Because the Raya Lucaria Academy had never been invaded before, the two didn't attack immediately. Instead, they asked a question.
That hesitation gave Thorne an opening. He advanced another dozen meters and raised his two short crossbows.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Bolts flew out, followed by a scream. He'd aimed those two bolts at the person on the left, with a half-second interval between them. The mage had some combat experience and dodged the first bolt, but the second struck him in the abdomen. Intense pain made him drop his staff.
Clang.
Star-frost gleamed under the full moon, like a pool of autumn water. Thorne stayed focused on his target. His blade plunged into the opponent's chest. Then he turned his body, lowered his head, twisted his waist, and pulled the blade free.
A Glintstone Pebble grazed the top of his head. Had he not turned and ducked, his skull would have become a smashed watermelon. A second and third pebble followed in quick succession. The person guarding this place was skilled.
The mage on the right swung his staff, firing Glintstone Pebbles like a machine gun. But the enemy was darting toward him like a loach. Three meters was far too close. For Thorne, it was a distance covered in an instant. He lunged forward, hugging the ground. Seeing the magic sigil light up again, his recent studies immediately told him the result.
"Crystal Burst — trying to blast me into a sieve at close range? Not a chance!"
His pace suddenly accelerated. Before the spell could form, his blade pierced the opponent's abdomen.
Then, using his momentum, he crashed through the door, tumbled into the room, and straddled the mage, drawing his dagger from his waist.
"No!"
The mage instinctively raised his hand to shield his face, only to feel a sharp pain in his palm as his hand was pinned to his head.
The slaughter happened in an instant, but the entire fourth floor was awakened. Because of the low walls, the few mages guarding the entrance hadn't seen the magical flash, but were instead alarmed by the flames rising in the courtyard. Almost at the exact moment Thorne crashed into the archives, several of them stood up.
"Why is there a fire?" "Don't tell me that guy Merno is grilling meat while on duty." "Go, go, go, let's go take a look."
The on-duty mages rose, and the Glintstone lamps in the dormitories flickered on. Clearly, they hadn't considered an attack. This was the heart of the Raya Lucaria Academy. Even if all the mages and puppet soldiers outside were dead, it would be impossible for an enemy to reach this place. The commotion outside grew louder. Thorne calmly pulled out his dagger and sword, estimating that it would take them a while to discover the bodies.
With a light flick of his blade, he looked ahead. The narrow corridor was lined with murals, understated yet luxurious. At the end was a wooden door he had entered many times during the day. The archives were accessible, but borrowing books required approval, and they couldn't be taken out. He had long since figured out the layout.
Thump, thump, thump... Heavy footsteps approached from the distance. It seemed a giant had been disturbed and was coming to investigate.
"Are you here at night, too?"
Thorne's eyes narrowed as he climbed the nearby pillar, using both hands and feet.
One final obstacle remained before him: the Librarian, a First-Class Lecturer of Haima Classroom—Edward Bell! Chapter 30: I Really Can Kill You.
Tonight was destined to be chaotic. The courtyard was filled with too many flowers and trees, and the fire quickly spiraled out of control. It ignited the entire courtyard and even spread to the adjacent dormitories. Situated at the top of the Raya Lucaria Academy, the flames could likely be seen from most of Liurnia.
Mages looked back to check. The town residents were awakened, and even the Cuckoo Knights exchanged glances, questioning Matthews with their eyes if it was time to act, while the latter stared at the "torch" in utter confusion. Even in a northwestern corner of Liurnia, Ranni, who was sitting in a high-backed chair reading, looked up. Due to the distance, the flames of the Raya Lucaria Academy appeared to her like nothing more than a faint candlelight.
"It has been a long time since I received any news from Thorne. It seems he has finally made his move."
"Perhaps it was the work of the Cuckoo Knights, or maybe an accidental fire," Blaidd said sullenly from the side.
"Do you believe that yourself?" Ranni glanced at her silent attendant, a hint of worry in her eyes. "To make a move in the very heart of the Raya Lucaria Academy—his boldness is truly excessive."
The Princess of the Moon was filled with worry, while on the second floor of the Raya Lucaria Academy, Sellen was reading documents under a lamp, as if the commotion outside had no effect on her at all. This wasn't because she was cold or unfeeling.
Given her temperament, even if Thorne said he wanted to eat excrement, she would simply warn him that it didn't taste good. If he refused to listen and insisted on eating it, she would gently bring him a plate, and take the opportunity to study his reaction afterward. But this time, things were slightly different. Thorne's adventure was undertaken because of her; even with multiple warnings, that fact remained unchanged. As if disturbed by the commotion outside, her page-turning speed grew faster and faster until she finally slammed the book shut.
