Lynn was already impatient to retrieve his fishing rod.
He accelerated his swimming speed.
Before long, he arrived at the plaza where a large group of Merfolk had gathered.
In the center of the plaza stood a tall stone pillar, with over a dozen figures bound to its top.
Of course, Lynn's fishing rod was there as well.
As soon as Lynn approached, the Merfolk in the center of the plaza parted to make a path.
The Merfolk retreated to both sides, clearing a passage wide enough for him to pass through. They curiously sized up Lynn, the outsider.
Perhaps the earth-shattering commotion from earlier had reached this place.
A Merfolk, who looked significantly taller and uglier than the others at a glance, swam over along the path.
She wore a diadem made of coral and seashells on her head and gripped a scepter inlaid with glowing pearls.
She appeared to be the leader of the Merfolk.
She swam up to Lynn, stopped, looked him up and down, then gave a slight bow and spoke.
"Welcome, traveler from afar."
Lynn nodded in response.
"Greetings, Leader. I have come to retrieve my fishing rod."
The corner of the Merfolk leader's mouth curled up slightly.
"I know that, traveler from afar," she said, "but you must still pass the Merfolk's trial to reclaim your treasure."
Lynn raised an eyebrow.
"What trial?" he asked.
The Merfolk leader did not answer directly. She turned around, raised the scepter in her hand, and pointed toward the tall stone pillar in the center of the plaza.
"Touch that stone pillar," she said. "It will tell you."
Lynn looked in the direction of her scepter.
The stone pillar was gray-white, covered with dense runes and patterns that emitted a faint blue glow in the murky water.
Lynn withdrew his gaze and swam toward the stone pillar.
A group of Merfolk followed behind him, as if escorting him—or perhaps simply watching him.
Soon, he arrived in front of the stone pillar.
The pillar was much thicker than he had imagined; it would take dozens of people linking arms to encircle it.
"Shout the treasure you wish to retrieve, then touch the stone pillar."
A Merfolk spoke to Lynn in a respectful tone.
Lynn: "..."
He looked at the stone pillar with a subtle expression.
Who designed this level? Isn't it embarrassing?
In front of so many Merfolk, shouting "fishing rod" and then touching the pillar—the whole scene was bizarre no matter how he thought about it.
But for the sake of the fishing rod, he endured it.
"Fishing rod!!!"
His voice echoed across the plaza.
As soon as he finished speaking—
Hum~
The stone pillar instantly burst into colorful light.
The light began shining from the bottom of the pillar, spreading upward along the rune-covered patterns, faster and brighter. In the blink of an eye, the entire pillar was shrouded in light, glowing from top to bottom.
The light gathered at the top of the pillar.
It accumulated more and more, growing brighter and brighter until it finally formed a huge ring that slowly rotated above the pillar.
Pop!
A soft sound.
A ball of light was flung from the center of the ring, flying straight toward Lynn.
Lynn reached out his hand.
The ball of light landed steadily in his palm.
The next second—
The ball of light exploded instantly, turning into countless streams of light that frantically surged toward the wand in his other hand.
The wand was swallowed by the light.
The streams wrapped around the wand, layer by layer, circle by circle. Its outline became increasingly blurry and distorted within the light, until finally—
It completely transformed.
The light dissipated.
In Lynn's hand was now a broadsword.
The blade was about four feet long, broad, and sharp enough to reflect the expression on his face. The back of the blade was carved with intricate patterns, emitting a cold glint in the murky water.
Lynn: "..."
He lowered his head to look at the sword in his hand, then looked up at the still-glowing stone pillar, then back down at the sword again.
Lynn: ???
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked.
The Merfolk leader swam up to him, looked at the sword, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Traveler from afar, this is the trial you have earned—a duel against a Merfolk warrior."
As soon as she finished speaking, a surge of water came from behind.
Lynn turned around abruptly.
