Mage's Profound Truths

Chapter 28: Fierce Battle (Part 2)

The flame on the greatsword suddenly surged upward by a meter, and with one swing, the violent power of the flame erupted instantly. Even Merlin, who was dozens of meters away, seemed to feel the force of that wild impact.

Before this violent force, the fireball Merlin had released was instantly devoured by the greatsword’s raging flame.

Merlin's eyes slightly narrowed. This was the first time his fireball spell had failed, and it was destroyed in such a violent and head-on manner.

“Your fireball spell is merely a zero-level spell. In terms of raw power, my strength as a Level-3 Flame Swordsman can completely suppress it. Young spellcaster, you shall become the first spellcaster soul to perish under my sword! Hahaha!”

The bearded man burst into laughter, his eyes filled with heat and madness, as if killing a spellcaster was something he had always dreamed of.

Merlin quickly stepped back a few paces. The bearded man seemed very knowledgeable about spellcasters and spells. In fact, just as he had said, Merlin was indeed at a disadvantage now—his fireball spell had little effect on the man.

Of course, Merlin also understood that the reason he felt so constrained now was not because a Level-3 Elemental Swordsman was truly stronger than a spellcaster.

Even an entry-level spellcaster was absolutely beyond the capabilities of a second or third-level Elemental Swordsman.

The real reason Merlin was at a disadvantage was that he currently only knew one spell. If he could construct a binding-type spell in his Consciousness Sea, the situation would be entirely different.

Therefore, choosing spells also required great care. A powerful spell was not necessarily the best; the best spells were those that could work together to achieve maximum effect.

Merlin’s fireball spell was considered strong among zero-level spells in terms of offensive power. But without a binding-type spell to complement it, no matter how powerful it was, he was still being suppressed by the bearded man.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

Suddenly, several black arrows flew out from the house again, silent and swift, aiming straight for Merlin.

However, Merlin's mental power covered several meters around him, so any change would be immediately sensed. He had already noticed the arrows as soon as they left the house.

With the bearded man fiercely attacking from the front, Merlin had no way to dodge. He could only release another fireball to block them.

"My mana is running low. I can only cast four or five more fireballs at most!"

Although Merlin had been constructing spell models for a while, it had only been just over a month. Being able to cast more than ten fireballs was already his limit.

"Looks like I won’t be able to kill them without using the Great Fireball Spell."

A sharp gleam flashed in Merlin’s eyes. Judging from the direction the arrows had come from, there should be two people in the house wielding heavy crossbows, carefully watching the situation. Once they found a good opportunity, they would fire without hesitation, posing a great threat to him.

Therefore, a quick battle was necessary!

With that thought, Merlin no longer hesitated and used his mental power to directly activate the now-red horizontal bar.

"Great Fireball Spell!"

Merlin pointed with his hand, and a fireball nearly three times larger than the previous small fireballs appeared in midair. The terrifying heat distorted the air, and its internal structure seemed extremely unstable. Merlin had to use his mental power to forcibly suppress it, or it would explode violently.

Such a massive fireball was like a giant; it was impossible not to attract attention.

"Oh no, is that a Level-1 spell?"

Feeling the immense power contained within the giant fireball, the bearded man’s expression changed drastically, and he decisively retreated.

He was extremely knowledgeable about magic, and even if the fireball wasn’t a first-level spell, it was infinitely close—its power was far beyond what a third-level Flame Swordsman could withstand.

At this moment, the bearded man no longer pondered how Merlin could suddenly cast such a powerful spell, and simply kept retreating madly, trying to distance himself from the massive fireball in midair.

While retreating, he hurled the greatsword in his hand like a thrown spear, pouring all his strength into it and fiercely flinging it forward with his right hand.

The greatsword turned into a streak of white light, flying toward Merlin in a beautiful arc, even producing sparks from its friction with the air—testament to its incredible speed.

“Explode.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly, then immediately detonated the massive fireball with his spiritual power.

“Boom.”

Although the fireball was still one or two meters from the bearded man, the explosive force it unleashed was far too powerful, and the intense shockwave directly flung his body away.

As for the greatsword the bearded man had thrown, it was shattered into several pieces by the explosion.

When the smoke and dust cleared, Merlin saw the bearded man lying on the ground, face down on the stone steps, completely motionless.

There was also a pool of blood on the ground—a shocking sight.

Merlin didn’t rush over, but instead released another fireball, which landed directly on the bearded man's back and blasted a bloody hole, revealing pale bone beneath.

Seeing the bearded man was completely still, Merlin stepped forward. Half of the man's head was blown off while lying face down—he was already dead.

Even Merlin himself was surprised by the power of the Great Fireball Spell.

But he didn’t dwell on it; there were still people inside the building, and he needed to kill them all before he could relax.

“Whoosh.”

With a burst of speed, Merlin dashed into the house. In the dark interior, several cold glints immediately flashed—it was black arrows.

Fortunately, Merlin had anticipated this and sent two fireballs flying rapidly toward the source of the arrows.

“Explode.”

Merlin detonated the two fireballs directly. From within the darkness came several screams, and at the instant of explosion, Merlin caught a glimpse of two black-clad figures blasted into the air, then lying still on the floor.

After eliminating the two crossbowmen, Merlin scanned the room carefully. Earlier, he had blasted Jia into the house with a fireball, but her body wasn’t on the floor now—clearly, she was still alive and hiding.

Though the room was dim, he could vaguely see a trail of blood leading into a corner. Merlin smiled coldly and followed the trail.

In the corner, Jia was clutching her thigh tightly, leaning against the wall. The blood trail came from her leg—though she had blocked Merlin’s fireball with a shield, the explosion’s impact still injured her leg.

“Merlin, don’t kill me. I had no choice. Now that Lord Lorin is dead and the kingdom’s base in Blackwater City has been destroyed by you, I can serve you instead. I’ll help gather intelligence, do whatever you want.”

Despite the pain in her leg, Jia straightened her upper body, proudly pushed out her ample chest, and her gaze was filled with seductive intent.