Cloud Thinking

Helia knelt beside Mobius, enduring the physical nausea and intense mental turmoil that came from devouring the water ghost man.

She saw that although the black dagger formed from extreme resentment and venom on the teacher's left abdomen had dissipated, the wound it left behind was still dark black and purple, with terrifying black patterns spreading outwards like a spider web, eroding his life force.

“Don’t move, teacher…” Helia’s voice was hoarse. She stretched out her slightly trembling hand, and dark black lines spread out from her fingertips again.

This time, however, the black lines were no longer in a frenzied attack form. Instead, they became extremely fine and cautious, like the most precise probes, gently piercing the skin around Möbius's wound.

Mobius grunted, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He could feel a chilling and malevolent energy being drawn away and devoured bit by bit by Helia's black lines.

This process is equally painful, like scraping the bone to remove poison, but the deadly feeling of erosion does indeed slowly diminish.

Helia was completely focused, carefully manipulating this dangerous power, trying to devour the malice while avoiding causing further harm to her teacher.

A moment later, the black lines spreading from the wound were finally stopped, and even shrank slightly.

Helia lowered her arms, exhausted, her face even paler than before. Absorbing and neutralizing such a concentration of malice had been a huge drain on her.

Mobius's condition has stabilized for the time being, but he is far from out of danger, and both of them are at their limit.

However, this fragile tranquility did not last long.

A clear, unhurried, even somewhat leisurely sound of footsteps approached from afar, treading across the puddled ground and breaking the deathly silence.

Pop, pop, pop.

Then came a few slow but loud claps, which sounded particularly jarring in the empty ruins.

Helia and Mobius looked up sharply, following the sound.

In the light that mingled between dawn and dusk, Colin's figure slowly emerged from behind a broken wall.

He was still wearing that well-tailored mage robe, his hair was perfectly styled, and he wore an impeccable yet chilling smile.

He clapped softly, his gaze fixed on Helia, filled with admiration—no, more like the fervor of examining a perfect work of art.

“Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, my dear Princess Helia.” Colin’s voice was filled with exaggerated praise. “Truly worthy of being… the most perfect ‘vessel’ chosen.”

"To be able to devour even the embodiment of a filthy river, this talent is truly amazing, and also... awe-inspiring."

Helia's pupils contracted sharply; the word "container" in Colin's words pierced her heart like an ice pick.

New and old grudges surged into my heart in an instant. If it weren't for this despicable person, none of this would have happened!

A violent killing intent surged uncontrollably once again. A flash of bloodlust appeared in her eyes, and her body, like a cheetah poised to pounce, was about to tear the culprit to pieces!

“I advise you not to move.” Colin smiled and snapped his fingers lightly, as if he had anticipated her reaction.

The crisp snap of fingers echoed through the ruins.

The next moment, from the shadows around the corner of the ruins, more than a dozen figures emerged silently.

They were dressed in the uniforms of the Carter's College patrol, but their eyes were vacant, their faces expressionless, and their movements were as stiff as puppets, clearly indicating that they were under deep control.

What's even more chilling is that these faces are all extremely young, even bearing the mark of immaturity—they are all first-year students!

Colin shrugged, his smile growing increasingly fake and malicious: "Look, the academy's patrol arrived 'just in time.' They just seem a bit...sleepwalking."

“Your Highness, how can you bear to kill these innocent flowers of the empire’s future? They were sent to ‘protect’ you.”

Helia froze on the spot, her teeth grinding together, her surging killing intent suppressed by a deeper sense of anger and powerlessness.

That shameless Colin figured out that she wouldn't dare to harm these innocent students who were being manipulated!

At the same time, Helia felt Mobius beside her suddenly stiffen and let out a suppressed groan of pain.

She turned her head and saw that the teacher's face was ashen, the veins on his forehead were bulging, and his hands were gripping the rubble beneath him tightly, as if he were resisting some invisible and powerful force.

His eyes were filled with anger and a sense of "I knew it" despair.

"teacher?!"

Mobius struggled to lift his head, looking at Colin with eyes filled with deep-seated hatred: "The Association... as expected, still resorted to this dirtiest method..."

Although he was not sure which artifact it was, "Zhou Ranyi," he knew that the association possessed a final trump card that could forcibly control registered mages.

The reason he was able to escape the initial deadly situation after he defected from the association was largely because he cut off most of his overt contacts with the association in time, and relied on Dean Philip's protection and his own strong will to resist possible remote control.

At this moment, in this extremely weak state, that familiar force that tried to distort his will reappeared, and it was stronger than ever before!

He was using all his remaining willpower to desperately resist the forceful command that made him raise his sword against Helia!

Colin watched the scene unfold before him—the controlled, naive students stood in front of him like a human wall, the strongest fire mage was struggling against the force controlling him, and the imperial princess was trapped in a desperate situation because she was afraid to act rashly.

His smile widened, as if he had everything under control.

"Then, Your Highness,"

He gracefully gestured "please," pointing to the new students whose eyes were vacant and who were slowly drawing their wands to aim at Helia.

