"Lilith, you’ve crossed the line!"

In the center of the camp, a thunderous roar erupted!

The eardrums of everyone inside and outside the camp suddenly throbbed.

All sound vanished!!!

But almost immediately, a sharp ringing began, piercing their skulls like steel needles.

In the center of the camp, Sterling Wizard slowly rose into the air.

He was surrounded by thirteen Fireballs, which began to expand as he ascended.

Each one swelled to the size of a house, its searing light turning half the night sky to day.

His black Wizard Robe whipped about in the superheated air.

His eyes were cold as he locked his gaze on the female Wizard opposite him, who stood atop a dark red cloud of blood.

"Crossed the line?" Lilith let out a light, bell-like laugh, her longsword trembling slightly in her hand.

"Sterling, war is the only border that matters. This camp, and the flesh and blood within it, are mine."

"Then let’s see if you have what it takes!"

Sterling wasted no more words, thrusting his hands forward.

The thirteen massive Fireballs roared toward Lilith like meteors.

The Fireballs traced thirteen crimson arcs through the air, cutting off all of her escape routes.

Before the Fireballs even arrived, the terrifying heat made the ground below scorch and the air twist and shimmer.

Lilith’s expression remained unchanged. The blood cloud at her feet swirled rapidly, weaving countless threads into a massive Blood Shield.

At the same time, she began chanting an obscure Spell, and a brilliant sanguine light erupted from her crimson longsword.

"Blood Mist Covering the Sky!"

Where the tip of her sword pointed, a monstrous Blood Mist surged from the Void. A foul, metallic stench filled the air as it collided violently with the thirteen Fireballs.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...

An unending series of explosions rang out as crimson flames and scarlet mist tore at each other, locked in a struggle of mutual Annihilation.

Everyone below was sent staggering by the shockwaves from the impact. They all stopped fighting and stared blankly at the two rapidly shifting figures in the sky.

In a battle between Official Wizards, the aftershocks alone were enough to severely injure or kill an Apprentice.

Ian hid behind cover. His Eye of Vigilance had been shattered the moment Sterling Wizard ascended.

He stood up, staring intently at the battle in the sky, his eyes filled with shock.

’This is the Power of a Wizard!’

Any one of those Fireballs would have been enough to turn him to Ashes.

’The gap is too wide...’ He clenched his fists, a light he’d never had before shining in his eyes.

The battle in the sky had reached a fever pitch.

Sterling didn’t want to drag it out any longer. This was his camp, and he was at a disadvantage.

With a wave of his hand, he produced a Small Crystal Bottle from his robes, half-filled with a viscous, Dark Gold liquid.

Without hesitation, he uncorked the bottle and drank it all in one gulp.

The next moment, Sterling’s aura surged violently, and the thirteen Fireballs fused in an instant.

They transformed into a blazing white sun over ten meters in diameter!!

Countless Runes flowed across the sun’s surface, radiating a heart-stopping, destructive aura.

"The Magma Heart Potion!"

Lilith’s face paled, and for the first time, a trace of fear entered her voice.

"Are you insane?! Aren’t you afraid of the backlash?"

"What’s a little backlash if it means I can stop you!"

Sterling’s voice had become as coarse and grating as scraping Metal, the Potion’s side effects already manifesting.

He cradled the blazing sun between his hands and hurled it at Lilith.

Wherever the sun passed, space itself seemed to burn through, leaving a blazing white trail in its wake.

Lilith shrieked, and the blood cloud at her feet erupted with a blinding sanguine light.

Countless blood-red Runes flew from her body, layering dozens of defensive barriers in front of her.

But it was too late!

The blazing white sun easily tore through all her protections and slammed into her.

"AH...!!"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the night sky.

Lilith was sent flying backward as if run over by a colossal beast.

Her Wizard Robe instantly turned to ash, revealing charred and festering skin underneath.

She barely managed to steady herself before transforming into a streak of blood-red light and shooting deep into the canyon, scattering foul, black blood in her wake.

"Sterling Vance! I will remember this!"

Her venomous voice carried from the distance before gradually fading away.

Sterling did not give chase. He no longer had the strength to.

After forcing his power to erupt with the Magma Heart Potion, his face was now as pale as paper. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his aura was incredibly feeble.

When Moritz saw Lilith flee with heavy injuries, his heart went cold.

"Run!!" he roared, turning and bolting for the canyon.

