Chapter 355: Caged Bird

Buck was thinking logically.

Someone had beaten him to the castle, and indeed, there was nothing valuable left inside.

Feeling frustrated and unlucky, Buck was ready to leave.

He never imagined that the person who arrived first had only beaten him by a short time.

Normally, such coincidences wouldn’t happen.

So Buck naturally assumed that the previous visitor had taken everything.

He didn’t expect that person to still be there, hiding in the basement.

“Martina, you’re so attentive. I’ll reward you well tonight,” Buck said happily, growing more satisfied with Martina.

If not for Martina noticing the slight difference in the lawn, Buck wouldn’t have found Helag.

“You’re amazing, teacher,” Martina blushed, seemingly thinking of something as Buck mentioned a reward, looking even more alluring.

Buck turned to Helag, “Hand over what you took.”

He didn’t bother asking Helag’s identity, seeing it as irrelevant.

Helag calmly replied, “There’s nothing valuable here; I just arrived.”

“Kid, don’t lie to me. Hand it over, and I’ll make your death quick,” Buck said bluntly, making it clear he intended to kill Helag.

“Hand it over, or I’ll gouge out your eyes!” Martina threatened venomously.

Helag stated, “I’m a member of Seranthiel. Are you trying to start a war?”

“Seranthiel?” Buck hesitated for a moment at Helag’s claim.

But he quickly dismissed it, sneering, “Here in the polluted zone, I say you’re not. You’re just a thief who stole from me!”

Helag’s expression turned cold, realizing Buck was determined to kill him.

He wasted no more words, activating his Power of the Titan form.

His body rapidly expanded, strength and constitution greatly enhanced.

The stone hand gripping Helag shattered instantly, and he seized the chance to dash for the castle entrance.

The entrance was the only exit; reaching the polluted zone offered a chance to escape.

No matter how bold Buck was, he wouldn’t risk pursuing far in the polluted zone.

Buck was surprised by Helag’s sudden growth in size and strength.

His stone hand could easily hold a first-level crystallized wizard, yet Helag broke free instantly.

Buck’s expression darkened further.

Failing to capture a first-level liquefied wizard would undermine his authority before his students.

Buck snorted, waving his hand to raise a massive stone wall, blocking the castle entrance.

Helag halted, seeing the wall was over ten meters thick, impossible to breach quickly.

“Cage of Stone.”

Buck’s voice echoed, and a massive cage formed around Helag.

Instantly, a stone cage resembling a birdcage surrounded Helag.

Like a bird, Helag was trapped inside.

The cage consisted of many pillars, with seemingly large gaps between them.

Helag tried squeezing through, but the gaps were illusory, preventing escape.

“Idiot!” Martina mocked, doubting Helag’s intelligence.

To her, Helag’s fate was sealed.

Unwilling to give up, Helag threw several fire lizard bombs at one spot, detonating them.

Boom!

The cage didn’t budge, the targeted area unharmed.

“This cage contains rule power; your strength can’t damage it,” Buck said leisurely.

He watched Helag’s attempts without concern, confident Helag couldn’t escape.

Seeing the bombs fail, Helag drew the World Tree Bow, firing an arrow at a corner.

The green arrow formed and flew, exploding on the cage’s edge.

“It worked!”

Helag noticed fine cracks where the arrow struck.

Though slight, it showed the cage wasn’t invincible.

“Impossible!”

Buck was shocked, staring at the World Tree Bow in Helag’s hand.

He’d never seen it, but guessed it was a rare treasure.

The bow’s ability to damage the cage indicated it contained rule power.

Helag’s power alone couldn’t harm the cage.

“There’s something valuable,” Buck’s eyes gleamed with greed.

“Teacher, that bow…” Martina noticed the bow’s uniqueness, hinting at it.

Buck grinned, “I’ll let you use it for a couple of days.”

“Thank you, teacher!” Martina was delighted.

In Buck’s mind, the World Tree Bow was already his.

He thought the trip was wasted, but now there was an unexpected gain.

Martina’s contribution was significant.

Pleased, Buck promised Martina time with the bow.

Unbeknownst to him, the bow required high bloodline power to use.

Martina’s ordinary bloodline would drain her life force if she used it.

“Let’s finish him first,” Buck dismissed his thoughts, raising his hand to gather magic, ready to kill Helag in the cage.

Inside the cage, Helag felt anxious, a sense of impending doom.

He’d tried many methods, unable to escape.

Even teleportation failed, stopping at the cage’s edge.

As Buck raised his hand to cast a spell to kill Helag…

Roar~

A distant roar echoed, like rolling thunder, approaching rapidly.

Roar~

The second roar was overhead, booming like thunder above the castle.

Helag covered his ears, the explosive sound overwhelming even his resilience.

Glancing outside the cage, he saw everyone but Buck struggling on the ground.