A Sorcerer's Journey - Chapter 144
Chapter 144: Give Up
Grimm slowly flew above Celestial Cordillera that drifted at a high altitude.
The Celestial Cordillera’s entire body really wasn’t a gigantic mountain. Rather, it was formed of four mountain peaks surrounding a towering and majestic giant summit that appeared to have the sense of a myriad of stars surrounding the moon[1].
Among the top of the four relatively low black peaks were four spotlessly white and beautiful castles with gardens. And between those towering mountain peaks was actually a very large tower that somewhat felt like the embryonic form of a sorcerer tower. There also was a trace of power to press down numerous mountains with an “it’s lonely at the top” artistic concept.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just as Grimm was in the middle of contemplation, several consecutive green rays with large and formidable power emitted from the bottom of the valley, all having attack degrees of 200 or higher in appearance. Subsequently, a black-robed sorcerer-apprentice that had a foot treading on a hot cloud of volcanic ash flew upwards from the valley, somewhat cutting a sorry figure of dashing left and leaping right to dodge the green rays.
Boom!
Suddenly, after the Celestial Cordillera floor released a violent explosion, berserk flame element and thunderous force scattered in all directions. However, it was also inhibited into a narrow space by natural force, generally being the inherent defensive measure of the Celestial Cordillera.
The black-robed sorcerer-apprentice gazing at the violent explosion under the valley had a look on his face that was not in any way relieved. From the depths of his eyes, it instead revealed a trace of dread. This sorcerer-apprentice abruptly falling swung out both his arms, his mouth started to utter a spell at great speeds. A moment later, a pure and concise fire element fluctuation arose.
Two immense flaming rings composed of intense flame element concentrated to an extreme point formed. Subsequently, numerous twisting and moving strange runes floated out from inside the sleeves and adhered to these two flame rings.
Phew…
After this sorcerer-apprentice let out a breath, a black chain suddenly came out of the hot cloud of volcanic ash under his feet, agilely twining up this sorcerer-apprentice’s leg.
“No!”
This sorcerer-apprentice only had enough time to give out a single cry of alarm. He and the flaming rings by his side which had a whooshing sound that echoed long and far down the valley.
Boom! Boom!
The sounds of explosions persisted relentlessly below the valley, appearing as if an even more intense battle was underway. The ashen mask wearing Grimm’s reaction to these two sorcerer-apprentice’s battle fluctuations was a slight tremble of apprehensiveness within his heart. He was in deep thought.
It looked as if the time spent in this battle between these two sorcerer-apprentices ought to not be brief.
However, the reason for these two sorcerer-apprentices to fight—was it set up by the Seven Rings Holy Tower or an independent battle?
Not too near, Grimm stayed floating in the sky like this, waiting for the battle’s conclusion. It was quite evident from seeing the continued energy fluctuations that the black-robed sorcerer-apprentice from just a moment ago should be in a considerably weakened state. Unless he still had some more powerful hidden trump card, it was only a matter of time that he’d lose.
After the time of one-quarter of an hourglass.
Following a violent flash of thunderous force, the black-robed sorcerer-apprentice once more appeared in the sky taking large gasps of breath. He was unresigned. “This time, I admit defeat. The whole peak is yours. After a month, we’ll continue!”
Subsequently, this sorcerer-apprentice spotted Grimm with a glance and his deathly pale face surprisingly turned toward Grimm and smiled bitterly, apparently carrying some kind of invasiveness. Then, he immediately flew toward the top of the second tallest peak amongst the five mountain peaks.
Grimm stared at this black-robed sorcerer-apprentice with equal coldness. However, in his heart, he was nevertheless somewhat flabbergasted.
Unexpectedly, it was merely for the purpose of fighting over a residence?
However, from what the words that came out of that sorcerer-apprentice’s mouth implied, this Celestial Cordillera residence was nothing more than temporary arrangement before an apex sorcerer-apprentice obtained world-core fragments. After obtaining world-core fragments, sorcerer-apprentices could return to the sorcerer world’s first class devil-hunting sorcerer castles inside the defensive barrier of the Seven Rings Holy Tower, turning into completely different sorcerer rather than another devil-hunting sorcerer.
In that case, what’s so good about fighting over this temporary residence?
Krsh! Krsh! Krsh…
It was not the sound of running water but rather metal chains shaking and clashing, producing ringing and ear-piercing mixed sounds. Grimm from the middle of contemplation woke up and look toward the underside of the valley.
He merely saw a female sorcerer-apprentice with her entire body tied completely with ferrous metal chains slowly float up. At that very moment, her body was practically changed into metal on account of these chains.
At first glance, one would still be under the impression of a metal flying object approaching.
The pitch-black chain that was who-knows-how long had every link be the dimensions of a baby’s clenched fist. One end was an inner layer covered into a metal lump, another extremity, however, seemed to be a blend of flesh and metal life, flexible and like the head of a snake. Hovering all around this metal swelling was traces of black breath drifting indefinitely yet was not dark elemental energy.
Grimm’s eyes beneath his ashen mask slightly narrowed, single-mindedly focusing his attention on those ferrous metal chains.
This kind of feeling…
There was actually a strange feeling of catching sight of something for the first time in Seven Rings Holy Tower. Entirely by becoming aware of that sort of metal and flesh blend’s offbeat biology while it lacked the boundless and majesty—as if the ocean roared—kind of energy output of the Seven Rings Holy Tower.
This is the study of mechanics together with dark sorcerer chimeras paired up and taken shape at an advanced level?
“Hm? The apex sorcerer-apprentice of the 11th District to the 15th has finally arrived, eh?” The female sorcerer-apprentice bound in metal lumps looked toward Grimm. Her voice, however, had no emotional inflections whatsoever. Icy, there was somewhat of a feeling of Senior-Sister Quiet Spring.
