Chapter 45: The Young Fox Soaring Through the Sky

The interior of the Mage Tower was clearly much larger than it appeared from the outside. The fourteenth floor, in particular, was a vast coliseum.

“Let’s start with this… One hundred orc warriors.” Sir Newton snapped his fingers, and immediately a large horde of monsters appeared in the arena.

“Sir, aren't you overestimating me?” Vinigor said with a wry smile. Nevertheless, he gently tapped his toes and began to float upward.

For a first trial, he decided it was best to be a little cautious...

So, Vinigor launched himself at half power, flying at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour. He maneuvered with ease, inertia perfectly controlled even as he changed direction. Next, it was time to test his offensive capabilities…

With a subtle movement of his toes, Vinigor shifted from level flight to a sharp upward angle, climbed several meters and then dove rapidly, lightly punching out with his left hand. Instantly, the glove on his left hand flashed, and an invisible shockwave, like a giant’s fist, crashed down onto the ground.

A cloud of dust erupted; at the center of the impact, five orcs were reduced to a pulp.

As the force of his punch swept outward, Vinigor lifted his foot slightly behind him, jetting air from his soles to steady himself, then kicked downward with both feet to rise swiftly again.

He traced a graceful arc through the air, then leaned forward and, using the momentum from his dive, struck out with his palm. This time, he shaped the airflow into a razor-thin blade of wind.

In truth, the wind blade didn’t exactly conform to the principles of fluid dynamics—air formed into a blade would likely dissipate quickly after being released, far less stable than a spherical blast or a high-speed spinning cylinder.

But Vinigor's intention was not ranged attack; it was close-quarters slashing...

A single, sharp, and endlessly keen gust swept through, effortlessly slicing the orcs apart. As Vinigor darted nimbly among the “crowd,” the wind blade floating at the edge of his palm traced each orc’s vulnerable throat, their waists, and ribs. Blood spurted in his wake.

Sir Newton nodded slightly. He could see that Vinigor possessed exceptional control and insight. With such talent, he could indeed bring out the best in the Azure Sky.

The orcs were powerless against an airborne opponent; it was only a matter of time before Vinigor achieved total victory.

Ten minutes later, not a single orc remained alive in the arena.

“The endurance of this is beyond my expectations. No wonder you’re the Chief Mage.” Vinigor drifted down like a feather, landing before Sir Newton with a smile.

“Unlike those fools’ creations, my work is highly efficient in its use of magic. By the way, I drew inspiration from your puppet horse—this uses magic-replenishing potions as fuel. Basically, just a small cupful inside, and you can use it for a long time.” Sir Newton handed him a small vial of blue liquid, pointing to a fill port specially left on the Azure Sky.

“Now, let’s try some aerial combat.” Not waiting for Vinigor to take the potion, Sir Newton chuckled and summoned a new set of monsters—this time, five wild griffins.

Griffins were formidable, their strength and speed both top-tier. A single swoop from above could instantly take down a strong warrior.

“Hey, at least let me refill first…” Vinigor said with a wry smile, then powered up to full, shooting into the sky with wisps of cloud trailing behind. He bit open the potion’s cap and jammed it into the fill port at the end of his left glove.

The Azure Sky emitted a gorgeous azure glow. At Vinigor’s command, the jets at his feet doubled their output in an instant.

The griffins had almost caught up to Vinigor, their talons about to snatch him. Suddenly, with a flash of blue light, their prey vanished from sight.

Where did he go?

Vinigor dove down from above, landing atop the leading griffin. He drove his left fist into its skull, pressing down lightly.

Bang!

A powerful burst of air forced the poor griffin’s head downward with such force that it lost balance and spiraled toward the ground. Vinigor sprang up, nimbly dodging the talons of two more griffins as he turned to face the fourth.

That griffin snapped its beak open, letting out an enraged screech, and dove for Vinigor’s head. He simply twisted his leg, spinning his body around the creature, and grabbed its tail in a reverse grip.

The furious griffin tried to twist and peck his hand, but the maneuver disrupted its flight, slowing it down. With a burst of speed, Vinigor flashed to the front of the beast.

His left hand leveled, and with a thought, the glove released a forceful jet, stabbing forward like a javelin.

