A Sorcerer's Journey - Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Sweep Across Five Areas VI

Like a familiar routine, Claudia pointed out the direction where there was a student with a chain mark worth around 400 points once they arrived in the 14th Section’s obelisk forest.

A moment later.

Hm?

Claudia was bewildered. “Something’s amiss. There definitely was a chain mark fluctuation response nearby. How can there be nobody? Don’t tell me it’s a student good at camouflage?”

Grimm laughed grimly under his Ashen Mask and raised the battle-ax in his hand. His figure flashed as he charged towards an open space 100-meters away. The battle-ax was swung down.

Boom!

The earth shook and dust filled a large area after the attack. Grimm furrowed his brows as he pulled out the battle-ax from the center of the huge pit the weapon was stuck in, his eyes looking toward the bloodstain that had appeared out of thin air 10-meters away.

‘Sure enough, this ax is not easy to handle,’ Grimm thought wistfully.

The surrounding air around the floating bloodstain changed and gradually distorted until a chameleon around 5-meters long appeared. At the same time, a tail appeared and fell from the open space, the severed appendage also unable to maintain invisibility.

The chameleon slowly opened its mouth and a naked female student whose complexion was turning blue thread herself out of its throat. Her gaze was somewhat overwhelmed with horror as she looked at Grimm, who was wearing the Ashen Mask, and Claudia who was farther away. After swallowing thickly, she said in a quiet, rough voice, “The strong from the 12th Section…”

Very clearly, the student surmised from Claudia’s presence that Grimm was a powerful individual who had arrived by moving across sections.

However, Grimm did not want to get tangled with this student and directly asked, “I want information about your section’s strongest students.”

“If you are willing to agree to a non-aggression contract with me, I will tell you his information at once…”

His?

After Grimm let out a single bout of grim laughter, he indifferently replied, “Not necessary. I merely wanted to determine how many legendary level students there are, nothing more.”

A moment later, Grimm moved like a ghost and chopped down using the battle-ax from high ground.

Of course, it wasn’t as if Grimm didn’t want information about this legendary student. But generally speaking, which Sorcerer would reveal their own sorcery methods for another to study? Thus, it was quite likely what this student was speaking of was merely some superfluous information based on his status and nothing more.

…

After a period of six hourglasses passed.

In comparison with the previous two areas, this section possessed many more strong individuals. Furthermore, owing to the passage of time, the remaining students had also accumulated a lot of points. As Grimm followed Claudia’s guidance and unceasingly “cleaned up,” he frowned. “How strange. This area definitely has a legendary Sorcerer-Apprentice. Why are there so many powerful students unafraid of collecting points for their chain mark? Don’t tell me that guy is the same as Hill Woods and directly left for another area?”

Upon hearing Grimm’s conjecture, Claudia jumped in fright. Hastily, she shook her head, “Impossible. There is absolutely no way!”

Pausing, Claudia nibbled her fingertips with her red lips. In the midst of that alluring motion, she mused, “Those greatest, top-notch legendary level students, with their innate gifts, extremely high intellect, and also having an advanced Sorcerer doing their all to teach them—only one or two would show up in a century within a section. According to how you described the kind of student Hill Woods was, it’s perhaps unlikely that someone like him would show up within a faction in the tryouts. Therefore, it’s absolutely impossible for this one to leave the 14th…”

Speaking to this point, Claudia’s face suddenly flushed while looking at Grimm. She awkwardly continued, “Forget about it. Act as if I’ve said nothing. It’s that Hill Woods ill-fortune to have met you, a ‘nightmare-level student.'”

Grimm gave Claudia a glance and slowly said, “It seems that this area’s legendary student has a bit of a problem. Let’s try to find a low-level student to try and discuss with.”

After a short period of time, Grimm looked towards the stone pillar that already had no soul in sight. Shaking her head, giving a twittering laugh afterward, Claudia said, “Haha. Honorable Grimm, you going to ask those low-level students with that kind of imposing manner, scared them away even before arriving in front of them. And you aren’t willing to let the students with many points get away. How can it be successful? So, it’s better to let me go.”

Grimm grudgingly curled his lip underneath his mask and silently nodded.

A moment later, this Desperator, who had held the title of Charmer in the First-Year Trial, returned to Grimm’s side. Pleased with herself, she said, “It’s settled.”

Pausing, Claudia continued, “This section does indeed have a legendary level student known as Earth Heart Wicky. Reportedly, his strength is extraordinarily formidable but because he’s not good when it comes to speed, he basically has no inclination to fight to reach the pinnacle of the tryouts. Presently he’s located at the center of 14th’s forest of obelisks. Do we still go?”

“Hmph! I already said I must dispose of all students who are potential threats, let alone this legendary student? Even if he keeps on saying he has no interest in the top reward!” Grimm took a step, and he barely paused before he faced the heart of the obelisk forest and flew in that direction.

Claudia, upon hearing Grimm’s “extreme” words, silently thought, ‘How he handles matters, does it really have to be this extreme? With your current points, I fear that within this group there simply is no student able to surpass you, right?’

Oy…

One moment Claudia was still “laden with grief” while in the next moment a “vicious” smile emerged from the corner of her mouth. As if having been concealed under her veneer of an attractive charmer, the devilish side to her became visible as she somberly said, “Hmph. Hmph. But… I like it! It may be assumed that this is one of the reasons you are so formidable, right?”

