Training-Addicted Mage In A Progression Fantasy-Chapter 36: Invasion of Widia (2)

Arpina scowled as she fled alongside hundreds of others.

It wasn’t the act of fleeing that troubled her.

She had noticed a group immediately pursuing them as they made their escape through the back of the city.

The reason Arpina was sneaking out avoiding flying Artifacts was because of the unsettling nature of their enemies’ teleportation magic.

She believed that moving together through the skies was the most effective way to counter their movement technique that melted into the darkness.

But the speed of the pursuit was unusual.

“It seems they were surrounding us after all.”“They came well-prepared.”

The Mage beside Arpina, Maelyn—Rowen’s master and an Intermediate Mystic Mage—responded.

“Surely... the Tower Master won’t be overpowered?”

Deck, another Intermediate Mystic Mage, chimed in.

“With Berford there, they should manage to hold them off...”

Arpina had sensed it the moment the robed man first cast a spell.

He had already surpassed the Early Insight stage.

“That bastard Acreepa...”“The only reason those Tenelon fanatics would act this way is if Acreepa broke through to Intermediate Insight.”“But if we buy enough time, we should get support from the other Magic Towers...”“Do you think other Towers will intervene now?”

Arpina’s question caused Deck to fall silent for a moment.He was reminded of the big clash that had happened recently.

“...It’s troublesome that Berford caused an incident at such a time, but they won’t ignore it while the Black Magic Tower is on a rampage like this.”“Once we’re directly involved, they won’t be able to look the other way.”

They were currently heading toward Meira, the closest magic city to Widia.

The plan was to seek temporary refuge there, and when reinforcements arrived from the other Magic Towers, they would return to Widia to crush Tenelon.

Until then, their priority was preventing unnecessary deaths among Academy students and disciples.

“But it seems too coincidental that Berford acted this way...”

Just as Maelyn was about to continue, something violently struck the protective barrier around Arpina’s group.

Boom-

Arpina was using Levitation Magic to carry a large number of people, while Maelyn sustained the barrier. The fact that the barrier trembled meant the magic was incredibly powerful.

It was a sign that a powerful Mage had anticipated their escape route, in addition to those pursuing from behind.

When Arpina quickly used Scanning Magic, she realized the attacker’s realm was at least that of an Intermediate Mystic Mage.

And there wasn’t just one.

Were there... so many high-level ones?

Recognizing she was the only one capable of holding them off, Arpina spoke.

“Deck... take over the Levitation Magic.”

After transferring the magic to Deck, Arpina slipped out of the group.

“Go. If you delay any further, the ones behind will catch up.”

“Master!”

Ria cried out in surprise from within the group.

Arpina smiled gently.

“I’ll join you soon, so don’t worry.”

Her intention was to use this chance to increase the distance between the pursuing enemies and the evacuating personnel.

She had somewhat expected this outcome from the start, which was why she had handed over the Tower Master’s belongings earlier.

Arpina immediately turned to face their enemies.

Deck gritted his teeth as he channeled more Magic Power into the Levitation Magic.

They flew like that for a long time, from dusk until the break of dawn, with Deck flying without rest.

But even for a Mystic Mage, there was a limit to fleeing while casting Levitation Magic on hundreds of people.

Realizing the presence of their pursuers had vanished, Deck, after consulting with Maelyn and another Early Mystic Mage, Juben, decided to descend onto a nearby mountain.

“We’ll rest here briefly and then continue.”

When Deck gathered the group and spoke, they split into smaller groups, each setting up simple resting areas.

They all knew they would need to leave again as soon as Deck’s Magic Power replenished in a few hours.

Deck himself sat cross-legged, staying alert while watching the others rest.

About thirty minutes passed like that.

Rustle-

Deck sensed a stealthy presence approaching.

An ambush?

He sprang to his feet immediately.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Drawing on his Magic Power, Deck felt a growing sense of confusion.

How do they know our exact location?

The enemies they encountered earlier should have been preoccupied with Arpina, meaning these attackers were a new force.

As the group stirred to action, a barrage of magic rained down on them.

***

Leon looked around, blending in with the group of General disciples.His heart was racing—a tension that had lingered ever since he’d seen the ruined dormitory of the Entrance Residents.

Anxiety, tension. Maybe a bit of excitement.

Leon’s body was on edge, ready to leap into action at any moment.

Suddenly, Deck’s urgent voice rang out.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Leon knew he could no longer conceal his realm.

He instantly noticed Aaron’s suspicious movements and shot out a Wooden Sword from his Subspace.

Once he made up his mind, there was no hesitation.

