The morning sunlight pierced through the sparse clouds, spilling onto the buildings of Academy City.
Lin En strolled out of the Academy, heading purposefully toward the most chaotic district in the west of Academy CityāRustwater Alley.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Crystal Core operated steadily, constantly tempering Lin En’s mental strength.
As he walked, Lin Enās mind rapidly analyzed every detail of yesterdayās āCloudburst Spellā.
āInsufficient energy utilizationā¦ the shockwave attenuates too quicklyā¦ā
Lin Enās thoughts were like a precision instrument.
āPower is far below expectations.ā
āThe shockwave generated by detonating compressed airācore temperature and pressure peak are still below theoretical optimum.ā
It seems, relying solely on magical construction canāt achieve the ideal effect.
Key missing: fuel.
A substance with high volatility, high calorific value, and easy magical manipulation and diffusion is required.
Soon, Lin En arrived at Rustwater Alley. Ignoring the prying eyes around him, his mental force cautiously swept over several Alchemical Shops.
Finally, he stopped in front of a dim and shabby store called .
Inside, bottles and jars held colorful, strangely shaped substances.
The shopkeeper was a skinny old man, his eyes cloudy but shrewd with cunning.
āA new face? What do you want? Something to refresh the mind, orā¦ heh heh, something more stimulating?ā
āHigh energy density, volatile liquid fuel. Power first, strong volatility.ā
Lin En was straightforward.
Old Crippled Legās eyes flashed with surprise, then he grinned.
āLittle guy, playing with fire, huh?ā
He turned and carefully took out a thick, dark green crystal bottle from the bottom of an iron cabinet.
Inside, a viscous, deep blue liquid flowed slowly, its restless and violent energy palpable even through the glass.
āMagic Oil Essence.ā
Old Crippled Leg lowered his voice, boasting.
āThe essence of Boiling Blood Vine! Just a spark can burn through iron! Water canāt extinguish it! As for volatilityā¦ why not open the cap and see?ā
He made as if to uncork it.
āNo need. How much?ā
Lin Enās mental force had already probed the bottle: extremely high energy reaction, intense volatility, excellent diffusion upon contact with airā¦ perfect!
After some haggling, Lin En nearly emptied his coin pouch for this dangerous bottle of āMagic Oil Essenceā. He carefully placed it into a special pocket inside his gray robe and left.
However, just as he exited the alley and blended into the more normal crowd, the Crystal Coreās hypersensitive perception instantly locked onto something abnormal.
Thirty meters behind, in the shadow of a butcher shop, a heartbeat pounded like a sledgehammer, the aura scorchingāan actual Bronze-tier Warrior.
On the right, atop a rooftop behind a weather vane, a nearly invisible presence with body heat blending into the environmentāBronze-tier Assassin.
Though the killing intent was concealed, it was like a snake flicking its tongue.
āEfficient, arenāt they.ā
Lin En sneered inwardly but remained calm on the surface.
He didnāt need to guessāsince coming to this world, heād only offended three peopleāno, two. Brook was already finished. Only Roger and Kain remained.
Lin En hesitated at the street corner, then quickened his pace, slightly panicked, heading for the deserted north gate.
āHumph, you think you can just buy your goods and slip away?ā
In the shadows, Lava Fist Barton sneered.
āStick close! The moment he enters the forest is his death! Young Master wants his lifeāand that bottle too!ā
āQuick and clean.ā
The cold whisper of the Shadow Serpent Phantom, Meiying, slid between rooftops in utter silence.
***
Deep within the Ashen Forest, ancient trees soared, casting dim shadows.
Lin En stopped in a mossy clearing and slowly turned.
āFollowed enough? This place is quietāperfect for burying bones.ā
āCourting death!ā
Bartonās massive figure crashed through the underbrush and landed heavily, the searing aura instantly scorching the moss yellow.
His fists clenched, magma-like crimson light surged under his skin, the air distorting from the heat.
Seeing who it was, Lin En was momentarily surprised.
A high-grade Fighter’s Badge from Folan Magic and Martial Academy was pinned to his chestāan elite upperclassman.
āYou seem confident. Not planning to hide at all, Senior?ā
Lin Enās tone was mocking.
āDie quietly, and Iāll leave you in one piece!ā
Barton didnāt hesitate.
Flaming Combat Aura erupted as he charged at Lin En.
Almost the instant Barton lunged, from the dense shadow of a giant tree behind Lin Enās right side, a figure merged with the darkness flashed soundlessly!
Meiying attacked!
Her speed left only a faint afterimage.
A Venom-tipped Dagger, ice-cold and lethal, thrust straight for Lin Enās temple!
The timing was vicious, the angle fatal!
A Bronze-tier Assassinās killing strike!
But it was as if Lin En had foreseen it.
The Crystal Core pulsed.
Left hand: Defense!
He didnāt even turn to look.
He casually waved his left hand toward the direction of the sneak attack.
Buzz!
A thick, crystalline, razor-edged arc of Ice Wall instantly formed, perfectly intercepting the daggerās path at a flawless 55-degree deflection!
Clang!
