Seeing that Lianna’s earlier arrogance had vanished and her eyes had regained a measure of clarity, Lynch sneered inwardly.

’Strength, it seemed, was the only thing that could make someone regain their senses and be willing to talk things out calmly.’

Just as Lianna found herself in an impossible situation, caught between a rock and a hard place...

Suddenly.

"WHOOSH!!!"

A powerful gust of wind swept over the area, kicking up a vast cloud of dust.

Everyone looked up to see a massive shadow swooping in at incredible speed, like a diving fighter jet.

It was a winged bone dragon, its menacing skeleton stretching over ten meters long. Inside its draconic skull, an eerie green Soul Fire burned.

A tall figure stood upon its broad back, facing the wind.

Her black Mage Robe whipped about in the gale. Her exquisite face seemed veiled in frost, and her lake-blue eyes brimmed with an icy chill and Evil Qi. Though she had not yet arrived, her voice was already echoing across the area.

"Lianna."

"You’ve got some nerve, daring to touch my student!"

Before her voice had faded, Annabella gave a light flick of her wrist.

A pale bone spear, wreathed in a dense aura of death, shot out in an instant, its piercing shriek echoing across the plains.

The spear was incredibly fast and immensely powerful. In its wake, the air roiled violently, sending circles of visible, transparent ripples spreading rapidly outward.

Lynch’s expression relaxed.

His mentor was here. He felt as if he had found his backbone, and a great sense of relief washed over him.

Besides, his mentor’s spear was just too fast. Lynch couldn’t follow it at all. He could only feel that it was stronger and more domineering than Anthony’s.

But while Lynch couldn’t see it clearly, Lianna, who was bearing the brunt of the attack, saw it with perfect clarity.

She felt a chill shoot from the base of her spine straight to her skull. The hair on her body stood on end as the shadow of death enveloped her.

She had no time to react, swinging her Holy Staff on pure combat instinct.

A Holy Shield, stored in advance within the staff, was instantly activated, forming an oval barrier of light around her.

However, the very instant the shield formed...

"SHINK!"

The tip of the bone spear slammed viciously against the barrier of light.

There was no earth-shattering boom, only a crisp cracking sound, like glass being pierced by an iron pick.

Before Annabella’s casual spear, the seemingly indestructible Holy Shield shattered on impact as if it were made of paper-mâché, dissolving into a shower of fading light particles.

And the spear, its momentum unbroken, pierced straight through her left shoulder blade as Lianna watched in horror.

"SQUELCH~"

Blood splattered~

The ferocious impact sent Lianna’s body flying backward.

"THUD!!!"

With a dull thud, the spear embedded itself deep in the rock wall beside the mine.

Lianna was pinned to the rock wall, her face contorted by the intense pain as she squeezed out a pained groan through gritted teeth.

Blood gushed from the puncture wound in her shoulder blade, staining her white Priest robe red.

This strike.

Had happened in the blink of an eye, over in a flash of lightning.

Lynch was utterly dumbfounded, his heart racing.

’Holy shit, holy shit! My mentor is a total badass.’

A profound sense of security washed over him.

’Being protected by such a beautiful, domineering, and fiercely loyal mentor... this feeling... it’s just too damn good.’

The other mentors were also stunned by the scene.

They had all heard that Annabella, who had returned from her studies in the Realm of the Dead, was powerful. But they had no concrete idea of just how powerful she was.

Today, they had finally witnessed it firsthand.

Lianna, a Tier Six powerhouse, was already considered to be in the upper-middle ranks among the mentors. Yet, who would have thought she’d be pinned to a wall by a single bone spear from Annabella!

Clearly, as a Necromancer, Annabella hadn’t even used her full strength. If she were to deploy her Undead Legion, who present could possibly be a match for her?

No wonder there were rumors that the Dean held Annabella in high esteem and intended for her to be his successor.

Upon seeing this, the other male Holy Light Priest present paled and subconsciously started to rush forward to help.

However, he had barely moved.

Annabella’s gaze, from atop the winged bone dragon, turned sharp. Her Spiritual Power instantly locked onto him as another bone spear materialized in her palm, ready to fly.

"Let her hang there," Annabella said, her voice even but her tone utterly domineering. "I’ll strike down anyone who dares to help her."

The male Priest froze, his face alternating between pale and ashen as beads of cold sweat formed on his temples. For a moment, he was stuck, unable to advance or retreat.

Seeing this, Lynch mentally gave his mentor a round of applause.

’My mentor is incredible! So domineering! This student has no way to repay you, except with my body... *cough cough*, I mean, with my loyalty.’

Hearing this, the few neutral mentors also stopped in their tracks. They exchanged glances, but no one else stepped forward.

Lianna was, without a doubt, the one in the wrong today.

Pressuring a student based on mere speculation, and even using offensive Magic, was completely unjustifiable. It was a disgrace to her position as a mentor.

Annabella’s methods were harsh, but she was in the right.

Even if this incident were brought before the Dean, Lianna would hold no advantage and might even face a more severe punishment.

Thus, the mentors chose to remain silent observers. Some even seemed faintly pleased to see this happen.

’It might not be a bad thing for the perpetually arrogant Lianna to suffer a setback and cool down a little.’

But Lianna, pinned to the rock wall, was in no state to be calm.

The excruciating pain and humiliation nearly drove her mad. She shrieked hoarsely, "Annabella, you—you’re vicious! If you have the guts, then kill me!"