Griffin hide was tough, but Sir Newton’s magitech was far beyond ordinary magical items. One strike pierced the griffin’s left chest. The fierce beast tumbled from the sky, howling as it fell.

By now, the remaining three griffins had regrouped, closing in from three directions. Vinigor only chuckled. With his Eye of Insight, he could see all their movements clearly; his mind instantly traced the optimal path of evasion.

He dodged two, slipped past the third’s strike, then repeated his earlier tactic—leaping atop the griffin and hammering its head with both fists.

Without transforming, Vinigor’s only real advantages were his quick mind and keen insight; his physical strength was that of an ordinary youth. But as he struck, the Azure Sky delivered a reverse jet, multiplying his blow’s speed and force fivefold.

A single, explosive strike!

The griffin shrieked, trying to throw him off, but Vinigor calmly locked his legs around the struggling beast, maintaining his grip and raining down more blows.

“Impressive. With nothing but my magitech, he can best five griffins. The boy’s a natural…” Sir Newton watched the battle above, unable to suppress his admiration.

Vinigor’s performance astonished him. He knew his own invention was exceptional, but he hadn’t expected it would allow such an ordinary-seeming youth to display such astonishing combat power.

Of course, Sir Newton had no idea that Vinigor possessed an eye that could see through everything.

...Severing Strike of the Seven-Star Flashing Sky...

“Well done, young fox. Your ability exceeds my imagination. You seem to have no strength, and yet with a mere mid-tier artifact, you wield top-tier battle power…” Sir Newton praised.

“Sir Newton, there are many kinds of strength. Brute muscle, skill with weapons, your own wondrous magic, faith, authority, wealth…” Vinigor said slowly. “But as you’ve surely noticed, none of these are what I possess. What I have is the power of insight.”

“You have a sharp eye,” Sir Newton nodded.

“And intelligence too. I dare say, in some areas, I have a pretty good head on my shoulders,” Vinigor boasted.

“I only wonder why you can’t learn magic. With your intellect and creativity, you’d make an excellent caster,” Sir Newton said.

“Indeed… Perhaps it’s some unknown bloodline, or a curse. But it doesn’t matter. When God closes one door, He opens another. My insight is something even Sir Tamp and Sir Stromgard would envy.” Vinigor pressed his right eye and spoke softly.

“Truly enviable… and I suppose those magic circles you give me, which I can’t understand even myself, are thanks to that eye of yours?” Sir Newton grinned, fixing his gaze on Vinigor’s eyes.

“Please, sir, keep that a secret for me,” Vinigor said quickly, a little taken aback.

“As promised: I’ve made you a custom artifact, and now you work for me.”

“Yes, yes, just tell me what you need,” Vinigor said, spreading his hands in resignation.

“Well… go find your little girlfriend first. Sir Tamp will tell you what you’re to do.” Sir Newton waved him off.

“Very well, just keep playing with me…” Vinigor grumbled as he turned to leave.

Behind him, Sir Newton’s hearty laughter echoed without restraint. That old man was certainly in good spirits.

...

Vinigor called for Honey, took Cait Sith and Ramen, and set out toward Tamp Castle beyond the bounds of Free Paradise.

Tamp’s castle stood in the wilds outside Free Paradise. It was said that the chief swordsman had deliberately built his stronghold in a desolate place, once declaring that those who sought pleasure or feared danger had no right to study swordsmanship within his walls.

The grounds around the castle were not well cleared, and monsters lurked here and there. Sir Tamp likely wished to avoid the nuisance of common visitors; besides, his castle did not stand along any major trade route.

The monsters here were formidable, but if Cait Sith—the big cat—were to join in, just its claws would be enough to clear the way.

“Let me handle it. I’m still not fully accustomed to this artifact,” Vinigor said, holding back the eager feline. “Though I can use it well enough, I feel I haven’t yet brought out the Azure Sky’s full potential. I can’t let Sir Newton’s hard work go to waste.”

The greatest advantage of the Azure Sky lay not in how powerful its blasts could be, but in the precision and swiftness with which it could adjust output and jet angle. It was this seemingly minor feature that allowed Vinigor, even without transforming, to move and attack with unmatched flexibility.

Perhaps, this was the artifact most perfectly suited for him.