Crack!
The dagger struck the iceās angled surface.
The massive force was largely diverted.
Spiderweb cracks spread across the Ice Wall, groaning under strain before it shattered.
But the deadly force of Meiyingās strike was dissolved! The backlash numbed her wrist, and her form staggered.
Right hand: Control!
At the same time, Lin Enās right hand pressed midair at Barton.
Whoosh!
A Wind of Stagnation, several times stronger than what heād used on Brook the day before, burst forth!
Invisible force wrapped tightly around Bartonās legs, waist, and arms!
āUgh!ā
Bartonās charging momentum suddenly halted, like sinking into a swamp!
He roared, Magma Battle Aura flaring, struggling to break free.
The Wind of Stagnation trembled violently, letting out a muffled wail, but was not immediately torn apart.
āDamn! How is he so much stronger?!ā
Bartonās eyes widened.
Brooke had been trapped by Lin Enās Wind of Stagnation because he was merely an Iron-tier Warrior, but Barton was a genuine Bronze-tierāyet he still couldnāt move.
He didnāt know that within Lin Enās Sea of Consciousness, the Crystal Core grew stronger with every passing moment. Besides, Lin En had barely used any strength against Brook the previous day.
Lin Enās gaze was icy.
Seizing the instant Barton was trapped and Meiying was stunned by the Ice Wall, his hands fired in quick succession!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A barrage of orange-red Fireballs, each the size of a fist, shot out like a storm!
The aim was not to kill but to strike precisely at Bartonās knees, ankles, and blocking arms!
Several Fireballs also targeted Meiying, forcing her to dodge and retreat!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The explosive force was mostly neutralized by Bronze-tier defenses, but the continuous shock, burning pain, and Wind of Stagnationās binding left Barton frustrated and off-balance, his movements clumsy and weak!
Meiying, too, was forced into constant evasion, unable to mount an effective counterattack.
āDamn little pest!ā
Barton was enraged.
To be toyed with by a mere student using such basic means was a humiliation.
He howled, Combat Aura burning even hotter.
The Wind of Stagnation screeched as it began to tear under the strain!
Lin Enās eyes flashed coldly.
Warm-up overātime to test the new toy.
His left hand darted inside his robe, pulling out the bottle of Magic Oil Essence.
With a flick of his thumb, the cap popped off.
At the same time, a surge of spiritual force manipulated the Wind Element!
Whoosh!
A powerful whirlwind lifted the deep blue viscous liquid from the bottle, scattering it evenly over the struggling Barton!
Under the windās force, the Magic Oil Essence atomized and diffused rapidly, forming a dense, ghostly blue Fuel Cloud several meters wide in front of Barton! The acrid, spicy odor spread instantly!
āWhat is this?!ā
Barton was engulfed by the sudden blue fog, his vision blocked and his instincts screaming danger.
He instinctively tried to ignite his Combat Aura to blow the strange mist away.
But Lin En was faster!
The moment the Fuel Cloud enveloped Barton, all twelve energy channels of the Crystal Core ignited!
Twelve tiny sparks flared around Barton, simultaneously igniting the Fuel Cloud.
āCloudburstāModified!ā
Lin Enās cold voice declared.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant.
Thenā
BOOM!!!!
A deafening, heart-stopping blast erupted!
It was followed by the thunder of a thousand drumsāpure devastation!
The air, saturated with high-energy fuel from the Magic Oil Essence, exploded with a ferocity far beyond yesterdayās blast as the twelve sparks ignited it.
A translucent shockwave sphere, over thirty meters in diameter, bloomed outward! The core blazed orange-red, its edges roiling with flames and force!
Destructive power surged outward at supersonic speed!
Barton, at the explosionās heart, could only let out a brief, anguished scream!
His prized Magma Battle Aura shield was shredded like paper!
His Obsidian Chestplate warped, cracked, and partially melted under the force and searing heat!
The impact hit him like an invisible giant hammer, sending him hurtling through the forest, smashing trees before crashing lifelessly to the ground dozens of meters away!
His body was charred and smoking, chestplate shattered and sunken, left arm twisted, blood and scorched flesh pouring from his mouth and nose.
He was on the verge of death.
At the center of the explosion, a pit even larger than yesterdayās was leftāred-hot and smoking, reeking of burnt flesh.
Before Lin En, a thin, shimmering Wind Barrier effortlessly blocked the aftershocks.
His gaze was cold as he recorded the data in his mind:
āAddition of Magic Oil Essenceā¦ shockwave peak increased 320%ā¦ core temperature up 285%ā¦ effective kill radius up 20%ā¦ within expectations.ā
āDamn! The intel was completely wrong!ā
Meiying, whose strike had missed, leapt away at full speed, reactivating Stealth and pressing her back against a tree trunk, cold sweat dripping from her mask.
The moment she saw Lava Fist Barton blasted away like a rag doll, her pupils shrank to pinpoints.
This was not the power of a mere magic student!
āMagma Battle Auraā¦ torn apart?ā
She stared at the charred figure in the pit, melted armor fused with flesh, the air swirling with the scent of cooked meat and sulfur.
