"Alright, the matter is resolved." Zorn stretched, "Let's go check out the ruins over there and see what's going on."
"As for them…" Zorn turned his head, stroking his chin, putting on a thoughtful expression as he looked at the two people he had bound with magic.
The middle-aged man and woman were now covered in dust, their heads bowed. They were tightly bound by three rings of light, their magic completely sealed, looking resigned.
"The people created here have also disappeared," Cana said to Zorn with a smile, telling him what she had noticed.
"Mhm, it seems the ruins over there have also been dealt with." Zorn nodded, then glanced towards the east. Turning to the Old Man and Cana, he said, "Let's get ready to go over there now. Someone is waiting for us. As for them, it's better if they lose consciousness for now." He reached out and instantly struck the backs of their necks with magic. The two immediately lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
Zorn was not at ease, so he raised several defensive shields around them to protect them from external attacks and prevent them from waking up and trying to escape. With his current strength, very few people could break these shields, and none of them were here now, so he could rest assured.
"Let's go, they're probably getting impatient over there." Zorn extended his hand, and a giant golden Magic Array appeared beneath their feet. Cana was softly comforting the Old Man, who was a bit surprised and worried. As Zorn activated the magic, a light enveloped the three of them, flickering. After a burst of light, the three disappeared from their original spot.
Only a man and a woman remained, lying within the shield magic.
Over at the ruins…
"Hmph~ My name is not something you are worthy of knowing." The youth with a lightning mark on his face and a cloak swaying in the wind stood with his arms crossed, looking arrogantly at the scrawny man in front of him, who was clutching an arm and still in shock.
Just now, the scrawny man had been frantically preparing to activate the ruins. He had first cooperated with the middle-aged man and woman to obtain blood from various villagers to create duplicates to confuse Zorn and Cana, then rushed here to acquire the power within the ruins.
"Damn it, just a little bit more." The scrawny man's eyes narrowed viciously as he stared at the youth. With a flash of his hands, he pulled out several bottles of crimson blood from his waist. With a squeeze, the glass shattered, and the blood floated in the air before his chest under his control.
"Blood Replication Magic, appear, my servants." A surge of blood-red magic pulsed, and the blood immediately transformed, gradually forming Magicians capable of various spells, who also looked at Laxus with gloomy eyes.
"Tch, you scoundrel who plays with blood, this alone won't do." Laxus looked indifferently at the scrawny man, who seemed to have victory in his grasp due to the increased numbers. He clenched his fists, lightning magic swirling around his body.
"Die!" The scrawny man, seeing Laxus's usual arrogant and indifferent demeanor, directly commanded the puppet Magicians to surround Laxus and launch various attack spells.
Laxus dodged left and right, easily evading the attacks. The attacks struck the surroundings directly, not touching Laxus at all. Seeing this, the scrawny man's magic surged even more, his eyes covered in a blood-red hue. The puppet Magicians' magic was also enhanced, making their attacks even more powerful.
Laxus's dodging speed also became faster. He kicked several puppet Magicians, sending them flying one by one to crash in front of the scrawny man.
"Too weak, you scoundrel. You can't even make me warm up. I'm not playing with you anymore." Laxus continued to mock the scrawny man.
"Lightning Magic - Lightning Bolt!" Laxus extended one hand. As his magic was channeled, several dangerously glowing electric spheres surrounded by lightning appeared around Laxus. With a wave of his hand, they attacked the scrawny man at lightning speed. The man frantically gathered the puppet Magicians in front of him to block the attack.
"Boom, boom, ah~" Smoke billowed, and a painful sound emerged from it. After the smoke thinned, a twitching man lay on the ground, unconscious.
Laxus looked at the fallen wretch before him, then disdainfully scanned the area. Sensing something, he turned to see a golden Magic Array appear behind him. Zorn, Cana, and the Old Man emerged before him.
"Yo, did you miss me, Laxus?" Zorn extended one hand, smiling and waving in greeting.
"Tch~ Don't be so conceited. I'm perfectly fine without you." Laxus immediately denied it, but Zorn rushed over and directly put his arm around Laxus's shoulder, looking like good brothers.
"Laxus, how is the Guild, and Everyone, doing recently?" Cana helped the Old Man to the side and asked Laxus about the Guild's situation with gentle joy.
"Mhm, Everyone is doing great." Laxus, who was struggling to pull Zorn's arm off him and was about to succeed, replied to Cana's question with a confident smile. It was at this moment that he lost control of Zorn, who pulled his shoulder back. Zorn burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, I still won."
"Pfft, Zorn, hurry up and finish the mission." Cana was amused by Zorn's childish behavior, but quickly reminded him that the mission wasn't over yet.
"Ahem, yes." Zorn also released his hand, closed his eyes, and sensed his surroundings. After a moment of confirmation, he gathered a light sword in his hand and easily swung it from high to low towards the southeast of the ruins.
In the previously empty air, as the light sword swept down, a golden crack appeared high in the sky, gradually breaking open around it. The original villagers also became visible.
A group of people huddled together, comforting each other, all sitting on the ground with expressions of hopelessness. As the invisible wall shattered, their eyes instantly lit up when they saw Zorn and his companions, and the Village Chief, appear before them. A middle-aged man and woman also rushed excitedly towards the Old Man. The group embraced, and the Old Man looked at his son, daughter-in-law, and the villagers with tear-filled eyes.
"Yosh, next is the Magic Array of this ruin." Zorn spoke, then turned to look at the surrounding giant platform, covered in runes. Each rune exuded an ancient and mysterious aura.
"Magician, please help us activate this ruin. Because the secret of this treasure was leaked, waves of Magicians have flocked here, issuing requests in our name. Our once peaceful lives have been shattered. We just want to live peacefully. We don't want this treasure anymore. Can it be considered the payment for this mission?"
Supported by his son and daughter-in-law, the Old Man, trembling slightly, expressed the simple thoughts of the villagers. Zorn nodded, raising a giant magic shield to protect the villagers and Cana within it.
He placed his hands on the ground again, channeling his magic. The Magic Array began to glow, light flowing within the runes. Magic gathered from the surrounding air, forming a powerful energy vortex. Laxus's cloak swayed wildly with the strong wind as he calmly watched the changes around him.
Suddenly, a giant book appeared in the center of the Magic Array. The book looked ancient and solemn, with no text on its cover, but it exuded a strong aura of wisdom. The edges of the book shimmered with starlight, making it impossible to look directly at its brilliance. As the light faded, the giant book also shrank, floating before Zorn. Zorn reached out to catch it, looking at the book with curiosity.
It seems it should be a Lost Magic, or a Forbidden Magic… Zorn thought to himself.
To be continued~
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