"That sea beast is tracking you? What’s going on?" Nis inquired.
Angel did not hide the facts, recounting what had happened under the sea earlier.
"I see," Nis wasn’t daunted, "if it dares to keep pursuing, just kill it."
Angel’s thoughts were almost identical to Nis’s; he had avoided the sea beast earlier not out of fear, but not wanting to waste time, and also because he had no space to store the carcass, which would waste resources. However, if this sea beast continued its pursuit, then killing it would resolve the issue.
With this in mind, Angel and Nis stood on the reef, gazing into the distance, waiting for it to approach. Once it moved, retribution would surely follow.
The buzzing grew closer, and the rolling waves came one after another, foamy seawater splashing around the edges of the reefs.
About three minutes later, a dark shadow rushed out of the mist-covered sea.
At this moment, the other apprentices couldn’t yet see where the shadow was, but it had already entered Angel and Nis’s range of vision.
"Prepare to act," as Nis finished speaking, a stream of invisible death energy began to seep into the surrounding waters, the bones dormant beneath the sea starting to shake off the seaweed, swimming from the seabed toward the surface.
As these awakened bones were about to break through the sea surface, the distant shadow suddenly let out a long cry, soaring into the high sky.
Yes, it was indeed "flying" into the high skies.
Because of its ascent, at this moment, not only did the apprentices see this sea beast, but Angel and Nis also saw its true form.
It was a giant magical creature covered entirely with purple minerals, its head bird-like, and atop its head was a crest of several clusters of glowing purple-red gemstones. Its streamlined body was also covered with purple-black minerals.
When it soared through the sky, it was clear to see that its wings, which served as fins underwater, were made entirely of pure purple crystal. Not only did they block out the sun, but they also shimmered with an elegant and mysterious purple glow.
The most peculiar aspect was that even though its whole body was made of minerals, it did not diminish its beauty in the slightest. Its entire form seemed like a masterpiece meticulously sculpted by the heavens, natural yet ingeniously crafted.
Such a mysterious and beautiful magical creature, Angel was seeing for the first time.
"Before, Lord Ferro was fighting it under the sea, and we hadn’t seen its form. I didn’t expect this Mist Sea Beast to be so beautiful..."
"Is now really the time to talk about its beauty?"
"You’re arguing with me again."
"No one’s arguing with you. Right now, the focus shouldn’t be on its appearance."
"Didn’t you see its wings? This sea beast can actually fly!"
The voice of an apprentice nearby reached Angel’s ears, and he too was similarly astonished in his heart by the fact that this sea beast could actually fly. He had seen many amphibious magical creatures, but a creature that was both aquatic and aerial was rare, and one this large could only be compared to a Cloud Whale.
What kind of magical creature was this? Its appearance was more bird-like; could it still be called a sea beast?
Angel looked towards Nis beside him, wanting to see if Nis recognized this magical creature.
However, at this moment, Nis’s attention was not on Angel but was instead fixed on the giant purple beast in the sky, muttering repeatedly under his breath, "How could it be this one?"
"What is it?" Angel asked curiously, "Does Wizard Nis recognize it?"
Nis didn’t answer, instead retrieving a Magic Rune Scroll from his space, tearing open the seal to activate the Mana Array within.
In an instant, an invisible energy enveloped everyone.
Angel sensed that this should be a type of Magic Rune Scroll that reduces perceived threat and presence. Its effect was not as strong as the Boundless Solitude on his bracelet, but it had the added effect of light and shadow concealment and was a group cloaking spell, making it a rare item among Magic Rune Scrolls.
Nis tearing such a precious Magic Rune Scroll right away—does it mean he thinks they can’t defeat this sea beast? Angel was filled with doubts.
"I’ll explain in a bit, but first I’ll retrieve my energy," Nis said, closing his eyes and withdrawing the deathly aura he had previously invoked from the sea, causing the agitated bones in the sea to once again fall into eternal slumber.
Nis then opened his eyes and advised Angel and the other apprentices, "Try not to provoke it. This creature is not to be trifled with and is difficult to deal with."
Angel didn’t question why but pointed to the sky, "It’s too late to say that now. Its target was us from the beginning, and even the Magic Rune Scroll can’t blind it."
Nis looked up and indeed saw the giant purple beast’s glaring red eyes filled with malice, staring at this Reef Island.
As its gaze swept over, everyone except for the two Official Wizards felt a chill down their spine.
"We’ve definitely been targeted by it!" Cindy said softly, feeling the malice in its gaze.
In such a situation, trying to rely solely on external concealment to hide is definitely useless.
Everyone couldn’t help but look at Nis, wanting to hear what he had to say.
Nis also seemed troubled at this point. If he wasn’t mistaken, this creature should be related to a legendary figure. If they really made a move against it, the consequences could be dire.
Moreover, although it didn’t appear to be very powerful now, who knew if it might possess unexpected abilities like that magical creature.
But given the current situation, not fighting didn’t seem like an option.
After a moment’s contemplation, Nis asked Cindy, "Are you sure Lord Ferro fought it before?"
Cindy nodded, "I am sure. Just four days ago, Lord Ferro fought it under the sea, and the waves reached dozens of meters high at that time."
"Was Ferro injured? Did this magical creature come looking for trouble afterward?" Nis continued to ask.
Cindy: "Lord Ferro sustained some superficial wounds but nothing serious, and he instructed us not to provoke this magical creature. As for later, it did swim nearby once but didn’t discover us."
"Well, you were quite lucky," Nis replied absentmindedly.
Mentioning luck, Cindy glanced inexplicably at Reynaud not far away. Reynaud seemed to be in a daze, as if completely unaware of what was happening.
Cindy shook her head, shifting her gaze back to Nis, "Lord Nis, what should we do now?"
Nis: "What else can we do? We’ll have to fight. When the battle begins, protect yourself, and Angel and I will lead it away from here."
After a pause, Nis looked at Angel, "Try not to use lethal powers. You can injure it, but don’t kill it."
"Why?"
Nis sighed, "I’m not certain, but let’s just assume that this creature has an extremely powerful backer. Hurting it might invite catastrophic consequences."
As they spoke, the giant purple beast circling above began to emit a powerful pressure.
Faced with such pressure, the apprentices couldn’t stand it and turned pale.
Angel and Nis were still fine, though they put away their relaxed expressions. This level of pressure was enough to indicate that this magical creature had extraordinary strength and needed to be taken seriously.
"Get ready," Nis said softly.
Angel nodded.
Just as they were ready to lure the purple giant beast away, however, the situation suddenly changed.
The purple giant beast was almost upon them but suddenly turned its head to look in a certain direction, and an unflustered look in its eyes seemed to ignite a flame.
Then, regardless of anything else, it leapt into the sea and swam swiftly toward the distance.
Even after its figure disappeared, everyone was still bewildered.
Why did it suddenly leave?
Did something happen in that direction?
But what could distract it to such an extent?
"Though we don’t know what happened, this happens to be a lucky event," the chubby apprentice let out a long sigh of relief.
"Indeed, we managed to avoid it the last two times; we are indeed fortunate," another female apprentice agreed, nodding.
Just then, Cindy and the hooded apprentice looked towards Reynaud in the distance, silent.
Angel followed their gaze to the still silently standing Reynaud, recalling Nausicaa’s assessment of him back in Sky Mechanical City.
A lucky kid.
John’s comeback.
When Angel was a referee at the New Stars Competition, he had personally witnessed how lucky this one was.
Could it really be due to this guy’s luck?