Wizards begin with Occlumency.

Chapter 42 Self-Defense

The voice belonged to Enrique.

Outside the dense fog, he stood on a tree-lined path, his left trouser leg hanging loosely below the knee, a crutch under his left arm to help distribute his weight to his right leg.

His left arm was also severed above the elbow, and his intact right hand was being violently waved to vent his anger.

However, no matter how wide his eyes were, his face remained expressionless.

Rivers's fire not only caused Enrique to lose his left arm and left leg, leaving him crippled, but also completely disfigured him.

The skin on his face was completely burned off, so he couldn't make any expressions, and he completely lost all feeling.

The nose is only outlined, not shaped.

"Get out here!"

Enrique roared, growing increasingly furious, "You despicable scoundrel who only knows how to use underhanded tricks! Don't you dare admit your mistakes?"

Link was speechless upon hearing this.

This is how people think: they can only scheme against others, not be schemed against by others.

However, Link didn't care about that.

He only had two questions:

First, Enrique's words indicate that he knew the reason for Rivers' sudden conflict with him. So, who told him?

Secondly, Enrique's ambush on this tree-lined path was perfectly timed and placed. Who told him about Link and Jasmine's itinerary?

When Link began practicing the second level of the "Water and Wood Mutual Generation Meditation Method," his perception ability improved significantly, and he developed the habit of being aware of his surroundings at all times.

If someone were watching or following him, Link couldn't possibly not have sensed it.

After all, even a third-class wizard apprentice is still a wizard apprentice, and there is no qualitative difference between him and a first-class or second-class wizard apprentice.

Undoubtedly, the answer to both questions points to the same person.

Mina Haveczek!

Have you discussed our itinerary with Mina Havček before?

Link asked Jasmine in a low voice.

"Um."

Jasmine thought about it seriously, her voice barely audible.

"I see."

Link, combining his encounter with Mina Haverczek a few days ago, her malice, her sudden reminder, and her dark past, had a clear understanding of the situation.

But those are things to be dealt with later.

Right now, we need to get rid of Enrique first.

But why is the intelligent law enforcement puppet still nowhere to be seen?

"ha!"

Enrique sneered, "Waiting for an intelligent law enforcement puppet? If I dared to come and kill you, would I be unprepared? You won't find an intelligent law enforcement puppet. Come out and face your death!"

Link simply didn't believe that a mere wizard apprentice could render the intelligent law enforcement puppet unable to operate.

At most, we can only delay the process through some means.

This method certainly won't last.

Otherwise, how can the college implement its will and ensure its authority when managing so many people?

Seeing Enrique standing there, completely unguarded, Link was even less inclined to leave his hiding place and engage in a one-on-one duel.

The other party must have something to rely on if they dare to do this.

Link saw through this obvious tactic of luring the enemy.

But this stalemate can't continue.

Although Link was certain that the intelligent law enforcement puppet would eventually arrive here, he couldn't feel at ease having someone who had murderous intentions towards him around.

With a heavy heart, Link made a decision.

Today, we must kill Enrique!

If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain.

Since Enrique isn't attacking first and they're trying to lure him out, then he'll go out.

Link took off his cloak and gave it to Jasmine, then winked at her, signaling her to hide in the woods to the left.

Jasmine didn't waste time making excuses; instead, she quietly put on her cloak and gently moved to the left.

Her bright green eyes were fixed on Link's face, filled with worry.

Link smiled and turned around resolutely.

He silently counted the time, raised his left hand, and fired a crossbow bolt at Enrique.

Almost simultaneously, all the seeds that had been scattered earlier were activated and grew, lying prostrate on the ground, waiting for enemies to step into their attack range before suddenly swarming and controlling them.

Link didn't stay still either. He activated the levitation and acceleration functions of his boots and leaped more than ten meters without making a sound.

In the blink of an eye, the crossbow bolt pierced through Enrique's figure.

After a ripple, Enrique's figure turned into fragments of light and quietly dissipated.

"really."

Link remained unmoved upon seeing this.

He had long suspected that it was a decoy, something like a phantom or a clone.

With a whoosh.

A metal arrow, as thick as an arm, shot out suddenly and then pierced the soil where Link had been standing.

Unfortunately, Link had already moved to another location.

The metal arrow was incredibly powerful, its tip trembling incessantly.

Seeing that the metal arrows had missed their target, Enrique, who was hiding in the shadows, withdrew the magic that was maintaining the sorcery.

The metal arrows quickly disappeared.

It turns out that Enrique's wizarding aptitude is affinity for both light and metal elements.

The previous illusion was a level 0 light-elemental spell.

The metal arrows just now were arrow-shaped spells applicable to all magic systems.

However, the attack power of metal-based magic is greater than that of the other elements.

Therefore, although both are second-class wizard apprentices, when it comes to a direct confrontation, aside from equipment factors, Link is no match for Enrique.

Link became even more cautious.

He thought for a moment, then cast a secondary mist rain spell, expanding the rain area to a circular region with a radius of fifteen meters around him.

In this way, although it consumes too much mental and magical energy, he can quickly find Enrique's hiding place as long as he senses carefully.

Calculating the consumption of his mental and magical energy, Link continued to move through the extremely dense fog.

Enrique was getting anxious.

He spent his entire fortune to acquire this one-time-use magical artifact, capable of shielding the intelligent law enforcement puppet for three minutes, from the black market.

But Link Grand's exceptional sensory abilities thwarted his perfect ambush, forcing him to launch a direct attack.

The opponent was finally lured out, but then resorted to guerrilla tactics, seemingly afraid of death.

This drove Enrique crazy.

He had to fire metal arrows randomly in all directions in an attempt to force Link Grande into a corner, or by sheer luck, injure him.

Link was unharmed despite being subjected to this indiscriminate barrage of superior firepower.

Jasmine was nearly hit by a metal arrow.

They were just one step apart.

Fortunately, Jasmine had a strong mental fortitude and quickly covered her mouth with her hands, preventing any sound from coming out.

Link couldn't help but wipe away a bead of cold sweat.

The saying "When poor, use tactical infiltration; when rich, bomb me" makes sense.

Link had by then discovered Enrique's true location.

He took a deep breath, withdrew the mental and magical power that had sustained the two minor Mist Rain spells, and quickly cast the Water Shield spell he had recently learned.

The curtain of water formed by the flow protected the front of his head.

Link got up from the bushes under the tree, went around the path, and ran towards Enrique's hiding place.

Enrique was overjoyed to see that Link Grande was finally no longer hiding his secrets.

Unfortunately, Link was running erratically in a zigzag pattern at an incredibly fast speed.

Enrique was too far away to aim properly.

They're taking advantage of your physical limitations!

Oh no! I set a timer, but Chapter 41 is still under review, what a disaster!

(End of this chapter)