Letting her imagination run wild, Claudia followed Grimm and flew toward the heart of the 14th Section.

After half an hourglass.

Thump!

Grimm landed steadily on top of a stone pillar 30-meters tall and 5-meters in diameter. Here at the heart of the 14th Section area, basically all the obelisks were the “tall and sturdy” kind. Of course, there also were a few unusual piecemeal obelisks interwoven between the small cracks of these “tall and sturdy” stone pillars.

Underneath the Ashen Mask, Grimm looked towards the student on the ground 100-meters away. The student’s body had a similar appearance to granite, merely clad in a part of leather trousers. His ears were very long and he had prominent cheekbones with a chin that was hard with stubble. His sharp eyes looked wise and farsighted. Atop his thick, black hair, he wore a golden crown. He was calmly sitting on top of the earth.

After reacting to Grimm’s gaze, this man unhurriedly stood up from below. He had a physique that was far taller and sturdier compared to Grimm—previously hidden under his bottom, a war hammer larger than himself was revealed. However, this student lifted it as he pleased, the ease with which he did so revealing his frightening strength.

In a serene voice, the student said, “Strong individual from an external section, you might as well leave. I don’t want to fight with you because of this meaningless struggle.”

Grimm remained unmoved. He was indifferent. “Earth Heart Wicky? Regarded as a powerful Sorcerer-Apprentice, now only possessing 2000 points. Apparently, you really don’t have the intention to fight over the top reward.”

Upon hearing Grimm speak this way, the student called Wicky serenely nodded his head. Grimm, however, gave a single laugh and coldly said, “However… in this time’s Holy Tower tryout, I must confirm that I can win the top reward! Even if you have no intention to vie over the top position, I still do not want your points to fall into the possession of strong students from other areas. So… how about you leave the Holy Tower Mysterious Realm!”

The pupils of Wicky’s golden eyes shrank and he abruptly let out a guffaw, going “Hahaha,” disdainfully replying, “Apparently I have to make you experience my strength before we can have an impartial conversation. You think I do not have the strength to fight for the position? Humph! I am merely aware that no matter how hard I try, my exasperatingly slow rate of collecting points cannot compare to you guys who are like a pack of fleas, that’s all!”

Grimm moved like a ghost making a single “whoosh” sound, appearing above Wicky in the next moment. The battle-ax chopped toward his head!

Bang!

Not moving from his original position, Wicky’s war hammer which was bigger than Grimm came up to welcome the strike. As an ear-piercing wave of sound rents the air, Wicky’s complexion changed. The skin and muscle on his body bulged accompanied by multiple banging noises, transforming to black granite. He did not move at all. In the sky, however, Grimm’s eyes bulged behind his mask. As there was nowhere to brace himself in the sky, he could only move back more than 10-meters.

This sort of strength and that kind of baffling relay characteristic; was it actually from guiding out some kind of mystical energy from the ground underfoot?

In terms of just physical strength, even if he fell short a little compared to Grimm, he could suppress Grimm’s strength by relying on other advantages to completely level out the field.

However, if Grimm could make his feet separate from the earth…

Grimm made a decision in his mind in the air. He stretched out a single hand toward Wicky as he loudly shouted, “Attractive Force!”

Hm?

A light grunt left the mouth of that black granite Sorcerer-Apprentice. Subsequently, he let out an oppressive roar in the same fashion, “Gravity!”

With a “kacha” sound, black granite actually congealed and formed crystalline kernels. Wicky did not move. Instead, Grimm in the sky was “sucked in” by Wicky. The gigantic hammer drove toward Grimm!

Pupils becoming pinpricks, Grimm warped and appeared some 10-meters away. Magic force surged and a torrential current of water suddenly appeared, but it was effortlessly intercepted by a simple palm from the black granite giant. The force of a thunderclap was also blocked in a nonchalant manner.

*Boom! Boom!*

After Grimm consecutively cast two Fire Bat spells and both were blocked by the ridiculous defense of the armor encasing his skin which was as hard as black granite, his complexion slightly changed.

This student’s defensive power is somewhat too extreme!

This kind of situation basically resembled the time when Grimm was carrying the Ashen Mask as a defensive cover during the First-Year trials. His opponent would simply ignore common sorcery methods!

Dealing with this man, Grimm was immediately reminded of Hill Woods.

If it were him, he absolutely would have been able to settle the fight fast because he could restrain sorcery. Even Ice Age Millie also had appropriate advantages. For Primal Curse Althio, it was actually hard to say if he were to be pitted against this student.

Grimm, by means of Repulsive and Gravitational Forces Sorcery together with some indescribable connection to ley lines, had already arrived at a conclusion. His opponent was certain to be capable of resonating with and drawing support from the earth, some sort of mystical energy from its depths, thus attaining his ridiculous defense and power in this way. If Grimm was capable of matching up with Water-Earth Dual Practitioner Roga since he demonstrated that quagmire sorcery…

Hmph!

Ashen Mask Grimm gave a cold snort at his own thoughts. To handle this student, apart from the Stigmata Friendship Key, he had no other choice but to use the mighty Fire Blast Spell one time to attempt to destroy his opponent’s defense.

Only, it was crucial to make sure the receiving party would be incapable of movement so he could not dodge the Fire Blast Spell.

Hm? No!

In the event Wicky separated from the ground, he would lose that strength he got from the strange sorcery he used to draw support from the surrounding earth. Even if the Fire Blast Spell failed, it also wouldn’t matter.