The other Deep Red Apprentices came to their senses and scattered in all directions.

Up in the sky, Sterling was in a state of Weakness. He watched the fleeing figures with contempt in his eyes.

He extended his right hand and made a grasping motion.

"Magma Cage."

The ground cracked open with a RUMBLE. Searing magma erupted from the fissures, instantly forming nine enormous Magma Cages.

All the Deep Red Apprentices who tried to escape were trapped inside, including Moritz. None got away.

"No..."

Moritz frantically attacked the cage.

His scarlet Bloodline Witchcraft slammed against the magma walls, only managing to create a few sparks.

The temperature of the cage rose higher and higher. The Shield on his body began to flicker violently, and his skin burned with excruciating pain.

"I can’t accept this! I can’t accept this!"

Moritz’s eyes were bloodshot as he looked up at the figure in the sky.

"Why? Why, after I’ve trained bitterly for over forty years..."

’Why can those geniuses obtain resources so easily, while I have to risk my life for them?!’ 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The cage began to shrink, the temperature soaring. Moritz’s Shield finally shattered.

His dark red Long Robe caught fire, his skin rapidly charring and peeling away in the intense heat...

"Ah..."

A scream so ghastly it barely sounded human escaped from the cage, only to be cut short after a few seconds.

The nine Magma Cages gradually sank back into the ground, leaving nine scorched marks and a small amount of Ashes.

Nine High Level Apprentices, obliterated with a single casual strike from a weakened Official Wizard!

A dead silence fell over the camp.

All the Shadow Moon Apprentices stared upward, their faces a mixture of shock, lingering fear, and... an infinite yearning for great Power.

Ian emerged from behind his cover. He looked at the nine scorched patches on the ground, his heart pounding violently.

’When? When will I have that kind of Power?’

"Clean up the battlefield. Treat the wounded." Sterling’s voice drifted down from the sky, heavy with undisguised exhaustion.

"Hank, tally the casualties and losses, then report to me."

With that, his figure flickered and transformed into a streak of fire, flying into the Central Stone Tower.

Only after Sterling left did the camp come "alive" again.

Groans, cries, and urgent shouts filled the air.

The survivors began to busy themselves: treating their comrades, extinguishing embers, repairing the walls...

Ian joined in, using the Wizard’s Hand from his "Spiritualization" ability to help move the severely wounded.

He took out two types of Potions he had refined himself and used them to treat the wounds of the injured Apprentices.

At the breach in the western wall, the bodies of three Shadow Moon Apprentices were corroded beyond recognition, identifiable only by the tattered remnants of their gray robes.

In a corner, an Apprentice whose throat had been slit by a Shadow Assassin lay in a pool of blood, eyes wide with disbelief, as if he couldn’t accept that he had died so suddenly.

Another six Apprentices had been hit by the Poisonous Fog. Despite Ian’s emergency treatment, they didn’t make it.

Right in front of Ian, they screamed in agony for half an hour before their breathing gradually stopped.

Hank finished his count, his expression thunderous.

"Not counting the Attendants and Knight Level personnel, we lost thirteen Apprentices alone. Five of them were from Shadow Moon. Eight are severely injured, and thirty-five have minor injuries..."

His voice was hoarse. "The Deep Red Royal Court lost all nine of theirs, but we took a massive loss!"

It was true, a massive loss!

The Deep Red Royal Court lost Apprentices, and the Shadow Moon Tower lost Apprentices as well.

But to an Official Wizard, there was no difference. The life of an Apprentice was cheap!

Unless, of course, you were a genius with the potential to break through.

Ian silently surveyed the devastated camp, speechless.

After tonight, he had a much clearer understanding of the Rules of this world.

The weak are prey for the strong; Power reigns supreme!

He looked at the Skill Level of his Shield on the panel. It wouldn’t be long before it reached its Limit-Breaking point, and his sense of urgency grew.

’It’s not enough. Just Limit-Breaking isn’t enough. Setting aside speed for now, I have to increase my attack and defense as soon as possible.’

He looked toward the Central Stone Tower, where Sterling was recuperating.

’That Magma Heart Potion he took during the battle... it can actually boost his combat power by so much?’

’Magic Potions... what a miraculous ability.’

He had his panel. He could amplify this advantage across every field: Magic Potions, Witchcraft, Alchemy...

At that moment, Ian’s desire to become stronger had never been so intense!