Ye Chui checked his magic book’s remaining mana, now at 57%. [Shadow Stealth] and [Spatial Blade] consumed little mana, but being slammed into the wall by the female mage’s water arm had triggered [Safety Guardian], draining nearly 10% instantly.
Still, with three foes left, the remaining mana was more than enough.
Opening [Map Navigation] to track them, Ye Chui let out a soft “huh” and quickly melted into the shadows.
Moments later, footsteps echoed outside the study. In the flickering light of a magic lantern, three figures entered slowly, the group from the right corridor.
One was an elderly mage, the other two swordsmen wielding longswords.
“The tremor came from here…” The old mage’s magic book floated beside him, a sphere of water hovering above his palm, sensing the surroundings. “My [Water Sense] is never wrong.”
“The Emperor’s Curse! It’s the Demon Couple of the Swamp’s bodies!” Swordsman One exclaimed.
“They’re dead! Killed by that kid!?” the other said in disbelief.
They grew wary, brandishing their swords to scan the spacious room.
The old mage, clearly surprised, crouched to examine the ground’s traces. His sharp mind pieced together the truth. “The Demon Couple excelled at swamp trap magic, turning this room into a spider’s lair filled with swamp. The kid stumbled in, caught by Aid’s [Sand Burial]. I suspect he was briefly trapped but escaped quickly, killing poor Aid in a surprise attack. The shock on Aid’s face tells how sudden it was.”
“Escaped [Sand Burial]? How?” Swordsman One asked.
“Earth magic [Earthquake]! My [Water Sense] detected the tremor from that spell. No mistake, his magic book has earth magic too!” the old mage said, his voice tinged with awe.
“Earth magic… How can one magic book awaken so many types?” Swordsman Two gasped.
The old mage fell into thought, his age granting him greater knowledge.
“That kid’s magic book might be a legendary inherited magic book,” he said gravely.
His words stunned not only the swordsmen but also Ye Chui, hiding in the corner. An inherited magic book?
“Yes, an inherited magic book. When a mage dies, their magic book doesn’t vanish but remains in their body, extractable through special means. You think orange-covered magic books are the best? No, inherited ones are far stronger, with more spells recorded.”
The old mage’s voice grew excited. “No doubt, Wade’s magic book isn’t some broken trash. It’s definitely an inherited magic book, explaining how he mastered so many spells in such a short time!”
“So that’s what inherited magic books are. Too bad he’s wrong; the iPad has nothing to do with them,” Ye Chui thought, shaking his head. Still, the idea of an inherited magic book was a convenient cover for his book’s oddities.
“But how could an inherited magic book appear in Stan Town?” Swordsman One asked.
Mages awakened magic books through the Tower of Magic Books, where books were crafted by the Magic Guild, blessed by the Elemental Gods, and distributed across the continent. They weren’t sure about other towers, but Stan Town’s books were all new. So where did Ye Chui’s inherited book come from?
“That’s a question for old Merlin,” the old mage sneered, deflecting blame to the Tower’s keeper, Merlin.
As Ye Chui listened, he sought an opening to strike, but the swordsmen remained vigilant, giving him no chance.
Then, the old mage smirked. “Assassin in the dark, did you know my [Water Sense] can detect not just vibrations but heartbeats within a range?”
Ye Chui’s heart sank. His [Flight Mode Shadow Stealth] could mask his mana, but not his heartbeat. He prepared to act.
Suddenly, his body floated uncontrollably, slamming into the ceiling with a bang.
“This is my [Water Float], controlling water’s movement within a range. Human bodies are 60-70% water. I can’t tear them apart, but I can trap and control them. Especially now, my mana feels sharper, more potent. It’s exhilarating, Wade. You can’t escape my [Water Float]!”
The old mage gloated, one hand raised, his open magic book floating beside him, eyes fixed on a spot on the high ceiling. He pointed upward, telling the swordsmen, “He’s up there, pinned to the ceiling.”
The two swordsmen readied their attacks.
This water mage from the Bullhead Magic Guild wasn’t powerful but was cunning. Discussing inherited magic books was a ploy to distract Ye Chui while locating him.
“I admit you’re tricky. I sensed you at the corridor junction but wasn’t sure I could kill you then. So I waited until you dealt with the others, your mana drained, your confidence peaked, to strike flawlessly,” the old mage said, like a sly fox revealing his plan.
Though cautious, he believed Ye Chui had no chance to turn the tables.
The swordsmen’s powerful techniques were about to strike, leaving the shadowed boy no hope.
But then, something fell from the ceiling…
Thud! Thud!
A few objects hit the ground, ringing crisply.
Then, “whoosh,” a deluge poured down like a storm.
Before the old mage could comprehend, a deafening crash buried him under a weight, reminding him of childhood hailstorms in the wilderness…
But this was far worse than hail… it was stone.
Dragonblood stone.
Ye Chui, Debbie, and Jirga had collected tons of it in the dragonhead ant nest, filling half the three-meter-cubed [Storage Space]. It weighed several tons.
Pinned to the ceiling by [Water Float], Ye Chui’s movements were restricted, but not as severely as the mage thought, perhaps due to [Safety Guardian] mitigating some control. This allowed him to cast a spell.
He could have used [Wind Walk] or [Lightning Strike], but he chose better.
He opened the [Storage Space] entrance.
Dragonblood stones rained down.
The old mage never imagined someone would store tons of stones in a magic book, which is why he pinned Ye Chui to the ceiling…
Freed, Ye Chui fell, landing with a thud. In the dark room, lit by his iPad magic book, he saw a mound of dragonblood stones, the three buried beneath.
“Whoosh—” The stones could kill the old mage, but the sturdier swordsmen survived, crawling out. Their vision found nothing; Ye Chui remained hidden, and panic gripped them.
Before they could act, Ye Chui’s [Spatial Blade] struck precisely.
In a spray of blood, the two swordsmen, survivors of the stone hail, were cut down.
Seeing the red dots vanish on [Map Navigation], a battered Ye Chui sighed heavily.
“ACE·Legendary (Team Wipe·Godlike)!”
