In the dead of night, a noise from the living room startled Emilia awake from her slumber.
As she was contemplating whether she had dreamt the sound or if it was real, the clatter of the flowerpot hitting the floor confirmed her suspicions.
There were flowerpots only on the windowsill in the living room, which wouldn’t just fall on their own.
This meant someone was breaking into her house from the window!
With this realization, Emilia immediately got out of bed and dressed. She was grateful for her habit of locking her bedroom door at night, as at least there was a door between her and the intruder in the living room.
— (Could it be a thief?)
— (Or could it be…?)
Emilia recalled the conversation she had with Banning.
The mayor seemed to be plotting something against the Quest Guild.
However, the mayor’s house was consumed by a pyroclastic pillar that fell from the sky tonight. If the mayor was home, he should be dead…
The situation was too chaotic, and Emilia couldn’t figure out who the intruder might be. However, she had an idea about how to handle the situation.
·
First, Emilia took a couple of deep breaths to calm her nerves. Then, she pulled back the curtain to let in the moonlight and selected five magic books from her bookshelf.
From the perspective of her combat occupation, Emilia was only a level 20 Junior Mage. But, due to her years of working at the Quest Guild, her experience was more than just Tier 1.
Emilia’s “automatic incantation” skill could record up to five spells.
Considering that her home, a narrow space, could become a battleground and that she had no vanguard to cover her, Emilia chose four Tier-1 magic books and one Tier-2 magic book gifted to her by Banning as her combat spell combination.
With the help of “automatic incantation,” Emilia could recite a Tier-1 spell within a second, which was suitable for close combat where every second counted.
The Tier-2 spell took longer to recite but had a powerful impact, serving as her trump card to finish off the enemy.
Next, Emilia used the “automatic incantation” skill to replace the five spells initially recorded with Tier-1 “Visual Enhancement,” “Rock Wall,” “Vine Zone,” “Ice Thorn,” and Tier-2 “Flame Javelin.”
With that, Emilia’s battle preparation was complete.
·
When it came to battling demons, Emilia had some experience. However, she had little experience when it came to battling humans.
She gripped her long wand, moved to the door, and pressed her ear against it. She heard someone moving around in the living room, which confirmed her worst fears and prepared her for battle.
— (Tier-1 Mental Magic: Visual Enhancement)
Emilia used magic to enhance her vision in the dark. Then, she carefully opened the door a crack.
Through the gap, she saw a middle-aged man around forty years old, searching for something in her home. In the man’s hand, he held a kitchen knife.
After observing for a while, Emilia realized she recognized the man. His name was Charles, one of the men Banning pointed out to her that day from the window!
Now Emilia understood that this man was not a thief, but a man sent by the mayor.
Was he unaware that the mayor was already dead? Or was the mayor not in his residence?
Regardless, Emilia knew the danger she faced tonight was beyond the level of a household thief.
She held her breath, gently closed the door, and latched it.
Emilia was rapidly thinking about how to subdue the man.
Judging by his appearance, Emilia couldn’t determine if the man had a combat occupation. As a mage not skilled in close combat, she either had to strike first or set a trap for him to fall into.
After careful consideration, she chose the latter.
Emilia used “Tier-1 Earth Magic: Rock Wall” to erect a stone wall inside her bedroom door. This way, even if Charles managed to force the door open, he would have to figure out how to break down the stone wall to get into her bedroom.
Next, Emilia used “Tier-1 Wood Magic: Vine Zone” between the stone wall and the door. Now, all she had to do was wait for Charles to walk right into her trap.
.
Emilia crouched by the wall, her heart pounding in her chest.
After what felt like an eternity, footsteps gradually approached her bedroom.
— (Please, Vine Zone, you must ensnare him…!)
Emilia gripped her wand tightly, her feet trembling uncontrollably. The tension of human combat was far beyond what she had expected.
Suddenly, the bedroom door bumped against the doorframe. The intruder had tried to open the door, only to find it locked.
Immediately after, Emilia heard the man’s triumphant voice.
“Haha, so you’re hiding in there! I’ve finally found you!”
The man was saying while kicking the door with great force. The loud banging accelerated Emilia’s heartbeat.
On the seventh kick, the door bolt broke and the bedroom door was swung open.
“Huh? What’s going on?”
The man saw the rock wall behind the door and the small gap between the wall and the door.
He approached with curiosity and touched it.
At that moment, the “Tier-1 Wood Magic: Vine Zone” that had been set up there was immediately activated. Vines rapidly wrapped around the intruder’s ankles and calves, making it difficult for him to move!
Emilia knew the decisive moment had arrived. She mustered her courage, approached the stone wall, peeked through the crack, and saw Charles trying to sever the vines entangling his feet…
— (Tier-1 Water Magic: Ice Thorn!)
A rotating water magic circle unfolded at Emilia’s fingertips. Then, several ice thorns shot out from it. Some hit the stone wall and shattered, while others pierced through the gap and embedded themselves in Charles’s body!
Charles screamed in agony, and the kitchen knife in his hand clattered to the floor.
Emilia couldn’t afford to relax yet. She immediately cast “Tier-1 Wood Magic: Vine Zone” again, this time binding Charles’s hands!
Unable to maintain balance, Charles soon fell to the ground. He could only move like a worm.
Still not reassured, Emilia turned to grab another magic book from the shelf, preparing to cast “Tier-1 Water Magic: Frost Breath” to freeze Charles.
However, at that moment, a loud bang resonated from the stone wall.
Emilia quickly turned back and found another man who could shatter the stone wall with a punch!
— (Tier-1 Water Magic: Ice Thorn!)
Without a second thought, Emilia reflexively attacked him. Then, taking advantage of the man’s evasion of the ice thorns, Emilia managed to run out of the bedroom from the other side! 𝑜𝑽ℯ𝐿xt.𝗇𝓔t
— (This man’s strength is extraordinary! He must be some kind of close combat occupation!)
— (Since he could break the stone wall, the “Vine Zone” definitely can’t hold him, what should I do…?!!)
Emilia dashed towards the front door, but before she could take two steps, a flying rock hit her leg. She stumbled and fell to the ground.