"This foolish apprentice, why does he always insist on courting death? I told him the risks were high."
She pushed herself up from the table, her expression shifting uncertainly.
But the hesitation lasted only a moment; Sellen donned her hood, picked up her staff, and headed out. The scorching air had already begun to seep through the door gap. Thorne hung upside down from the ceiling, having no mind to think about anyone's worries; his head was filled with only one thing: Win! With his heart like glass, all distracting thoughts were severed.
He stared only at the lock turning; with a creaking sound, a figure emerged. The figure was immense, standing nearly three meters tall. Were it not for the grand, imposing Gothic style of the Raya Lucaria Academy, he would likely have had to hunch over every day to walk. His tall Haima Classroom hood nearly touched the corridor ceiling, and his sturdy frame strained against his tattered robes. As those large feet stepped into the corridor, he froze upon seeing a figure lying on the ground. "Hm?" Edward paused for a moment, then strode forward to investigate.
The Glintstone lamps on both sides were dim, mingled with thick smoke drifting from the courtyard. His foot stepped into a puddle, and a heavy scent of blood entered his nostrils. Something was wrong! The mage stopped abruptly and immediately reached for the large hammer on his back and the staff at his waist, but at that very moment, he felt a gust of wind lift his hood. Kill! Thorne dropped directly from the ceiling. Utilizing gravity, he raised his long sword to strike directly at the opponent's skull, but a large hand moved faster, an open palm blocking the blade.
Pfft! Star-frost pierced through instantly, but the hand clenched into a fist, grabbing the blade and flinging it aside. The continuing trajectory of the long sword sliced a deep gash through the Haima Classroom hood, revealing a rugged face and blood-red eyes. As expected of a battle mage, his reaction was fast! Thorne narrowed his eyes; just as he intended to twist his blade and shred the palm, he felt his entire body go flying. Bang. His back slammed into the wall, shaking the oil paintings loose. Before he could land, a large foot kicked toward him.
Thorne hurriedly blocked with his left arm in front of his chest. Bang! The muffled sound was even more intense. His arm was pressed hard against his chest armor; the momentum sent Thorne flying several meters, and star-frost was knocked from his grip. In mid-air, he switched the sword to a reverse grip and stabbed it into the floor, acting as a brake. A knife mark over two meters long was carved into the solid wood floor. Such immense strength! Thorne half-crouched on the ground, working his left shoulder; his joints popped with a crack-crack sound.
Raising his head, he saw the mage's left hand twitching. Bright red blood dripped from his fingertips.
Their eyes met. Neither of them asked any stupid questions.
Another drop of blood hit the floor and bloomed. The mage moved. He gripped the staff at his waist. Thorne threw several flying daggers, pushed off with his toes, and sprinted forward.
Pfft, pfft, pfft... The sound of sharp blades piercing flesh rang out. Edward ignored the pain in his chest and abdomen and raised his staff. "Glintstone Arc!"
The cyan pebbles spun toward him like springs. The already narrow corridor was crowded. Some fallen sculptures were instantly sliced in half. Yet Thorne kept charging forward. Just as the tip of the "spring" was about to touch him—
Bloodhounds Step!
Another month had passed, and Thorne had become even more proficient with this combat skill. He vanished briefly, hugging the wall like a loach, and dashed to Edward's front, suddenly crouching down.
Whoosh—BOOM!!
A club half a meter thick swept over his head, smashing into the side wall and erupting with terrifying destructive power.
Bricks and stones flew everywhere. The wall was smashed into a circular pit over a meter wide. Sculptures, murals, and Glintstone lamps all fell, plunging the already dim corridor into pitch darkness. Thorne's ears rang. He twisted his blade into a low horizontal slash. "Leg Breaker!"
The blade swept across the floor, but the man had already leaped up lightly. Avoiding the blade, he raised his club and smashed it down hard.
BANG!!
An air blast roared, and splintered wood flew everywhere like concealed weapons.
Thorne rolled past the opponent's feet, stopped abruptly, twisted his waist, turned around, and thrust his long sword. "Turning Sword!"
The rapidly passing blade left a trail of silver light in the darkness, illuminating a few splashes of blood. But Thorne felt no joy. Even without seeing, the tactile feedback gave him the feeling that he hadn't struck a vital point.
Just as he prepared to withdraw and strike again, a sudden bright light in the darkness made his pupils constrict. It was a great hammer formed of magic.
