Genius

“Evan,” Giles frowned. His robe had one more flame pattern than Evan's, but his tone wasn't particularly harsh.

“Don't forget the Archmage's instructions. Investigating the magic disturbances in the Cursed Forest is our main priority. Don't cause any more trouble.”

Modi chuckled from the side, speaking sarcastically, “Then what are we doing right now? Taking a stroll?”

Giles wasn't nearly as polite with him. His voice dropped, and a trace of solemnity appeared on his stern face.

“That kind of elemental trace could only have been left behind by a sorceress. They weren't lying, and we must find her.”

The three of them were not resident mages of the local Mage Association branch; they had been dispatched from the Holy City on the orders of the Sage.

An abnormal magic disturbance had appeared in the section of the Cursed Forest near the Holy Empire. Worried about some strange mutation in the corrupted land, the Sage had handpicked his own disciple and two Mid-Tier Mages to investigate.

They had just settled into the Mage Association branch in Qinghe Town when the town mayor approached them with a tearful face, begging for help.

Qinghe Town was too small to warrant a permanently stationed mage.

The mayor had been worrying about his troubles when he crossed paths with them. Overjoyed, he immediately sought them out.

After a long-winded complaint, he finally got to the point: two soldiers had died at the town gate, and someone had reported that a sorceress did it.

Evan had wanted to leave immediately, and Modi was never interested in such unsubstantiated rumors.

Only Giles insisted on following protocol, stating that any report involving a sorceress had to be verified.

By the time they reached the town gate, the corpses had already been cleared away, but the excited, active elemental particles in the air could not escape a mage's perception.

Only a sorceress could achieve this. After all, only sorceresses could manipulate elements at will without triggering any elemental backlash.

Giles immediately ordered the mayor to dispatch soldiers to assist in searching the entire town for any trace of the sorceress.

They couldn't just sit idle either; finding more elemental traces depended entirely on them.

“Our urgent priority is to find the sorceress, or at least find traces of her departure.”

Giles emphasized once more, “I suspect the magic disturbance in the Cursed Forest is related to this suddenly appearing sorceress. No matter what, we must find her trail.”

Evan curled his lip, clearly indifferent to Giles's words. He was the disciple of the Sage and the most talented young mage in the Mage Association.

Having contracted with three elements in his thirties and promoted to an Official Mage, he was undoubtedly a once-in-a-century genius.

Combined with his noble background, he had lived under the revered and admiring gazes of others since childhood. Yet that woman actually dared to make such a disrespectful gesture toward him!

“Alright, let's continue.” Giles assumed he had dispelled Evan's thoughts and didn't dwell on the interlude.

The crystal on Evan's staff had been personally sourced by the Sage. The mana contained within could support him in casting a large-scale spell, and basic spells like Fireball could even be cast instantly.

Therefore, by the time the fireball tore through the air and surged toward the tavern, neither Giles nor Modi had time to react.

Benita's expression had already soured the moment she saw the mages. Witnessing the incoming fireball didn't surprise her either; she believed Lady Wu Yao could handle it.

Although Suren knocked over her cup in her nervousness, she didn't panic too much either. Her gaze instinctively turned to Wu Yao, who had not yet made a move.

Giles's face darkened. Mages were not allowed to attack commoners without cause, yet Evan had done so right in front of everyone.

Anyone else would have received a harsh scolding, but Evan...

In his heart, he was still unwilling to offend a genius who was highly likely to inherit the position of Sage over such a small matter.

No one expected the fireball to suddenly reverse direction without warning, hurtling back toward Evan's face at an even faster speed.

The arrogance on Evan's face froze comically, his pupils reflecting nothing but the incoming flames.

“Ahhh—” His robe was instantly set ablaze, and he collapsed to the ground, shrieking in agony.

“Evan!” Giles rushed forward first, frantically pulling out a healing potion.

Because Evan's facial burns were too severe, he could only pour the potion directly over his face.

Modi quickly chanted a spell to strip away the fire elements still dancing merrily on Evan's body.

Even just stripping away the residual fire elements from the spell left Modi drenched in sweat.

The elements that usually wouldn't budge no matter how he ordered them around were now stubbornly carrying out the sorceress's command.

He couldn't help but feel a deep, burning envy once again for the talent the sorceresses had allegedly traded with demons to obtain.

The soldiers panicked, drawing their swords and pointing them at the tavern, but none of them dared to actually charge forward.

Wu Yao was even more annoyed. She hadn't even pulled any aggro, yet these minor mobs had the nerve to attack her?

This was completely backwards!

She couldn't sit still for another second and vaulted straight out of the tavern window.

Stepping toward the soldiers who looked as if they were facing a mortal enemy, she mentally calculated which spell would be best to test.

Giles's expression was grim. This sorceress's strength exceeded his expectations.

She looked to be only in her early twenties, and her gaze held no killing intent, yet her strike had been so ruthless, instantly ruining Evan's face.

He opened his mouth, the words “let's talk” still lingering on the tip of his tongue, but the sorceress across from them had already made her move.

She didn't need to chant. She merely raised her hand, and the earth beneath their feet suddenly became exceptionally soft and mushy.

Giles looked down to see the rammed earth road rapidly turning into a grayish-black muck, as if countless hands were clawing at his ankles.

“Idiot,” Modi hissed through gritted teeth, though it was unclear who he was cursing.

A red light erupted from his staff, and flames rose from the soles of his feet. The high temperature baked the muck into cracked, dry earth, allowing him to pull his boots free from the hardened soil.

Reacting a bit slower, Giles hurriedly channeled his contract with the earth elements, attempting to solidify the ground beneath his feet once more.

However, the earth elements that usually gave him some face now completely ignored his commands, rolling and squirming merrily alongside the water elements. In the blink of an eye, the mud clamped onto his lower body.

He had no choice but to follow Modi's lead, channeling fire elements to dry the soil. Struggling with great effort, he broke out of the earthen shell, barely avoiding being swallowed by the mire.

The common soldiers had no such luck.

The more they struggled, the faster they sank. Lacking any leverage, they could only helplessly watch as the mire gradually rose to their chests.

Each breath became shallow and labored as they stared in sheer terror at the three mages, who could barely save themselves.

“Tsk.” Wu Yao was still dissatisfied with the spell's effect. It cost sixty mana, yet it only worked well against minor mobs. It definitely needed improvement.

Modi was the first to escape the battlefield, with Giles close behind, dragging an Evan half-covered in mud.

The three men scrambled and crawled out of the swamp's range. Their faces were pale, and a deep, profound wariness rose in their hearts.

This sorceress could actually kill them!

The earth elements Giles was contracted with had completely ignored him, and his fire elements were entirely depleted. No element was willing to serve him now.

Like fish on a chopping block, he had to suppress the terror and anger in his heart, forcing his voice to sound as calm as possible.

“Your Excellency, perhaps there is some misunderstanding between us. We have no wish to make an enemy of you. If...”