Chapter 234: The Final Act of the Holy Angel Academy and the Wizard Tower
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 234: The Final Act of the Holy Angel Academy and the Wizard Tower
"Impossible! This can't be! There's no response from the heat source detection!"
Faced with the sudden appearance of a second enemy, the Wizard Academy fell into a state of panic. They had thought the situation was under control once Lucien transformed into a troll and instantly suppressed that witch.
But who could have guessed the tables would turn so quickly?
This was the first time these wizard apprentices had seen Tan Han in this form. Not every apprentice went to the trouble of digging up information on their opponents after arriving at the Witch Academy. Moreover, to the Wizard Academy of that time, the Witch Academy was nothing more than a trash-tier school that couldn't even break into the top ranks.
This mindset was common among students of top-tier academies—especially those who were only half-talented but full of themselves.
"It's Tan Han! Get into the Wizard Tower! That's Tan Han!"
The lone wizard apprentice who had returned with Lucien shouted at the top of his lungs. This was no longer a matter of them teaming up with the Holy Angel Academy to deal with Tan Han; if they didn't rely on the Wizard Tower, they would be slaughtered out in the open.
Furthermore, this apprentice was heavily injured. The Voodoo Gu life bugs inside him were already beginning to devour his body. He wasn't the leader and didn't have a large enough quota to exchange for the resources within the Wizard Tower to pay the price the life bugs demanded after he was pushed to the brink of death.
At that moment, the blessing of the fire element spirits on my body shifted into a blessing of ice element spirits, which I then cast upon Tan Han.
The Elemental Spirit's Blessing was a high-consumption spellbook. Its offensive power was weak, its defensive capabilities were low, and its buffs were only mediocre, but it was a "jack-of-all-trades" spell. With the help of elemental spirits, one could accomplish many things.
Originally, elemental spirits could only command their corresponding elements. But that didn't matter—after all, the spell was in my hands, wasn't it?
After granting Tan Han the elemental spirit's blessing and boosting her affinity, we both turned to face the Wizard Tower. That, after all, was our ultimate goal.
However, we both knew that it would be difficult to topple the Wizard Tower with Tan Han's spell alone.
A Wizard Tower was more than just a building; it was the representation of a wizard's highest honor. Its construction could never be as fragile as an ordinary structure.
Beyond the outer protective barrier, the tower was solidified from top to bottom with a dense network of witchcraft and runes.
This was why I had previously needed a floating island to crush a tower. Only an absolute overwhelming mass could hope to destroy it.
Otherwise, if it were a normal building, I could have summoned a giant sword and skewered the tower through.
But against a Wizard Tower, such a feat was impossible. Why else would I have needed that Holy Angel, Archie, to empower the giant sword with the entirety of his Holy Light Source Spring?
Only transcendent power at the energy level of the Holy Light Source Spring could shake the foundations of a Wizard Tower.
The Wizard Tower had significant restrictions placed on it at the start of the exchange competition's design. Destroying the tower was a legitimate, optional path to victory.
One could break through from the inside and destroy the core, but that required completely overwhelming the Wizard Academy and launching a suicidal strike deep within the tower.
That was not an option for me.
Wasn't it better to just crush it from the outside? Besides, it made for a much better spectacle.
In truth, if Tan Han and I used over-consumption spellbooks together right now, we might be able to shake the Wizard Tower.
But... we wouldn't do that. Even if it were a safer bet, we wouldn't choose it.
The one to destroy the Wizard Tower had to be Lucien. His existence was an unstable factor. We would take a step back and let Archie take out the Wizard Academy. Wasn't that better?
Otherwise, Archie staying behind would only be a nuisance to us. By fulfilling the contract, we were simply giving him the resources he deserved and sending him on his way early.
Lucien also needed a reasonable exit from the exchange competition—one that befitted his status and that of his academy.
By taking down the Wizard Academy, a fellow top-tier school, single-handedly, no one could say anything. In the ensuing conversation, the victim would shift from the Holy Angel Academy to the Wizard Academy.
The wizards would become the ultimate clowns.
