Chapter 36: An Ambush
The destructive power of the Fiery Hand spell surpassed even that of the Fire Wall spell, though they were both intermediate magic spells.
As the nearby flames raged on, abundant pyro elemental particles lingered around. This caused the fiery hand conjured by Sein’s spell to appear larger than usual.
The moment the massive fiery hand materialized, the King Green Plume’s advance toward Sein came to an abrupt halt.
While it was true that low-level magic beasts were easily provoked and had limited intelligence, they possessed a strong instinct for self-preservation.
The strong desire for survival and the fear of death made the King Green Plume to reconsider its aggression and escape instead.
However, it was too late to retreat at this point!
The massive fiery hand swiftly closed in on the King Green Plume.
In its gentle grip, the magic beast was thoroughly cooked alive. The other adult Green Plumes at its side suffered the same fiery fate, turning into charred remnants.
The death of the King Green Plume and the intensifying heat from the surrounding flames drained the last ounce of defiance from the few remaining Green Plumes.
Surrounded by flames on all sides, they fled in every conceivable direction, sparing no thought for the fledglings behind them or their precious eggs.
The fiery inferno illuminated Griseo Valley as brightly as day.
***
As the flames gradually subsided and the residual heat dissipated into the cold, dim environment of the Underworld, Sein could finally assess his spoils.
The twenty-one charred Green Plumes and a King Green Plume were undoubtedly Sein’s largest harvest of this journey.
He proceeded to meticulously collect the most valuable parts of these creatures, their claws and beaks. Half of them would need to be submitted as evidence of quest completion.
As for the remaining half, Sein had the luxury of choice—he could either entrust them to Bousse for sale or reserve some of them for personal use.
Having studied alchemy under Master Morsidor for some time, Sein had been eager to put his newfound knowledge to use.
While it would be a waste for him to practice with valuable ingredients, these claws and beaks brimming with weak elemental energy were perfect materials for him to hone his skills. Emerging from n0v@lbin☆, this material harbors clandestine details.
In addition to the twenty-two Green Plumes, Sein also secured seven eggs, each slightly larger than a fist.
Quick mental math revealed that he had earned over two hundred autrum on this adventure.
After all, his constitution and physical fitness were considered exceptional, even among the other intermediate initiates.
Moreover, while the spoils occupied a significant amount of space, they were not overly heavy.
Sein moved swiftly through the darkness, his silhouette resembling a fleeting shadow.
Griseo Valley was not that far from Mystralora City, and Sein’s initial estimation proved to be accurate. He managed to complete the quest within five days.
To be precise, four days would have sufficed for him to complete the quest and return to the academy.
The journey back to the academy, while initially deemed relatively “safe”, took an unexpected turn for Sein.
He could not ascertain whether it had anything to do with the fire on Griseo Valley or just sheer bad luck.
In the darkness, a blinding flash of light shot past Sein in an instant.
A surge of danger made the hair on his body stand on end, and he felt a cold sensation on his neck beneath his magic robe.
Fortunately, Sein reacted in time and rolled to the side. Otherwise, his head could have been sent flying.
Nevertheless, the slight numbness in his neck caused his body to tense up as he hit the ground.
Almost instinctively, he raised his arm, which had been hidden under his black robe.
With enhanced vision provided by the Pale Mask on his face, he unleashed a powerful attack with the Acid Wand in his hand.
The assailant had been lying in ambush for a long time, intent on dealing a lethal blow to Sein.
However, the previous attack had already depleted much of its strength, and it did not expect Sein to be able to evade his attack in time, let alone deliver a counterattack.
In the darkness, the Acid Wand emitted a faint, whistling sound as it discharged an advanced magic spell.
A muffled grunt followed, indicating that Sein had successfully struck his assailant.
The Acid Wand, proven powerful on numerous occasions before, did not disappoint this time either. After stumbling a few steps, the assailant finally collapsed.
It was only then Sein managed to overcome the growing numbness in his body and approach his fallen assailant.
In the darkness, he saw a dwarf, slightly over a meter in height, dressed in black moss clothing.
Its distinctive, enormous, pupil-less, pure black eyes revealed its non-human origin.
The blade of the dagger in his clutch was smeared by a mixture of light blue substance and fresh blood. It was no doubt the weapon that had wounded Sein.