Whoosh!
A surge of immense magical energy erupted from the gray-robed mage, sending shockwaves through the air.
Above him, a two-meter-long silver spear materialized, brimming with lethal power.
"Silver Knight's Spear."
His cold voice carried no emotion.
In the next instant—
The silver spear transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot forward!
The Principality Observation—Sakeer's summoned guardian—instinctively raised its shield in defense.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed through the forest as the Silver Knight's Spear struck the shield.
Sparks erupted at the point of impact, but the clash lasted no more than a second before—
CRACK!
The Principality Observation's shield shattered.
The spear pierced straight through the angel's ethereal body, sending it hurtling backward.
BANG!
In a burst of white light, the Principality Observation dissolved, its form scattering into countless luminescent particles before fading into nothingness.
A strong gust of wind followed, sweeping through the battlefield.
Sakeer's priestly white robe billowed violently, his expression darkening.
A fourth-tier summoned angel—one specialized in defense—destroyed in a single strike.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Silver Knight's Spear.
Sakeer recognized the fourth-tier spell immediately.
A powerful magic attack that inflicts physical damage imbued with silver energy.
Its most notable trait—'Piercing.'
Even among fourth-tier spells, it was a highly destructive and versatile attack.
Yet the fact that the gray-robed mage effortlessly annihilated a defensive summon of the same tier meant one of two things:
The spell had been enhanced beyond its usual limits.
The mage possessed an ability that directly countered divine attributes.
Either possibility was dangerous.
And more importantly—
His earlier suspicion was right.
This was no ordinary mage.
This was a true Hero-tier powerhouse!
The gray-robed mage chuckled, his light brown eyes glinting with malice.
"I forgot to mention, boy."
"I specialize in eliminating Magic Casters like you."
His sneer deepened.
"Especially those who wield divine magic."
The air trembled as magical energy surged around him once more.
"If this is all you've got, then you can die now."
His gaze shifted briefly.
"Don't worry. These twin witches will be joining you soon."
Sakeer's expression hardened.
This was his first real encounter with a Hero-tier opponent—
And his luck couldn't have been worse.
Not only was this enemy significantly stronger, but he also directly countered Sakeer's primary magic.
Up until now, most of the foes he had faced weren't particularly powerful.
Against them, 'Angel Summoning' alone had been enough.
But against a true powerhouse like this—
His reliance on summoned angels was becoming a glaring weakness.
I need to summon a fifth-tier angel.
Sakeer clenched his fists.
Revealing his hand-to-hand combat ability wasn't an option yet—
Summoning magic was the only way to fight back.
Since he hadn't prepared a fifth-tier summoning scroll, he would have to expend his own mana to call forth a higher-tier angel.
Just as he was about to do so—
Something clicked in his mind.
Wait… what did he just say?
Sakeer's pupils shrink as realization struck.
"He just said he'd kill the Twin Witches?"
"But… that's impossible."
He clearly remembered—
The Great Tomb event occurs four years from now.
By then, the Twin Witches are still alive, ruling within the Bone King's domain.
If they're meant to survive—
Then why is this happening now?
Something doesn't add up.
His mind raced through every detail, every anomaly he had noticed since stepping into this swamp.
Then, a memory resurfaced—
The moment he had been battling the Lizardmen.
That strange magic fluctuation in the sky.
That wasn't magic!
A chill crept up Sakeer's spine.
If it wasn't cast by the gray-robed mage standing before him—
Then someone else is here.
Someone powerful enough to remain completely hidden!
The gray-robed mage raised his hand once more.
"Silver Knight's Spear."
A new silver spear began forming midair, its tip gleaming ominously.
He sneered at Sakeer, still seated atop his Barghest, his expression unreadable.
"What's wrong?"
"Your strongest summon was obliterated, and now you're frozen in fear?"
"Another so-called 'genius' who can't live up to the title others gave him."
His tone was laced with mockery.
"Then die!"
The gray-robed mage uttered the words coldly.
Whoosh!
The Silver Knight's Spear transformed into a streak of silver lightning, tearing through the air as it shot toward Sakeer.
At that very moment, Sakeer finally lifted his head, as if snapping back to reality.
But—
Was it too late to react?
From the dense jungle, where the shadows of the trees overlapped,
Something moved.
A dark blur slithered within the depths of the shadows—
Then, in an instant,
A black silhouette burst forth at an incredible speed!
It shot straight toward Sakeer, moving so fast that—
It arrived at the same time as the Silver Knight's Spear!
BANG!
The dark blur collided head-on with the Silver Knight's Spear, knocking it off course!
The spear, which had been aimed directly at Sakeer's heart,
Now—
Grazed past his right ear!
It whizzed behind him, striking the ground with an explosive impact—
BOOM!
A deep crater formed where the spell landed, sending dirt and debris flying.
Sakeer's heart pounded, but instead of focusing on the near-death experience,
His gaze immediately shifted to the mysterious figure that had intervened.
And now—
He could see it clearly.
Standing before him was a massive black panther—
Its fur was pitch-black, darker than the shadows it had emerged from.
It was even larger than his Barghest,
And most notably—
It had four tails!
Seeing the four-tailed panther,
The gray-robed mage's pupils shrank in shock!
"Magic Shield!"
He instantly cast a defensive spell, surrounding himself with an invisible magical barrier.
But—
A split second later—
His shield rippled!
A blue glow flickered across its surface—
He was under attack!
And—
The location of the blue glow revealed where the attack came from!
Left side!
Without hesitation, the gray-robed mageleaped backward, twisting mid-air.
"Fear!"
He thrust his hand toward his left, unleashing a wave of invisible energy!
A low growl rumbled through the jungle.
Then—
A massive figure emerged from the shadows of the trees.
It was a giant lizard, its entire body covered in deep blue scales.
Not just any lizard—
It looked eerily similar to a Basilisk Lizard, but its dark-blue coloration set it apart.
The gray-robed mage's expression darkened.
"Magic Detection!"
His cold gaze sharpened as he activated a detection spell—
But—
Nothing.
No reaction from his magic.
His heart sank.
This thing had been here the entire time…
And he hadn't noticed it.
His voice turned into a furious snarl—
"Show yourself, coward! Stop hiding in the shadows!"
He reinforced his Magic Shield, his cold glare scanning the jungle.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
The air grew tense, heavy with unspoken danger.
The twin witches, who had collapsed earlier, had quietly climbed to their feet.
Their faces were pale, eyes filled with fear.
Slowly, they began backing away, desperate to put distance between themselves and the battle.
Both Sakeer and the gray-robed mage noticed immediately.
But—
Neither could afford to care about them now.
Because—
A new threat had arrived.
Click.
A single footstep echoed through the jungle.
Not far from Sakeer.
It was as if someone had simply… appeared out of thin air.
Sakeer's body tensed, his head snapping toward the sound.
And then—
He saw him.
A man emerged from the forest, walking toward them at a leisurely pace.
He had golden hair.
Crimson pupils.
A simple black cloak draped over his shoulders.
And—
On his shoulder, perched an owl with glowing crimson eyes.
Its beast-like gaze flickered with an ominous red light.
But Sakeer's focus wasn't on the owl.
It was on the man.
Because the moment Sakeer saw him—
His pupils contracted violently.
A flash of shock crossed his face.
Why is he here?!
[Black Scripture Fifth Seat—One-Man Army!]
Quaiesse Hazeia Quintia!