Roy moved forward steadily.
His mental focus was razor-sharp, and his eyes faintly glowed with a dangerous red hue, which appeared even more intense against the shadows on his face.
Step by step...
He continued to approach.
"What is this guy up to?"
Trides and the others instantly grew wary, reining in their horses and drawing their weapons in preparation.
This continent was a reserve specially established by the Wizards, and aside from the apprentices from the tower, there were no other humans around.
In such a desolate wilderness, approaching without warning inherently signaled hostility.
Suddenly, they caught a whiff of a strange odor, reminiscent of rotting apples.
Seeing their slightly dazed expressions, Roy immediately knew his plan had worked.
His timing was perfect—he had appeared just to make them stop and become alert, allowing them to catch the scent of fermenting snake fruit carried by the wind.
However, this was merely a prelude and couldn't replace the Orchard Curse.
Without hesitation, he raised his arm.
A projectile, propelled by a high-pressure gas canister, shot out, transforming into an attack akin to "Acid Splash."
In their dazed state, the group reacted sluggishly and failed to dodge in time.
The gas projectile struck Trides, and the "acid" rapidly bubbled, emitting a sizzling sound that sent shivers down their spines.
The terrifying corrosive properties...
If it had splashed on their faces, it would have surely disfigured them!
Trides was also alarmed, but soon, the strange odor of fermenting apples subtly transformed into a wine-like fragrance.
His gaze grew distant, and he froze in place.
Meanwhile, Roy felt the effects of adrenaline kicking in.
An inexplicable excitement surged through his body like a warm current, his heart raced, and his blood boiled.
His steps became increasingly light, and soon, he was sprinting like an arrow released from a bow, charging straight at them.
"Look out!"
Someone in the group finally snapped out of it and shouted a warning.
Roy paid no heed and charged directly at Trides, drawing his sword and slashing.
The enhanced physique and strength of a low-level knight, combined with the adrenaline rush...
Granted him an attack far beyond what he could normally unleash at his current level.
The hallucinatory effects of the "Orchard Curse" left Trides completely defenseless, sitting there like a living target, ripe for the taking.
"Ah!"
Trides screamed, clutching his slashed abdomen as he tumbled off his Undead Warhorse.
The blood and screams diluted the influence of the "Orchard Curse," and the intermediate apprentices, as if waking from a dream, fled in panic.
Roy stood still, not giving chase, quietly calming his emotions and breathing.
After a long moment of vigilance, he planted his iron sword on the ground, trembling slightly as he gasped for air.
This was the aftermath of using adrenaline.
Coupled with the tension and the strain on his muscles, the extra energy expenditure left him feeling somewhat drained.
But he never let his guard down, preparing a second dose of adrenaline, with the hidden Orchard Curse and Mind-Calming Calamus Water Perfume in his pocket ready to be shattered at any moment.
In a critical situation, he would drag everyone into a nightmare, regardless of friend or foe.
Then, using the Mind-Calming Calamus Water Perfume, he would regain clarity first and proceed to finish them off.
If those people dared to return.
However, such a scenario didn't occur. Clearly terrified, they fled the scene and stayed far away, abandoning Trides completely.
A moment later, Roy turned his attention back to Trides.
The man who had once threatened him and vowed to take him down had already met his end on the spot.
A look of terror was frozen on the corpse's face, serving as its final mark.
Roy quickly inspected the belongings left on the body.
As expected, there was nothing of value.
However, he hadn't come here to kill and loot. After briefly handling the corpse and tossing it into a nearby grove, he hurriedly left.
...
Around 7 PM, Roy returned to the Wizard Tower and reported the completion of his mission.
This time, the receptionist wasn't the apprentice from earlier in the day. He spoke in a businesslike tone, reminding Roy, "The Wizard Tower offers preferential treatment to apprentices who take on missions independently. You're allowed to keep up to half of the standard harvest for your own needs...
Do you wish to hand everything over in exchange for the mission reward, or would you like to keep some for yourself?"
"I'll keep 5 and hand over 15," Roy replied after a moment of thought.
The Wizard Tower possessed technology similar to storage spaces, capable of preserving fresh fruits for extended periods.
If others consumed them through mission rewards or purchases during that time, it didn't matter—he could always go out and gather more.
Having tasted the benefits, Roy wasn't ready to reveal the secret that the Mind-Calming Calamus Water Perfume could counteract mental illusions.
Moreover, with Botning's threat still looming, he decided it was best to lay low for a while and bide his time.
...
The next day, in the Wizard Tower's cafeteria.
"Trides is dead!
He was ambushed and killed in the wild, his body torn open on the spot. It's truly horrifying!" Renien exclaimed, his tone filled with disbelief, as if he'd just uncovered the news from somewhere.
"I told you it's dangerous out there. This isn't the first apprentice to die!"
"I've also heard about several revenge killings lately..."
"What kind of people are they? They're just too ruthless!"
Niya and Andov chimed in, equally shocked.
Though they'd been at the Wizard Tower for years and had grown accustomed to such rumors, this incident felt different—it had happened to someone they knew, not a stranger.
"Oh, really? That's quite satisfying," Roy remarked calmly as he ate his breakfast.
"Wait, you had a conflict with him. Could it have been you who did it?" Renien suddenly asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
Roy paused. "Someone like me, even if held at swordpoint, wouldn't lift a finger!
How could you suspect me?"
"Hmm, that does make sense," Renien muttered.
Niya and Andov also felt that Renien's accusation was far-fetched.
Roy was such a low-key and honest person—how could he possibly be that ruthless?
Roy ignored them and continued to ponder.
"Through this incident, I've confirmed that in my normal state, I possess strength equivalent to that of a low-level knight.
When adrenaline kicks in, I can temporarily reach the level of an intermediate knight..."
The Seven Towers Alliance defined "one person's strength" as the standard unit.
In terms of magical power, this was measured as "one degree."
The physical attack power of ordinary people and knight squires was roughly equivalent to this.
After mastering the Knight Breathing Technique and breaking through the limits of a mortal, one became a low-level knight.
At this stage, one's physique and strength could exceed twice that of an ordinary person, with noticeable improvements in speed and reflexes.
By the intermediate knight stage, one's physique and strength could surpass three times that of an ordinary person!
With such advanced martial skills and fine equipment, it was enough to single-handedly wipe out a small group of rogue soldiers!
Although he lacked advanced martial skills and fine equipment, his temporary strength equivalent to that of an intermediate knight, combined with a surprise first strike, was more than sufficient to take down an average apprentice like Trides.