Chapter 128: Swept Away All at Once

Amid the clamor outside the square, Han Shuo leapt gracefully, passing through the wall the undead had previously smashed through, landing on the flat ground behind it. Just a few steps behind him lay a trap dug by the skeletal warriors, cleverly concealed by branches and covered with soil laid by ghouls, rendering it nearly invisible.

The dark creatures, having completed their task, dispersed at Han Shuo’s command, hiding behind the nearby towering trees and rocky outcrops. Han Shuo stood behind the earthen wall he had just erected and once more unleashed volleys of bone spears and arrows toward the three approaching Light-aligned students.

“Hmph, fighting openly is just asking for trouble,” said Keilong as he approached. Two slashing beams of light swords shot forward, shattering Han Shuo’s incoming bone projectiles. Together with the other two students, they rapidly closed in.

As the other two students neared Han Shuo, they chanted incantations that brought down the earthen wall he had just built. One stepped forward, but Han Shuo immediately noticed his foot stepping into a rope noose and quickly commanded the zombies under his control.

A standing zombie warrior in the distance gripped the rope tightly, suddenly pulling it taut. The loose noose snapped tight around the Light student’s ankle, yanking him into the air.

“Damn it!” Keilong roared angrily, just as he moved to rescue the Light student. Han Shuo, retreating from the scene, launched a fresh barrage of bone spears from another angle, forcing Keilong to step back momentarily.

However, another student reacted swiftly, casting a ground-level light sword slash that severed the rope, sending the captured student crashing to the ground with a loud cry of pain.

Suddenly, a large boulder entangled in ropes tumbled down from the left rocky outcrop, hurtling fiercely toward Keilong and the others. Startled, the three quickly conjured spells to shield themselves from the falling stone, then hurriedly advanced toward the trap.

Light magic indeed held a remarkable restraining power over dark creatures. Yet this time, none of the dark beings summoned by Han Shuo engaged them directly. Instead, they manipulated other elements to attack the three Light-aligned students, effectively negating the usual advantage light magic would have against darkness.

At last, four Dark-aligned students pursuing from behind arrived. Seeing the three Light-aligned students struggling with the traps, they eagerly joined the fray, beginning to chant Dark magic incantations nearby, ready to lend Han Shuo a decisive hand.

Suddenly, Keilong uttered a magical incantation. A dazzling beam of blinding light shot from the dim sky, so bright that everyone’s eyes succumbed to momentary blindness, including the two other unprepared Light students who could no longer perceive their surroundings.

Keilong, having closed his eyes earlier, timed the duration of the blinding spell perfectly. As soon as the light faded, he opened his eyes sharply, intending to launch a devastating counterattack on all those temporarily blinded.

Unfortunately for him, before he could complete his spell, a dozen skeletal and zombie warriors surrounded him. Two zombies pushed him forcefully, causing him to stumble backward and fall straight into the trap.

The other blinded Light and Dark students stood anxiously, immobilized. Then, dark creatures approached, lifting and shoving them one by one into the pit, leaving none behind.

The blinding spell indeed overwhelmed ordinary eyesight. Han Shuo was caught off guard but, possessing extraordinary physiology, his eyes recovered in just two seconds—a fraction of the usual ten seconds for most to regain sight.

With the spell’s power not fully diminished and Keilong still unable to open his eyes, Han Shuo had already regained his composure. Commanding his dark creatures, he forced a dramatic reversal of what could have been a dire situation, decisively sealing the match’s outcome.

Not only were the Light students trapped, but the four Dark students were also captured and thrown into the pit. This deep pit held the small wizards, who lacked levitation magic, with dark creatures standing guard above, ready to roll boulders down at any moment. The match was effectively over.

Diou, who had been watching Han Shuo’s conspicuous performance, initially relaxed with excitement. But when Han Shuo showed no mercy to the Dark students, tossing them into the pit as well, Diou snorted coldly and tightened his expression, turning to Vanni and scolding, “You have no team spirit. What kind of nonsense is this?”