Grimm in his heart was moved. This sorcerer-apprentice could be assumed to be precisely the apex sorcerer-apprentice that appeared in the contest from the 21st District to 28th of the chaotic faction, right?
The black-robed sorcerer-apprentice that just recently left ought to be the apex sorcerer-apprentice of the 1st District to 5th’s dark sorcerer faction.
As for the bright sorcerer?
If it were solo battle prowess, low-level dark sorcerers were indeed a lot stronger compared to a bright sorcerer of equal rank and the apex sorcerer-apprentice should be the same in this way. It was brought about by the difference in training environments. Grimm also found it unlikely that a bright sorcerer would be likely to have the inclination to fight over a temporary residence with a dark sorcerer.
It was only natural as there would be no more disparity once bright and dark sorcerers became stigmata sorcerers later on.
From the bottom of Grimm’s heart, in the deepest most depths, he felt some respect. In fact, Grimm was also suited to becoming a bright sorcerer or arcane sorcerer.
“Twelfth District Black Isotta School Grimm,” Grimm said in the same cold and indifferent tone. Metal armor and ashen mask covered body and face, the appearance of a pair of strong and mysterious lianti dark sorcerers.
The female sorcerer-apprentice within the knot of metal chains apathetically sized Grimm up and down with ice-cold eyes.
“Not bad. Compared to that Yupao from the 4th district just a moment ago, you’re a lot stronger in appearance. How about it? Do you have enough guts to try to vie over the biggest peak’s residence from my hands?” The female sorcerer-apprentice’s voice just now seemed to hold a little interest. Gloomily she said, “I am 22nd District’s Ghost Tower’s Nairo.”
Guts?
Grimm didn’t even have to utter a word. Fights between dark sorcerers could never be like bright sorcerer’s, with those sort of superfluous and silly preparation times. It even fundamentally lacked the so-called admittance of defeat.
If a dark sorcerer decided to start a fight, after losing there was no escape—just death!
Swoosh!
Grimm’s body changed into an oppressive shadow, boundless flames swept out in a huge wave, pressing towards the metal chain sphere emitting a surge of black breath.
“This feeling…” Nairo’s eyes shone brightly, in the middle of the metal chain sphere.
With a loud bang, red sun and darkness collided. Traces of wavering black threaded breath and flaming red waves produced creaking and groaning sounds as they collided with each other and created sounds of impact.
“HA!”
Grimm thrust the sound-bone dagger holding unextinguishable flame toward Nairo. At the same time, his other hand had a river pillar appear, following a flash of strong repelling force.
Ting!
The metal chain snakehead accurately blocked Grimm’s sound-bone dagger on top. Black threaded breath and inextinguishable flame intertwined indefinitely, producing popping stuffy echoes and creaking and groaning impact sounds.
What?
Suddenly, Grimm just felt a part of a strong energy wave from Nairo within the metal chain globe transmitting outwards. Together with a formless fluctuation later, a humming noise in Grimm’s ear was released from twenty-plus meters.
Stopping himself, Grimm stared and looked. At that moment, countless circling and overlapping chains seemed to change into an activated state, gradually forming into a spherical “prisoner cage” 30-plus meters in diameter to defend and protect Nairo. Faintly between the small cracks of the intersecting chains, Grimm caught sight of Nairo’s naked and pure-white body without a stitch of clothing. Only a short period later, magic circled and raged.
Grimm’s torrential current spell was completely dashed and scattered. It was not even the intention of Nairo but because Grimm did not have the time to link the thunderous force to excite it.
Grimm’s brows wrinkled before his two eyes underneath the ashen mask had no change whatsoever. A single hand provoked a large attractive force to flow. Once he had the “snakehead” sucked in within his hand, both eyes flashed with negativity. He was prepared to exploit the conductive properties of metal and fully put to use thunderous force or make use of his own formidable power…
However, as soon as Grimm’s palm made contact with the chains, Grimm’s body trembled!
“Repulsive force!”
With a “shu” sound, Nairo’s enormous iron chain prisoner cage flew like a bullet because of Grimm. At that moment, the feeling of Grimm’s magic power being continuously absorbed away stopped, the palm that came in contact with the chains even somewhat faintly shaking.
Space twisted. Grimm appeared at the other end of the chain prison cage. Staying away from the chain snakehead, he once again wound up an attack.
The bloodlust doll appeared at Grimm’s shoulders holding a radioactive stone and softly laughing. At the same time, a small black flame appeared within Grimm’s hands yet was not excited.
Grimm seemed to hesitate.
Nairo within the chain prisoner cage didn’t seem to mind the slightest bit that she was absolutely in the nude. She looked toward Grimm’s halted and motionless form and used an indifferent voice to ask, “Why did you stop?”
Grimm squinted his eyes in thought. He asked, “What benefit is there with the largest peak’s tower compared with the fourth peak?”
“Benefit? You’re looking at it a little high. My teacher said to occupy the heavenly mountain range’s largest peak is the tradition of our chaotic faction’s all previous apex sorcerer-apprentices. Because we are the strongest within the five factions within the Seven Holy Towers!” Nairo unexpectedly used an expression full of worship and a voice of longing, replacing the cold and detached indifference of before. It appeared that her teacher was precisely everything in her mind.
Fame…?
After Grimm gave Nairo a glance, he somewhat had nothing to say. He didn’t even bother to fight for the second peak with that 4th District’s dark sorcerer-apprentice Yupao and just flew directly toward the third peak.
Halfway there, Grimm dispersed the bloodlust doll.
It seemed that Grimm thoroughly lost any inclination to fight on account of senseless fame and squandered time to battle.
