Synthesis Wizard

Chapter 88: Higher Rune Gem

If before, Herub had faced Su Nan with a sense of superiority as a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice facing a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice, he now had completely suppressed any trace of arrogance.

He vaguely realized that Su Nan was no ordinary Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice.

The opponent’s strength was far greater than he had anticipated.

Suppressing his greed, Herub began to focus on dealing with Su Nan. With strange chants, one after another, Second-Ring Spells continuously unleashed.

Brilliant magical glows instantly filled the entire courtyard.

Herub, though he hadn’t mastered spellcasting without chanting or instant spellcasting, had already mastered segmented spellcasting.

This was a spellcasting technique similar to using enchanted items, allowing pre-prepared spells to be cast in a concise and rapid manner. It only required reciting a small part of the incantation.

It was like a stripped-down version of spellcasting without chanting, a necessary precursor skill to mastering it.

Segmented spellcasting placed extremely high demands on spiritual power, something only Third-Rank Wizard Apprentices could usually grasp.

And those Wizard Apprentices who mastered segmented spellcasting could cast spells two to three times faster than before.

Su Nan, at this moment, felt like he was facing a spell storm.

If not for the powerful defensive capabilities of the Extreme Protection Ring, he would’ve been riddled with holes by now.

“Just one Second-Ring Spell caused the Extreme Protection Ring to lose nearly 100 points in defense. With 1000 points, I can only withstand eleven Second-Ring Spells at most. I need to end this quickly.”

“It seems I can only rely on that.”

Su Nan took a deep breath, flipped his wrist, and between his index and middle fingers, a gleaming rune gem appeared.

The next second, he threw the rune gem.

Herub, noticing this, didn’t take it seriously.

Su Nan had thrown out several rune gems before. They were roughly as powerful as energy runes, and Herub didn’t even need to activate his defensive magical items. Energy runes alone could withstand them.

Read Advanced Chapters on Patreon for $5:

Seeing Su Nan using the same trick again, Herub remained unconcerned. He cast another spell after a quick glance.

But the next moment, he saw in horror that the gem exploded in midair, transforming into a thunderclap as thick as a water bucket, crashing down with a thunderous roar!

The terrifying power instantly engulfed Herub’s entire body, and a chill ran up his spine.

In his fright, Herub was forced to interrupt his spell, enduring the excruciating pain of spiritual backlash. He hurriedly activated energy runes.

Boom!

In the blinding flash of lightning, the necklace around Herub’s neck and the ring on his left index finger suddenly flashed brightly, then quickly dimmed.

The protection of the two magical items was instantly shattered!

Following this, three layers of earth energy runes were shattered in a single blink of an eye!

Lightning then swept across his body, crackling like a lightning snake across Herub’s body. The intense pain forced him to let out a piercing scream!

Thankfully, as a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice, his spirit was exceptionally resilient. Herub gritted his teeth, summoning energy particles, instantly dissipating the lightning around him.

Then, a blue glow spread across his body. Plant energy particles swarmed in, rapidly healing his wounds.

While healing, Herub stared at Su Nan with shock and disbelief.

What exactly was that gem?

Why was it so incredibly powerful?

Su Nan had already retrieved a second rune gem and flung it out.

After learning about the existence of a Wizard Apprentice behind the Duke of Golden Rock, he had considered using synthesized rune gems as a trump card.

These higher rune gems were the result of his actions.

Each one was synthesized from eighteen rune gems, resulting in a power two to three times greater than ordinary rune gems!

It wasn’t that Su Nan didn’t want to use more rune gems for synthesis; it was that eighteen was the limit.

Any more, and the resulting higher rune gems would be beyond his control, causing self-harm if used.

It was like a three-year-old holding a gun and firing, unable to withstand the gun’s recoil.

Whoosh!

The rune gem transformed into a blazing wave of flames in midair, crushing down on Herub like a tidal wave.

Herub’s expression changed. He retreated repeatedly, summoning energy particles to block the attack while casting a spell.

“Elemental Protection”!

A faint glow emerged from his palm, spreading over his entire body in the next instant.

Herub was engulfed by the surging wave of flames just as he finished the spell.

As the name suggests, “Elemental Protection” reduces various types of elemental damage to the caster.

Even so, the Herub who emerged from the wave of flames was still seriously injured. He had acquired numerous new charred wounds. He looked completely disheveled, completely devoid of his previous composure.

“Damn it!”

Herub’s face was twisted in anger.

