The sword pierced precisely into the writhing mass, and Darrend's body shuddered violently, letting out a cry of agony.
But the attacker had no intention of stopping. He gritted his teeth and pushed the sword deeper with all his might, repeatedly twisting it to create an open wound.
[Fatal Strike! Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +5]
A mixture of blood and brain tissues spurted from the wound, splattering all over him.
Eventually, the giant brain creature's body collapsed thunderously, no longer moving.
The attacker kept a close watch on the twisted creature in front of him until he was sure it no longer made any sound.
The light on that malformed brain had completely extinguished, turning into a dull, lifeless mass.
Ron stood in place, panting heavily, covered in the tainted blood and tissue fluid.
He could hardly believe what he had just done—he had killed a fellow Candidate Apprentice, a neighbor he had lived with for several months.
But the instinct to survive quickly brought him back to a calm state.
In the Black Mist Jungle, such things were not unusual.
The law of the jungle is the only rule here, and what he had just done was merely following that rule.
"Sorry, Darrend," Ron said softly, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes, "but I have to be the one who survives."
With the battle over, he began cautiously approaching Darrend's body, hoping to find something useful.
In the twisted heap of flesh, a small notebook miraculously remained intact.
Perhaps even after completely losing his mind, Darrend instinctively protected his research achievements.
Opening the notebook, Ron found it densely filled with Darrend's research notes on Sound Wave Magic.
There were many chaotic sketches and concepts, though most were hard to understand, a few pages were quite clear.
It was a simplified prototype of Sound Wave Magic that Darrend had perfected to the point of practical application.
"This is what he desperately wanted to complete..." Ron muttered, carefully putting the notebook away.
This data was undoubtedly valuable, not only for its academic worth but also because it might help Ron pass the upcoming assessment.
[Unlock Special Skill: Sound Wave Vibration (Prototype)]
[Description: This is an incomplete magic concept, but it already has basic practical value]
[Effect: Can generate aggressive sound waves, causing both physical and spiritual damage to the target]
He was about to further examine Darrend's possessions when he suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps in the distance.
The School's enforcement personnel had evidently detected the commotion here and were rushing to handle it.
Ron quickly tidied up his appearance, ensuring that he looked like a victim of legitimate self-defense rather than an aggressor.
Although in the Black Mist Jungle, the law of the jungle is the fundamental rule, the School still has a set of rules to maintain basic order.
Soon, a squad of enforcement personnel appeared at the end of the corridor.
Leading them was a tall man, wearing the badge of an Advanced Apprentice on his chest.
He pulled back his hood, revealing a pale, lean face with an indifferent expression, his sharp eyes scanning every detail of the scene.
When Ron saw the face of the lead apprentice, he felt a slight sense of familiarity.
When the herbal scent from the man's body hit his nose, he suddenly remembered.
Wasn't this the Advanced Apprentice, Holt, who had bought a lot of Star Dust Grass at the herb store a few days ago?
"What happened?"
Holt saw Ron and also showed a slight emotional shift in his gaze but asked without a trace of personal feeling.
Ron took a deep breath, understanding in his heart, and did not act as if he knew Holt.
He just briefly recounted the situation, emphasizing Darrend's mutation and his aggressive behavior.
"He used some kind of Forbidden Potion, which caused brain mutation, and then he attacked me. I had no choice but to defend myself passively."
Ron said in a low voice, his expression showing a mix of shock and sorrow, yet maintaining appropriate composure.
Holt listened expressionlessly, then walked over to Darrend's corpse and crouched down to examine it carefully.
He retrieved a small bottle from his waist, collecting some of the fluid leaking from Darrend's brain.
"Typical catalyst-induced mutation." He stood up, speaking to the other enforcement personnel, "These kinds of cases have become more frequent lately."
He turned to Ron, "According to regulations, I need to conduct a spiritual power detection on you to confirm that you are not contaminated."
Ron nodded, compliantly accepting the inspection.
Holt placed a small crystal on his forehead.
The crystal initially emitted a faint blue light, then gradually turned green before returning to normal.
"Good, no signs of mutation," Holt said as he withdrew the crystal, "spiritual power fluctuations are stable, defense is adequate."
Holt's eyes fell on the sword in Ron's hand, and he raised an eyebrow slightly, "Killing a mutant with a wooden sword, your swordsmanship seems quite good."
"Just luck," Ron replied modestly, not wanting to attract too much attention.
The other seemed to see through his thoughts, a slight smile appearing on his lips:
"Caution is a good thing, but there's something you might not know—we encourage apprentices to practice justified self-defense when faced with danger."
He signaled the other enforcement personnel to step forward and handle Darrend's body, then walked to the side and said to Ron in a low voice:
"The research of Sound Wave Magic has always been a key reward topic in our School. If you found valuable information in Darrend's belongings, I suggest you make good use of it."