Wizard Bloodline

Despite Old Wills' urgent cries, the newcomer ignored him.

The black-robed wizard following Old Wills and his group chuckled coldly upon seeing another person arrive.

"What luck! I can gather all the gray-robed wizard scalps required for my mission in one go... How convenient."

Old Wills broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing the sinister laughter.

He knew the capabilities of their approaching ally.

Though an intermediate wizard apprentice, his rapid advancement was due to potion use over the past few months. Typically engrossed in rune studies or body training, he rarely practiced spells. He was too young to have fully converted his mental energy into combat power.

Even if he reached that state, black-robed wizards, honed through blood and scheming, were not adversaries that untrained, wandering wizards like them could easily handle.

Old Wills had seen many such cases during the Black Wizard Lands invasion in his youth, where a seemingly stronger wizard could easily fall to a lower-level opponent.

"You must leave! Let Ronan take you to safety!"

Having made a decision, Old Wills pushed Vinicia and Sherrill away, then turned to confront the black-robed wizard.

Sherrill's heart-wrenching cries pierced the air, making Old Wills' heart ache. 

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to ignore his injuries and began chanting a spell.

But before he could complete even a few incantations, a strange energy ripple rose behind him.

The terrifying sound of something cutting through the air approached swiftly.

Old Wills watched as the black-robed wizard, who had been smirking at them, suddenly looked as if he had seen a ghost. His expression changed dramatically, and without a word, he turned to flee.

At that moment, something shot over Old Wills' head, the rushing wind billowing his robe like a sail, his white hair whipping wildly.

"Boom!"

A massive, deep blue-black energy orb struck the fleeing black robe, creating a visible shockwave. The surrounding grass and trees quivered, shedding leaves.

"Swish—"

A figure darted past Old Wills, expertly reaching the black-robed wizard's crater, sifting through the debris, and quickly pocketing a few items.

Having completed this, the figure approached them.

Once in front of them, he surveyed the trio, relief washing over his face before he inquired.

"Oh, by the way, where's Jacob? Wasn't he with you?"

Old Wills stared blankly at the young, handsome, yet somehow unfamiliar face he knew so well, his mouth opening but no words coming out.

"I searched everywhere and found no trace of him. He's not at home either."

Ronan frowned slightly, weighing his options before deciding, "Forget it. Let's not worry about him."

The forest was rife with danger, teeming with black robes and beasts. It wasn't worth risking the group's safety for a missing Jacob.

Looking up, he saw Old Wills and the others staring at him in shock and disbelief.

Especially Old Wills, who had been closest to him. The revelation of Ronan's true strength was a significant shock.

Ronan suspected that, until now, Old Wills still saw him as the chubby Level 2 apprentice who ran daily to combat energy particle erosion.

"Are you hurt?!"

Ronan noticed Old Wills' pallor.

"A spell grazed me."

Old Wills replied, trying to sound strong, "I'll be fine, won't die from it."

Ronan considered for a moment, then bent down, "Here, I'll carry you."

Old Wills hesitated briefly before climbing onto Ronan's back.

"Thank you, Ronan."

Ronan shook his head at Old Wills' complex gratitude, scooping up little Sherrill as well.

Since mastering [Ascetic Body Training], Ronan's strength had become immense, comparable to a seasoned knight, though he wasn't sure how they measured up. Regardless, he found his strength impressive.

Carrying the weight of the elderly and the young posed no burden to him.

He began retracing their path.

After running for a bit, Ronan noticed Vinicia hadn't followed.

Returning, he found Vinicia in a peculiar state.

Ronan tugged at her robe, revealing an ankle swollen like a bun. It was unclear when she had twisted it.

"Why didn't you say you were hurt?"

Ronan frowned.

Vinicia bit her lip, silent, her demeanor like a scolded child.

"Never mind, you can join the ride too! One more won't make a difference."

Seeing her expression, Ronan refrained from further comment, lifting Vinicia and holding her in his other arm.

Vinicia's shy resistance felt like a tickle to Ronan, but he was slightly surprised by another discovery.

Ronan realized Vinicia had quite the figure!

Her loose wizard robe had hidden it completely.

Carrying the three of them, Ronan ran a while longer, feeling they were a safe distance from where they encountered the black robe. Old Wills asked Ronan to set him down, hoping Ronan could conserve his strength.

Ronan felt fine, having run with them for a while, only slightly sweating, confident he could still fight if needed.

But Old Wills insisted, so he set them down.

Nearby, they found a supply cache with some healing powders. After cutting some branches to make crutches, Old Wills and Vinicia could walk on their own again.

Though they still had a significant distance to cover before leaving the forest, being further from immediate danger eased everyone's nerves.

Recalling the recent carry, Ronan found his gaze involuntarily drifting towards Vinicia.

Observing discreetly, he noticed Vinicia's features beneath her thick linen hair weren't bad, even somewhat attractive.

Her skin was the issue—dull and rough, like that of a lifelong farmer, severely detracting from her looks.

"What a pity about that figure; she could easily score a ninety," Ronan mused.

Despite appearances, Ronan held a favorable opinion of Vinicia.

At Wizard Potter's funeral, her gentle, maternal care for the grieving Sherrill left a strong impression on him.

Later, she and Old Wills took in Sherrill, reportedly without keeping any of Potter's belongings—a testament to her soft, kind heart.

Perhaps it was due to being carried by Ronan, or maybe she noticed his covert glances.

Since receiving the crutch, Vinicia blushed, head

down, acting shy as a rabbit.

During their earlier sprint, Ronan hadn't noticed the extent of the chaos in the treehouse district.