This was already the best possible outcome they could hope for at this stage.
Now, we just needed to press our advantage and, while we were at it... take another look at their heterogeneous lightning great witchcraft.
According to Tan Han, this witchcraft even affected the wizards themselves, so they either had to stay far away or hide inside the Wizard Tower.
Since they had already retreated into the tower, they had met the prerequisite for using it.
The outer layer of the Wizard Tower had a protective coating that insulated it from heterogeneous lightning elements. Because it blocked the effects of the lightning, the tower itself would remain unaffected.
Otherwise, the wizards would be caught in their own crossfire, and their wizard tools would surely be damaged.
"These witches... popping up one after another like vermin in a gutter... all of you, just die!"
"They're falling for it so fast..."
I watched the great witchcraft charging up atop the Wizard Tower and muttered under my breath. Then, I placed a teleportation mark on Tan Han and turned to run.
I'd leave the job of drawing fire to Tan Han. Once the enemy's ultimate move was baited out, it would be time for a pleasant harvest.
"Mm."
Tan Han nodded in agreement. In their minds, the Wizard Academy shouldn't have been this pathetic—at least, not based on the leader's previous performance.
But if the enemy wanted to walk right into the trap, there was nothing to be done.
"Now you know to run! Where was that energy before!"
An arrogant voice drifted faintly from within the Wizard Tower, but in the end, the speaker aimed at Tan Han, who hadn't fled yet.
"Since your companion abandoned you and ran, pay the price for your recklessness!"
As the witchcraft atop the Wizard Tower finished charging, ritual patterns flickered across the entire area surrounding the tower. The light of transcendent power surged through the earth, forming a massive witchcraft array.
Every rune and solidified witchcraft spell on the Wizard Tower lit up at once. Power converged within the tower, using it as a massive wizard tool to aggregate elemental energy with heterogeneous lightning properties.
Even in the charging stage, the flashing lightning illuminated the entire area. Bolts of electricity pierced the air, sending arcs of lightning across the sky, and a low hum of electrical discharge filled the atmosphere.
Even though this was the second time Tan Han had seen this scene, she couldn't help but marvel at the attack. In terms of pure destructive power, it completely surpassed her Ancient Remnant Ice.
For the Wizard Tower to withstand such crude, direct, and devastating energy was a massive test of its structural integrity and material strength.
This was the main reason Tan Han doubted whether the tower could be toppled. If the Wizard Tower could endure witchcraft energy of this level, it could surely withstand an equivalent magical attack.
Because heterogeneous lightning elements were so rare and powerful, the Wizard Tower's application of this method was limited to a basic "lob." In other words, its range was limited. It would actually be quite simple for the Wizard Tower to fire this energy more effectively—they would just need to add a specific structure—but the other academies would never allow the Wizard Academy such an advantage. Thus, the Wizard Tower remained as it was.
"Die! Hahaha! You escaped last time, but not today!" With a classic villainous laugh and declaration, the heterogeneous lightning orb was lobbed toward Tan Han's position.
Tan Han didn't hesitate for a second; she had no desire to experience that attack a second time.
"Xiao Han!"
Sometimes, communication was just that simple. The moment Tan Han shouted my name, her figure vanished from the spot.
On the other side, where I had long since fled, a ritual circle lit up. Tan Han tumbled out of the teleportation summoning ritual, landing on the ground in a slightly disheveled heap.
Before we could react, an explosion erupted in the distance, so powerful that even the earth trembled slightly.
The lightning burst in the most direct manner possible. It wasn't as ear-piercing as one might imagine; instead, it was a low, heavy thud, but the resulting shockwave still reached us.
Even from afar, we could see the residual heterogeneous lightning lingering in the air after the blast. It was as if the area was being continuously struck by lightning, drawing the clouds above into a rumbling chorus.
The lightning orb hadn't been thrown very far, and more than half of the Wizard Tower's surroundings were engulfed in the blast.
"Time waits for no one. It's my turn to take the stage."
I snapped my fingers, and a lightning element spirit's blessing settled over me. No matter what kind of lightning it was—heterogeneous or synthetic—under the protection of the lightning blessing, my damage would be minimized.
