Quaiesse's expression remained calm, but deep in his eyes, a flicker of solemnity betrayed his thoughts.
Before, he had assumed the opponent was merely a talented fool—someone with some power but ultimately bluffing his way through. However, after witnessing the magic ritual, the summoning of angels, and the relentless barrage of spells unleashed against the gray-robed mage…
With such an enormous mana expenditure, Sakeer should have shown signs of exhaustion.
Yet, he hadn't.
Innate abilities? Enhancements?
Whatever the reason—
The power Sakeer had displayed was enough to warrant an immediate report to his superiors.
But that was easier said than done. If anyone discovered Quaiesse had acted without authorization, not only would he be expelled from the elite ranks of the Black Scripture, but even his family would suffer the consequences.
Terrible luck.
Nine times out of ten, this mission should have been routine. Yet, out of nowhere, this mysterious opponent appeared.
"Basilisk Lizard!"
Quaiesse's crimson eyes narrowed. No more holding back.
"ROAR!"
The ground trembled violently as a massive ten-meter-long Basilisk Lizard materialized before Quaiesse.
And then—
The shaking continued.
"Crimson Lizard!"
A second lizard erupted into existence—this one smaller but covered in fiery red markings, its ferocious appearance a stark contrast to its rocky counterpart.
In the blink of an eye—
Four massive lizards stood before Quaiesse: two aqua-blue, one Basilisk, and one crimson-flamed.
But he wasn't finished.
Lifting his right hand, Quaiesse crushed a magic ring on his middle finger, and his aura surged.
"Two-Headed Hellhound!"
"Swamp Crocodile!"
"Blackscale Beetle!"
"Venomous Gland Tarantula!"
"Raging Dryad!"
"Manticore!"
A chorus of monstrous roars shook the forest as ten powerful creatures emerged.
Each one was an apex predator—territorial overlords that, alone, could dominate any region. And now, they all stood together.
A suffocating, invisible pressure spread through the wetland forest.
The distant chirping of birds ceased.
Even the insects on the ground went silent.
For a brief moment, the entire forest held its breath.
"Ten monsters?!"
Sakeer's expression twitched slightly. It wasn't often he felt genuine surprise.
The sheer pressure radiating from these creatures told him everything—
Each one was level 20 or higher.
The Basilisk Lizard in particular had likely reached its racial limit of Level 28.
His eyes flicked to his status panel, confirming the truth.
[Intermediate Class: Beast Summoner]
Quaiesse's calm voice echoed from behind the wall of creatures.
"Don't look so shocked."
"You're not the only one with powers beyond common comprehension. You should feel honored—"
"—to witness this level of strength."
Boom—
The ten summoned monsters parted, creating a pathway.
Quaiesse stepped forward, his murderous gaze locked onto Sakeer, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Now, tell me again—"
"Who is going to die here?"
Sakeer exhaled softly.
"You're definitely stronger than that last guy."
His golden eyes flashed.
"But I still think it'll be you who dies today."
A heavy silence settled.
Then—
RUMBLE!
The ten monsters lunged.
"Fifth-Tier Magic—"
Sakeer's mana surged, his arms igniting with crimson sparks that rapidly coalesced into a dragon-shaped flame before his chest.
By leveraging his passive ability, Elemental Attribute Change, he transformed his original spell—
"Dragon Thunder" became "Dragon Flame."
Sakeer had already experimented with his Silver Knight Spear, testing how different elemental attributes altered his magic.
His findings?
Wind attacks had the strongest penetration and cutting power.
Fire inflicted devastating area damage.
And the original "Dragon Thunder" wasn't just a single-target spell to begin with—
Whoosh—
As the dragon-shaped flames took form, another spell activated.
A hurricane of howling cyan windsspiraled around Sakeer's body, twisting into a dragon-shaped storm.
Flames and wind merged.
A monstrous aura of condensed magic surged into the air, shaking the battlefield.
Two spells?!
A normal mage's chant couldn't possibly allow the casting of two different spells simultaneously—
Unless they possessed the rare "Magic Dual-Casting" or even "Magic Triple-Casting" technique.
But even then, such techniques only allowed a mage to cast identical spells at the same time—never two completely different ones.
And yet—
Sakeer had just done exactly that.
But it's thanks to his New Job Class.
As a Mad Mage, Sakeer naturally possessed the passive ability to pre-store magic, allowing him to prepare spells in advance.
His earlier exchange with Quaiesse?
Nothing but a distraction.
All to secretly store his magic.
"Dragon Flame, Dragon Wind!"
Sakeer's eyes gleamed as he simultaneously unleashed two fifth-tier spells.
The two forces collided mid-air—merging like boiling oil igniting upon an open flame.
FWOOOM!
A four-meter-wide flaming dragon head roared into existence, glowing a blinding crimson.
BOOM!
The moment the fire-dragon slammed into the ten summoned beasts, it detonated, sending a tidal wave of scorching fire surging outward.
A cacophony of roars and agonized screams tore through the battlefield.
The once-dense forest vanished into an inferno, flames spiraling high into the sky.
