Chapter 6(1/2): The Trickster Lin En

The peaceful morning at Folan Magic and Martial Academy was shattered by a beast-like roar.

“Lin En!!! Get out here!!!”

The sound wave was like a tangible shockwave, shaking leaves from the edge of the training field.

All the students who were morning training or hurrying along stopped in shock, turning toward the source.

Brook stood like a moving iron tower, exuding the scent of sulfur and blood, blocking the main road to the dormitory area.

He was shirtless, his muscular upper body exposed, skin an unhealthy dark red like heated iron, veins bulging and writhing over swollen muscles that throbbed with each heavy breath.

His bloodshot eyes burned with a crazed desire for destruction, fixed on the dormitory entrance.

“Coward hiding inside! Trash! Scum who used despicable tricks to ambush me in the warehouse! If you have guts, come out!”

Brook’s roar was full of venom, saliva spraying.

“Today! Right here! In front of everyone! I’m going to shatter every bone in your body! Smash you into the mud! Let everyone see who the real garbage is!”

His state was terrifying, his aura wild and chaotic, far surpassing a low-tier Black Iron Warrior, even faintly approaching high-tier.

The unrestrained, brutal killing intent made many onlookers pale and instinctively step back.

“That’s Anvil Brook! H…how did he become like this?”

“My God, his aura is terrifying, like he ate gunpowder!”

“His challenge is…Lin En? That zero Magic Affinity Lin En? What’s their grudge?”

“I heard a few days ago in the warehouse, Brook and Lin En…uh, seemed to have a conflict? But how could that be?”

“Look at Brook’s stance, Lin En is doomed… Hurry, find an Instructor!”

“Find what Instructor! Brook’s clearly out for revenge, just watch the show!”

The murmurs buzzed, spreading quickly.

Brook’s goal was achieved—he had thrust Lin En into the center of public attention by the most brutal means.

Instantly, enormous pressure covered the simple dormitory area.

Creak—

A nondescript wooden door opened.

Lin En appeared in the doorway, wearing a faded Apprentice Robe, his expression calm, not even glancing at Brook.

“Why are you so loud?”

Lin En’s voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the noisy chatter, carrying a trace of irritation at being disturbed.

“If you want to fight, go to the Dueling Platform.”

His calmness starkly contrasted with Brook’s rage.

That disregard was more infuriating to Brook than any insult.

“Good! Very good!”

Brook grinned grimly, teeth grinding, and turned sharply, striding toward the Academy’s public Arena, heavy steps leaving dents in the ground.

“Hope you can keep pretending when the time comes!”

Dueling Platform—a massive stone ring.

The news spread like wildfire, shaking the entire Academy.

The waste Lin En with zero Magic Affinity accepted an open duel from the berserk, almost mad Anvil Brook!

It was unthinkable!

Driven by curiosity, contempt, or desire for spectacle, students surged toward the Arena, even many Instructors joining, quickly filling the stands to overflowing.

Brook was already standing in the center, fists clenched, knuckles cracking, bestial energy flooding out, suffocating weaker students in the front rows.

Lin En walked up slowly, standing more than ten meters from Brook, even yawning as if it were just a boring morning exercise.

This posture ignited Brook’s fury again, drawing more boos and jeers from the stands.

“Duel, begin!”

The senior student acting as referee spoke.

“Die!”

Brook roared, and the stone underfoot shattered.

He shot forward like a heavy crossbow bolt, a foul wind swirling, charging at Lin En with overwhelming speed and power.

His massive fist tore the air, aimed at Lin En’s head.

“Careful!”

Cries of alarm and mutters of “overestimating himself,” “seeking death,” filled the stands.

Facing this thunderous assault, Lin En didn’t move a step.

He waved his right hand before him, seemingly casually.

Buzz!

A thick, crystalline Ice Wall instantly formed, standing between Lin En and the rampaging Brook.

The Ice Wall stood two meters high and about a meter wide, radiating chilling air.

“Low-tier Ice Wall?!”

“He’s trying to block Brook’s fist with that? Is he kidding?”

“Like a mantis stopping a chariot! Brook will smash it to pieces with one punch!”

“Finished! Lin En is too arrogant!”

Seeing Lin En use such a basic spell, the stands exploded with louder jeers.

Even a few observing Instructors shook their heads.

An Apprentice-level Ice Wall was as fragile as paper before Brook’s brute force.

