A Sorcerer’s Journey

The slope was like many pieces of slates paved together. Lafite and the rest of the team got down on the slope and slid down to the bottom of the crater.

This Stigmata Canyon was the stronghold for the 12th section. As the final battle was coming, the number of students gathering was also mounting, and the estimated number was 30,000.

“Stop.” Lafite motioned to the group.

Lafite floated off the ground on her wings of leaves slowly, and said: “The students here have spotted us. Let’s wait for a possible checkup.” The team stopped, looked up to her and nodded.

“It’s weird.” Nina murmured, who was sensitive to elements. “Fire and radium elements abound in here. And other elements are much less than normal.”

Hearing this, the rest closed their eyes to feel the elements proportion in the air. And moments later all of them showed a surprised expression.

“Is this also because of that ancient Stigmata sorcerer? So many years have passed, and yet the geological environment is still being affected?”

A sharp intake of breath was heard.

Afterwards, the crowd gulped and Robin questioned. “It can…t be like this.”

A student from the Ivory Castle retorted. “It’s likely! It’s a great sorcerer. Who knows what power he/she had.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moments later, twenty students were diving towards them from the air. Suddenly they stopped and hovered to make sure there was no ambush and then launched into another charge.

Several dozens of meters away, a student straddling a groom shouted towards Lafite’s team. “Which school are you from? Who sent you?”

“We are students from Black Isotta, Compass, Hourglass and Ivory Castle. It’s a Compass student who asked us to come here.” Lafite replied in an equally loud voice.

All of Lafite’s team members understood the other side’s caution. According to intelligence, there was ongoing infiltration from the 12th into the 15th. There was no reason why the 15th was not doing the same.

“Okay, wait here.” The student in the air flew back to his camp on the groom.

Moments later, a team of over 20 came to them from the air and among them there were familiar figures. They were Alastair and Sam. Sam was fluttering his black wings in the air, and there was a drifting aura around his wings which helped him determine that those with Lafite were not moles.

“Lafite, the Death Sail League is getting intense without you. Where have you been?” Alastair had come before Lafite as Sam was inspecting the group.

“Has you fully recovered from the wound?” Alastair surveyed her.

Seeing students from the League, Lafite became much happier. “I’ve been guarding a rear resource point. Mostly idle. What about the front line? I heard the 20 Drops of Blood is getting stronger?”

Sam came to Lafite too. His eyes were like a thaw hole in ice, now become softer upon seeing his own people.

“This league is a little like the league you guys set up back in the ship. They’re causing problems. The good news is that they have sent protectors several times and we haven’t. ”

Alastair smiled. “They can send for 11 times and we’ve 16 left. We only used two.”

“Is it really so?” Glenn who was behind Lafite thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days later.

This resource point was rich in radium stones. The student guards had been mining them for their own possession. Whether it be for sale or use as research material, these stones were valuable. Glenn extracted some too. He then ground them and put them in a tube for his future research of radium or alchemy. He was not in the mood of collecting too much of it though. His goal was the Holy Tower tryout in four years.

Time was limited. Glenn was not sure if he could pull off that Fire Blast sorcery before the tryout, even though he had been trying his best.

One fact was that given Glenn’s power, he would almost certainly became a Demon-Hunter. Besides, since his mentor Norris once promised him that he would become one, he then must have some card to play to help Glenn with the goal. However, this title couldn’t catapult him to that apex of glories.

Clomp, Clomp…

Heavy footsteps were heard, and soon a large student appeared before Glenn.

The girl was obese, but Glenn felt that her figure was burly. With a chain bola around the leather armour on her waist, she walked in an imposing manner. She gave off the image of primitive cruelty.

She was Bethany, who was once ranked the tenth in the top ten students of the Black Isotta. However, her ranking had risen to sixth place. The advancement was due to her thrilling actions in the war when a protector from the 19th section had targeted her yet she was able to escape.

“Glenn, I came because I heard you were dispatched here. If there was a final battle, would you be interested in joining us? I admire you for your capabilities.”

Although Bethany was a female, she was not girly. She talked to Glenn as she sank to the ground with a thumping sound.

Glenn put away his tube, looked at Bethany and said: “It’s not gonna happen. I’m tasked to guard a remote point for the past years, so I haven’t had any chance to collect the badges. I intend to gather some in the near future.”

“How many are you short on?”

Glenn was startled by the question. He then calmed down and answered lightly. “72.”