Trees crumbled into ash, their scorched stumps smoldering, while the rotting undergrowth was incinerated in an instant.
The ten ferocious beasts—mighty as they were—vanished, their bodies erased alongside the trees that once surrounded them.
Not a single one survived.
No level-20 monster could possibly withstand a fifth-tier spell, let alone the combined might of Dragon Fire and Dragon Wind—a fusion spell far exceeding standard fifth-tier magic.
As the flames died down—
The once-lush forest was gone.
Only a vast scorched wasteland remained, stretching before Sakeer's eyes.
SWISH!
A shadow suddenly burst forth from beneath the charred earth.
Quaiesse.
His figure shot skyward, soaring into the air in a disheveled mess.
"A flying magic item…!"
Sakeer's gaze sharpened.
"As expected, he's not dead."
He wasn't surprised.
A system notification had yet to confirm an experience gain.
More importantly—Quaiesse was no ordinary foe.
As a member of the Black Scripture, it was impossible for him to have no hidden trump cards.
"FLY."
A wave of mana surged, wrapping around Sakeer's body.
He turned to the two Principality Peace beside him.
"You—watch the gray-robed mage."
"You—capture the Twin Witches."
With those orders given, Sakeer soared into the sky, immediately pursuing Quaiesse.
"Damn it!"
Quaiesse gritted his teeth, his frustration boiling over.
"What the hell is with this guy?!"
His once smooth, golden-blonde hair had been reduced to a charred mess, the burnt ends tangled and uneven.
The force of his high-speed flight only made it worse—whipping his tattered cloak violently in the wind.
Annoyed, Quaiesse grasped the ragged cloak, tore it off, and let it fall.
This was no ordinary garment.
It was an extremely valuable piece of magical armor, imbued with the abilities of "invisibility" and anti-detection magic, along with considerable defensive enchantments.
Yet—
Against two fifth-tier spells?
It was utterly useless.
Now, completely ruined.
Quaiesse's expression darkened.
His most powerful monsters—gone.
Ten apex predators, each carefully collected and nurtured with immense effort, all annihilated in an instant.
These weren't just summoned creatures—they were Quaiesse's key assets, allowing him to adapt to any environment and enemy.
And now?
Gone.
His true combat strength had been cut in half.
A realization settled in—he had been utterly, completely outmatched.
Something is wrong.
Very wrong.
There had to be a secret behind this young man's power!
SWOOSH!
The sound of a pursuer slicing through the air sent a jolt of panic through Quaiesse's veins.
His head snapped back—
Sakeer was right behind him.
"Tch—!"
Scowling, Quaiesse raised his left hand, fingers quickly slipping a ring off his thumb.
Then—
With a flick of his wrist, he flung it behind him.
At the same time, another ring—worn on his left index finger—flashed brilliantly.
"Divine Light!"
A blinding explosion of lighterupted, flooding the sky with its dazzling brilliance.
"So many tricks!"
Sakeer instinctively narrowed his eyes, momentarily thrown off.
He swiftly glanced at his status panel.
Too many enchanted artifacts.
Quaiesse had far too many magical items, each granting him an unpredictable arsenal of techniques.
Even Sakeer couldn't fully anticipate what might come next.
As a Warcraft Summoner and Beast Tamer, Quaiesse's combat strategies and ability to counter his weaknesses far surpassed those of ordinary hero-level warriors.
And as a member of the Black Scripture—
His survival instincts were even sharper.
In short—
Sakeer could not let Quaiesse escape.
If he did—it would be a disaster.
What troubled Sakeer the most was the possibility that Quaiesse might contact the Slane Theocracy.
That was an outcome he couldn't allow.
Sakeer ignored the lingering Divine Light and instead focused on the new system notification that had appeared.
"Skill detected: Lizard's Invisibility."
"Requires mid-tier class: [Hunter]. Current conditions not met."
"The [Genius] class has successfully transformed into a basic class and now meets the learning requirements."
"Consume 3 skill points to learn?"
Another mid-tier class?!
Quaiesse's career structure was now fully revealed before Sakeer's eyes:
Basic Class: Beast Tamer
Mid-Tier Class 1: Warcraft Summoner
Mid-Tier Class 2: Hunter
The realization hit him instantly—
Quaiesse wasn't just a summoner.
He was also a hunter.
And that changed everything.
Sakeer abruptly halted mid-air, his flight coming to an abrupt stop.
As the blinding light of Divine Light faded—
Quaiesse was gone.
Nothing but empty sky stretched before him—not a trace, not a shadow.
Even the wind itself whispered through the void, undisturbed.
Sakeer's eyes narrowed sharply.
He didn't have any detection magic, which made tracking Quaiesse's invisibility difficult.
But even if he did—
Someone like Quaiesse would surely have countermeasures against it.
Which way did he flee?
…No.
Sakeer's pupils flashed coldly.
Quaiesse looked like he was running.
But with his Hunter class, simply fleeing wasn't the best tactical decision.
If Sakeer were in Quaiesse's place, he wouldn't run.