"The second act of this final performance prepared for you and Professor Möbius is now beginning."

A dark cloud of despair, thicker than the clouds in the sky, descended.

Colin's mocking "Begin" sounded like the clarion call to attack.

The first-year students, who had been standing stiffly like puppets with empty eyes, suddenly had an unnatural magical glow in their eyes. Although their movements were still sluggish and controlled, they raised their wands without hesitation and pointed them at Helia and Mobius!

In an instant, a multitude of low-level but numerous magical missiles, binding vines, ice spikes, and pebbles rained down upon the two of them like a sudden storm.

These newcomers lacked powerful magic and their attacks were disorganized, but they were numerous enough to withstand the sheer number of them.

Moreover, they completely disregarded their own defenses and only knew how to launch a frenzied attack, forming a dense and chaotic network of firepower.

“Helia…watch out!” Mobius forced out the warning through gritted teeth.

He knelt on the ground, pressing his hands tightly against his temples, his body trembling uncontrollably from the extreme resistance.

That controlling force, originating from the depths of his soul, was like countless cold chains, forcibly twisting his will and driving his flames toward his students.

But thanks to his past experience in fighting back and his years of private research, he managed to hold onto a sliver of clarity amidst this torrent.

He cannot attack, at least not Helia, nor can he harm these innocent children.

Helia's situation was equally bad.

Her body was already at its limit. The mental shock and energy backlash from devouring the water ghost had not yet subsided. New and old wounds were intertwined, and every movement brought intense pain.

But she couldn't stop, much less retaliate.

Faced with the empty eyes of those young faces and their merciless attacks, all she could do was dodge, dodge again and again.

She was like a fleeting shadow, tumbling and darting about awkwardly among the ruins.

The black lines are no longer used for attacks, but instead transform into flexible tentacles, either wrapping around flying stones to change their trajectory or quickly weaving a fine net on the ground to cushion the impact of ice spikes.

More often than not, he narrowly pulled her away just as she was about to be struck by magic.

Her movements were far less swift than at her peak; her skirt was torn by flying stones, and new abrasions appeared on her arms and cheeks, making her look extremely disheveled.

Her gaze remained fixed on Colin, who stood calmly at the back with a cat-and-mouse smile on his face.

The killing intent burned through her internal organs like poisonous flames, but she had to endure it and find the opportunity to strike a fatal blow!

Colin was cunning; he always hid behind the controlled students and never easily stepped into dangerous areas.

"Left!" Mobius hissed, barely suppressing the agonizing pain of his mind being torn apart.

His resistance was not entirely passive; in the gaps between the controlling forces, he desperately concentrated, capturing the ever-changing situation on the battlefield, and providing Helia with early warnings using the simplest words.

Hearing the sound, Helia suddenly fell to her right. A scorching line of fire grazed her hair and charred the broken wall behind her—it was a student who had been controlled.

She broke out in a cold sweat and glanced gratefully at the teacher.

Mobius was not just issuing a warning.

When he discovers that some students' attacks are too concentrated and may surround Helia, he will grit his teeth and spare a tiny bit of magic.

It's not an attack, but rather a highly sophisticated form of interference.

For example, a slight whirlwind could deflect the direction of a student's wand; or a small cluster of sparks could suddenly burst at a student's feet, temporarily interrupting their spellcasting rhythm.

This interference was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible, yet it always managed to create precious breathing space or room for evasion for Helia at crucial moments.

Under these extremely harsh conditions, the master and apprentice managed to maintain a precarious balance through their remarkable understanding and trust.

After a scramble, Helia collapsed to her knees, panting heavily.

She seized an opportunity when the students' attack was momentarily interrupted, and Colin's figure was exposed in that instant!

Don't miss out!

A fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She took a deep breath, pushed off with her feet, and charged toward Colin like an arrow released from a bow!

Several black lines shot out like venomous snakes, preemptively striking Colin in an attempt to block his escape route!

However, she underestimated Colin's cunning and the "efficiency" of these controlled students.

The moment she moved, Colin's lips curled into a mocking smile, without even taking a step.

The two students beside him, who had originally been attacking in other directions, were like puppets being pulled by invisible threads. They charged out sideways at an almost distorted angle, directly blocking Helia and Colin with their bodies!

At the same time, the magic of the other students also instantly changed direction, blasting towards Helia's back, where her old power was exhausted and her new power had not yet been generated!

A human shield blocks the way in front, while magic attacks pursue from behind!

Helia's pupils contracted sharply, forcing her to forcibly turn her body, and the black lines returned to defend, forming a sparse defensive line in front of her.

Bang bang bang!

The magic struck the black line, unleashing a chaotic surge of energy.

Helia was so shocked that her blood and qi surged, and she retreated repeatedly. In the end, a passing wind blade cut a bloody gash on her shoulder.

Her determined strike ultimately failed.

"Tsk tsk, what a touching master-disciple relationship." Colin clapped his hands, his tone flippant. "But how long can a death throes last?"