A Merfolk warrior was swimming toward him from behind, holding a broadsword high overhead—exactly the same broadsword as the one in Lynn's hand.
The warrior's physique was more robust than that of an ordinary Merfolk. His muscles were taut, and his iron-gray skin was covered in battle scars. He glared at Lynn, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Then—
He raised the broadsword and slashed fiercely at Lynn!
The blade cut through the water, producing a sharp whistling sound!
—
On the shore.
This scene was clearly captured, and a burst of exclamations erupted from the stands.
Ludo Bagman's voice rang out amid the commotion, filled with irrepressible excitement.
"Oh! Mr. Lynn is now facing a one-on-one duel with a Merfolk warrior in order to retrieve his treasure!"
His tone grew even more excited.
"And look—his wand has been turned into a broadsword by the stone pillar! This means he cannot use magic! He must confront the Merfolk warrior using pure physical strength!"
—
Underwater.
The blade had arrived.
The broadsword, wrapped in a surging current, slashed from behind Lynn with astonishing speed—a Merfolk's explosive power underwater far exceeds that of any creature on land. If this strike connected, it would be enough to split a person in two.
Lynn reacted instantly.
The moment the blade was about to hit, he dropped his shoulders and twisted to the side.
Whoosh—
The broadsword grazed his shoulder, the sharp current slicing away a small piece of his robe's hem.
Lynn took the opportunity to turn around, holding his sword in front of him, face-to-face with the Merfolk warrior.
The Merfolk warrior missed his first strike, but without pausing, immediately changed his attack. His wrist flipped, and the broadsword traced an arc through the water, slashing upward toward Lynn's lower abdomen.
Fast and ruthless.
Lynn didn't have time to think. He instinctively raised his sword to block.
Clang—!!!
The two broadswords collided violently underwater, creating a visible shockwave that sent the surrounding water into violent turmoil.
A tremendous recoil traveled through the blade. Lynn's arm went numb, and he was knocked backward, tumbling twice through the water before barely stabilizing himself.
In less than two hours, Lynn had been knocked flying twice.
The strength of that Merfolk warrior was ridiculously high.
Lynn shook his numb arm and looked at his opponent.
The Merfolk warrior hovered in place, holding the sword with both hands, his stance perfectly steady.
The Merfolk leader's voice came from afar.
"Traveler from afar, the rules of the trial are simple—you may fight in any way you like, but you cannot use magic. Your wand has been temporarily sealed by the power of the stone pillar. Only by defeating your opponent can you reclaim your treasure."
Lynn looked down at the sword in his hand.
Indeed, he could no longer sense his wand at all. This sword was simply a sword, without even the slightest trace of magical enhancement.
Fine then.
Since he couldn't use magic, he would rely on pure physical strength.
He gripped the hilt tightly and assumed a starting stance. He didn't really know any swordsmanship, but the physical control granted by Perfect Bodily Control allowed him to imitate any movement he had seen.
The Merfolk warrior saw that he was ready and finally moved.
He kicked with his legs, and his entire body shot toward Lynn like an arrow released from a bow.
The speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Lynn.
The broadsword swept horizontally, aimed directly at Lynn's neck.
Lynn lowered his body to dodge while simultaneously thrusting his own sword toward the opponent's lower abdomen.
The Merfolk warrior twisted his body in an almost impossible manner, avoiding the thrust. At the same time, he reversed his grip and slashed downward toward the top of Lynn's head.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—!!!
The two launched into a fierce battle underwater.
Sword flashes streaked through the water as currents surged. Every collision generated visible shockwaves. The surrounding lake water churned violently, sediment billowed upward, and bubbles scattered in every direction.
The Merfolk warrior's swordsmanship was exceptionally fierce. Every strike was fast and ruthless, with tricky angles and tremendous force. His combat experience was overwhelming; every move targeted a vital point, with not a single wasted motion.
Lynn could barely keep up at first.