He'd strike from the shadows.
Heart's Eye!
With a low murmur, Sakeer activated his inner perception.
An invisible field of awareness expanded from his body, spreading outward in a five-meter radius.
Then—
Silence.
But in that silence—
A presence.
A shadow, right behind him!
Quaiesse had already circled behind him, completely concealed in stealth.
A purple, venomous dagger gleamed in his grip.
His eyes were cold. Ruthless.
"Swamp Crocodile's Fatal Strike!"
His dagger lunged straight toward Sakeer's heart.
CLANG!
A sudden burst of white light flared.
A third-tier Archangel Flame materialized at Sakeer's back in an instant.
"What?!"
Quaiesse's blade tore through the silver-white armor of the summoned angel—
But instead of blood—light scattered into the air.
The angel dissipated.
And Sakeer?
He used that split-second of interference to create distance, falling back to safety.
[Orb of Death: 50 → 25/280]
"Dragon Thunder!"
With both arms raised, brilliant blue lightning surged between Sakeer's palms.
The crackling storm coalesced, forming a serpentine dragon of electricity—
Then—
It struck.
"Basilisk Lizard's Protection!"
Quaiesse's red eyes widened as he realized the attack was unavoidable.
His body shimmered, the rocky scales of a Basilisk Lizard rapidly covering him from head to toe.
BOOM!
The impact sent a blinding surge of lightning coursing through Quaiesse's body.
A pained grunt escaped his lips as his rock-like scales blackened, charred by the electric blast.
Smoke curled from his scorched skin.
But—he still stood.
"You're one stubborn bastard, blondie."
Sakeer's gaze flickered with grim amusement as he saw Quaiesse resist his magic head-on.
This guy was relentless.
But—
His Orb of Death only had 25 mana points left.
Enough for one last attack.
And that meant—
The next move would decide everything.
For the first time—
A battle had completely drained the Orb of Death.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Quaiesse's voice was ragged with pain, his stone-like scales crumbling away, revealing large patches of charred flesh beneath. His face twisted in agony as he roared, his crimson eyes burning with disbelief.
"No nation… could possibly have someone as strong as you."
CRACK—
A sharp shattering sound echoed.
The ring on Quaiesse's right hand splintered, disintegrating into dust between his fingers.
"Crimson Owl's Blitzkrieg!"
With wild eyes, Quaiesse clutched his purple dagger, his lips curling into a feral grin as he ignored his injuries.
SWISH!
His figure vanished.
But this time—it wasn't invisibility.
In a split second, Quaiesse reappeared behind Sakeer, as if he had teleported out of thin air.
Faster.
Closer.
More lethal.
But—
Sakeer was already aware.
The moment Quaiesse's presence flickered into existence behind him, Sakeer's "Heart's Eye" picked up the sudden movement.
In that very instant, an ethereal wind spear materialized in the air before him—
"Hurricane Knight's Lance!"
Without even looking back—he threw it.
WHOOOSH!
A violent burst of wind exploded outward as the Hurricane Knight's Lance ripped through the air—
And collided head-on with Quaiesse.
At such close range, and at such breakneck speed—
Even if Quaiesse had a ring that could deflect magical attacks, there was no time to react.
BOOM!
The spear tore through his chest.
The sheer force nearly split him in two.
Blood and shredded flesh splattered through the air.
"AHHH!!"
Quaiesse's agonized scream rang out as his body was hurled violently downward, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud.
As death crept in, Quaiesse's dilated pupils trembled.
His gaze—blurry and unfocused—struggled to fix on the figure floating above him.
A final thought surfaced in his mind:
"The matter can't be concealed anymore, maybe I can get away with it."
Then a twisted grin crept onto his lips.
"Heh..."
His voice, barely a whisper, was laced with something sinister.
"You'll soon understand... what it is you've provoked!"
BOOM!
The jungle trembled as his body slammed into the earth, forming a deep crater.
Sakeer hovered above the scene, momentarily stunned.
Quaiesse had made no attempt to resist the Hurricane Knight's Lance.
His instincts screamed—something was wrong.
"Damn it!"
Sakeer snapped back to reality, descending rapidly toward the crater.
And there—
Lying in the pit—was Quaiesse.
His chest was torn open, his body barely held together by fragile strips of skin.
But—
His life force had dwindled to the point where it was almost undetectable.
Without hesitation, Sakeer hurled bottle after bottle of regeneration potions onto the lifeless body.
Because if Quaiesse died—
The Slane Theocracy would know.
And worse—
The Captain of the "Black Scripture" would know.
The one responsible for reviving the entire team.
And then there was the most troublesome of them all—
"7th Seat of the Black Scripture—Thousand Leagues Astrologer."
A scouting Magic Caster draped in an eerie high-school-style uniform.
But in this world—there was no such thing as a high school uniform.
Which could only mean—
The clothes she wore were artifacts left behind by the Six Gods.
In the anime, this ability allowed her to observe battlefields from an enormous distance.
Which meant—
She also has the ability to lock the Great Wetland.