Chapter 2794 - 1015: The Victim
The crisp sound of shattering accompanied the spreading web-like cracks, echoing inside the fishskin tent.
It appeared exceptionally clear.
Easily suffocated the crisp ethereal voices of a dozen small fishmen, suppressed the hustle and bustle of the traders outside the tent, while firmly attracting the gazes of the warlock and witches inside.
"Ah!"
A sharp cry from Zheng Qing, short and piercing, emerged from the gaping mouth of the octopus skull.
Put a full stop to that web-like shattering sound.
Zheng Qing, as if a slug soaked in salt water, slowly slipped down from the wide stone chair on the platform, and along with him fell the octopus-like skull, its lower part curled into a mass of eight tentacles, as if roasted by coals, the gray-white colors tinged with a layer of blush, exuding a fragrance akin to ripe fruit.
Jiang Yu screamed and rushed forward.
But faster than her were four furry tails, like serpents on the hunt, silently sliding across the carpet, weaving into a soft green blanket that spread beneath the warlock.
"Yagneg!"
The Fishman Elder Priest’s scream was louder than the boy’s, and lasted longer. He dashed towards the direction of the stone platform with agility unbefitting his age and image, eyes fixed on their ’Yagneg’, seemingly planning to remove that pale skull from the warlock’s head.
But looking at his gnashing teeth, one couldn’t help but doubt whether he also planned to yank off the boy’s head when removing the skull ceremonial object.
"Yagneg!"
The choir of small fishmen fell into chaos, most becoming helpless, clutching their clean soft fins and screaming, while a few were worse off, even losing balance and falling from the choir’s wooden platform.
The Black Gem Cat and the White Jade Cat vigilantly guarded in front of Poseidon, while Furry Bean’s gray figure instantly appeared at the corner of the stone platform, squatting beside Zheng Qing, tail between its legs, baring its teeth against the violently charging Old Fishman.
Xiao Xiao and the others, though stunned, reflexively unfolded the Triangular Battle Array, took out their law books, and hurled spells at the Old Fishman’s head.
"Ge Zhitianxi, cast on this fish!"
"Ge Zhitianxi!"
"Ge Zhitianxi!"
"Divine command, back off!"
Three pale green spell lights arose from the Triangular Battle Array, transforming into three flexible vines of varying thickness, twisting towards the Old Fishman. Then, rolling back into the Atonement Hunters’ Triangular Battle Array in response to the Old Fishman’s angry spirit language chant.
All of this happened within mere seconds of the skull cracking.
The next second.
Tear!
The half-covered fishskin tent was roughly torn open from outside, nearly simultaneously, three figures appeared by the stone platform, constructing a standard Three-pointed Magic Array—a progression from the Triangular Array, requiring more magic power and finer coordination among the wizards—the array’s formation firmly protected the sliding boy on the stone chair, also rebounding the charging Fishman Tribe Elder Priest.
"Restricting South Mountain, Maintaining Rock-like Firmness!"
"Green Bird Bearing Book, Secretly Transmitting Cloud Outside Message!"
"Wind and Rain Dispersed, Rodent Goes!"
The three figures pinched spells, three crisp voices came in succession, and amidst the flickering spell lights, a phantom of a pale-yellow hill suddenly fell, while invisible spell power spread around, gently yet firmly pushing away all figures attempting to approach the boy.
Including Jiang Yu and the blue Big Fox.
Meanwhile, a blue long-tailed bird screeched once, leaping from the Three-pointed Magic Array, suddenly disappearing from everyone’s view, leaving only a clear gap on the fishskin tent.
The owner of the tent, the Fishman Tribe Elder Priest who fell on the carpet, didn’t have time to lament the repeated damage to his possessions, couldn’t help but angrily curse: "You..."
These two words had just left his mouth when he, like a chick being strangled, forcibly swallowed the rest of his words back.
Because he had already seen clearly the appearance of these unexpected guests—they were dressed in neat black robes, wearing uniform cat masks, aside from judging one of them as a witch through their body shape contour and chant, there were no other features to discern their identity.
But everyone in this tent wouldn’t misjudge their identity.
Throughout Buji Island, only the Special Tactical Squad of the First University dressed like this when executing tasks.
The Atonement Hunting Team’s Triangular Battle Array slowly moved to Jiang Yu’s side, Jiang Yu, who initially appeared slightly panicked, somewhat regained her composure, and along with her three companions, reconstructed a Four-Phases Battle Formation.
The blue Big Fox had retreated beside Poseidon early on, with a serious expression.
Only the dog that had been squatting in front of Zheng Qing began stubbornly scratching at the spell light of the Three-pointed Magic Array, attempting to approach Zheng Qing again.
"No need to mind it."
Under the phantom of the pale-yellow hill, the leading cat-faced wizard instructed in a low voice.
Xin Fat Man, through the mutual connections between the array nodes, quietly nudged Xiao Xiao—
"What’s going on?"
He silently asked with his lips, curious about those unfamiliar wizards. But neither Xiao Xiao nor Zhang Ji Xin, nor Jiang Yu, responded to his inquiry.
Everyone was a bit tense and somewhat bewildered at this moment.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
The fishskin curtain drooping at the entrance swayed slightly, accompanied by two faint breezes, as two more figures shot in from the half-open tent entrance, landing in front of the Three-pointed Magic Array by the stone platform.
"——Have communicated with the school’s Protect Legal Formation, conducted an emergency scan of the market, no black magic or curse traces found, all four hundred and thirty-one wizards registered within the market, no other risk factors discovered..."
"——Notified the market organizers, arranged unilateral closure for the entire market. Both Group A and Group C have received warnings, the university hospital’s therapists are on the way..."
Despite the words.
The first to arrive on the scene was not the ’university hospital therapist’ mentioned by the cat-faced wizards, nor any ’Group A’ or ’Group C’, but rather the Upper House Member of the Moon Council, the owner of Qingqiu Mansion managing a laboratory at First University.
"Who did this?!"
Red high heels landed at the tattered tent entrance, accompanied by an enraged voice, a tall figure tearing down the fragmented curtain, striding into this tent located in a quiet corner of the market.
The originally slightly dim tent seemed to light up instantly.
The aura of the Big Wizard, like a tidal wave, surged unchecked in all directions, Su Shijun did not wear glasses, her gaze sliding over every wizard in the tent before settling on the Fishman Tribe Elder Priest: "...You better give me an explanation!"
The Elder Priest looked aggrieved.
I am the real victim of today’s accident, alright!