Chapter 132: The Pipe

Merrick observed many details through the earlier battle.

He himself was also a highly talented wizard, knowing that achieving what Duke did was not easy.

"What was the spell you used just now to pull Bell down?" Merrick asked curiously.

To the onlookers, Bell suddenly got pulled down, and no one saw what happened.

Duke replied, "It was the Gravity Slowdown spell, a surprise attack with quite the effect."

"So it was Gravity Slowdown," Merrick nodded thoughtfully.

He had heard of this Earth Magic spell, knowing that it’s a large-scale control spell, extremely complex and difficult to learn.

Duke being able to master this spell as a second-class wizard apprentice was no small feat.

Vivian also came over, finally sighing in relief.

Though she appeared calm the whole time, she was actually quite anxious inside.

Especially after Bell used his bloodline power, Vivian became even more worried for Duke.

Fortunately, despite the dangers, Duke eventually defeated Bell and wasn’t injured himself.

In the gladiatorial arena, some cried and some laughed, some became rich overnight, while others lost everything due to this duel.

Many had almost staked everything on betting Bell would win, hoping to earn some quick money, only for it to all go down the drain.

"Well done!" A burly man with a broad build walked over, a pipe in his mouth, and patted Duke’s shoulder with his heavy, wide hand.

There was a Black Sail emblem on his chest, indicating he was also part of Black Sail.

Duke hurriedly saluted, knowing this should be an official wizard from Black Sail.

He couldn’t sense any magic fluctuation from this person, yet instinctively felt a hint of fear.

This was due to a difference in life level; he had felt this way when encountering the Three-headed Dog and Raven Butterfly before.

When Duke looked up again, the man had disappeared, and he didn’t even know his name.

"Vivian, did you see when that person left?" Duke turned and asked.

Vivian looked puzzled, "Was there someone next to you just now?"

Duke was stunned and thought, "I must have encountered someone extraordinary."

He recalled carefully that from the moment the burly man appeared to when he left, he hadn’t sensed anything.

Even Vivian beside him hadn’t sensed it all, as if he just appeared to greet them and then vanished.

Upon further recollection, even the man’s face was blurred; he only remembered the pipe.

Duke then recounted the incident to Vivian, who pondered, "He must be a very powerful wizard. Luckily, he’s from Black Sail and meant no harm to you."

If the man had intended to harm Duke, Duke wouldn’t be standing here right now.

After the duel, Duke and Vivian left the wizard arena.

Bell was injured, and someone was bound to come afterward; the Crawford family must have people here.

Bell originally came to Harbor City with his elders for a Magic Potion Association meeting, and his elders would likely show up soon.

If Duke stayed, he would probably encounter them directly.

Even though this is Black Sail’s territory, there’s no need to take that risk, so it’s better to leave early.

Since it was late at night, the two strolled down the street for a while before parting ways and returning to their respective places.

Duke’s inn didn’t allow non-Black Sail members, while Vivian stayed in an apartment Grace had bought in Harbor City.

Grace apparently had several properties in Harbor City; when she heard Vivian was coming, she casually gave her a set of keys, and it was a sea-view apartment.

It’s a great perk to have a mentor; Duke could only express his envy.

After leaving the wizard arena, stories of what happened quickly spread.

Even though it was just a duel between wizard apprentices, a second-class wizard apprentice from Black Sail had defeated a first-class apprentice from Thorn Holy Tower and from the Crawford family.

Black Sail wizards were happy to see such news spread; with the Wizard’s Mark, the news traveled fast.

Duke’s name soon became known to many, and people were curious how a second-class apprentice could defeat Bell.

The gap in strength, background, and foundation was significant.

This also reinforced the impression that Black Sail excels in combat, while many criticized Thorn Holy Tower for focusing solely on academic research and neglecting practical training.

The discussion grew deeper, with some seizing the chance to mock the Crawford family, harboring grudges against them.

The matter soon became irrelevant to Duke and Vivian, and Bell’s incident with the shattered egg somehow leaked.

Such things would typically remain confidential, but not here at Black Sail, and since Bell was not one of them.

Many disliked Thorn Holy Tower and the Crawford family, so the incident of Bell’s shattered egg became a joke.

This news even spread farther than Duke’s victory, and soon many on the West Coast knew about Bell Crawford’s accident.

Fortunately, the Crawford family had internal marriages; otherwise, any engagement with another family might have led them to reconsider canceling the arrangement.

It’s said that when Bell awoke after treatment and saw messages in the Wizard’s Mark asking about the state of his egg, he almost fainted again in anger on the spot.

Duke initially knew none of this and only heard about it when Vivian casually mentioned it during their morning stroll.

It’s said that everyone in Thorn Holy Tower now knows about it, as Bell was already somewhat famous among apprentices.

His misfortune quickly became widespread news.

Duke stroked his chin, thinking he had truly angered Bell, who would definitely fault him for this.

But it really wasn’t his fault; his Rock Spike was aimed at the thigh, but Bell insisted on showing his reflexes, adjusting his position and getting severely injured instead.

At the time, Bell was under a triple gravity field, making his movements less agile than usual, leading to the mistake.

Harbor City has many attractions, besides places to vent desires and emotions, there are plenty of restaurants and clothing stores.