From Wizard Apprentice to Conqueror of Myriad Worlds

The two men began to struggle frantically, their bodies thrashing on the dry ground. Their limbs flailed uncontrollably, twisting their joints to impossible angles.

Even though Kanda was already on the verge of death—his chest caved in, his organs ruptured—he struggled just as violently as Semy.

It was as if something inside his mangled frame was taking him over.

Countless metal wires bit deep into their flesh, slicing open their skin and cutting into muscle.

In the blink of an eye, they were covered in blood. The thick stench of it filled the air.

Aya’s face paled as she watched.

The small patch of skin visible past her mask turned from a healthy pink to a stark white.

Even a fool could see that something was terribly wrong with Semy and Kanda.

The crowd erupted into a commotion.

"Run!"

"Get away from them!"

Panicked shouts rose one after another. Like a startled flock of sheep, the new recruits scrambled backward.

Aya gritted her teeth, a resolute glint in her eyes. "Kill them!"

The Junior Deacon’s command was clearly directed at the Combat Puppets, and "they" were undoubtedly Semy and Kanda.

But the command sounded rather ironic.

Just moments ago, the Second Level Apprentice had been scolding Anya—"How dare you kill someone?"—but now, she was issuing a kill order, effectively slapping her own face.

The four Combat Puppets shot toward their targets.

They spread their arms, and shadowy blades emerged from the backs of their hands. The edges looked sharp enough to slice the air, reflecting a cold glint in the morning light.

But before the puppets could reach their targets, the scene took another horrifying turn.

Semy’s and Kanda’s bodies contorted to their absolute limit.

Their upper bodies arched back, heads nearly touching their spines, like taut strings about to snap.

Both of their stomachs swelled rapidly, like balloons being inflated. Upon reaching a critical point, they burst.

SPLAT!

SPLAT!

Two muffled thuds were heard.

A mist of blood and gore sprayed from their stomachs, exploding into a crimson curtain.

Two bloody, vine-like things burst from their stomachs, like demonic hands clawing their way out of hell.

They were entirely crimson, coated in viscous blood. Their surfaces were covered with fine rootlets and strange markings that held a chilling sheen.

The Blood Vines shot out from the men’s bodies and stood upright, as if they were people. Fresh blood dripped constantly from their leaves.

The sight was utterly sickening.

Mo Ning felt his skin crawl.

The Blood Vines had no eyes, no mouths, and no faces—yet he couldn’t shake the chilling illusion that they were watching him.

He took a sharp breath, instantly regaining his composure.

Moreover, the two Blood Vines were not identical.

The Blood Vine from Semy’s abdomen was visibly more robust. Its main stalk was as thick as a man’s arm, and its blood-red leaves were more numerous, dense, and thick.

In contrast, the Blood Vine from Kanda’s abdomen was only half as thick. Its surface showed signs of damage, and its leaves were much sparser, hanging limply from its branches.

Mo Ning immediately came to a conclusion. ’That full-power punch Anya landed earlier must have severely hindered this Blood Vine’s ’development’.’

And without a doubt, his judgment was correct. The punch he had ordered Anya to throw had paid off tremendously.

"Oh my God—!"

"What is this monster?!"

The recruits grew even more terrified.

A cacophony of screams and frantic footsteps arose as everyone scrambled backward, desperate to get as far away from the bizarre Blood Vines as possible.

No one had expected the academy’s attempt to capture a Traitor to result in such a gruesome tragedy.

Then, the four Combat Puppets finally closed in, swinging their arms at the two Blood Vines.

The shadowy blades instantly extended to over two meters long, slashing toward the Blood Vines like lightning.

"AH!"

"EEEK!"

The Blood Vines suddenly let out a bizarre, infant-like cry.