New Life As An Overpowered Mage With Infinite Classes

Chapter 28

Robb regarded him coldly. "Your servant attempted theft. I'm confident the enforcement squad can easily verify that."

"Oh?" Marcus narrowed his eyes.

"A shame there are only three of us here right now. By the time the enforcement squad arrives, I'm afraid the only testimony will be mine and Ashara's."

As he spoke, his eyes began radiating an eerie gleam. An invisible wave of spirit pressure began permeating the corridor.

This was the mental interference ability unlocked upon advancing to Elementary Apprentice, capable of directly affecting a target's thoughts and reactions. It was the fundamental advantage mages held over all other supernatural systems.

In the mortal kingdoms, this kind of mental interference could reduce even the mightiest knight to confusion. Only Witchers, who were similarly attuned to the spirit, could mount any resistance.

At the Morning Star Mage level, this spirit wave wasn't mere interference, it was a brain-detonating blast.

Robb felt his thoughts blur for an instant, but clarity returned almost immediately.

He tightened his grip on the wooden sword, a glint of cold steel in his eyes.

Marcus's expression shifted when he saw Robb resist the mental interference, but a frigid smile quickly returned. "Impressive for someone who can kill a mutant. Your spirit power isn't weak. However..."

During Robb's brief moment of disorientation, Marcus had already begun condensing a ball of dark red energy in his palm, some kind of offensive zero-circle spell.

"You really think a broken wooden sword is enough to stand against an apprentice's power?"

Robb gripped his sword, the corner of his mouth lifting.

This sword had already been replaced once. He'd purchased it a few days ago at the apprentice market for six Mana Crystal Fragments. It was crafted from a rare wood called blackheart ironwood.

This tree, growing deep in the Black Mist Order, boasted hardness comparable to refined steel. More remarkably, it carried a natural resistance to magical energy.

Robb calmly watched Marcus. The ironwood sword rotated lightly in his hand, its tip angled slightly downward, a stance that appeared relaxed yet brimmed with lethal intent.

"Only one way to find out."

A flash of rage crossed Marcus's eyes, his ugly face twisting into a knot.

The dark red energy in his palm continued to build, now swelling to the size of a fist.

Dark arcs of energy crackled across its surface, and the air filled with an acrid, scorched smell.

"Die!"

Marcus roared, and the energy ball shot forward.

This was his signature zero-circle spell, Scorching Orb, modified by his brother to pack considerable punch.

The projectile left a dark red trail through the air, the surrounding atmosphere warping from the intense heat.

Knowing he couldn't dodge, Robb waited until the energy ball was about to strike, then moved.

The Solar Breath's rhythm merged perfectly with his sword technique in that instant.

On the inhale, the ironwood sword gathered power. On the hold, sword momentum coiled without release. On the exhale, the blade swept forward like flowing water.

Proficient-level swordsmanship revealed its astonishing force.

Thrummm...

The energy ball collided head-on with the blade, producing a bone-rattling boom.

Dark red energy waves surged outward like crashing waves, scorching marks into the corridor walls.

But the ironwood sword in Robb's hands didn't budge.

The blackheart ironwood's innate magic resistance, combined with the rhythm of Sun God Swordcraft, perfectly neutralized the raging energy.

Ripple-like patterns shimmered across the blade's surface. After cleaving the energy ball in two, the sword bore no significant damage.

"That... that's impossible!"

Marcus's eyes went wide, the cruelty on his face dissolving into disbelief.

He knew exactly how powerful that attack was. Even a weapon forged from refined steel would warp and deform under that heat.

But his shock wasn't over yet.

The instant the energy ball was neutralized, Robb had already closed the distance like a phantom.

The ironwood sword carved a strange arc through the air. The strike appeared light, yet carried a force that made the blood run cold.

"Energy barrier!"

Marcus frantically activated a defensive spell.

A shield materialized before him, a semi-transparent barrier flickering with complex runes.

As a mere Initiate, he actually had very few spells he could wield in combat. He shouldn't have been capable of instantly conjuring a barrier this solid.

But then again, he had a powerful elder brother who had inscribed a single-use, auto-activating spell model for him.

Marcus had barely finished congratulating himself when he felt a tremendous force slam into his shield.

Robb's strike appeared unremarkable, yet it concealed the distinctive rhythm of the Solar Breath.

Sword and breath in perfect harmony, every exhalation drove the blade's momentum, lending even an ordinary slash a peculiar penetrating quality.

[Keen Edge trait triggered, weak point breached! Basic Swordcraft EXP +2]

Crack!

Spider-web fractures suddenly spread across the shield's surface.

Marcus felt an icy chill shoot from his spine straight to the crown of his skull. He scrambled backward to open distance.

His prized spirit shield had nearly been shattered in a single blow, by a mere Initiate!

"You... how is this possible..."

His voice trembled.

As a bully with a powerful backer who only ever picked on the weak, when had he ever suffered such a setback within the faction? And from an Initiate, no less!

At this knife-edge moment, rapid footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor.

"Enforcement squad, everyone stand down!"

A team in gray-white uniforms marched briskly toward them, led by a somewhat listless-looking High Apprentice wearing a deep blue sapphire badge.

He stifled a yawn and swept a casual glance across the scene.

"You troublemakers again."

The enforcement captain shook his head wearily. "How many times is this now?"

Marcus immediately adopted a deferential expression. "Esteemed Captain Peter, this Initiate attacked my servant unprovoked, and..."

"Shut it." Peter cut him off impatiently. "Oliver's your brother, right? I know him well enough. But that doesn't mean you get to run wild around here."

He gave a lazy look at Ashara's severed hand and the blood on the floor, then drawled.

"My ruling. both of you go to the detention cells for two weeks. Cool off together."

Marcus's face turned ghastly. He hadn't expected the man to be completely immune to his leverage. "But..."

"No buts." Peter waved a hand and motioned for the other enforcers to step forward. "Take them both."

Just as the enforcers moved to escort them away, Peter leaned close to Robb's ear and murmured.

"Hadrian asked us to look out for you a bit. Consider this a favor to him. But next time, try not to cause such a scene."

It wasn't as though he'd wanted to cause a scene...

Robb nodded with a hint of resignation, silently filing away this debt of gratitude to Hadrian.