Nidhogg blinked as he was transported to a new location. This time, the teleportation seemed to cover only a distance of about ten kilometers, so it didn't feel too disorienting.
"Hmm?"
Nidhogg turned his head, sensing a magical fluctuation about two kilometers away, indicating the presence of another secret realm.
Feeling pleased, Nidhogg decided not to hide his powerful aura, which surged like a raging sea, and summoned a wind-element bat to head towards the secret realm. Meanwhile, he examined a newly acquired magic wand.
After a moment, Nidhogg showed some disappointment.
"It's just a simple wand sealed with a lightning spell, with an attack strength of about 35 to 45. It has the property of speed and inevitably has a penetrating paralysis effect, with additional damage to other elemental spells."
Shaking his head, Nidhogg found the wand useless for himself: "In the academy, it's only worth about 350 to 450 magic stones, not as valuable as defeating another sorcerer’s apprentice."
However, if other apprentices had such mass-produced wands, their strength could significantly increase. The wand's sealed lightning spell's penetrating paralysis effect could be unexpectedly effective against weaker opponents or when escaping from stronger ones.
Considering his team, Nidhogg continued towards the secret realm.
After a while, Nidhogg reached the secret realm he had sensed. With his powerful aura, the dozens of people in front of the realm were tense, keeping a close watch on Nidhogg.
Jumping off the wind-element bat, with golden curls and a Lyre Fountain earring floating, and wearing a mask with purple swirls, his face showed no expression.
With a "thud," as Nidhogg landed firmly on the ground, a bit of the "aura of a legendary strongman" seemed to emanate from him.
"It's you!"
A voice full of disbelief came from the crowd. A towering figure stood out, at least 1.85 meters tall, with long golden hair tied back and a rugged face covered with a bushy beard. His broad, solid chest was exposed, with hints of black chest hair visible.
This man was Astalada, Nina's suitor and one of the three leaders among the ground crowd, standing alongside two unfamiliar members of the Bloodsail Alliance.
"Astalada."
Nidhogg replied indifferently, seemingly unbothered by any past rudeness, as he could tell that this guy, though annoying, truly loved Nina far more than he did.
Nina's choice of Nidhogg only proved he was lucky, having captured Nina's heart at a pivotal moment. Nidhogg wasn't foolish enough to provoke a group of hostile fifty-odd individuals as it would be tantamount to suicide.
Nidhogg approached a Labrador Nightmare Tree guarding the secret realm, raising his voice: "Can you tell me the conditions to enter the secret realm?"
The distant crowd looked at Nidhogg as if he were mad, speaking to a man-eating beast? Some even wished the nightmare tree would devour him.
However, what happened next left everyone stunned—the nightmare tree actually spoke!
"Wisdom and strength. You already meet the strength requirement, but since you've entered another secret realm once, you can’t enter again."
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This giant tree, smaller than the previous Labrador Nightmare Tree Nidhogg had encountered, replied.
"Oh, is that so..."
Nidhogg contemplated briefly before suddenly asking, "What if I insist on entering again?"
The Labrador Nightmare Tree swayed its branches slowly and said, "You misunderstand. I only screen qualified sorcerer apprentices; I won't stop you. If you wish to go in, feel free."
With that, the Labrador Nightmare Tree amazingly retracted all its branches, opening a path for Nidhogg.
Nidhogg showed a thoughtful expression, hesitated slightly, and then began moving towards the secret realm hut.
"Wait."
Suddenly, Astalada, gritting his teeth as if struggling to control his emotions, stepped forward and shouted to Nidhogg, "I need to know why I lost to you, why Nina chose you!"
As he spoke, Astalada's muscles bulged furiously, seemingly filled with explosive power. His mouth elongated, revealing fangs, and black hair sprouted from his body, transforming him from a human into a fierce beast in an instant.
"Simiangorilla bloodline magic?"
Nidhogg glanced at him indifferently, unmoved.
Astalada's two Bloodsail Alliance companions exclaimed, "Astalada, you've gone mad! You can't beat him. His aura is too powerful!"
"Don't go! He'll kill you!"
Ignoring his companions' pleas, Astalada's eyes grew misty as he shouted, "Leave me alone! For Nina, I'm willing to give everything. Even if Nina chose him, I respect her choice. But I want to know why she chose him!"
With that, Astalada let out a wild roar, his cry echoing kilometers away like a primitive beast devoid of reason. His powerful arms thumped his chest with resounding booms, leaving no doubt about the fearsome strength they held.
With a crash, Astalada pounded the ground with his arms, creating small craters: "Fight me, Nidhogg! I want a fair duel like men do!"
At this moment, all eyes were on Nidhogg. Many hoped this fool Astalada could gauge Nidhogg's strength.
Nidhogg paused his approach to the secret realm, slowly turning his head, and after a long silence, whispered, "Boring..."
Astalada, in his transformed ape state, looked at Nidhogg in disbelief, unable to fathom someone could utter such words.
"Sorcerers aren't knights or beasts but beings who use intelligence to fight. You mention dueling? Boring..."
Pausing, Nidhogg added, "As for Nina, only she knows why she chose me. I was just luckier than you. Do you think Nina chose me because of my strength? No... I understand her. She has a strong desire for control. If she ever finds out I'm stronger than her, that would end everything between us."
Nidhogg had no intention of fighting.
He wondered if killing Astalada would upset Nina. Unknowingly, Nina had become very important to Nidhogg, and he didn't want to distress her over this.
Astalada stood for a long time, watching Nidhogg depart, a moisture gathering in his eyes.
The deeper the love, the deeper the hurt.
No one could understand why this somewhat rash sorcerer apprentice loved the dreaded and loathed "Queen of Poison Tongue" so deeply. Was it merely her beauty and elegance?
If so, it wouldn't hurt a man so profoundly.
Astalada's two companions sighed, shaking their heads at the heartbroken giant ape.
Meanwhile, Nidhogg didn't linger on Astalada's matters, instead focused on advancing towards the secret realm, sensing magical waves directed solely at him. His body began to tremble instinctively, as if the magic warned him.
"This wave is unlike any magical energy an apprentice wields, connected inexplicably to the surrounding natural energy, suppressing me. Is this a sorcerer's power?"
As Nidhogg approached the secret realm, the strange wave grew stronger, causing more intense body tremors.
Nidhogg felt that performing elemental sorcery within this wave would reduce his power by a third, from ninefold leverage to sixfold.
Meanwhile, the basic elemental magic circle's fivefold energy seemed largely unaffected by the wave.
Reaching out a trembling hand to open the secret realm’s door, Nidhogg paused just three centimeters away as a fierce wave surged. It seemed to warn that touching the realm would bring a sorcerer’s punishment.
After a tense pause lasting over ten seconds, Nidhogg recalled his hand, memorizing the peculiar wave and left decisively.
Nidhogg speculated whether the strange intimidation from apprentices’ forehead marks originated from the simplified wave of a sorcerer's power.
This power seemed to stem from the soul and the restraining force of nature, beyond the grasp of apprentice-level sorcery.
After Nidhogg had completely disappeared, the others in the secret realm relaxed, as his aura had been staggeringly potent, stifling their will to attack.
Then, some perceptive apprentices approached the Labrador Nightmare Tree, trying to communicate, only to face the tree’s relentless attacks.
It seemed the tree would only speak to those with a mark value of thirty or more.