Meanwhile, having just fired the heterogeneous lightning orb, the apprentices inside the Wizard Tower began a self-diagnostic check while looking for the results of their strike.
"A second time. We had to use a second great witchcraft just to hit two damn witches, and one of them still got away. What a waste. Is the other one dead?"
"Unclear, but I don't see any signs of life out there."
"Heh. Taking a great witchcraft of that level head-on? There won't even be ashes left."
There were three apprentices responsible for controlling and maintaining the Wizard Tower. Their previous strike hadn't even spared the troll-form Lucien.
At this point, they naturally wouldn't show any mercy. Besides, Lucien had used those forbidden great witchcrafts; death was the best end for him.
However, they now faced a problem: they no longer had any powerful individuals or a leader who could confront the outside world directly.
Those few guys following Lucien certainly wouldn't cut it.
The good news was that the area created by the heterogeneous lightning was persistent enough to include the Wizard Tower itself. Anyone trying to enter this zone would pay a heavy price, and even long-range spells would be disrupted by the lightning.
"Turn on the heat source detection. Let's see if we've completely killed them."
"I can't. Dammit, this heterogeneous lightning... it doesn't distinguish between friend and foe." The apprentice trying to investigate cursed under his breath after his failed attempt.
"Just send those few guys in the tower to check for us. Useless trash should be put to use somehow."
Although these apprentices had only been in the Wizard Tower for a few days, the values inherent to wizards had already influenced their behavior.
In the Wizard Academy, no one truly cared what happened to "trash."
At that moment, I was soaring through the sky on my broom. Even at this height, positioned directly above the Wizard Tower, I could hear the crackle of electricity. My hair stood on end as I flew, and stray sparks popped across my face.
And this was with the lightning element spirit's blessing active and while staying outside the primary blast zone of the heterogeneous lightning.
It was from here that I would drop the sword of judgment upon the Wizard Tower.
I wondered who would have won if that lightning orb had collided with the Sword of Holy Light empowered by the full Holy Light Source Spring. I was curious, but I knew how to prioritize.
The plan was paramount; there could be no accidents.
"Come on, Archie. It's time for your performance."
I reached out, and a ritual circle manifested. A figure stepped out into the empty air. Those wings, with all their special effects active, glowed with a holy luster. A massive phantom of golden wings appeared—this was his flight divine art.
The angel halo above Archie's head had been completely replaced by the Holy Light Source Spring. The spring had transformed into an exaggeratedly large halo that inspired a sense of dread in anyone who looked at it.
Archie was ready. This would be the final act for him and all the Holy Angels, marking the Holy Angel Academy's exit from the competition.
Since it was an exit, it needed a grand judgment to serve as the finale.
He didn't know how to face the witch before him. Should he thank her for providing this opportunity, this stage, and a fitting weapon?
Or should he hate her for forcing him into this corner?
Regardless, she had played both the hero and the villain.
"I understand. Let's begin."
Archie nodded, his words brief. He looked down at the tower beneath him. He had never imagined that one day he would stand above this tower to bring down an angelic judgment upon it.
Though this was all according to the witch's plan, it was also a heavy blow to the Wizard Academy.
Among the three top academies, the Holy Angel and Wizard Academies were the most antagonistic, while the Afuhemi Academy remained relatively neutral.
But now was not the time for overthinking.
Outside the dream, everyone held their breath for this historic, heart-pounding moment.
The ones with the darkest expressions were, naturally, the members of the Wizard Academy. They hadn't expected their contestants to be so pathetic—the sword was already hanging over their heads, yet they were idling inside the tower.
The Holy Angel Academy students outside didn't look much better, either, because their academy was about to become the first to be completely eliminated!
No Holy Angel was unaware of the importance of the Holy Light Source Spring, yet that witch had calculated everything perfectly!
They had watched their academy march toward elimination step by step. From their god-like perspective at the top, they hurled accusations and curses.