Aaron was about to pull something from his pocket and hurl it toward their allies when Leon’s Wooden Sword pierced his throat.

“Ugh...!”

Aaron flailed his hands and died.

The Wooden Sword would absorb the Core, but Leon had no concern for traitors. The same went for Black Mages. His mind was set.

With Basic Psychokinesis, Leon caught the black orb that Aaron had been holding before it hit the ground.

The bewildered eyes of the nearby General disciples, who had braced themselves for an attack, turned toward Leon.

Ignoring their stares, Leon scanned the area.

Aaron wasn’t the only one acting suspiciously.

Among the Widia students mingling with the group, others were mimicking Aaron’s actions.

They too were pulling out black orbs from their pockets, tossing them toward nearby Widia students.

Pop-

The orbs burst, releasing green mist.

At the same time, Black Mages, hidden in the surroundings, unleashed their magic towards the Widia group.

Iron chains, black spears, and black mucus rained down, engulfing the area.

The magic was concentrated towards the Academy students, where the crowd was thickest. The scene felt familiar to Leon.

It was the same magic Paulin had used, the same magic the red-haired man had used.

Boom- Boom-

“It’s an ambush!”“Defend yourselves!”“All Arcane grades, step forward!”

The resting place quickly descended into chaos.

Fortunately, Deck’s sharp senses had allowed them to react in time.

“Flutter.”

Leon immediately called the Wind Summoned Creature of Arpina’s magic.

“Blow.”

Wind rose from the ground where the black orbs had landed, carrying the mist high into the air.

Though its range was limited, gusts lifted in nine different spots.

The green mist that had spread around Leon dissipated, soaring into the sky.

“Thunderlight.”

Nine Lightning Orbs materialized around Leon.

He unleashed all of them at those who had spread the poison mist.

Crackle-

“Arghhhh.”

Nine Academy students were electrocuted and collapsed, their bodies convulsing.

But there were still many traitors among them, and the attacks from the surrounding Black Mages were not to be taken lightly either.

The battlefield was a chaotic mixture of allies and traitors.

Several allies had already fallen victim to the green mist.Their bodies melted as soon as they were enveloped in the mist.

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It was an extremely lethal poison.

Is it... the poison extracted from Kito’s body?

“Disperse.”

Leon, now hovering slightly above the ground, traced his finger in a downward motion.

He identified the traitors one by one and struck them down with Thunderbolts, simultaneously clearing the surrounding poison mist with the help of the Wind Spirit.

His Magic Power was depleting rapidly, but he had no time to dwell on it.

The poison mist spreading from within the allied formation was lethal.He had to respond as quickly as possible.

Leon took the lead in eliminating the traitors.

The Academy students watched with gaping mouths as Leon moved through the allied formation.

“W-What...?”“Is he an Arcane Mage...?”

They looked at the young boy who had suddenly revealed himself to be of the Arcane realm with eyes that couldn’t comprehend what they were seeing.

Then, one of them noticed the Lightning Orbs surrounding Leon and shouted,

“Lightning magic... That’s the Tower Master’s magic! So he was more than just a disciple in name!”“But casting nine spells at once...”“Didn’t they say he was 14 years old?”

No matter how much they tried to understand, they couldn’t.However, such thoughts didn’t last long.

The battle was still in full swing.

“Everyone, focus! He’s on our side! Let the seniors handle the ambush—our priority is dealing with the traitors!”

While those around Leon scrambled to regain control of the situation, some were already calmly preparing for the ambush.

These were the skilled Academy students who had reached the Arcane grade at a young age.

They rallied their nearby comrades, encouraging them to respond to the ambush as best they could.

The confusion gradually began to subside.

One by one, the traitors were being cut down, and those who realized the black orbs contained poison mist dealt with them calmly using their magic.

Although many had been injured in the initial attack because most of the attackers were Arcane-grade Mages, as time passed, the momentum of the battle was shifting.

For one, the Widia side greatly outnumbered them.

Even if most of them were Apprentice Mages, the sheer volume of magic unleashed upon them forced the enemies to retreat.The plan to compensate for their small numbers with traitors had failed.

After dealing with about twenty traitors, Leon immediately shifted his attention.

The most noticeable figure was a Black Mage advancing toward a secluded area where a group of General disciples had gathered.

Although this group had avoided the brunt of the ambush by being in a remote corner, it was clear that only weaker personnel were gathered there.

“Pierce.”

Leon immediately shot a Wooden Sword at him.

The Early Arcane Mage turned just in time to erect a barrier.

“Uh... huh?”

Crunch-

By the time that man made a stupid sound, Leon’s Wooden Sword had already pierced through the unstable shield and into his skull.

