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"YOU!!! WHO ARE YOU? YOU ARE NOT THE ANNA I KNOW!!! HOW DARE YOU PRETEND TO BE ANNA!!!"
Suddenly, Artur's body seemed to explode from within, enveloped in blue electricity. The surge of mana explosion made the air around him vibrate intensely, though The Great Hall remained unaffected.
Unbeknownst to Artur, his anger had triggered the activation of the Sonic Boom spell. Seeing Artur's body enveloped in blue lightning, Moku displayed an intrigued expression. Unlike Nevare, who utilized mana more for attacking, Artur channeled his mana to enhance his physical power.
Moku sensed that Artur's cells were tumultuous, allowing him to react much faster with heightened sensory perception. However, Artur's ability seemed scattered and unfocused. If he could concentrate it at one point, this ability might rival Asura's Padakacarma speed.
"Artur! I warned you before if you defy my command, I won't hesitate to slice you to pieces!"
Simultaneously with Gathjee's thunderous voice, an explosion of aura filled the entire Great Hall. This time, The Great Hall showed a different reaction. The entire structure seemed to vibrate strongly.
A feeling of suffocation pervaded the space, causing everyone to pale. Moku smiled, sensing Gathjee's immense aura. From his aura, it seemed Gathjee possessed a power not inferior to Raiden's.
This piqued Moku's interest in testing himself against Gathjee. His red eyes gleamed sharply. He shielded Anna from Raiden's aura using his dragon prana.
Currently, Anna wasn't capable of touching the level of power Gathjee and Raiden possessed. The difference between a Level 4 Constellation Mage and a Level 5 Constellation Mage was considerable. However, there was a possibility that it might just be Raiden and Gathjee who differed. Other Level 5 Constellation Mages might not be as strong as these two.
But what was more important was that Gathjee's aura, which was supposed to be directed at Artur due to anger, had scattered everywhere. Instead, it concentrated on Moku.
Though Gathjee attempted to hide it by expanding his aura as if he had no specific target or couldn't control it, Moku's inner eye could see that Gathjee was trying to challenge him with his aura.
Moku merely smiled and let his inner dragon prana surge. A new aura promptly filled the entire Great Hall, much heavier and more intimidating than Gathjee's. Gathjee's aura was swiftly contained by Moku's before dissipating.
Moku observed Gathjee's paling face and smiled inwardly. Before things could escalate to the point of killing in The Great Hall, Moku retracted his aura.
In doing so, their brief confrontation came to an end. Inside, Moku felt a slight urge to mock Gathjee, having witnessed his widened eyes and paling complexion.
"Heh... serves you right for challenging me," Moku chuckled to himself.
Currently, only three individuals remained standing in The Great Hall: Moku, Anna, and Gathjee. The rest had either fallen unconscious or knelt, their faces pale and breaths irregular.
Although they hadn't engaged in real combat, the clash of two auras with the power of Level 5 Constellation Mages was an ordeal beyond the capabilities of ordinary mages.
As if his energy source reconnected, Gathjee wiped the surprise from his face and saluted Moku.
"Forgive my subordinates' recklessness, Moku The Ku! I assure you, this won't happen again," he quickly uttered in a polite tone.
Moku detected no hint of mockery or arrogance that usually colored Gathjee's voice. This time, he was genuinely showing Moku the deepest respect. The aura battle had proven to Gathjee that Moku was far stronger than him.
"Oh, it's no problem... It seems Artur is just shocked to see his sister again. You should take them to rest for a while. I'll summon the servants to prepare rooms for you," Moku casually remarked, waving his hand.
"Thank you for your hospitality, but I wouldn't want to trouble you any further. I'll take my subordinates back to the Human Alliance territory," Gathjee declined.
"It would be better if you didn't. Although you're a Level 5 Constellation Mage, it would still be challenging for you to carry four people across the Bog Forest. While there might not be dangerous mutated animals around this fortress anymore, I can't guarantee their safety beyond these walls. So, even if you refuse, I must insist you rest here for a while. Once their condition improves, I'll arrange for your departure."
Moku's voice sounded almost coercive as if rejecting his request any further would be akin to spitting in Moku's face.
Swallowing his pride, Gathjee replied, "Very well then, I will trouble you a bit more."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all... Don't hesitate," Moku said, smiling gently. Yet, beneath that smile lay another, more sinister grin.