Perfect Bodily Control allowed him to manipulate his body with incredible precision, executing dodges and blocks that ordinary people could never manage. But the problem was—
The difference in strength was simply too great.
Clang!
Another head-on clash.
Lynn's arm went numb, and the sword nearly flew from his hand. He was knocked backward again, sliding several meters through the water.
The Merfolk warrior immediately followed up with another slash.
Lynn gritted his teeth and blocked.
Clang!
This time, the webbing between his thumb and index finger split open completely, blood dispersing into the water. His entire arm went numb, and he could barely hold onto the sword.
His breathing became heavier.
Not because he was tired, but because he was frustrated.
He, a dignified wizard capable of going head-to-head with a dragon, was being beaten by a Merfolk using nothing but physical strength. If word of this got out, how would he, Lynn, ever hold his head high at Hogwarts again?
The Merfolk warrior hovered not far away, looking at him with a trace of disappointment flashing across his eyes.
Alright, alright... you actually dare look down on me!
Lynn closed his eyes and activated that almost-forgotten ability—
Thousand Refinements.
Hum—
Bones strengthened.
Muscles reshaped.
Blood boiled.
The Merfolk warrior was momentarily stunned, wondering if this guy had fallen asleep in the middle of the fight.
At that moment, Lynn suddenly opened his eyes.
He raised his head, looked directly at the Merfolk warrior, and the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile.
"Come."
As soon as the word left his mouth, Lynn's figure vanished from where he stood.
He was even faster than the Merfolk warrior's charge just moments earlier.
The Merfolk warrior's pupils contracted, and he instinctively raised his sword horizontally to block—
Clang—!!!
A thunderous crash!
Louder than any previous collision.
The Merfolk warrior was knocked backward, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The weak human whom he had sent flying moments ago could now send him flying with a single strike?!
Impossible!
But Lynn gave him no time to think.
He kicked off with both legs, his entire body chasing after the warrior like a cannonball.
The broadsword was raised high before slashing downward.
The Merfolk warrior hurriedly blocked.
Clang!
Another deafening crash.
His arm began to go numb.
Clang!
Third strike.
The webbing of his hand split open.
Clang!
Fourth strike.
His sword nearly flew from his grip.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—!!!
Lynn's sword descended like a violent storm, one strike after another, each faster than the last, each heavier than the one before.
The Merfolk warrior was driven backward step by step, completely unable to fight back. He could only desperately block, desperately parry, desperately pour every ounce of strength into his defense—
But it was useless.
Against Lynn using Thousand Refinements, the strength he had always been so proud of simply wasn't enough.
Clang—!!!
The final strike.
The sword in the Merfolk warrior's hand finally flew free.
It traced an arc through the water before plunging into the mud in the distance with a soft pop.
The Merfolk warrior stared blankly at his empty hands, then at Lynn standing before him with the broadsword.
He froze.
Lynn's sword stopped less than a centimeter from his throat.
The entire plaza fell silent.
Every Merfolk stared blankly at the scene before them, watching their warrior defeated by an outsider through nothing but pure physical strength—even having his sword knocked from his grasp.
Several long seconds passed.
Lynn withdrew his sword.
He rolled his wrist, rested the sword on his shoulder, and looked at the Merfolk warrior.
"Convinced yet?"
The Merfolk warrior opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out. He simply stared blankly at Lynn, his expression incredibly complicated.
Merfolk: This guy is messing with me!!!
Fortunately, the Merfolk leader's voice came from the side, preventing the atmosphere from becoming too awkward.
"Traveler from afar, congratulations on passing the trial."
Lynn nodded and tossed the sword aside.
The sword landed in the mud, transformed back into a ray of light, and flew toward the stone pillar.
The light dissipated.
His wand flew from the direction of the stone pillar and landed steadily back in his hand.
Lynn gripped his wand and hurriedly cast "Dittany Protection" to heal himself.
He couldn't let the wound get infected.
---
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