Vanni cheerfully retorted, “I think your four students showed no morale or effectiveness from start to finish. Brian must have thought they were useless and just gave them a reminder. It was only a joke—nothing serious.”

Elsewhere, the Light magic teacher Forenda stood gloomily, waving her sleeve as she told Emma something before leaving the square, leaving teacher Bichel to oversee the aftermath.

By all rights, since the Necromancy school belonged to the Dark faction and Han Shuo had replaced Fred in the match, this should count as a Dark faction victory.

Yet Han Shuo’s tactics felt like a slap in Diou’s face, robbing him of any joy. Seeing Forenda casually instruct a teacher before telling Dean Emma goodbye and sulking away, Diou followed suit, leaving in disgrace.

Led by Elissa, the Necromancy students erupted in joyous cheers—this was a rare moment of triumph for them after years of suppression, mockery, and scorn. Han Shuo’s sudden emergence not only saved Vanni’s face but also brought glory to all Necromancy students.

When the magical barrier lifted and Han Shuo stepped out, he immediately caught the bright, appreciative look in Vanni’s eyes and heard the cheers from other Necromancy students.

“Uh… although the situation was somewhat unusual, I must announce that the Dark faction has won this duel. The five participating students will each receive a spatial ring personally crafted by me, along with a magic wand. I hope you all continue to strive for excellence,” Emma’s voice rang out across the square.

Amid envious gazes, Han Shuo was the first to approach Emma and receive the awards. Meanwhile, the Dark faction members, with help, struggled out of the trap and, upon hearing Emma’s announcement, smiled again and eagerly approached her.

The moment Han Shuo received the spatial ring and infused it with his mental energy, satisfaction filled him. The ring, crafted by Grand Spatial Mage Emma herself, had a capacity at least five times greater than the one Han Shuo currently wore. Such a large-capacity spatial ring demanded rare materials and could only be forged by someone of Emma’s level.

Up to this point, Han Shuo had never used a magic wand. Upon receiving this wand and channeling mental energy into it, he discovered a small internal space within it capable of storing mental energy. After casually casting a spell, he noticed the magic flow through the wand accelerated slightly.

It became clear this wand could store a modest amount of mental energy and amplify the speed of magic. No wonder every mage prized a well-suited wand so highly, even risking their lives to obtain one. A magical wand undeniably enhanced a mage’s power to some degree.

Having obtained the spatial ring and magic wand, Han Shuo did not linger in the square. After nodding with a smile toward Vanni, he left alone, leaving the rest to her and the others.

“Wait, Brian,” Han Shuo’s departure drew the attention of many students in the square, who merely watched in quiet surprise, whispering among themselves without making a move. But Elissa, seeing Han Shuo leave, called out loudly and hurriedly pursued him.

Outside the square, toward the Necromancy trial grounds, Elissa’s face radiated excitement as she pressed Han Shuo with questions: “You were amazing today, handling them all alone so cleanly and effortlessly. How did you do it?”

Han Shuo shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not that great. They were just too weak.”

During his time in the Shadow Forest, Han Shuo had encountered high-level mages and swordsmen, including renowned figures like Tranks, a swordmaster, and Emily, a grand mage. The mercenaries from the Medivh Guild, as well as Duke and Eric, were battle-hardened experts.

Having fought such formidable foes, Han Shuo had seen all manner of challenges. Facing these students, none yet at advanced mage level and inexperienced in combat, he naturally held all advantages. It would be strange if he had failed to win.

If Han Shuo had summoned his little skeletons or unleashed his martial arts and Demon Slaying Blade, he could have crushed all five Light students outright without scheming, leaving them no room to resist.

“When did you become so strong?” Elissa asked eagerly.

Gripping his wand, Han Shuo infused it with mental energy and began practicing the Bone Prison spell, an intermediate-level Necromancy magic. As he chanted, mental energy flowed into the wand, which acted as a focus to activate the magic.

Bone Prison was a spell that trapped enemies within a cage formed purely of white bones, binding them tightly so they could not move.