“Sir? Leon... What is this...?”

The General disciples stood frozen, awkwardly positioned, staring at Leon in shock.

There was no time to answer their questions one by one.

After neutralizing the threat to the General disciples, Leon flung another Wooden Sword at a Black Mage fighting one of his allies. In places where they were being pushed back, he used a Scroll to help with defense.

As Leon began to respond in earnest to the Black Mages, the battle shifted decisively in Widia’s favor.

***

Deck and the other two Mystic Mages were now confronting the leader of the attackers, a square-jawed man, along with another enemy.

The enemy mages were of Advanced Mystic and Intermediate Mystic realms.

It was a number that Deck’s group could hold the line against, blocking and enduring their attacks.

The square-jawed man scowled, realizing the situation was turning against them.

“You’re lucky.”“...You’re running your mouth quite shamelessly for someone who failed an ambush.”

Deck had already figured out that they had been betrayed from within.It was a situation they had been completely unaware of until the battle unfolded.

Nevertheless, Deck could afford to be relaxed, knowing they had managed to repel the ambush.

Following Deck’s lead, Maelyn spoke, although his tone had grown more serious.

“That Berford is a traitor?”

He had already began addressing him quite impolitely.It meant he was almost certain of it.

“...We’re retreating.”

The square-jawed man said nothing more. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into his own shadow.The other Mages followed suit.

Deck didn’t chase after them and turned to Maelyn.

“No, how could Berford be a traitor... Maelyn?”“I had my suspicions after Berford’s reckless decision. Now, seeing these traitors among us...”“You’re certain about this?”“Yes.”

Deck’s expression also became serious.

“If that’s true, then the Tower Master...”“...”

Maelyn fell silent as well.

The silence was interrupted by another Mage who had come to report the casualties.

“Thirty-one dead in the initial attack from the poison mist, and nineteen injured.”“More dead than wounded.”“We couldn’t do anything about the poison mist. Their bodies melted the moment they made contact. Given the circumstances, the death toll could have been much worse.”“And the injured...”“Can be treated with healing magic.”“Then let’s leave this place as soon as things are settled.”“But, what if there are more traitors?”“Ugh...”

Deck held his head and turned his back.

“For now, search the bodies of the traitors.”

While some Mages began searching through the bodies, Deck’s attention wandered elsewhere.

A black-haired boy whom people around couldn’t easily approach.

Deck knew exactly what the looks of those around him meant.

It was awe.

The kind of awe that came from witnessing something beyond comprehension.

I felt the same when I was young.

His mind flashed back to his childhood friend, who had been personally selected by a Transcendence Mage from the Empire.

Faced with such overwhelming talent, Deck had felt neither envy nor jealousy.

Fourteen and already an Early Arcane Mage... That’s faster than anyone I’ve seen. No, has anyone ever reached Arcane at that age?

It was clear why people were staring at Leon like that.

Shaking his head, Deck approached him.

“Did you receive the Tower Master’s teachings...?”

He knew it was impossible just with teachings.

Nevertheless, it was a question that came out in an attempt to somehow understand with his head.

“I received some brief teachings.”

Leon, who had no other words to say, answered briefly.He couldn’t make any other excuses since he had already openly used Glory’s Thunder.

Even so, his answer didn’t account for everything Leon had done.A fourteen-year-old Arcane Mage, casting Ninefold Incantations, Wooden Swords, using Scrolls...

Deck had countless questions but pushed them aside for now.What mattered was that he was on their side for now.

Did the Tower Master know...?

Since he had learned the Tower Master’s magic, there was a high possibility that he knew.For the Tower Master, who was busy training alone, to teach personally.

“...Take this.”

Deck handed a Spatial Pocket to Leon.When Leon received the pocket with a questioning look, Deck said.

“It’s the Tower Master’s item. It’s fitting for you, who inherited the Tower Master’s teachings, to have it.”

Deck immediately turned around and walked towards the Mages still inspecting the bodies of the traitors.

As Deck approached, a Mage handed something to him.

It was a Black Brooch.

“It seems they used this to track locations. Should we search the belongings of all the remaining people?”“...”

Deck, who had become troubled, approached Maelyn and Juben for now.

“What do you think about sorting out the traitors before we go?”“As much as I’d like to, we don’t have the time.”

The situation was that bad.

Judging by how the square-jawed man retreated without regret, they clearly had other plans.

“...How about we split up?”

Deck said after some consideration.

“If we each lead a group and scatter, it will be easier to root out traitors, and the enemies will be confused as well.”“Let’s do that.”

As soon as the decision was made, they divided the forces into three groups, each leader taking charge of their own.

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