Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam

Not long after, there was a commotion outside the door.

Footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by the noise of metal objects being dragged across the ground.

What came into view was a figure shrouded in a black robe, with its face completely obscured by the cloak, dragging a scythe linked with chains on the ground. This attire instantly reminded Franky of the Black Mages, those who use wisdom and knowledge to bring disaster.

"He hasn't shown up."

The figure's voice was dry and deep.

The headmaster standing under the white sphere was first stunned, then understanding dawned, "I see, it's the invisibility potion, you've been by our side all along."

The headmaster's tone seemed to change too. He glanced around, his eyes turning somber.

Franky immediately understood the meaning of their conversation.

The headmaster pretended to send him away, but in truth was letting this scythe-wielding Black Mage know. If he hadn't come back after drinking that invisibility potion, he might have been ambushed.

This explained the source of all the incongruity.

Transformation potion.

Knowledge related to it surfaced in Franky's mind. It tastes like licorice and allows you to appear as someone else for the next hour.

This meant the Black Mage had boarded the island without them noticing and learned the secrets hidden beneath it.

Perhaps they had met before, and at the time, the Black Mage disguised as the headmaster failed to recognize him, letting him return to the school, which led to the memory erasure happening afterwards. From a magical perspective, erasing parts of one's memory was entirely possible.

Franky's heart began to race faster and faster.

Everyone was aware of the seriousness of a Black Mage infiltrating the academy, so the first thing he did after returning was to inform his mentor or the headmaster.

Franky simulated the actions he might take in his mind, but someone within the academy didn't want this spreading and schemed against him, erasing parts of his memory. They didn't choose to act within the academy, perhaps fearing the influence of his family in the Ministry of Magic. If he died unexpectedly in the academy, his parents would definitely leverage their connections in the Ministry for a full investigation, which surely wasn't what the Black Mage wanted.

But if he went missing after skipping school, there'd be more room for manipulation.

Someone in the academy had long been infiltrated.

The thought that emerged made Franky's hands and feet feel cold.

Was the one who schemed against him his mentor, or was it the headmaster himself?

"Come out, Mr. Franky, we can talk."

The headmaster said towards the surroundings, "You want to know the secrets of the Magic Net too, don't you?"

The scythe-wielding Black Mage had already started searching, the silver glow of the blade seemed to carry some unknown spell.

The distance was growing closer, Franky could already smell the stench like someone who hadn't bathed for weeks, nauseating.

He gently pointed his wand towards the passage.

An insect constructed from arcs of electricity gradually formed, it immediately burrowed beneath the intertwined roots, running back the way it came.

He detonated the electric insect at the entrance, the arc triggering the roots to twitch slightly and make faint sounds.

Franky knew he couldn't overdo it; he was likely facing a Black Mage with blood on their hands, and too obvious footsteps would only reveal it as a distraction.

Only the sound of root movement was more like an accidental noise.

The scythe-wielding Black Mage instantly turned and quickly walked towards the source of the sound, dragging a corroded red mark through the black roots.

Absolutely cannot let that scythe touch him.

Franky formed a plan in his mind; he must take the initiative.

The moment the figure disappeared into the passage, his wand surged with pale blue arcs of electricity.

The arc shot like an arrow, piercing straight through the "headmaster's" chest, and hit the direction of the entrance. Franky didn't believe such a simple spell could kill a Black Mage. Before the "headmaster" could react, red arcs burst from the wand and struck him.

The red arcs didn't dissipate immediately, the surrounding temperature spiked by over ten degrees, and the body touched by the arcs made crackling sounds, accompanied by a black smoke, with a burnt smell permeating the cramped space.

The scythe-wielding Black Mage returned upon hearing the news, but before he could step in, Franky tightly shut his eyes, the lightning arrow embedded in the vines exploded with blinding light.

Before closing his eyes, Franky had locked onto the Black Mage's position. He heard a pained growl not far away, and the remaining magic power surged.

Another red arc.

The growl gradually weakened amid the crackling sound, until it completely disappeared.

The burnt smell in the air grew stronger, and having accomplished all this, Franky hunched his body, panting heavily.

To ensure he eliminated these Black Mages, he had no choice but to use the most destructive Elemental Magic he knew. Clearly, these Black Mages had mastered some spells unknown to him. Facing such foes, he had to defeat them in one strike, leaving no chance for them to cast a spell.

This was a gamble.