Here take this," Esdras open his backpack, and give him a stamina potion, "and you too, drink these we will have to make a run for it from now on."

He also gave stamina and health potion to Celine. Naturally, he didn't mind revealing the potions to the two of them because he was planning on selling these portions later on.

"What is this? Esdras, you're becoming more and more mysterious by the day." David muttered as he drank his potion without hesitation.

"Right? That's what I thought." Celine unexpectedly agreed with David.

"These are a new kind of potion that I will be selling, later on, think of yourself as my experimental subjects hehehh." Esdras set with an evil laugh.

"New potions?" David repeated stupidly as if he couldn't comprehend the words. "Esdras you know that you are my best friend, right? I have always stuck with you through thick and thin. You can't forget me later on OK?"

"Hmph, aren't you the one who keeps telling me to pretend not to know you? I think I will keep doing that."

"Nooo"