In contrast, the Transcendent Holy Angel teacher from the Holy Angel Academy remained calm. Although everything had happened abruptly and unfortunately, the goal of the exchange competition had been met. A luck seed had obtained a sliver of luck to take root and sprout. Securing the initiative was what mattered most, though he wouldn't show it now.
Back in the dream.
As the ritual manifested once more, the tip of the sword was the first to appear.
I maintained the ritual. Summoning such a massive object required a heavy "modding" of the spellbook; otherwise, it wouldn't come out at all.
Archie stepped forward and looked at the giant sword. The width of the sword's tip alone was greater than his height.
"O Holy Light... you are omnipresent. You shine upon the newborn babe and the elderly at their sunset. You receive the worship of the ascetic in the morning; the mist cannot shroud you, and the darkness cannot diminish your glory..."
Archie began his prayer. Even though he already commanded the Holy Light Source Spring, he chose the most stable method.
His prayer transformed into a chanting ritual that echoed through the surroundings, resonating with all things and echoing his faith.
And the Holy Light responded to his prayer.
At that moment, the giant sword in his hands began to glow with a golden light, even though he looked tiny in front of its full form.
The entirety of the Holy Light Source Spring was poured into this single strike.
I could feel the giant sword transforming into something akin to a divine artifact, radiating a sacred brilliance. Terrifying Holy Light energy surged violently, and the scorching holy fire of the light ignited along the blade.
The holy fire pulsed in rhythm with Archie's ongoing prayer.
The scene was breathtaking, but I couldn't help but complain internally. Does a divine art prayer really have to take this long?
Or was he just indulging in a sense of ritual at the final moment? Well, it didn't matter.
Inside the Wizard Tower, the apprentices also heard the echoing prayer and saw the Holy Light blooming above them.
In that moment, trapped within the tower, they finally understood the meaning of despair.
The heterogeneous lightning outside blocked their retreat, and the Wizard Tower didn't have enough time to charge another shot.
They were facing a true dead end.
"So this is the weakness that follows such an expenditure of power... It's time for me to go." Archie turned his head to look at me.
"Also, you—Yang Yuehan. I will remember you."
"Why remember me?" I shrugged and quipped, "Don't forget Tan Han is here too."
"Heh..." Archie shook his head. She hadn't understood his meaning, but he didn't have time to explain.
This was his most glorious moment in the exchange competition, and also the moment he would pay the heaviest price.
As he poured every drop of the Holy Light Source Spring into this attack, Holy Angel students elsewhere felt an abnormality in their angel halos. It was the sign of the spring running dry. This was the last of the power they possessed, and it was also their final moment of madness.
"This sword... is the Judgment of Holy Light! Wizard Academy, we have fought for so long... please, accept our final gift!"
Archie moved to the end of the sword's hilt, his expression more serene than ever before.
His spread wings flapped, and as he descended, the sacred phantom wings began to dissipate bit by bit. This was the sign that his power was down to the very last thread.
The moment he watched the holy sword pierce the Wizard Tower, he was already an ordinary person whose power was completely spent.
In that final moment, he chose to withdraw from the competition.
Up until this point, he hadn't died a single time. This was the answer sheet he submitted early for this exchange competition.
He was prepared to face the mockery and boos of everyone in the arena upon his exit, as well as whatever scolding or lessons his mentor had in store. He would accept it all calmly.
Because he had earned this.
I, meanwhile, had already fled far away. After all, a grand scene like this could only be fully appreciated from a distance.
Watching the massive holy sword plunge straight into the Wizard Tower—this simple, clean crushing force—this was the kind of satisfaction I was after.
The only pity was that I wasn't the one who personally pushed it.
"Looks like the plan was a success." Tan Han flew over on her broom to regroup with me.
"Yeah. Time to clean up the battlefield. Don't forget, a share of the loot there belongs to that guy. Since he put in so much effort, I won't be stingy." I said with a smile.
Tan Han looked at me, unsure of what to think for a moment. This was something Xiao Han had orchestrated from start to finish... She had no idea how much of a stir this was causing in the outside world, yet she spoke of it so nonchalantly.
Tan Han looked back at the ruins of the battlefield. It was, indeed, a spectacular sight...