The Nightmare Wizard
Chapter 60 - Blood on the Deck

Chapter 60: Chapter 60 - Blood on the Deck

The three stripes on their sleeves marked them as Level 3 apprentices. William barely glanced at them. He didn’t know where these guys had come from, but honestly, he couldn’t care less. His eyes were drawn to the girls clinging to them... his girls.

Jealousy flared up in his chest like dry grass catching fire. He hadn’t seen them all year, but he had asked around and knew they were training hard to pass the second selection. That’s why he never bothered them.

But the girls had been avoiding him on purpose—ever since they found out their virginity was worth twenty spiritual stones at the Academy. It was a long-standing tradition, a way for female apprentice mages to earn their first real resources. And when they realized they had missed that opportunity by being with William and the others... bitterness took root.

Maren, Cedric’s former partner, leaned in and whispered something to one of the nobles. His expression darkened, and he stepped forward until he was right in William’s face.

"So you’re the famous William? What a damn disappointment... I expected at least some dignity," sneered the taller of the two.

Rage exploded inside William like a dam bursting. Etiquette? Protocol? To hell with it. Instead of bowing his head, he held his ground and stared the boy straight in the eyes. The look alone was a slap in the face.

Then Angel’s voice rang in his mind, cold and precise:

"William, hostile entity detected. Imminent threat."

Next to the noble, glowing stats appeared—only visible to him:

Strength: 2.3 | Dexterity: 1.8 | Vitality: 40 | Spiritual Power: 40

William frowned. The guy was weak physically, but his spiritual power was massive.

"Since when can you show me this?" he asked mentally.

"Since we came back. My mana sensitivity has evolved... I can read souls now. I see what they are, not what they pretend to be."

William was still processing that when the noble misread his expression.

"You filthy commoner... Are you seriously ignoring me!? I’ll show you your place!"

He grabbed William by the throat.

But that was it.

Something inside William snapped. He grabbed the noble’s arm, twisted, and threw him hard against the deck. The boy crashed down like a rag doll, curling up and groaning like a cooked shrimp.

The second apprentice—blond, thinner, and with a snake’s smirk—acted fast. He stretched out his hand, conjuring a fireball three times the size of William’s usual attack. Angel screamed:

"William, move! Direct hit = instant death!"

The spell crackled with devastating heat. William bent his knees, ready to dodge—until a figure jumped in front of him.

"Please, don’t!! I’m begging you, stop! I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t kill him!" Lía screamed, shielding him with her body.

Her plea only enraged the noble further.

"Stupid bitch! Who told you to speak!? Then die with him!"

The fireball roared.

Instinct took over. William dove toward her and threw up his mana shield.

But it wasn’t enough.

The noble’s magic tore through his barrier like paper. A shrieking crack echoed—then, black energy erupted from William’s left arm, reinforcing the shield at the last second.

A thunderous explosion followed.

Both were launched across the deck. William held Lía tightly as they tumbled through the air.

The world froze.

Silence swallowed everything.

William hit the ground hard, still cradling her in his arms. Lía sat up, coughing, tears streaming down her face. Her skin was bruised, her clothes charred.

She screamed for help, voice shaking with desperation.

But none of the other girls moved.

"...Idiot," one of them muttered.

"See? This is what happens when you hang out with trash," said another, arms crossed.

"He had it coming, thinking he was special," a third added coldly.

Only Lía collapsed beside him, shaking his broken body.

"He saved me! He did it for me! William!!"

William heard none of it.

Only Angel’s voice screamed in his mind, more human than ever, laced with agony.

"Organ failure! Lungs collapsing! Heart stopped! William, hold on!! DON’T YOU DARE GIVE UP! DAMN IT—DAMN IT ALL—I CAN’T HELP YOU!!"

The nearby sailors, pale and horrified, ran toward the stern, shouting:

"Captain! Captain, get over here!!"

Thenerev stormed in seconds later, fury in his eyes as he saw William’s mangled body—ribs shattered, half his face scorched, blood soaking the deck.

"Do you even know what the fuck you’ve done!?" he roared at the noble, pointing a trembling finger. "You’re fucking dead."

And as if summoned by divine wrath, Aurus appeared, flanked by three formal mages. One of them smirked.

"So this is the rising star? What a shame..."

Aurus didn’t laugh. He didn’t speak.

He dropped to his knees beside William, pressed a hand to his chest, and summoned a glowing white circle of mana beneath him.

In a low, solemn voice, he intoned:

"Sana anima, et corpus revoca..."

The healing spell pulsed. Tissue mended. Broken veins sealed. Organs stitched themselves back together.

Bit by bit, William gasped for breath. His eyes fluttered open.

The noble took a step forward, arrogance dripping from every pore.

"Stay out of this! This is personal! I have every right to kill a commoner who disrespects me—Academy rules—!"

Aurus turned slowly. His voice dropped like a guillotine.

"Apprentices are exempt from those rules until formal admission. And tell me... what gives you the right to speak like that to a formal mage?"

The sky growled.

Dark clouds rolled in above the ship.

The mana around them stirred violently, reacting to William’s rising presence.

"What... what the hell is going on?" stuttered the noble, stepping back.

William’s eyes glowed like burning coals. His hair whipped in the wind. His breathing was slow, but steady.

"Do you have any idea who you’re talking to!? My family will ruin you for this, you piece of shit!"

William didn’t answer.

He just stared.

And the storm kept building.

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