He, a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice, was beaten to such a state by a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice. If word got out, wouldn’t he be laughed at?

The key was that he had just made a boastful remark, saying that Su Nan would taste death, and now he was the one being beaten back, looking pathetic. It couldn’t be more ironic.

“I’ll kill you!”

With a ferocious roar, Herub’s thin body inflated like a balloon, rapidly expanding.

In the blink of an eye, Herub’s height had swelled to over three meters. Thick black hair sprouted all over his body. His limbs became incredibly thick and sturdy. His exaggerated muscles brimmed with explosive power, making one feel weak at the knees at a glance.

Aside from retaining human features like his face and the ability to walk upright, Herub looked like a gigantic bear.

“Transformation Magic?”

“No, that’s wrong. Transformation Magic is a Fourth-Ring Spell. A Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice can’t master it.”

“It must be physical modification. This guy has fused the Beastkin bloodline into his own body!”

Su Nan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Read Advanced Chapters on Patreon for $5:

It seemed that Herub’s research on the Beastkin bloodline was very deep.

Herub’s eyes had become a strange dark red, his maw exuding a pungent smell.

He roared, his heavy steps making him look like a tank charging forward, rushing towards Su Nan.

Boom!

The rune gem transformed into a thunderbolt in midair, crashing down.

This time, Herub didn’t dodge. He chose to endure the lightning strike.

With the reinforcement of the Beastkin bloodline, his physical capabilities had reached an astonishing level. He allowed the lightning snakes to crackle over him, yet still maintained his charging momentum, approaching within five meters of Su Nan.

Looking at Su Nan’s “small” body, a cruel smile spread across Herub’s face.

At this distance, even a light-level protective magic item wouldn’t be able to withstand him!

This kid is finished!

Herub’s heart was filled with murderous intent. A surge of excitement filled his chest.

But when he closed the distance, he was startled to find that there was no panic on Su Nan’s face. Instead, a smirk played on his lips.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

For no reason, a wave of unease washed over Herub’s heart.

The next second, a bone-chilling cold suddenly erupted from Su Nan, sweeping outwards like a gale!

Crack! Crack!

Ice crystals rapidly formed in the air. A thick layer of ice spread rapidly along the ground.

Herub had no time to react. A thick layer of frost instantly covered his body.

His massive frame, as if put on slow motion, became noticeably sluggish.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Nan quickly retreated to create distance while the ring on his right middle finger flashed with a faint glow.

In an instant, countless black mists appeared in the void, rapidly condensing into a giant claw, wielding a heavy aura of death, and savagely striking out.

Calamity Claw!

Facing the ferociously attacking claw, Herub, covered in frost and slow-moving, was completely unable to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as the claw slammed into his body.

Sizzle!

A sound like tearing cloth echoed. Countless bloody wounds appeared on Herub’s body in an instant.

The thick aura of death permeated through the wounds, continuously corroding his flesh and blood. Blood spurted out like a fountain.

“Ahhh!!”

Herub let out a piercing scream.

Though it couldn’t be seen from the outside, the Calamity Claw’s accompanying aura of negative energy was fiercely attacking his internal organs, blood, and bones.

The intense pain made Herub’s eyes bloodshot, and his entire body seemed to be entering a state of frenzy. Both his eyes turned a light blood-red, as if the pupils had dissolved within the eyeballs, emitting a faint blood-red light.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Numerous wispy blood mists suddenly escaped from Herub’s skin, rising in a plume.

The extreme heat caused the frost on his body to melt rapidly.

“A similar ability to Beastkin frenzy?”

Su Nan curled his lips.

This state undoubtedly greatly enhanced combat capabilities, but it would inevitably affect rationality.

For a wizard, maintaining a clear mind was paramount.

True enough, after regaining his mobility, Herub immediately roared and lunged at Su Nan, transforming into a ferocious beast.

Su Nan’s expression remained calm. He flipped his palm, and three rune gems appeared between his fingers.

The next instant, the three rune gems flew out of his hand, transforming into lightning in midair, striking Herub directly!

Boom!

A deafening thunderclap echoed through the courtyard.

The dazzling lightning, like a giant ball of light, engulfed Herub completely!

Fine arcs of electricity spread outward, engulfing almost the entire courtyard. The Beastkin, the giant bear, and the Stealthy Dragon, engaged in battle, were paralyzed and stiffened for a moment when swept by the electric arc.

Only the Steel Golem was immune to the paralysis, seizing the opportunity to punch a Beastkin into a pulp.

