Even armor couldn't stop it.

"AH!"

"AH..."

In an instant, the advancing robbers screamed repeatedly, clutching their faces and falling to the ground as white smoke sizzled from the corroded areas.

Hibell's expression remained unchanged as she swung her magic wand again.

Zero-Circle Magic—Water Vortex!

The acid on the ground did not disperse; instead, it gathered into a vortex, pulling several riders into it. One of them, exuding a potent life force, was clearly a Knight and received special attention from the acid.

Zero-Circle Magic—Poison Miasma!

"PFFT!"

As Hibell waved her magic wand, a dark green mist enveloped nearly thirty people ahead.

"AH!"

"THUD!"

"THUD!"

Amidst piercing screams, figures fell one after another, their flesh riddled with corrosion. Even the Knight was powerless against Hibell, collapsing with screams.

"Devil!"

"She's a devil!"

"Run for your lives!"

"AH..."

The scene struck terror into the surviving robbers. Fear drove them to turn and flee in panic.

"SWOOSH!"

A streak of light flashed.

"PFFT!"

One robber stiffened, a red mark appearing on his forehead before he fell straight down, lifeless.

Zero-Circle Magic—Arcane Missile!

Hibell spurred her horse into a gallop, continuously swinging her magic wand, swiftly felling one robber after another. Anyone who tried to approach was unable to get close, thwarted by the poison gas, acid, and Arcane Missiles.

In mere moments, none of the charging robbers were spared; all became silent corpses on the ground.

"WHOA..."

Hibell gently pulled the reins and signaled to Old Harry, "Clean this up. Take everything valuable. I was careful not to damage their armor."

"Yes."

Old Harry respectfully acknowledged her and motioned to the frightened servants to gather the spoils of battle.

"Senior," Carl said admiringly, "that was incredible!"

"As an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice, dealing with ordinary people is just like this," Hibell said, not modestly. I wasted a batch of acid. I wonder if the loot will cover the cost?

The acid used for Acid Splash was crafted using a special method, making it a costly Magic Material. That was why its power was so terrifying.

Dozens of people! A Knight was among them. Even a Great Knight would take some time to defeat them all, but before Hibell, they hadn't lasted long. And not a single one escaped!

A true Intermediate Wizard Apprentice with a proper lineage possessed formidable methods and would not fear even a Great Knight. Unless, of course, they faced a being like Thunder Spear.

By comparison, Carl was far inferior. Although he too was an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice, his study of witchcraft was too diverse. This resulted in insufficient power; he could barely manage against a Knight and was no match at all for a Great Knight.

"Carl..." Jinsley's face was pale. His gaze flickered to Hibell before he hurriedly looked away. "Miss Hibell, what... what was that?"

Iweni cringed, curling up even smaller. The recent scene had not only terrified the robbers but had also shocked the two women to their core, leaving them cold with fear. Those killed by the acid and poisonous gas had died gruesomely, their bodies nearly unrecognizable, almost as if their very bones had dissolved. It was no wonder such methods were called demonic.

"Senior Hibell is a Wizard Apprentice." Carl lowered his voice. "Don't be afraid. She's a good person. You can think of her as a Knight with mysterious powers."

"A Wizard Apprentice?" Iweni blinked. "Cousin Carl, are you one too?"

Since he called her Senior, then Carl should naturally know what Hibell knows.

"Yes," Carl nodded. "But I've only just been introduced to the world of Wizards and haven't mastered much witchcraft. I'm not as skilled as my Senior; I only know a few harmless tricks."

As he spoke, he lightly rubbed his fingers together.

"SNAP!"

A gentle light appeared before the two of them.

Light Spell!

The glow lit up the carriage and gradually calmed the two women's frightened emotions. Iweni, in particular, looked curious.

"That's amazing! Can I learn it?"

"Well..." Carl shook his head. "People with Wizard Talent are very rare. If you want to learn, you can have your talent tested."

Unfortunately, Iweni did not possess Wizard Talent, and neither did Jinsley. This was normal. In any given city, only one or two children born over several years might possess Wizard Talent—a pitifully small ratio.

After the battlefield was cleared, the caravan set off again. This time, no one worried about their safety on the journey. With a powerful protector like Hibell accompanying them, what was there to fear?

...

「Midnight.」

Old Harry found a suitable place for them to rest. The group lit a bonfire and sat around it. Hibell, as if sensing something, looked up at the sky.

"FLAP, FLAP, FLAP..."

Under the night sky, a white dove descended, landing in her hand. Its body shimmered and transformed into a piece of paper.

A Messaging Dove! A witchcraft method for long-distance message transmission.

Carl watched curiously. Hibell's brow furrowed, a puzzled look in her eyes.

He rose and approached. "Senior. What's wrong?"

"Tim sent me a message," Hibell began. "He said Tutor Ben's family has a child who tested positive for Wizard Talent. I'm to take the child with me to the Black Swamp." She continued, "The child is in Mutan City, which happens to be where your two cousins are."

"That's no trouble," Carl said. "It's on our way."

"That's not the issue." Hibell shook her head. "I wrote to our tutor about the situation in Sigerno City—that the manor couldn't be sold and many things had to be reluctantly abandoned. Knowing our tutor's personality, he wouldn't just leave things unexplained and have Tim relay all instructions."

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