Versatile Mage

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

A fierce flash of lightning swept across the dim sky and the huge raindrops lit up like a cloud of golden dust for a moment.

Mo Fan suddenly felt his Dark Vein rising. He looked up and happened to catch the flash of lightning lighting up the sky like a match. He also caught a glimpse of a pitch-black claw reaching out from the curtain of rain!

“Move forward, flatten the ground ahead!” Lt. Colonel Mason shouted at the same time.

His Savage Bull Riders were in front of the Fearsome Martial Bear. They were clearing a path ahead like bulls plowing a field, mainly because the Fearsome Martial Bear was used to living in a forest and did not like mud staining the bottom of its feet.

The claw was less than a hundred meters away from the Savage Bull Riders. It was not to be underestimated, since it had woken Mo Fan’s Dark Vein.

However, the Fearsome Martial Bear was still ignoring it.

Even Professor Xylan only took a quick look at it and closed her eyes. However, she quickly re-opened them and glanced at Mo Fan.

Mo Fan could not wait any longer, and activated his Earth Domain. “Star Dust: Rock Repeating Crossbow!”

Countless shards emerged from the ground. Mo Fan sharpened their tips with his will and fired them rapidly at the claw in the sky, like the bolts of a repeating crossbow!

The bolts formed a line and drove at the claw that was about to land on Mason. The bolts struck the claw and broke off one of its talons.

Mason realized something was above him after he heard the impacts. Black splinters began falling from the sky.

Another lightning strike happened to flash in the sky, like it had torn the clouds in half, and revealed the black claw reaching down.

The claw was connected to a strange limb that had extended from somewhere on the battlefield. It looked like it belonged to an enormous creature up in the sky.

Mo Fan’s bolts had destroyed the talon in the middle, leaving the claw with only two talons on the left and two on the right. It looked ghastly and twisted with the huge gap in between the toes!

“What…what the Hell is that?” Mason fell to the ground as the claw plunged at him.

Mason was very lucky that he was right in the middle of the claw where the gap was. He looked like an earthworm digging its way out from under a rooster’s claw.

The toes were terrifyingly huge. Mason found himself frightened stiff in between them as the blow landed. He was so close to being smashed into pieces!

The claw rose quickly after missing its attack.

Everyone thought it was going to come down at Mason again, since he was completely frozen on the spot, but it retreated and disappeared up into the clouds.

A few Thunderbolts Cast by Lightning Mages collided in the sky and created illuminating flashes, but there was no sign of the claw.

The claw was gone. It had disappeared as quickly as it came out of nowhere.

—

“What…what exactly was that?”

Mason was dazed with shock. The gouges left by the talons around him were like deep ravines in the ground.

“It seemed to be coming after you,” Captain Benson said.

“But I’m just a nobody…” Lt. Colonel Mason replied softly.

It was clearly beyond what he could possibly handle. He would have had no idea how he died if he was not standing in the gap between the talons.

“Perhaps you caught the attention of the Super Mages of the Brown Rebels after you ruined their plans consecutively,” Captain Benson pointed out.

“But…but don’t we have strong Mages with us, too?” Mason turned and looked at the Fearsome Martial Bear.

“If those nobles of the Aorus Sacred Institute had any respect for us, they wouldn’t ask my men to plow the field. We are warriors, not farmers!” Captain Benson grumbled.

They were plowing the fields just so the Fearsome Martial Bear would not dirty its feet. It was stepping on the tracks of the Savage Bulls as it moved forward.

It was an order their superior had given to the Savage Bull Riders!

They had contributed greatly to the army, yet they were only worthy to be the insoles of Professor Xylan’s Contracted Beast!

Even so, the other troops were jealous of the Savage Bull Riders having the chance to carry out an operation with the people of the Aorus Sacred Institute.

—

“You clearly saw it.” Mo Fan stared at Professor Xylan.

“Didn’t you see it, too?” Professor Xylan opened her eyes. She was not surprised by what had just happened.

Mo Fan was utterly speechless. If it wasn’t for the Dark Vein, he would not have noticed the claw hidden in the clouds!

Professor Xylan had obviously noticed it, yet she was not willing to stop it when it was already above Mason’s head.

Does she treat her magic as precious as gold?

“What if I hadn’t stopped it in time?” Mo Fan challenged her.

“So be it then, you wouldn’t have to feel guilty over his death. This is a war; it’s quite normal for soldiers to die in it,” Professor Xylan replied calmly.

Mo Fan’s face darkened.

Leaving aside Lt. Colonel Mason’s stupidity, the Savage Bull Riders under his leadership were working hard to clear a path for the Fearsome Martial Bear, yet Professor Xylan could not care less about their lives!

“You are pretty strong. You don’t look like a student. The Aorus Sacred Institute will remain the same, whether the Federation wins the war or not. Why are you involving yourself in this mess, if you already have a high status?” Professor Xylan asked him.

Professor Xylan was obviously evaluating him.

Even though Mo Fan had only used an Advanced Spell and an Advanced Domain, Professor Xylan was able to learn something from it.

The claw had appeared out of nowhere, and this man who claimed to be a student of the Sacred Aorus Institute was the only one who had noticed it, except for her.

There was another reason Xylan had not intercepted the claw. She was interested in seeing Mo Fan’s strength!

She was testing Mo Fan, just like she was testing her students!

Mo Fan was too lazy to answer Professor Xylan’s question. He folded his arms and closed his eyes like he was mimicking her.

Did she think she was the only one who knew how to pretend to be high and mighty?