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"Anna, what's wrong? Did Dad scold you again?" Artur asked, looking at the silver-haired girl sitting lost in thought.
"Shut up, Artur!" Anna exclaimed, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Wow, you're even crying. What is it this time? Did he find out you've been practicing with the sword again?" Artur said casually, sitting beside Anna.
Anna just turned her face away, not responding. Despite that, her sadness was evident, wiping the smile off Artur's face. His urge to tease his sister began to subside.
"Anna, just wait a bit longer. After I graduate from school, I'll join the guild as an adventurer. I'll earn money to buy you Mana Potions. Once you become a mage, Gilbert won't be able to say anything to you anymore," Artur said seriously.
This time, Anna turned to face Artur. Her eyes were no longer teary; it seemed she had managed to wipe them away. With a wide smile, Anna pinched Artur's cheek forcefully.
"Since when did I become so weak that I need your help, huh? Do you think after getting into school, you can beat me? Dream on, kiddo!" she said with irritation.
"Ouch... ouch... ouch... hey... hey... stop... Anna, stop... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Artur couldn't counter Anna's gorilla-like strength and ended up wincing and begging for mercy. Anna released his cheek and snorted. Artur gently rubbed his reddened cheek, which was on the verge of swelling.
"Artur, I won't give up that easily. Just watch, I'll become a mage before you. You'll always remain second best cause I am your big sister," Anna said, patting her chest.
"Oh? Is that so? I thought I saw your eyes welled up earlier. Were you crying just now?" Artur teased.
"WHAT? Do you want me to pinch your cheek again, huh? Or do you want a black eye?" Anna grinned ominously while flexing her fist.
"Hey... hey... Don't play rough... You're a girl, no guy would want to marry you if you're this rough," Artur raised his hands and backed away from the silver-haired female gorilla in front of him.
Anna just snorted, "Hmph... I don't care about weak guys. I won't like anyone weaker than me."
Hearing that, Artur smiled wryly, "Looks like you'll be a spinster for a long time then."
"What did you say?!" Anna no longer held back her fist and launched it towards Artur's face.
Swiftly, Artur dodged and took a thousand steps back. The silver-haired female gorilla chased after him with fierce eyes. Artur laughed heartily, knowing that if Anna caught him, he'd end up battered.
Neighbors watching the siblings chasing each other could only shake their heads. They were accustomed to the close relationship between these siblings.
If there weren't a two-year age gap between them, people might have thought they were twins. After all, Artur and Anna's faces were strikingly similar.
And their dreams were identical.
Becoming powerful mages.
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"ANNA!"
Artur yelled, opening his eyes. He found himself under an unfamiliar ceiling.
"Awake already, big brother?"
Artur turned toward the source of the voice and found Robert sitting there, gazing at him.
"Robert? What happened? Where am I?" Artur asked, his head feeling heavy.
"Huh? You better not pretend to have amnesia. Don't you know you just almost got us all killed?" Robert said.
Artur tried to sit up. His head still felt dizzy and heavy, but he managed to recall his last memories.
"I'm sorry, Robert," Artur sighed deeply.
"Sigh... Never mind, it wasn't all your fault anyway. If Gathjee wanted to stop you, he could have done it before you used Sonic Boom. The same goes for the guy whose name is Moku," Robert shook his head, taking a long breath.
Artur nodded, understanding that. In front of a Level 5 Constellation Mage, let alone using Sonic Boom, using any mana wouldn't be possible without being noticed beforehand. Artur was just a Level 2 Constellation Mage; to Gathjee and Moku, he was nothing more than an ant. He wouldn't stand a chance against them.
Gathjee and Moku used his outburst as a reason to test each other's strength. Nevertheless, Artur felt frustrated with himself for not being able to control his emotions. Somehow, every time he saw Anna, his mind would cloud over.
"Ah... Anna?"
Artur remembered the cause of his anger again. He had seen Anna acting so unfamiliar to him. She seemed not to acknowledge his presence at all.
"Robert, Anna—"
*Knock! *Knock! *Knock!
A knock on the door interrupted Artur's words. Both Artur and Robert looked towards the door. Before they could respond, a woman's voice came from behind it.
"Master Artur, Master Robert, Madam Anna is calling you to her room."
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