The Legendary Mage (Alavin)
Chapter 97

"Your stuff? What jest is this? It was I who laid eyes upon it first." Alavin saw who approached, and his heart steadied. As long as they weren't other bandit mercenaries, he could negotiate. "Hand over the Voilet Thistle, and we'll pretend this encounter never happened." Mariela stood there, a vision of icy beauty. Her long white gown and pale skin made her look like a nymph of the snowbound realms, breathtakingly beautiful. But she was too cold, unsettlingly so. She was surprised to replace Alavin here, but the Voilet Thistle was crucial to her, and she had to have it.

"What jest is this, first come, first served," Alavin said as he pocketed the Elixir Fruit.

"The Violet Lion was lured away by our hard toil; we sacrificed five Advanced Elixir Herbs for this," a Protégé roared in anger. They had painstakingly worked for three days and nights to distract the Violet Lion. They nearly got caught several times, and today, finally, they used five Advanced Elixir Herbs to lure the beast away from the Elixir Fruit. They had planned to harvest the fruit once the lion was far enough away, but Alavin had arrived unexpectedly.

"We do not wish to quarrel with you; the Violet Lion is still near," another Protégé said, constantly looking back, fearing the beast might return and they would be no match for its might.

Alavin was speechless. "Fellow brethren of Botanic Haven, you guard the Haven every day, with no lack of Elixir Fruits or Herbs. Why do you have to fight with me over this?"

"The Voilet Thistle is a Super Elixir Fruit, every single one!" Mariela said with a cold, stern expression.

"Five?" Alavin's heart raced. There were five small fruits on the plant, so five Super Elixir Fruits. He was about to hesitate, to consider giving them to the others, but upon hearing this, he gripped them tighter. "Ha, they are mine."

Seeing Alavin's expression, the Botanic Haven Protégés knew his intent and cried out in unison, "Hand it over!"

"How about this, we're all studying in Cobalt Strike, and let's not ruin our camaraderie. I am not stingy. We'll split it; I'll take three, you two. What say you?"

"Shameless."

"That's a harsh word. There's no need for this discord. I'll keep two, and you can have three?"

"It's impossible. You can't keep even one; it's ours."

"You're being unreasonable now. This is Cloudveil Woods, not Cobalt Strike. Your status from Botanic Haven carries no weight here, and you can't have everything your way." Alavin looked at each one, readying himself for battle. When he stepped back, and they didn't budge, there was only one option left-fight.

"You cannot defeat us! A Stage V mage is nothing special."

"Alavin, don't make this worse. Botanic Haven is not something you want to provoke."

"Don't force us to be ruthless."

"Don't think that just because you bested Galos, you can look down upon everyone."

Five Botanic Haven Protégés surrounded Alavin, activating their magic, and preparing for battle.

A real fight? Alavin wasn't afraid of them. He tucked the Voilet Thistle into his cloak, and a bright red aura burst forth from his body, scattering dust and dead leaves beneath his feet. His right arm raised horizontally, the aura intense, sweeping over him, rapidly transforming into blinding lightning that coursed through his body, growing fiercer by the moment, almost engulfing him completely.

"Crack!"

With a thunderous roar, the charged air around him hummed, and a great mass of lightning gathered at his right arm, coalescing into a formidable Shockwave Cobra that tightly coiled around his limb. The serpent's head merged with his fist, coming to life as if it hissed a true battle cry, menacingly locking onto his foes.

"Novice Mage Stage VI?" Mariela was slightly taken aback. This aura was unmistakably Stage VI. When had he broken through?

"Stage VI? No wonder you're so bold before us. But you're still not qualified to challenge Botanic Haven Protégés. Alavin, this is your last chance. Hand over the Voilet Thistle," a Protégé said, brandishing an iron staff with a pointed gesture at Alavin.

"Don't speak so unpleasantly, and don't think too highly of yourself." Alavin clenched his fist, and the Shockwave Cobra crackled with chaotic lightning, containing a fearsome potential for explosion. His stance was clear; he was ready for battle!

"Fool!" The male Protégé's arm vibrated slightly as a strange golden light rushed into the staff, which had been a dull black but now shone with brilliant gold. It quivered slightly, as if a magical weapon had suddenly awakened, exuding a terrifying presence, its edge aimed straight at Alavin.

Their auras clashed in the air, and at the moment of contact, they charged towards one another.