NOVEL NEXT Chapter 117: Mind Sword
The two first-circle mages approached Hayden without caution.
In their eyes, he was nothing.
Their expressions were even a mix of boredom and mild irritation as the two of them were tasked to capture this small kid who wasn't even a Magician but only an Aura User.
To them, he was just another frightened child—small, weak, and utterly insignificant.
"Move, boy. We don't have time for this…" the taller mage shouted, reaching for Hayden's arm.
Hayden also kept his face slack, his breathing deliberately ragged like a nervous child.
However, as soon as the two were in his range, he readied himself to activate his Mind Sword.
Of course, during this time, his Ocularis Lens had also finished some basic analysis of the two.
[ Target Analysis Complete. ]
[ Mage 1: Right-handed. Mana circulation strongest in left palm—likely dominant for spellcasting. ]
[ Mage 2: Left eye twitch—fatigue from recent spellcasting. Slower reaction time. ]
They were very simple analysis, but that was what his Lens could do right now, so he had to take advantage of it…
'They must be the ones who had triggered the Formation Cores… It must be tiring to activate it with Mana. Good… I can do this.'
The moment the mage's fingers brushed his wrist, Hayden finally struck.
His Mind Sword activated—an invisible blade of pure mental energy assaulted the first mage…
Unlike physical attacks, this technique bypassed armor, flesh, and even mana shields—it struck directly at the mind.
"Wha—?!"
The first mage's pupils dilated as the Mind Sword pierced his consciousness.
He felt like he was hit by a horse and was so dizzy!
His thoughts shattered into fragmented noise—memories, fears, and instincts colliding in a storm of disorientation.
The mental disruption wasn't very long, so he had to act quickly…
Hayden didn't waste the opening and targeted his Acupuncture Points.
His hands moved like lightning! His fingers jabbed at certain acupuncture points along the mage's neck and wrists.
The first was Jianjing Point. It was a strike to the shoulder and could disrupt mana flow since they were casting Spells through their hands.
After that was Lieque Point. It was now a pressure point on the wrist, numbing the fingers and preventing spellcasting itself.
Finally, the Fengchi Point. Hayden jabbed to the base of the skull, inducing temporary paralysis.
The mage gasped, his body locked up as his mana circulation stalled.
[ Mana Defense—Suppressed. ]
The Lens noted to him and indeed, he could no longer sense Mana from the mage!
Before the second mage could react, Hayden rotated, and his foot snapped out in a low sweep. The mage was unable to cast any spell and stumbled!
He wasn't fast enough to defend himself with Mana! He was too confident facing Hayden!
'That's your fault!' Hayden then drove his elbow into the man's solar plexus.
"Ghk—!"
The air rushed from the mage's lungs. However, as the man was about to forcefully cast a Spell, Hayden followed up with a Mind Sword—this time, not just disorienting, but painful!
This was his second time using the Mind Sword and he could only use it five more times…
'Two out of seven used…' Hayden thought as his Mind Sword could only be used seven times a day. If he pushes more than that, he would be the one suffering backlash.
The mage clutched his head, screaming as the mental blade pierced through his thoughts.
To be honest, Hayden was also unsure what kind of damage it would do to his target. He only had a vague understanding when he had inherited the technique.
Nonetheless, Hayden didn't hesitate as soon as the mage was hurt.
He snatched the fallen mage's dagger from its sheath and—
"Sleep."
A single swift slash across the throat…
Sssakkk~
The first mage, still paralyzed, could only watch in horror as his companion collapsed, gurgling.
Hayden turned to him.
[ Target—Still immobilized. Mana recovery at 12%. Threat level: Minimal. ]
He didn't speak. He didn't gloat at his enemy and he simply ended it.
A quick, efficient stab through the heart.
Thud…
Hayden took a deep breath as his body was still filled with adrenaline. The entire fight had taken less than ten seconds.
[ Combat Efficiency—98%. No external alerts were detected. ]
Good. No one had noticed.
He then wiped the dagger clean before slipping it into his belt.
[ Escape route—West Tunnels still viable. ]
He wanted to quickly go there but now, Hayden had a new advantage.
Mage robes.
Hayden swiftly stripped one of the mages, pulling the dark cloak over his own shoulders. The fabric was too large, but a quick adjustment with his belt made it serviceable.
He took one last look at the corpses before he finally escaped.
What he had achieved just now was something incredible. After all, he wasn't even an Aura Knight and he already defeated two first-circle Mages! Everyone would probably think that he was crazy if he shared this story.
However, it was true!
***
In the meantime, Prince Helcurt's gloved fingers curled into fists as he stared down at the two lifeless mages lying across the stone floor.
He could see that their vital parts had been slit or stabbed like it was done by an assassin—no wasted movement, no hesitation. It must have happened too quickly, seeing almost no resistance from the mages.
"Is it done by Hayden? No way… He must have a helper… Is the Vice Principal of the Academy secretly guarding him? Still, they shouldn't be strong enough to break through a Mana Barrier."
Mana Barrier was a Spell that even Magicians without a Mana Circle could use. Nonetheless, despite not having a circle, it was more than enough to block a first-level Aura Knights' full attack.
Once a magician obtained their first circle, even a third-level Aura Knight wouldn't be able to pass through their Mana Barrier unless they were using powerful Artifacts or there were multiple of them attacking at the same time.
'This…'
Prince Helcurt couldn't believe this at all.
His slave—his property—had not only escaped but had the audacity to butcher Phyrexia's mages like common livestock.