One-Eyed Monster

Jemma saw an unimaginable scene, a sight he had never witnessed. He had never imagined a person could completely abandon their body.

This Dark Wizard didn’t exhibit any signs of Spirit Power. Was he even still an Adventurer with a Class? Or was this Dark Wizard still even a living being? People knew that a Dark Wizard would immerse themselves in the darkness, but the Dark Wizard before them seemed not only to have immersed himself in darkness, but rather in the abyss of death.

Jemma restrained his conjectures; right now, what he needed to do was convey the information before him to his companions.

This Dark Wizard no longer had any remaining Spirit Power. All his cursing attacks might be mere distractions.

Jemma could see black smoke swirling within the Magic Staff held by the Dark Wizard. The smoke was a manifestation of the Death Aura, something Jemma hadn’t seen for a long time.

The last time he encountered the Death Aura was probably on the battleground of the National Defense War. The cold Vero People had used the Death Aura to form a protective barrier for escape. The Death Aura’s attack caused heavy losses to the Empire’s Guardian Army, while the core combat power of Vero successfully retreated to the Vero Realm.

All of this was hard to imagine. The power of the Death Aura came from the dead. The Vero People didn’t seem to care too much about this; they were more inclined to revere great power and never resisted anything related to the Death Aura. On this point, even the brutal Mantai People paled in comparison. Although the Mantai People were barbaric, they at least held great respect for the dead and would never do anything to disrespect them. But the cold Vero People were different; they scorned the dead, never affording them the respect they deserved.

The earliest application of the Death Aura came from the Wizards of the Vero Realm. These cold creatures had deteriorated the ethos of the entire professional world. Some even believed that Dark Wizards originated from the Vero Realm... But all of these were things of the past, and these details were not much help to Jemma. The sight before him now was too bizarre; it even exceeded his understanding.

Soon enough, Yuga received Jemma’s signal. He stopped summoning Howling Wind Roar. Even though he was drained, he could not make any further Spirit Attacks. Jemma’s signal was clear: the opponent, devoid of Spirit Power, was utilizing Necromancy.

Yuga, a Wizard, was aware of the concept of Necromancy. It was a branch of the Dark Wizard, whose practitioners were known for their mastery of magic relating to the Undead, their bodies devoid of any residual Spirit Power. As Undead, they did not require Spirit Power support. What the Undead needed was the Death Aura, a unique force that could only be extracted from the deceased. The various techniques of Necromancy were even harder to decipher because very few people took notice of the Undead.

”Red Cat” Simon too received Jemma’s message. He withdrew his assault. Despite his relentless barrage on the Alchemists from the Alchemy Workshop, they did not retreat. In fact, these Alchemists only defended and had no intention to attack.

The three guardians of Guru Mountain’s Grey Eagle Peak ceased their attacks, withdrawing to a corner of Grey Eagle Peak to rest and catch their breath.

As expected, the Alchemy Workshop and the Dark Wizard did not pursue them. Admiration was evident on the faces of the Alchemists from the Alchemy Workshop. As for the Dark Wizard, he kept caressing the Magic Staff in his hand.

The momentary silence did not ease tension among the three parties. The people from the Alchemy Workshop remained circled while the Dark Wizard continued to pace back and forth.

The ones to break the silence were from the Alchemy Workshop because they had their own motives. As they took steps closer to their goal, their overwhelming excitement became harder to conceal.

”Elder Simon!”

”Great Mentor, how are you!”

”Senior Simon, the Alchemy Workshop needs you now!”

The Golden Seats of the Alchemy Workshop acted like a group of children in front of Red Cat, Simon, unable to hide the excitement and agitation on their faces as they kept shouting at Simon.

”It seems they won’t make a move on you,” Yuga gasped for breath. Dealing with the Dark Wizard had drained a lot of his Spirit Power, but he never found the breakthrough he needed.

”I wasn’t able to subdue them either,” Simon replied. ”These Alchemists have gotten stronger; they’ve risen above simple apprentices who only know how to pick substances in the Alchemy Workshop.”

”Our time is short; there’s no chance to lament. That opponent is tough. How should we prepare?” Yuga asked.

”Jemma’s sharing always helps a little. Since we can’t use Spirit Attacks, let’s use Physique Techniques on him instead,” said Simon. At this moment, he also felt a bit tired. The people of the Alchemy Workshop were a hard nut to crack. He could hardly imagine, if they had launched their attacks on him, would he have been able to hold out till now?

”I—am honored!” The Dark Alchemist suddenly spoke. He had never ceased to talk before, but this time was clearly different. Before, his words were consistently mocking and sarcastic, with an underlying curse attack. But now, his words bore clear traces of awe.

”I am extremely honored to fight with you all, whether it’s the one crawling on the ground or the two standing in front of me, I feel deeply honored.”

”How honored are you?” Milo, always a prankster, asked jokingly. He never feared or favored people with a dark background. If he found an opportunity to tease them, he naturally wouldn’t pass it up.

”Getting to fight against Heavenly Eye of the Honor Guard is the good fortune of my life. I believe my luck will continue, just like Heavenly Eye will remain prone from now on.”

The Heavenly Eye the Dark Wizard referred to was naturally Jemma. At this moment, he was blending perfectly into his surroundings, without a single trace revealing his position. It was a mystery how the Dark Wizard managed to find him.

Equally perplexed were the people of the Alchemy Workshop. They hadn’t found Jemma’s trace either. These monsters from Guru Mountain were the very products of the Alchemy Workshop, so naturally, the Alchemists were able to recognize him from his nickname.

”I am also honored to have crossed swords with Yuga, the explosively powerful member of the Wizard Alliance. Defeating someone from the Wizard Alliance is something I crave.”

”As for the famed Red Cat, Simon, I’ve long admired you. I’ve long wanted to experience your Demonic Steps firsthand—the fact that I am able to witness it today for the last time is an absolute honor.”

His words were venomous. Even amidst his awe, he didn’t forget to sprinkle in some arrogance. This level of arrogance might not be unusual amongst ordinary people, but this was against the likes of the Honor Guard. It came off as overly conceited.

”Those you speak of are long gone. All that stands before you now are monsters!” Yuga retorted, declaring their stance.

”We are the Guardians of Guru Mountain, a group of monsters. It isn’t worth your honor.”

”Hehehe, then all the better!” The Dark Wizard let out a chilling laugh. This laugh was infused with an inexplicable danger, stirring feelings of fear involuntarily.

”If you all are indeed nobodies, then it’s even better. I never keep the hearts of nameless people in my collection box... Hehehe...”

Wizard Reed, that Dark Wizard, let out an eerie laugh, brimming with an inexplicable self-confidence. He believed that everyone standing before him would become stepping stones beneath his feet, mere tools to bring him closer to his goals. He planned to walk over these people’s shoulders to reach his goal.

”Will you choose to fall on your own, or would you like me to expedite your downfall, you Guardians of Guru Mountain?”