After some time, Lynn and his companions were circumnavigating their way underground from the opposite direction towards the castle. The sounds of their ragged breathes and hurried footsteps echoed across the underground. Every person was aware of the pressing nature of time, and the wounded Batun even more so directly rejected Beck's assistance, tearing at his clothes to perform a rudimentary binding before stubbornly enduring the pain in his back and following behind everyone.
At this moment, Lynn's mind was still reminiscing over the details of his previous spellcasting. [Magic Missile], a basic zero-ring spell, was not particularly challenging to learn or utilize, but the true difficulty lay in programming the paths of each missile.
Lynn had not participated in the first joint counterattack by Aubrey and the others, but was rather occupied with learning and preparing to cast the spell. Unless he was aided by 071 in positioning, controlling twelve [Magic Missiles] at once represented his limit, with a power approximately equivalent to that of an upper-level one-ring spell.
"Are you truly Karl?" In the silence, Beck could not help but inquire and gaze deeply at Lynn.
"Of course" Lynn nodded his head.
"But when did you acquire proficiency in the Haerlem formula symbols?" Aubrey was also quite curious. She had only handed the "Basic Magic for All" to Lynn an hour prior, it was unimaginable that he could master it after merely perusing it a few times.
"Just now..." Lynn replied offhandedly, but then suddenly recollected that his original self had only studied magic for half a year and his words might be perceived as pompous, so he swiftly clarified, "Teacher had previously expounded upon the principles of this formula to me, and it didn't appear to be particularly challenging."
Not challenging? Aubrey's delicate and attractive face displayed a puzzled expression. If that was the case, then why had she devoted several months to studying it without achieving mastery?
Beck and Batun both surmised that it must be due to their Teacher, Kelu, covertly assisting Karl.
"Dove, report the enemy's location and distance!" Lynn diverted the topic and gazed towards the silent girl beside him.
Though her actions in killing Will were highly questionable, in such a perilous moment, they had no choice but to rely on her capabilities.
"There are enemies everywhere, and they seemed to be preparing to surround us," Dove said, her body trembling uncontrollably as she spoke in fear.
"Where is Archbishop Anthruk?" Aubrey suddenly inquired.
"I don't know. My spiritual sensing cannot detect him," Dove replied, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes.
"In that case, let us find a location where we can gather as many enemies as possible and deal with them first," Lynn said after analyzing the situation.
Aside from the yet-to-act Archbishop, the greatest danger they faced at present was the rain of arrows that would be unleashed by the coordinated shooting of the crossbowmen. If they were in a wide area, a few rounds of coordinated shooting would likely kill at least half of them.
"Are you serious, Karl?" Beck asked, his eyes wide with amazement.
They barely had time to escape, yet Lynn was proposing that they gather the enemies and launch a counterattack. It seemed absurd.
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Lynn didn't reply, but instead looked at Batun, who was behind him, bleeding and gritting his teeth in determination. Beck then realized that they had an injured person with them, making their movement inconvenient. It wouldn't be long before enemies caught up from all sides and once they were surrounded, it was unlikely that they would even be able to escape.
"How confident are you?" Aubrey asked directly.
"That depends on how many types of magic you've mastered!" Lynn replied decisively.
With Dove's sensing and other apprentices coordination, the soldiers who had surrounded them from several directions almost arrived at the same time and cornered all the wizard apprentices in the castle's first floor's side hall. A total of six soldier teams had arrived, aside from the mysterious Archbishop Anthruk and the people stationed at the entrance and treating the injured, everyone was present. Even though their side had a large number of people, Aaron, who had just suffered a heavy defeat at Lynn's hands, didn't dare to be negligent and ordered the soldiers to advance using shield walls and crossbow formations, then joined the other priests in casting supporting spells.
[Dispel Fear], [Courageous Spirit], [Brave Heart] and [Divine Blessing]!
Several bright white lights illuminated the battlefield, and the shield-bearers, now imbued with courage and vigor, once again advanced with sturdy shield walls.
Beck, standing alone at the forefront, hoisted a large and broken pillar. His already muscular arms bulged even further as he hurled the heavy object forward with superhuman strength.
"Ragh! All of you, die!"
The counter collided with the dense shields with a thunderous crash.
Suddenly, the solid stone floor beneath the group's feet gave way.
This was the result of Aubrey and Batun's collaborative magic- [Liquify]!
In this moment, the sturdy armor that had once protected them became a hindrance. As the soldiers stumbled on the loose sand, they lost their balance and collapsed in disarray...
Despite the magical efforts of two apprentice wizards, the extent of their power was necessarily limited. The archers at the rear had already drawn back their bows, more than forty deadly arrows aimed at Beck...
'Dove, hurry up!'
Droplet of sweats trickled down Beck's brow as he fervently prayed within himself. His body tensed and his eyes constricted. This second marked the boundary between life and death! Fortunately, Dove did not disappoint him this time. Just as the bowstring was about to be released, an unspeakably piercing shriek reverberated throughout the castle.
[Soul Scream]
All those present simultaneously experienced a sensation as if their brains had been bludgeoned by a heavy mace, losing all control over their bodies for a fleeting moment. The soldiers' weapons dropped from numb fingers as they clutched at their heads, trying to resist the unseen force that sought to rip them apart from within. Some fell to their knees, while others collapsed completely, writhing in pain as the magical spell ravaged their bodies. It was as if their very essences were being torn asunder, leaving them vulnerable and helpless against their enemies. The priests gritted their teeth as they prepared and cast to counter the spell.
[Soul Cleanse]!
A ripple of light spread out from the priests and the nearby surrounding.
Friend and foe alike were wounded, and the bizarre manifestation of spiritual magic was beyond doubt.
The Soul Scream had a far-reaching impact and required a tremendous expenditure of magical energy, adding the priests immediate counterattack, It was forced to cease after a mere two seconds.
Dove's figure wavered, barely avoiding a stumble to the ground.
In the hearts of Aubrey and his companions, there was a fervent anxiety. They had done all that they could, struggling for five seconds and coalescing all their foes.
This was sufficient for Lynn. The pale yellow phosphorus powder was already suspended in the palm of his hand, rapidly leaping up and swelling into a towering fireball that stood at half a meter high.
The yellow and white flames seemed to possess no extraordinary qualities, yet all the wizard apprentices and priests present unconsciously felt a trembling from within.
Yet, this enormous fireball did not target Aaron and his companions, but soared into the sky, breaking apart in front of everyone's astounded gazes, stars dragging white smoke, resembling a breathtaking firework cascading from the heavens.
Beck's countenance was pale. He couldn't help but wonder if the [Soul Scream] of Dove had just disrupted Lynn's spellcasting.
As the fireball soared into the night sky, a hush fell over the crowd. They watched with bated breath as it reached its apex. Suddenly, it exploded in a shower of sparks, cascading down like a meteor shower. The sparks rained down like a million fireflies, each one twinkling and glowing as they drifted to the ground. It was as if the very stars themselves had descended from the heavens, illuminating the darkness with their ethereal glow.