“That many?” Bethany became hesitant. “The secrets about the badges have been revealed in here. Collecting them is almost impossible. I have some spare ones but 72 is too many and I’ve promised others to leave some for them. ”

Glenn nodded casually. According to Varo, a badge was worth 1,000 magical stones. Thus 72 badges would equal 72,000, which was an astronomical figure. Bethany didn’t push Glenn on this and she was not good at polite words. Therefore she simply turned away and left in big strides, followed by some others. Indeed, she didn’t recognize many students’ ability judged by the scope of her followers.

Everyone in the center point was busy preparing for the final battle. Stronger students were recruiting allies and followers, while the weaker ones were forming some smaller leagues. The atmosphere had gotten intense in this crater.

While the 12th section was outnumbered by the 15th section, having only half as many students as their enemy, but generally, they could rout them in terms of sorceries.

So, unless the 12th section made some critical mistakes, their enemy stood no chance of winning. But the 19th section would also have to try to seize that slim chance to win. If they lost, it would result in a culling of their own students. The remaining would be the elites of the elites and the downsizing purpose would be achieved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The members who were in the crater were gathered for a meeting.

“You really wanna do this alone?” Alastair scowled. “You won’t contribute much in that decisive battle, and it’d be difficult to amass badges in large quantities. It’s better for us to cooperate. Although I can’t say I’d favor you much with the trophies, I’ll promise you 20 badges.”

At the time, there were only four elders in this resource point—Alastair, Lafite, Som, and Berg, along with 70 or 80 ordinary members.

Berg added. “You should join us, Glenn. Our league is formed recently. Except for Alastair, Sam, and others of the top ten, there’s no real strong people, and that’s why we have to be united. This will be our strength and with that, this league will grow. That’s right … in any case, Glenn, I do not have enough coupons for that reward badge. For the league, I’m personally willing to give you five badges of mine, what do you think? ”

Berg’s words were awe-inspiring. Most members in the rally were moved. Berg was a venerable elder in the league and he was willing to give up five of his badges to Glenn! It had been said that some people had been privately selling the badges for eight to nine thousand magic stones apiece.

The members then turned to gaze at Glenn. If Glenn remained “selfish” and showed no regard for the league, then he would be a very ungrateful person. After all, the league was giving him so much of its possible benefits, no less even compared to the elders, not to mention Berg’s personal favor.

But Alastair and Sam grimaced. Alastair knew Glenn was worth more than Berg had promised him. But he was not willing to admit that Glenn was even stronger than himself in front of the members of the league. He was a pivotal man in the league and he would not lower himself by doing that. As for the immortal Sam, the strongest student at the time of the freshmen trial, he of course didn’t say anything to this “preferential treatment”. He wouldn’t argue for Glenn at all despite the fact that he had learned that Glenn had defeated Kyrie and that he had been regarding Glenn as his match in terms of sorcery.

At this time, Glenn was sitting behind Lafite, his eyes behind the mask focusing on the people around him. Their expectant expressions on their faces were telling him that if he refused to take the offer, then he would be a traitor or something like that.

Glenn hesitated, wavered in his choices. “Am I being selfish to not join them?”

Lafite leered, attracting all of the attention in the house. They watched her, someone who had not shown herself in the past few years. This pretty, sharp-tongued, and sometimes despicable woman.

“Contribute to the league? Don’t you remember why this league was established?” Lafite scanned the crowd and sneered.

Berg stared at her, his anger seething. Seeing that she was not going to put in good words for Glenn to join, but was going to justify Glenn’s hesitation, his anger broke.

“Lafite, they’re scared by you. But I’m not. Say what you were gonna.”

Lafite squinted. “As I said, why was this league formed in the ship?”

“It’s established to help those helpless students in the ship, to unite them for a better chance to survive in the Black Isotta.” Alastair interjected in a firm voice.

Lafite eyed him and then turned to face the crowd. She then said fearlessly. “Thus, the league exists for the good of its members! It provided some benefits to Glenn in the beginning, like offering him the job in the library in return for some stones, selling him materials at a discount…but he paid his membership dues. He owes nothing to the league.” She then continued. “Now the league is not able to assist in his personal development, then why can’t he pursue his development on his own? Besides, he’s not an elder, and he’s never been treated like one so he doesn’t have those duties you just asked.”

Berg glared. “You…” Although he was in extreme anger. He was not able to retort.