A sufficiently strong Necromancy mage could manipulate every bone of the prison—not only restraining opponents but also using the bones as soft yet resilient vines to further bind any part of the prisoner’s body. It was a wondrous magic.

On his first attempt, dozens of bones appeared in the air but failed to form a complete prison. As Han Shuo’s concentration faltered, the bones scattered to the ground.

“I’m about your level, not particularly strong. If you study diligently, I think you’ll improve quickly. Maybe by next year’s duel, you could represent our school,” Han Shuo said casually while continuing to practice.

Hearing this, Elissa grimaced and made a silly face. “I’m so slow. I’ve studied Necromancy this long but haven’t reached your level in just a few months.”

“That’s not true. Among so many Necromancy students, your strength is already good. I’m just saying if you work harder, you’ll improve faster. I believe our Necromancy magic is no weaker than other schools. It’s just that fewer people study it, so fewer masters appear,” Han Shuo replied lightly, repeating his Bone Prison practice.

After a while, more Necromancy students, inspired by Han Shuo’s spotlight today and newly appreciating Necromancy’s power, came to the trial grounds, eager to practice spells repeatedly.

When the others arrived, Han Shuo ceased his practice, politely avoiding their enthusiastic chatter, and left the trial grounds. Once outside, after glancing around to ensure no one nearby, he headed toward Vanni’s laboratory.

Upon arrival, Han Shuo found the lab door still locked; Vanni had yet to return. Ordinarily, she would be in the lab by now, but the day’s Necromancy triumph seemed to have delayed her.

Unperturbed, Han Shuo sat on the grass behind the lab and took out a Necromancy spellbook he had obtained from the Death Graveyard. Three elemental guardians patrolled in three directions, ensuring no one could approach unnoticed. He quietly studied the Bone Prison spell he was about to master.

Suddenly, the space before Han Shuo warped, and a flash of light revealed Dean Emma standing before him.

Startled, Han Shuo quickly stored the Necromancy spellbook back into his spatial ring, then smiled politely and said, “Hello, Dean. What brings you here?”

Emma regarded Han Shuo kindly, her normally furrowed brow softening into an appreciative smile. “You’re indeed a diligent young man, not wasting even a moment. Even while waiting for Vanni, you kept studying your spellbook. No wonder you’ve achieved so much in just a few months.”

Her words puzzled Han Shuo. He wondered how Emma had appeared unannounced and why she spoke so oddly.

After a moment’s thought, Han Shuo frowned and asked directly, “Did you come here specifically to see me?”

Emma nodded with a chuckle. “Of course. I’m not here by accident due to some spatial magic mishap.”

“So, what do you want to talk about?” Han Shuo inquired cautiously.

Emma smiled warmly and said, “Actually, I’m grateful to you. If it weren’t for your discovery during the Camilla incident, I wouldn’t have realized she was part of the Cassius Empire’s Black Shadow organization.”

Han Shuo was shocked. He had told no one about this except Lady Candida. Hearing Emma say this startled him greatly.

He quickly wondered if Candida had informed her and asked, “Did Lady Candida tell you?”

Emma smiled and responded, “Smart boy. Our old man said you’re a talent. Vanni mentioned you once before. After today’s duel, I realized there’s something mysterious about you. But I won’t pry. I came specifically to advise you.”

Han Shuo was stunned; he had never imagined Emma and the shadowy Candida were married. No wonder Emma had looked at him strangely before the duel.

“What do you want to tell me?” Han Shuo asked after regaining composure.

“I can see from your gaze that you have strong feelings for Vanni. But I hope that until your strength is sufficient, you avoid any romantic entanglements with her. If you’re still a student and cross that line, it won’t be good for either of you. Especially for Vanni—it could bring unnecessary trouble,” Emma said sincerely.

Pausing, she added, “I say this for your and Vanni’s sake. I hope you heed my advice. When you graduate from Necromancy and surpass Vanni in strength, if your relationship encounters difficulties, I can help you then. Ah, here comes Vanni—I'll be going now.”

With that, Emma vanished into thin air. Just as she disappeared, Han Shuo heard Vanni’s approach.