The scholar was blinded by rage, yet he still retained a shred of reason. He didn't recklessly charge into the flames. Instead, he stood at a distance and swung his wand.
In an instant, countless dazzling meteors burst forth, raining down like a storm. Each one dragged a long, blazing tail behind it, as though intent on melting everything in its path.
Faced with this overwhelming display, Nolan did not retreat.
He stood firmly in place, both hands gripping the hilts of his Claymores. The two great blades erupted with brilliant azure-blue light.
Great Magic Weapon!
Waterfowl Dance Sword Style!
The Claymores moved at astonishing speed. Every swing carried sharp, cutting sword qi, weaving together into a dense web of flashing light.
In the blink of an eye, countless arcs of sword light bloomed like flowers in full blossom. The twin blades chopped and deflected in rapid succession, their magically infused edges trembling as they knocked away each incoming meteor.
When the two streams of magic collided, deafening explosions rang out, like a spectacular and chaotic fireworks display.
Sparks scattered everywhere. Pages tore loose and fluttered through the air. The once-quiet corridor was instantly transformed into a dazzling, violent spectacle.
Romain staggered back half a step. Beneath his mask, his eyes were filled with disbelief.
What was this? Magic? Was the intruder a Sorcerer too? But then… where was the glintstone?
Before the associate professor could make sense of it, another storm tore through the smoke and dust. Spiraling currents surged forward like an enraged tide.
Storm Blade!
A storm-based Ash of War. That was indeed a technique used by Banished Knights. So the earlier attack had been an Ash of War as well?
Romain was forced into a hurried retreat by the strike. Before he could even think about counterattacking, a figure suddenly appeared right in front of him.
Hmph. Trying to run?
Nolan twisted his waist sharply. The storm surged again as his twin blades spun like windmills, rotating in perfect sync with his body. Razor-sharp sword qi tore through the air, and blood blossomed wildly around them.
Storm Sword Dance!
One strike severed the body. Another took the head.
Life and death were decided in an instant.
The associate professor from the Olivinus Conspectus was undeniably powerful, but at the end of the day, he was still just a Sorcerer.
Some things could never be put into practice, no matter how well one understood them. And his weakness was glaring. Only magic truly made him dangerous.
"It's finally over," Nolan muttered, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. "This time… I can probably say I've truly crossed the threshold."
He drew in a deep breath, sensing the strength within his body continuing to rise. Only now did he barely feel like a genuine Golden Needle Knight.
But he had no time to dwell on it. Enemies could break in at any moment.
He rushed deeper into the room, pulling out a Flask as he moved and taking large gulps.
As Nolan acted, the excited voices of magic apprentices echoed from outside. They clearly harbored deep hatred for this unseen intruder.
There was no need to think about it. In just a few minutes, they would force the door open and search every corner of the room.
Firelight flooded the chamber as the flames spread further. Several bookcases were already engulfed in roaring fire.
Nolan moved quickly along the shelves, examining them one by one with care, as though he couldn't hear the shouting outside at all.
His expression remained steady. His eyes swept across rows of books, cold and precise, like a machine, calm to the point of being unsettling.
"Found them! Lusat's notes, and Azur's notes! Just as I thought. The most valuable things are always hidden at the very back!"
Nolan shouted in excitement.
Since the academy's founding, only these two true masters of magic had ever emerged. All the other professors fell far short of their level.
Even if these notes involved forbidden research, they were still priceless treasures to any scholar pursuing the mysteries of magic.
Nolan's steps suddenly halted. His gaze locked onto a bookshelf engulfed in flames, a flicker of delight flashing in his eyes.
He hurried over and carefully pulled out two leather-bound books from the shelf.
They looked plain and unremarkable, but the yellowed pages spoke of long years past and the weight of time itself.
Footsteps from approaching Sorcerers echoed outside the door, yet Nolan remained calm, unhurriedly flipping the books open for a quick glance.
After long days of instruction under Sellen, and his experience researching magic alongside Thops, Nolan possessed a solid foundation in magical study.
He skimmed through the contents rapidly and quickly confirmed that both sets of notes were genuine.
"These are definitely them…" Nolan was just starting to feel relieved when, as he flipped further, something suddenly felt off. "But…"
"Damn it! Professor, be careful! The enemy is inside!"
Nolan snapped his head around. The noise at the door was unmistakable. He swiftly tucked the two precious notebooks into his clothing.
"Even a magic professor is stepping in personally?"
The upper ranks of the Magic Academy were all sharp-minded intellectuals, not useless fools.
Realizing that the two associate professors couldn't handle this mysterious intruder, they had sent in a stronger magic professor to take command.
They hadn't given Nolan any chance to clean up the rest. They went straight for their strongest forces.
"Good thing it was me who came," Nolan muttered. "If it were that idiot teacher, she'd probably drag every professor here."
Sellen was an undeniable genius when it came to magical research, but intrigue and scheming were simply not her domain.
Just then, a shrill, piercing voice rang out from outside:
"Break the door down! What are you waiting for?"
Another voice quickly followed:
"Preceptor Seluvis, Associate Professor Geralt and the others don't seem to be responding. The enemy may be hiding inside, waiting to ambush us."
Seluvis snapped back without restraint:
"Get lost! A bunch of cowards. Let my puppets go in first."
That damned guy again.
Nolan was already cornered, yet his expression remained calm and steady.
He moved straight through the roaring flames and kicked a table aside with a single powerful strike.
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the room as cold night air rushed in.
The broken window faced a sheer cliff, with no visible path of escape. Even so, Nolan leapt out without hesitation.
He didn't plunge into the abyss. Instead, relying on his astonishing physical strength, he clung tightly to the sheer rock face.
At the same time, he activated Hidden Body and Spook, climbing toward the direction of the open courtyard as fast as he could.
Seluvis's furious voice thundered through the room:
"Geralt! Roman! What the hell is wrong with you two useless pieces of trash?!"
The sharp crack of splintering wood rang out nearby, not far from Nolan, just as both his body and his presence vanished completely.
Bang!
The wooden door was smashed to pieces. A heavily armored puppet wielding a warhammer burst through like a charging tank, followed closely by a man clad in the long robes of a magic professor.