22 Metamagic (1/2)

The agitation then turned into a blood-curdling screech.

'Fuck, this really is a swamp!'

Fario was trapped inside the swamp. His fat body was desperately struggling, but the more he flailed, the quicker he sank down. In a short time, he was chest-deep in that black mud!

”Careful! This is a Rotten Swamp!” The 9th Rank Mage in the middle of the group shouted a warning to the Viper Nest group while quickly casting a spell.

Rotten Swamp was only a 3rd Rank spell, so it couldn't enter the eyes of a 9th Rank Mage. One Soil Petrifaction would easily solve it.

In fact, that 9th Rank Mage did just that. He quickly chanted his incantation and that Soil Petrifaction spell quickly took shape. As long as he controlled the spreading of the Rotten Swamp, they could easily take their time to help Fario escape from it.

But, just when the 9th Rank Mage was about to cast the spell, a deathly chill blanketed the area, and before he could react, the swamp was already frozen over.

”This…” The 9th Rank Mage suppressed the Soil Petrifaction spell. It wasn't even a matter of whether he should cast it or not anymore. At this moment, he felt a small backlash, and this pain was truly hard to bear with. The swamp was already frozen, so his spell was simply meaningless now. But he couldn't just not do anything. Did he have to helplessly watch as Fario was turned into an icicle? This was someone that the chief had personally asked him to protect...

Fortunately, the 9th Rank Mage didn't have to keep thinking for long.

Because Lin Yun had already approached.

”How come you are so free today, Uncle?” Lin Yun walked along a small path, not getting close to the 9th Rank Mage, who was still dumbfounded. He stopped at the edge of the frozen swamp and squatted down and smiled as he looked at Fario.

”Re-re-release me!” Fario had never been in such an awkward situation before, with more than half of his body frozen in the swamp. Under the bitter chill, his teeth were chattering constantly. It felt as if countless knives were cutting his body.

He couldn't escape, but he wasn't sinking either. After the swamp completely froze over, it was as hard as steel. Not to mention Fario, even a 10th Rank Warrior wouldn't be able to struggle free.

”Sure, I can get you out without any problem. But… Uncle, there is something I don't understand. You brought so many people to my house today, what for?”

”Cap-capturing a thief, ow…” Fario just started talking when he suddenly felt emptiness open up below his feet. He sank down a bit more. Feeling completely terrified, Fario waved his arms around wildly as he shouted, ”Qu-quick, grab me! Pull me up!”

”Uncle Fario, you are definitely dishonest.” Only when half of Fario's face was left above the swamp did Lin Yun casually grab Fario's collar. ”Are you such a magnanimous person that you would muster such a large force for a thief?”

”Ge-Get me out first!” Fario urged in a muffled voice, not saying any more this time.

Thus, Lin Yun didn't say anything else and simply loosened his grip.

”Ahhhhh!”

As Lin Yun let go, Fario let out a blood-curdling shriek. The two fat hands flailed around chaotically, trying to clutch on to one last hope for survival. After struggling, he barely managed to grab the corner of Lin Yun's gown. Fario held on as if his life depended on it. ”Mafa, I am your uncle, ge-get me out of here…”

”Enough, Fario shut up!” The 9th Rank Mage who had been watching the play while completely dumbfounded finally shook himself out of his stupor. He raised the staff in his hand and a vine suddenly appeared beside the frozen swamp. Imbued with the surge of mana from the 9th Rank Mage, this vine grew to have a length of a few meters and the thickness of an arm.

Immediately afterwards, the vine swept over the struggling Fario and he was pulled out from the frozen swamp steadily dropped on the ground.

”I wasn't done questioning yet…” Lin Yun patted the dust from his gown while grumbling, but he didn't actually care that much.

He was quite sure that Fario was at most an errand boy. No matter how much he questioned him about it, he wouldn't learn much.

Moreover, there was still that 9th Rank Mage.

That mage had no idea that he had been silently marked as a target for questioning. He was frowning, looking at the young mage causing problems for him.

This young mage had to be the owner of the house, Mafa Merlin. He seemed to be about 20 years old and wearing a brand new black gown, so he shouldn't have been a Mage for long. And judging from the two spells he had cast, he was probably somewhere between 3rd and 6th Rank.