The intelligence had said the target was just a student who used underhanded tricks to take down Brook.
But the terrifying magic just unleashedāthat was a battlefield weapon on the level of a legion!
No magic chant, no spell formationāsuch a devastating spell cast instantly?
Sheād never heard of a Magi with such power.
Thisā¦ at least high-level Archmageāno, Grand Magi!
Grand Magi were equivalent to Gold-tier Warriors!
She and Barton were only Bronze-tierāutterly outclassed.
At that moment, the Crystal Core inside Lin En sharply detected a faint yet murderous pulse of energy.
From the shadows at the edge of the clearingāShadow Serpent Meiying!
Sheād evaded the explosion, now using her Stealth to blend into the darkness like a true shadow, her heartbeat nearly halted, killing intent condensing.
She was waiting for Lin En to lower his guard over Bartonās bodyāready to strike a fatal blow.
Unfortunately, under the all-encompassing mental radar of the Crystal Core, her hiding was as obvious as a lighthouse in the night.
Her heartbeat, body heat, energy fluctuationsāeven the tiny muscular twitches as she prepared to attackāwere all exposed.
Lin En didnāt even glance at the shadow.
His mind was already jumping to the next upgrade.
āThe explosive power of the Magic Oil Essence Fuel Cloud is passableā¦ but if high-purity oxygen could be separated and injected into the cloudā¦ā
Thermobaric Artāa more efficient, more thorough annihilation protocol formed instantly.
āPerfect, youāll be the test subject for the ultimate form.ā
Lin Enās cold gaze swept the shadows, lips curving in a chilling smile.
He moved.
Step one: fuel dispersion.
Lin En controlled the Wind Element with his left hand.
Whoosh!
A fierce whirlwind scattered droplets of Magic Oil Essence evenly over a twenty-meter radius, enveloping the shadow where Meiying hid!
The blue Fuel Cloud thickened, its stench intensifying.
āNo!ā
Within the darkness, Meiyingās sense of impending doom explodedāshe tried to flee desperately!
Step two: oxygen enrichment!
Lin En would give her no chance.
His right hand clawed at the Fuel Cloud.
Hiss!
An invisible force field of Wind Element separation formed instantly!
This was no ordinary wind, but absolute molecular-level manipulation by the Crystal Core!
Nitrogen and carbon dioxide were rapidly forced aside, leaving only high-concentration, high-purity oxygen gathered and compressed at the core of the Fuel Cloud!
The air became dangerously flammableālike a chamber of pure oxygen!
āNo!ā
Meiying felt the air thicken, her breathing constricted, and her Assassinās instincts screamed.
She unleashed all her strength to escape, but the high-purity oxygen acted like quicksand, the resistance immense.
Step three: detonation!
Lin Enās eyes flashed coldly.
The Crystal Core in his Sea of Consciousness blazed.
āDieāThermobaric Art!ā
Judgement Voice fell.
BOOOOOM!!!!!!
An explosion ten times more powerful than before erupted.
The core of the light sphere instantly soared to thousands of degrees Celsius! The super-pressurized shockwave destroyed everything!
But it was only the beginning.
At the instant the white-hot sphere reached its limit, a brief negative pressure formed as the fuel was exhausted.
The surrounding oxygen-rich, high-temperature air rushed in like a world-ending tsunami.
BOOM!!!
A second, even more violent and lasting thermobaric shockwave blasted out!
With devastating force, burning heat, and terrifying negative pressure suction!
Within the explosionās heart, Meiyingās thoughts couldnāt even keep up.
Her body was vaporized in the first wave.
Shadow armor, Venom-tipped Dagger, the tree rootsāeverything vanished like mist in the sunlight.
The second thermobaric wave swept past, erasing all trace of her existenceāphysical or energetic.
A vast swath of forest was incinerated, reduced to a Forest of Ash.
The Wind Barrier before Lin En quivered slightly, blocking the last of the aftershock.
He gazed at the annihilated crater, recording the terrifying data in his mind:
āShockwave peak pressureā¦ up 880%!ā
āCore temperatureā¦ up 610%!ā
āNegative Pressure Effectā¦ absolute clearing of hidden unitsā¦ā
āEnergy conversion efficiencyā¦ 92.1%, near optimal limit.ā
He walked slowly to Bartonās dying form.
The charred body twitched weakly, the defensive Runes on his chestplate shattered.
A hidden Summoning Rune flickered frantically.
āThen Iāll let you live. Deliver the resultsā¦ to your master.ā
Lin Enās voice was calm.
āLooking forward toā¦ higher quality test subjects.ā
He stood, no longer sparing the blackened remains a glance, and melted into the deeper shadows of the Ashen Forest.
He vanished.
The clearing was deathly still.
A lava crater, a scorched Forest of Ash, a chestplate flickering with weak light, a body convulsing on the brink of death, and the lingering heat and smoke on the wind.
All bore witness to the deadly fangs of the Arcane Trickster.
Two ambushersāone annihilated, one half-dead.
The power of Thermobaric Artārevealed for the first time.