When the lightning dissipated, a massive pit four to five meters deep had appeared in the center of the courtyard.

Herub lay in the pit, his massive frame restored to its original form. His entire body was charred black, with hardly an inch of unbroken skin.

Five long, bloody wounds on his chest and abdomen had flesh ripped open and exposed, a shocking sight.

Having exited his Beastkin state, he seemed to regain his senses, his eyes filled with terror and despair. He struggled to lift his head, emitting strange gargling noises, as if trying to say something.

But Su Nan, well aware of the dangers of a Wizard Apprentice, wasn’t going to give him a chance. He directly shot out a beam of lightning, piercing his brow, throat, and heart, ensuring that the guy was dead beyond any doubt.

With a look of utter disbelief and despair, Herub breathed his last.

Sensing that Herub’s soul essence was fading away, Su Nan finally let out a sigh of relief.

It might seem that he had escaped unscathed throughout the battle, but in reality, he had exhausted all his trump cards. If he hadn’t killed Herub, he would have had to consider running.

“All the higher rune gems are gone.” Su Nan felt a pang of regret.

Each higher rune gem cost over three hundred gold coins.

He had spent all his gold during this period, only synthesizing six.

The three he used just now were the last of his higher rune gems.

Thankfully, the final blow had finally taken care of Herub.

At the same time, as Herub died, his giant bear magical companion whimpered, its body disintegrating into dust, scattering in the air.

Without its controller, the two Beastkin fell into chaos. Not long after, they were killed by the combined efforts of the Stealthy Dragon and the Steel Golem.

Seeing that all enemies were eliminated, Su Nan relaxed and walked towards Herub’s corpse.

“A battle that cost nearly two thousand gold coins. I hope you have something to compensate for my losses.”

Su Nan reached out and began to loot the body.

Due to the lightning strike, most of the items on Herub’s body were damaged, including two presumed attack-type alchemical magic items.

Only the more stable defensive and spatial magic items remained intact.

The two defensive magic items were both alchemical level, not very useful to Su Nan. He stored them away, intending to let his students exchange them.

The spatial ring, on the other hand, contained a lot of things.

Gold coins, gems, books, various materials, and miscellaneous items.

The gems alone numbered over a hundred, enough to more than cover Su Nan’s battle expenses. He felt instantly better.

But this wasn’t the place to sort through loot. Su Nan put things away, intending to go back to the base and sort through them slowly.

As he stood up, Su Nan caught a glimpse of several guards peeking from the courtyard gate.

It seemed that the people outside had heard the sounds in the courtyard disappear and sent people to investigate.

Seeing Su Nan standing calmly in the center of the courtyard, the guards’ faces lit up with joy. They turned and excitedly shouted, “Lord Su Nan won!”

Not long after, a group of people rushed into the courtyard.

Kei, at the head, took a few quick steps. Seeing Su Nan unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief.

Then his gaze swept across the messy, pitted courtyard, as if it had been ravaged by a storm. He couldn’t help but marvel.

A battle between Wizard Apprentices was truly terrifying. Even dozens of Great Knights fighting together wouldn’t cause this much damage.

“Where is that Wizard Apprentice?” Kei asked, recovering his composure.

“He’s been dealt with.” Su Nan pointed at the charred corpse lying in the pit.

Kei’s expression lit up with joy.

He hadn’t stopped worrying about the existence of the hostile Wizard Apprentice.

To think that he had even come to deliver himself to them, now they would be free of worries.

“The war coming this spring just lost its biggest threat.” Kei laughed.

Su Nan smiled but said nothing.

Under normal circumstances, Herub’s actions weren’t wrong.

Normally, a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice facing a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice was a piece of cake, something that wouldn’t cause any problems.

Unfortunately, he had run into a freak like himself, getting beaten to death by equipment and items from a higher tier.

You could say that he was just unlucky.

Shaking his head, Su Nan didn’t explain to Kei. He only told him to burn Herub’s body quickly.

After all, judging by Herub’s appearance, he had probably fused with the bloodline of a primitive Beastkin. Who knew if his corpse had any contagious properties? If they weren’t careful, someone might get infected with Beastkin syndrome.

Kei quickly understood the point and readily agreed. He turned to arrange for someone to deal with the corpse.

Su Nan, on the other hand, stored the Steel Golem and left the manor.

He couldn’t wait to see what was in Herub’s spatial ring.

Five chapters, 20,000 words completed, begging for monthly tickets!

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.Com