As the days passed, Arran became increasingly proficient at handling the vast amount of Essence he now had at his disposal.
Each day, he would spend hours training in the abandoned part of the estate, drawing Essence from his Realms and sending great balls of fire and gusts of wind into the distance, scorching and uprooting trees.
The training paid off, with Arran's control over the Essence strengthening and his attacks growing smaller but denser. The fireballs he produced were only half their previous size, but they burned far more intensely, radiating a searing heat as they soared through the air.
Although Arran could not be certain, he thought that by now, he could probably harm even adepts using nothing but magic. Adding in the physical strength he had gained through Lord Jiang's Body Refinement techniques, and he thought he should have a decent chance at surviving a fight against an adept.
His r
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Forbidden Sphere Chapter 46
When Arran arrived at Jiang Fei's cottage, he found the door closed, but some noises came from inside. He knocked on the door, then waited."One moment!" Jiang Fei's muffled voice sounded through the door.When she finally opened the door, Arran was startled at her appearance. Her hair was disheveled and there were dark rings around her eyes, as if she hadn't slept in days."Sorry for making you wait," she said with a faint smile. "Come in."As he entered, Arran saw that the main room of the cottage was in a state of chaos. The floor was littered with scrolls and piles of books, and he wondered just what Jiang Fei had been doing these past two weeks."Are you okay?" he asked. By now, he was beginning to feel worried about her."I'm fine," she said, although she didn't look it. "I've just been slightly busy.""Was that why you couldn't see
Forbidden Sphere Chapter 47
The first days after he left Lord Jiang's estate, Arran traveled at night, hiding out during the days and taking care not to be seen when he was out in the open.When he was a week's travel from Silvermere, he began to travel by day. By then, he thought there was little risk of being recognized, and even if someone did recognize him, by the time word reached Silvermere he would be long gone.The lands to the west of Silvermere were rough, filled with rocky hills and dense forests, but the roads were well-maintained, and he made good distance with every day of travel. Still wary of being seen, he spent the first weeks avoiding any towns and villages along the way. Instead, he camped out in the wilderness each night.He did not mind the lack of comfort. Lord Jiang's void bag contained enough food to last him well over a year, and although the nights were cold, he found that he could easily warm his body by circulating Fire
Forbidden Sphere Chapter 48
Arran crouched atop the hill, carefully watching the road. The Redstone men could arrive any moment now, and when they did, he would attack as soon as they came within range.He took out the dragonbone bow and nocked an arrow."You're using a bow?" Captain Yang asked. Some doubt sounded in his voice. "I thought you're a mage?"Arran chuckled even as he kept a close watch on the road below. Having bet his life on the belief that Arran was a powerful mage, Captain Yang was clearly worried at seeing him use so plain a weapon."Did you expect me to just start throwing around great balls of fire?" he asked.Captain Yang did not respond for several seconds. I did, actually," he finally said."It's not a normal bow," Arran said with a grin. "Just wait and see."During the past few months of travel he had often practiced with the dragonbone bow,
Forbidden Sphere Chapter 49
Arran stood amid the carnage, panting in exhaustion. All told, the battle had taken less than two minutes, yet he had expended every bit of energy in his body.Now that the fight was over he became aware that he was injured, and after inspecting his body he was startled to find that there were more than a dozen injuries all over his body — burns, cuts, and bruises, none of which he remembered sustaining.Although Arran was hurt, his armored coat had taken most of the damage, and with a quick glance he could see that it was ruined beyond repair. Still, better the coat than him, he thought.It took him some time to catch his breath and slow his racing heartbeat. As the excitement of battle wore off, a deep sense of weariness set in, but he did not allow it to take hold of him just yet.He felt fear, too. During the fight, there had been no time to be scared, but now, he understood just how close
Forbidden Sphere Chapter 50
Arran's stay at Captain Yang's house had lasted longer than he had intended. While his wounds had healed quickly at first, recovering fully wasn't quite as fast as he had expected.In the end, he remained with Captain Yang for a little over two weeks, enjoying both the man's hospitality and the calm and quiet of the small town where he lived.By then his wounds had healed fully, and he knew it was time to go — even if he wouldn't have minded staying another few weeks.He left after saying his goodbyes to Captain Yang, leaving behind some gold despite the man's protests. After two weeks at his house and the help Captain Yang had given him in facing the Redstone men, Arran figured he owed him at least that much.The start of his journey was quick, without any unforeseen delays or unwanted encounters. Nor, for that matter, was there any rain, and the clear skies soon lifted Arran's spirits.
Forbidden Sphere Chapter 51
They stood in the large hall of the castle where Senecio had just defeated the monstrous creature. While Arran still felt some fear as he looked at the man, he understood that if Senecio wanted to harm him, there was little he could do about it.So far, however, the old man had shown little sign of hostility."Come," Senecio said, "while we talk, we can seek out the Herald's treasures. I imagine there should be some things worth taking."Arran followed the man, unsure of what to expect. While his previous encounters with the Academy had ranged from unpleasant to deadly, Senecio seemed entirely different."Now," the old man said, "you must be wondering why I haven't killed you."Arran nodded. When he had first seen Senecio's white robe, he had thought his final moments had arrived. That the man"The Academy hunts those with forbidden Realms," Senecio said, "bu
Forbidden Sphere Chapter 52
Arran's first instinct was to flee the castle immediately. Although he did not know how many enemies there were, he knew that once they realized Senecio was gone, they would return. When that happened, Arran would be forced to face them.While Senecio had said he should be able to handle them, he had little interest in finding out if the old man was right.Yet as he looked at the treasures that filled the room, he could not bring himself to leave them behind.There were weapons and armor, paintings, jewelry, scrolls, herbs, metals, and numerous other things. Even if Senecio had probably taken the most valuable items, what was left was still a fortune the likes of which Arran had never seen before.After a moment's hesitation, he began to grab random items from the room, stuffing them into the empty void bag that had once belonged to Stormleaf. He did not bother to inspect the items as he gathered the
Forbidden Sphere Chapter 53
Arran followed the man away from the castle. For a time they walked in silence, with Arran following a short distance behind the man he had thought was one of Captain Yang's guards.Several times, they encountered patrols, but after a wave of the man's hand, the patrols hurried past, almost seeming afraid. With some concern, Arran realized it wasn't him they feared."Who are you?" Arran finally asked.Now that he got a better look at the man, he was certain that he was not just a guard. There was a certain confidence in his manner, bordering on arrogance, that reminded Arran of Lord Jiang and Master Zhao.The observation filled him with unease. He had joined the man on the belief that he could easily defeat him if needed, but now, he was beginning to suspect that he had gravely underestimated the man's power."Call me Panurge," the man said.The name sounded