In Brook’s eyes, a flash of cruel contempt and brutality appeared.

He didn’t slow at all, only accelerating, pouring power into his fist.

“Lin En, your Ice Wall is as laughable as you are.”

Determined to smash the wall and Lin En behind it to dust.

But the instant before Brook’s devastating punch landed at the center of the Ice Wall—

Anomaly occurred!

Lin En’s gaze sharpened.

On the seemingly ordinary Ice Wall’s surface, countless fine, flowing magical lines appeared at shocking speed.

Click!

A faint, mechanical crack barely audible beneath Brook’s punch.

The entire Ice Wall shifted structure in an instant!

From vertical, it tilted into a perfect 55-degree slope, the base embedded into the ground for solid support.

Brook’s all-out punch landed squarely on this suddenly angled surface.

Boom… BOOM!!!

A massive impact, followed by the shattering of the Ice Wall.

Ice shards shot out like rain.

But the expected scene of the wall being pierced and Lin En sent flying didn’t happen.

Brook felt as if his fist had struck an extremely smooth, hard sphere.

The straight force was deflected and redirected by the cunning slope.

Over 70% of the power vented upward along the angled wall, with less than 30% truly impacting the Ice Wall itself.

Even so, the wall couldn’t fully withstand it—cracks spidered from the impact point, then it collapsed into ice chunks.

But Brook’s lethal punch had its force core dissolved!

The huge inertia made him stagger forward, fist grazing Lin En’s robe, slamming into the empty ground behind him.

Boom!

The ground was blasted into a shallow pit, stone flying.

Lin En, untouched amid the dust and ice shards, remained unmoved.

“What?!”

“The Ice Wall…slanted?!”

“Force dispersal! He redirected Brook’s strength!”

“How…how is this possible?! Ice Wall can be used like this?!”

“He…he altered the wall’s structure! Just before the punch landed!”

The stands erupted.

All prior jeers and predictions were shattered by the unbelievable sight.

Students gaped, and even Instructors shot to their feet, eyes filled with shock.

Could Ice Wall really be used like that?

Lin En snorted in disdain.

A slope can disperse most impact force—that’s the principle of a tank’s composite armor.

Brook’s punch missed, his balance disrupted by the force redirection.

Enraged, he steadied himself and turned to charge again.

But Lin En was faster.

As Brook turned, Lin En seemed to be lifted by an invisible, flowing cushion, sliding back several meters to widen the distance, movement smooth and effortless.

“Where are you running!”

Brook roared, charging again.

Lin En’s gaze was cool.

He swept his left hand through the air across Brook’s path.

Whoosh!

A heavy, viscous Wind of Stagnation formed instantly, like invisible glue, wrapping around Brook’s legs, waist, and arms.

Brook felt as if he had plunged into the depths of the ocean—air became unbearably heavy and sticky.

Each step became a struggle, his speed dropping by over 70%, and even his punches grew sluggish.

“Damn wind! Break!”

Brook bellowed, muscles bulging like iron, veins swelling, unleashing brute force in a struggle to tear free.

The Wind of Stagnation churned but held strong, unable to be fully torn apart at once.

Taking the chance, Lin En raised his right hand, flicking his fingers.

Swish!

Swish!

Swish!

Swish!

Swish!

A stream of orange-red Fireballs, fist-sized, shot out like a machine gun at high frequency and tricky angles.

Individually, these Fireballs lacked the power to severely injure the berserk Brook, but their relentless barrage and precision had impact.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Fireballs struck Brook’s arms, shoulders, even his knees.

Though the shock was mostly absorbed by muscle, the repeated hits and burning pain further distorted his movements.

He tried to charge, but the Wind of Stagnation held him fast.

Trying to break free only made the barrage of Fireballs further disrupt his rhythm.

Frustrating—unbearably so.

“My God! He’s using instantaneous Fireball volleys!”

“Wind of Stagnation plus Fireball suppression…Brook is pinned down as a target!”

“So smooth! Movement, control, attack…it’s like he’s dancing!”

“This battle rhythm…he’s in complete control! Brook has strength but can’t use it!”

“Weird…too weird! Is this even a mage?”

“Is this really how a mage fights? He moves like…like a dancing phantom!”

The shock in the stands was indescribable.

With only basic Ice Wall, wind-type support, and Fireball, Lin En toyed with the rampaging Brook.