Not only because he had seen Winchester, but... upon this name’s appearance, Angel understood why the Black Earl suddenly broached a paper seemingly unrelated to the Shepherd.
The reason was now clear, as this Fire Element wizard, nicknamed "Burning Blood Flame," was an incredibly exceptional Fire Element wizard.
He is a—Fire Transmuter!
As it happens, when the Black Earl mentioned earlier that the Shepherd might not just be an ordinary Wind Element Apprentice, Angel’s mind also connected to someone.
Of course, it’s not Winchester, but Nausicaa’s friend, the Water System Apprentice who almost intercepted Angel on the third floor of Sky Tower: "Flow of the Sleeping Pitch" Xiliu!
Xiliu, like Winchester, is an Element Transmuter; Xiliu is a Water Transmuter!
When these clues were connected, Angel understood the Black Earl’s meaning.
"Wind Transmuter? You mean the Shepherd is a Wind Transmuter?"
The Black Earl looked at Angel with some surprise; he hadn’t yet revealed the final answer, but Angel had already guessed it.
You should know that the fact of Winchester being a Fire Transmuter is little known.
"That’s right, I suspect the Shepherd might indeed be a Wind Transmuter." The Black Earl: "Winchester is a Fire Transmuter and also Monty’s student. I’ve heard Monty mention that Winchester’s thesis might only be possible for an Element Transmuter to accomplish."
"Winchester has taken a small step forward. Unfortunately, Winchester’s constitution is weak, and using abilities causes him to cough up blood profusely, so he could only speculate to write the latter part of that thesis."
"If the core argument of that thesis is correct, and Monty’s speculation is also accurate, then if one can artificially impart will to elements, even allowing elemental will to have a prototype of advanced elemental creatures, then it can only be accomplished by an Element Transmuter."
"The answer is obvious; the Shepherd is not just a Rhythm Apprentice; he is actually a Wind Transmuter."
The crowd hearing this came to a sudden realization.
Although there are still some flaws in reverse deducing from these clues, the logic finally makes sense. Indeed, the Shepherd can only be a Wind Transmuter to have the possibility to imbue the Wind Element with will.
This is much more reliable than the Black Earl’s previous speculation of "Special Summoning Technique, summoning unique summoned creatures, and those creatures having special talents."
The Black Earl pondered: "However, can a Wind Transmuter really so easily imbue elements with will? Why do those strange sheep and that sheepdog have a physical presence? I think the Shepherd might have read that thesis, gaining some inspiration, but he must still harbor other secrets."
The Black Earl paused at this point.
It’s difficult to ascertain what other secrets the Shepherd might harbor just from analysis.
However, Black Earl merely guessed the Shepherd’s identity as a Wind Transmuter through some clues from Speedy, which still greatly impressed Angel.
The differences in experience and judgment often reflect in such details.
"If Speedy’s judgment is correct, those black-faced sheep could soon advance to become Wind Elemental Creatures..." Angel mused, "Then I do look forward to their future."
Not only did Angel display anticipation, but Dox and Kaier couldn’t help but nod their heads.
Even though they are not on the elemental side, elemental abilities are a mandatory course for every wizard, and once they become Official Wizards, elemental partners are something every wizard seeks.
In this context, almost all wizards pay great attention to theses related to the elemental domain and information regarding Elemental Creatures.
Even Dox, who is not from the Academy Faction, is eager to learn about such research: what are the differences between artificially nurtured Wind Elemental Creatures and naturally born Elemental Creatures?
Those four black-faced sheep, capable of cooperation and having Spirit Intelligence, are viewed as truly promising entities in their eyes.
The only regret is that the answers to these questions are likely to remain unseen. After all, the future is uncertain; whether the Shepherd will manage to cultivate Wind Elemental Creatures remains unknown. Even if he succeeds, they cannot watch the Shepherd daily and can only hope for him to, like Winchester, share his achievements once successful.
However, that’s likely difficult. The Shepherd has no background, and the Southern Domain Wizards’ Realm desperately lacks Elemental Creatures; once the Shepherd rises, unlike Winchester who had Monty’s mighty backing, he might simply vanish.
Thinking about this, everyone couldn’t help shaking their heads in regret.
While everyone focused on the Shepherd, the duel on the field had reached its climax.
Vay versus the Magic Elephant, under normal circumstances, Vay barely stood a chance of winning. However, in this battle, the Magic Elephant, a Bloodline-side Apprentice, appeared somewhat below standard.
It’s evident that the Magic Elephant was acting absent-minded and, during combat, seemed to restrain himself.
If it was due to concerns about harming Vay and ending up on the Noah Clan’s blacklist, that’s unlikely. Because previously, Ghost Shadow faced a similar dilemma yet showed no burden.
This left everyone bewildered.
However, the Magic Elephant’s self-restraint provided Vay with an opportunity.
Vay, already in a state of agitation, activated the Noah Bloodline, combined with the Power of Earth, exhibiting formidable defensive power, matching the Magic Elephant in combat without being inferior.
Now, during the height of the battle, Vay even gained a slight advantage, leaving the onlookers astonished.
Especially Dox, clicking his tongue in amazement. Previously thinking Vay spent so many years cooped up in Mesomyia, his combat awareness was nearly wasted, but it turned out Vay still had burning energy.
Combat driven by anger often leads to recklessness due to a spirited frenzy, but Vay was different. It was apparent that although Vay’s offensive tactics were aggressive, when facing the Magic Elephant’s counterattack, he was well-balanced in advancing and retreating.
To find courage and strength through fury yet retain reason amidst frenzy is something even Dox finds hard to achieve.
Under these circumstances, Vay gradually expanded his advantage.
The Magic Elephant, on the other hand, became increasingly passive in the battle, and it’s unclear what psychological burden he bore. However, from his frequent glances towards the Grey Merchant and Evil Woman, it could be speculated that the Magic Elephant’s current situation is related to them.
A few more minutes passed.
Vay, with a balance of attack and defense, unexpectedly unleashed the Noah Secret Technique, catching the Magic Elephant off guard and nearly trapping him within the encirclement of Earth Spikes.
If the Earth Spikes continue to restrict movement, the Magic Elephant will surely be defeated in under two minutes.
At this moment, the Magic Elephant finally made up his mind.
He slowly removed the Brown Mammoth mask, revealing a face that looked genuinely honest and sincere.
Subsequently, under the eyes of all, the Magic Elephant took out a blood-red object and pressed it against his forehead.
The blood-red object appeared like a semi-transparent glass sphere, but once it made contact with the Magic Elephant’s forehead, blood-colored tendrils began to spread across the "sphere," growing longer and penetrating deep into the Magic Elephant’s skull.
The entire scene induced physical discomfort.
A few seconds later, a blood-red organ resembling an eye appeared on the Magic Elephant’s forehead.
Witnessing this, Angel was still speculating about the identity of the blood-red eye on his forehead, while Dox’s face changed, commenting sternly, "This is... the Ownerless Organ!"