Wizard Bloodline

Ronan planned to have a better sword forged to his specifications once they moved to the town. Without enchantments, it shouldn't be too expensive.

He wiped the dust from his sword on his pants and sheathed it at his waist. Picking up his robe, he draped it over his shoulders.

Compared to a few months ago, Ronan seemed like a completely different person, having transformed from a chubby, awkward figure into a vibrant young man.

He had grown to a height of 1.85 meters, with handsome features and a lean physique. His long, chestnut curls cascaded over his shoulders, and his lake-blue eyes seemed to hold a sharp gaze.

If he were to remove his robe, many would easily believe he had been trained in knighthood from a young age.

"Time to head home," Ronan thought, realizing he had been out for a while.

The treehouse district was in chaos, with robberies and murders happening frequently, not to mention burglaries.

Thefts occurred daily, and although Ronan had hidden most of his valuables in a secret place, he still felt uneasy being away from home for too long.

From the forest by the lake to his dwelling, it only took Ronan about three to five minutes at his current pace.

He had just started walking when he heard rustling in the bushes nearby.

He stopped, instantly on alert.

"Whoosh!"

A white-lipped deer darted out from the bushes ahead, not even glancing at him as it dashed into another thicket.

Before he could react, a stream of animals—goats, foxes, rabbits—bounded past him, looking terrified as if fleeing from a deadly predator.

Ronan's first thought was that wizards were fighting nearby.

The forest had been tumultuous lately, with wizards frequently battling each other, causing the small animals preparing food for winter to relocate constantly. He had witnessed such scenes more than once.

Ronan stood there, initially planning to wait until the animals had passed.

However, the rustling in the forest grew more intense, and the parade of fleeing animals showed no sign of stopping, with even larger creatures joining the exodus.

"Something's not right... What could cause such a massive exodus of wildlife?" 

An unusual atmosphere settled over Ronan.

His expression tightened as he stopped waiting and pushed through the fleeing animals from the side.

The further he went, the more pronounced his unease became, quickening his pace.

"Whoosh—"

Bursting through the dense foliage, Ronan arrived at a bright, open clearing.

He sprinted and climbed a tall tree, agilely ascending to the treetop.

From this vantage point, he scanned the distance.

His eyes widened in shock as he froze on the tree.

Across the vast, dense forest, black smoke billowed in various directions.

Countless birds circled above the treetops, flying frantically.

Distant explosions and roars echoed, mingling with the screams of people and beasts, creating a scene of chaos.

Ronan's expression darkened as he observed the smoke signals, unable to discern who was responsible for them.

The forest housed multiple groups of roaming wizards like theirs, and the signal boxes used for aid and warnings were similar across the board.

"Black Robes..."

The term slowly surfaced in Ronan's mind, his heart beginning to race.

When the long-feared situation finally became a reality, Ronan found himself surprisingly calm, with a surge of excitement bubbling inside.

Taking a deep breath, Ronan gripped the hilt of his sword and quickly headed towards the nearest signal.

In a ravaged clearing, a battle between wizards raged.

Seven or eight gray-robed wizards were trying to overpower a single black-robed wizard, who exuded a chilling aura and a sinister presence.

Despite their numbers, the gray-robed wizards were at a disadvantage.

The black-robed wizard wielded a gray bone staff, controlling a massive, grotesque creature stitched together from various corpses while chanting a low incantation, dictating the battle's direction with ease.

"...@#￥!"

The black-robed wizard's lips moved as he uttered an evil, bizarre incantation. With a flick of his staff, a dark green orb shot forward.

A sallow-faced middle-aged gray robe failed to dodge and was struck by the orb.

The next second, he screamed in agony.

The dark green orb transformed into a viscous, sickening liquid upon contact, rapidly corroding his flesh into smoke.

In mere moments, the middle-aged gray robe was reduced to a puddle of pus and blood on the ground.

"Bernie!"

The gray-robed wizards nearby winced at his fate, faces filled with horror.

A corpulent female wizard couldn't handle the shock and bent over, vomiting violently.

"Roar—"

A chilling, grotesque roar filled the air as the stitched-together monstrosity charged at the wizards.

The gray-robed wizards paled, retreating, except for a burly figure clad in black leather armor, who advanced with a large sword.

The burly figure shone with white light, clashing with the flesh monster with a resounding impact.

"A half-elf knight?..."

The black-robed wizard focused on the sword-wielding figure for a moment before dismissing him, redirecting his attention to the other gray-robed wizards.

He waved his bone staff, chanting rapidly, conjuring another dark green orb.

This time, the gray-robed wizards managed to counter with several spells.

Together, they barely neutralized the dark green orb.

"This guy is a Level 6 apprentice!"

A thin, gray-haired youth, his hair tied in braids, spoke with a grim expression.

"Then it's up to you!"

Among the gray robes, a sharp-eared, beautiful half-elf wizard said, eyes fixed on the black robe, "You're the only one who can hurt him!

We'll buy you time.

Linus, you know a mid-level zero spell, right?"

"Of course."

Linus, the gray-haired youth, snorted, closing his eyes to focus on the spell's preparatory guidance.

Under the half-elf wizard's command, the remaining gray-robed wizards launched their limited attacks at the black robe.

Unfortunately, the low-powered spells from these mainly Level 2 and 3 apprentices posed little threat to the black-robed wizard.

In contrast, the black robe's casual spells were disastrous for the gray-robed wizards.