I Pioneered Scientific Magic

In the afternoon, in the southern district, on a quiet street.

Nour, the apprentice, adjusted the robe on his body, his dark face smeared with a bit of mud for disguise.

Unable to use transformation magic, he had to rely on such means to avoid being recognized. However, this crude disguise didn't seem to be very effective. Since he entered the southern district, Nour keenly felt that someone had been following him.

Concealing his actions with his sleeve, Nour discreetly observed his surroundings through a small copper mirror in his palm.

About thirty meters behind him, a ragged beggar had been following him for three streets, definitely not a coincidence.

"Damn it!" Nour cursed silently in his heart. He was well aware that his recent risky actions had likely drawn the attention of the city guards.

Word had spread about the youngest and most talented Third Circle mage who had come from beyond the wizards' land, and he was now investigating Nour's whereabouts as well.

Nour's face turned grim, and he quickened his pace, weaving through the complex streets of the southern district in an attempt to shake off his pursuers.

However, he soon realized that this was futile because there might be more than one person tracking him.

It seems I have no choice but to deal with them.

Nour's heart hardened as he made a sharp turn, eventually entering an abandoned and dilapidated building.

Outside on the street, three sailors who had met up exchanged glances, hesitating about whether to follow him. If there were any secret passages inside the crumbling building, they didn't want to lose sight of him.

Lame Loude had given strict orders before they came: do not let the target out of their sight.

With that in mind, the three sailors clenched their teeth and left one person outside to keep watch. The other two cautiously entered the building.

Inside the crumbling building, it was empty, with only a few broken wooden boards stacked in a corner and a table and chairs that were mostly destroyed. The walls were covered in moss, and a gust of wind brought a foul, rotting odor.

But where were the people?

The two sailors were momentarily perplexed when, suddenly, from the area above the doorway, a dim rune lit up.

This was followed by a deafening explosion, and with the shockwave came a cloud of dust and rubble that instantly enveloped everything inside the crumbling building. The two sailors hadn't even realized what had happened before they were knocked to the ground, buried beneath beams and countless pieces of rubble.

The other sailor who was waiting outside rushed in, and he was met with Nour's sinister grin and the Corrosion Spell.

The Corrosion Beam was already right in front of him, with countless glistening liquid droplets descending. There was no escape, and the panicked sailor fell to the ground, watching as the acid approached closer and closer.

Suddenly, a wall of ice crystals shot up, blocking all of the corrosive liquid. Nour's smile froze, and he turned his gaze toward the entrance, speaking with a malicious tone.

"Friend, I advise you not to meddle further. I am Nour, an assistant of Lord Radak, and a member of the Bloodthorn. I have my ways."

Lynn, with a new face, remained silent. Instead, he immediately activated Mage's Hand. Large amounts of rubble on the ground floated up, revealing the two sailors buried beneath them.

Since they hadn't been directly hit by the explosion, both of them were still breathing, but their brains had been rattled, and they were unconscious.

Seeing this, Lynn also breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had arrived not a moment too soon. He immediately turned to the sailor who was still in shock from narrowly escaping death and said straightforwardly,

"Get them out of here!"

"Thank you, Wizard, my lord!" The sailor didn't recognize the disguised Lynn but quickly reacted, moving closer to drag his two unconscious comrades to a safer distance.

Nour's expression became extremely serious. He understood that he was likely in danger today. Slowly stepping back, he reached behind and discreetly retrieved a copper rod.

Magic - Barrage

Lynn, who had been observing Nour's actions, quickly noticed the sudden movement. Once the sailors were at a safe distance, he raised his hand, and a dozen Magic Missiles materialized in the air.

"A formal wizard?!" Nour's pupils contracted. Although Lynn was only using Zero Circle magic, the quantity was clearly beyond what an apprentice could control.

Realizing this, Nour didn't hesitate and threw the copper rod he had in his hand. The runes on the rod lit up in succession, and it exploded violently, sending sharp iron shards raining down on Lynn like a storm.

At the moment he threw the rod, Nour turned and ran, not bothering to see the outcome. He opened a hidden door in the wall and rushed inside.

He understood that this move might cause some hindrance, but it wouldn't be enough to kill a formal wizard. As expected, in the next moment, the hidden door, along with the makeshift wall, was blown open by a powerful shockwave. Nour was thrown out in a sorry state.

After tumbling on the ground, Nour struggled to stand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a bottle of emerald-green potion. He downed it without hesitation.

This was a potion he had concocted himself over the years as an assistant, using a formula he had stolen. It had some significant side effects, and he had originally planned to sell it at a high price when the opportunity arose. But now, he couldn't afford to think about that.

He knew what his fate would be if he got captured!

The moment he drank the potion, Nour felt a rush of heat throughout his body, as if he had been thrown into a furnace. His mouth emitted a series of agonized screams.

Magic - Barrage

Several magic missiles whizzed past him, hitting various parts of Nour's body. They were precise enough not to aim for vital areas but to create openings at his joints.

If it were an ordinary person, receiving such an attack would have rendered them helpless long ago.

However, Nour was different. Under the influence of the potion's power, his skin gradually turned emerald green, and the wounds at his joints started to heal rapidly.

Nour's eyes turned bloodshot as he glared intensely at the mastermind who had pushed him to this extent. A powerful surge of anger welled up within him.

The transformation caused by drinking the potion was irreversible. It meant that he would have to live with this grotesque appearance for the rest of his life.

But as compensation, Nour felt every cell in his body brimming with immense magical power.

He was unimaginably powerful now!

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