Because it was so massive, it was difficult to swing in this narrow corridor, yet it tore through the ceiling and descended with unstoppable force. "Gavel of Haima!"
"Bloodhounds Step!" Thorne didn't even think, retreating immediately. His next sword strike might not kill the opponent, but if he got hit by that hammer, he would immediately be turned into pulp.
BOOM—
The entire building trembled for a moment, and a wave of magic rolled over like a mountain-toppling sea. Thorne, having just reappeared, stumbled backward. Before he could steady himself, he saw a club coming toward his face.
BANG!
This was a combo. The club and blade erupted in a burst of sparks. Thorne felt his whole body go flying, his back smashing through a door, and he rolled across the floor several times.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and pushed himself up.
By the light of the Glintstone chandelier overhead, he saw that the circular hall was filled with bookshelves, with several long tables placed in the center.
"Finally inside." Thorne smiled, a ferocious glint in his eyes.
He was indeed no match for this monster. Even if the latter's magical aptitude wasn't high, when it came to killing, the opponent was easily in the top ten of the Raya Lucaria Academy. But a certain sword saint once said, one doesn't need to be stronger than the opponent to kill them!
Edward stood silently blocking the door, tearing off a piece of his robe to bandage his left palm. He didn't use magic to tear this person to shreds, and the reason was simple — he was the Librarian, and this petty thief wasn't worth the precious documents, even if he died ten times over.
However, Edward wasn't in a hurry. The commotion had already alarmed the entire Raya Lucaria Academy, and he didn't know how many mages were rushing over. The intruder's fate was sealed.
Just as he was about to speak, his copper-bell-like eyes widened abruptly.
Thorne produced a fire pot from somewhere — it hadn't broken during that intense battle — lightly tossed it in his hand, and threw it backward toward the bookshelves.
Thump, thump, thump... Heavy footsteps rang out immediately. As if by instinct, Edward Bell charged over like a madman.
When the fire pot exploded and ignited a bookshelf, his eyes turned blood-red. "I will kill you!!!"
The roar shook the chandelier, and the enraged beast arrived before Thorne, blocking all the light. It was worth noting that Thorne's height didn't even reach the giant's chest; the sense of oppression was unparalleled.
BANG! The suddenly descending Gavel of Haima smashed a deep pit into the floor, causing tables and chairs to fly up. Thorne was also sent into the air, and star-frost in his hands and Edward's staff simultaneously displayed magic sigils. "Gavel of Haima!" "Glintstone Arc!"
Under Sellen's tutelage, Thorne's casting speed for low-level magic had become much faster. Before the great hammer could strike, he fired a magical sword beam first.
BOOM—
The two forces of magic collided, stirring up a storm that sent book pages flying. Edward took half a step back, a look of disbelief in his eyes. This intruder was a mage? Just as he was puzzled, another cold light pierced through the cyan magical mist. "Frost Slash!"
Magic followed by the Ash of War. Even though the great hammer blocked it, ice crystals condensed and climbed up, freezing Edward's wrist and causing his counterattack to die in the cradle.
Seeing Thorne step on a table and throw several flying daggers upward, Edward hurriedly retreated and raised his staff.
Snap. The chain of the Glintstone chandelier, already teetering on the edge, was severed. This luxurious work of art, weighing half a ton, fell, but before it could hit Edward, a magical great hammer smashed it directly into powder.
Various steel fragments flew everywhere like bullets, embedding into the walls with pfft, pfft, pfft sounds. People from the Haima Classroom truly didn't need to know high-level magic; their physical bodies were weapons of slaughter. The light dimmed instantly, with only the gradually burning bookshelves illuminating the blurry figures. Thorne lay on the ground, dodging the metal storm, his heart counting down the seconds. Countless mages and even professors were rushing toward this place, roaring that they would tear him to shreds. Kill him!
Thorne sprang up from the ground, twisting his wrist. The magic sigil revealed his form. Having just taken out several mages, he had enough power to use a mid-level spell. "Crystal Barrage!"
After a moment of preparation, a large swath of cyan crystals blasted out, tearing through the air in front of him like a machine gun. Edward raised his staff and slammed the end of it hard into the ground. "Haima Explosion!" A magical cannonball exploded in front of him. This thing was like reactive armor; the crystals striking it dissolved each other, accompanied by a roaring shockwave.
In an instant, the entire archive was rumbling and shaking. He flicked his wrist, shattering the ice crystals, and charged straight out from the magic and dust. "You think your magic can kill me!"