Thunder and lightning tore through the air, scorching the trees, while the acrid scent of burning filled the surroundings. In that instant, the world seemed to fall into an eerie silence.
Quaiesse and the gray-robed mage, who had been locked in a tense standoff, both turned their wary gazes toward Sakeer, disbelief flashing in their eyes.
"Fifth-tier magic… from this kid!?" The gray-robed mage stared at Sakeer's light brown eyes in shock.
The ability to cast fifth-tier magic signified that the caster had stepped into the realm of heroes—but that should have been impossible!
The lingering magical energy in the air had yet to fully dissipate, an undeniable reminder that what had just happened was real.
But how?
At first, this imp had clearly demonstrated magic from the faith system—summoning a fourth-tier Principality Observation.
Fourth-tier faith magic.
Fifth-tier arcane magic.
Mastering two such high-level casting abilities meant that the black-haired youth before him had not only surpassed the "Hero Realm" but had likely stepped into the ranks of the truly "Abnormal Ones"!
"Impossible!"
The gray-robed mage's voice cracked slightly as he instinctively took a step back.
Among the entire human race, those who had openly reached the "Abnormal" level could be counted on one hand. There might be hidden powerhouses lurking in the shadows, but there was no way this excessively young, black-haired boy was one of them!
Compared to the shocked mage, Quaiesse managed to regain his composure quickly. He swiftly maneuvered the aqua-blue Lizardman in front of him, his crimson pupils flickering with a hint of surprise.
The reason for his quick recovery was simple—he had seen beings far beyond comprehension, entities whose mere gaze exuded an overwhelming and suffocating pressure.
Unlike players, who could accurately gauge their own level and that of others, the people of this world could only make rough judgments based on general strength.
At the very least…
Sakeer's mastery of two high-tier casting systems was utterly abnormal.
Suddenly, Quaiesse noticed something within the charred remains of the forest—behind Sakeer, the magic array on the ground had been stained crimson, the blood seeping into the scorched earth.
Even in this environment, the traces of blood erosion stood out starkly.
Ah… I see.
"A magic ritual," Quaiesse murmured, his expression smoothing into calm understanding as he let out a soft chuckle.
He didn't even spare a glance at the four-tailed black panther, now reduced to a charred husk. The creature's death was of no consequence to him.
His words reached the ears of the gray-robed mage, who was still some distance away. The mage froze, then quickly focused on the ominous red magic array.
"This imp… he actually knows such a technique?"
A wave of relief washed over the gray-robed mage. Though he was still surprised, the tension from before had dissipated.
A magic ritual—so that was the explanation.
The Baharuth Empire's revered "Strongest Wizard," Fluder Paradyne, was a legendary figure among humans, known as the "Triad Magic Caster."
Not only could he wield sixth-tier arcane magic, but he also commanded third-tier faith magic.
Fluder Paradyne had lived for nearly three centuries since the founding of the Baharuth Empire—thanks to his mastery of sixth-tier spiritual magic.
Logically speaking, this should have been impossible.
But Fluder Paradyne had achieved it through the use of magic rituals and forbidden esoteric arts.
The gray-robed mage had also heard of certain special classes that allowed for overlapping abilities across different systems…
Crack.
A brittle, charred branch snapped underfoot.
"You know," Sakeer's cold voice echoed through the hushed forest, "I really don't want to fight someone like you—not because you're strong, but because you have resurrection magic."
"Killing you completely would be far too troublesome."
He glanced at the two figures, who had recovered from their initial shock and were once again calm.
Sakeer didn't know exactly what they had been thinking just now, but he had a rough idea.
The "Over Magic" ritual required magical materials.
He had deliberately used ogre blood—not just because he lacked better magical components, but also as part of a calculated move.
There were simply too many spells and abilities in the "YGGDRASIL" game, and Sakeer's knowledge was far from exhaustive.
Not to mention that the natives of this world had the ability to develop and even modify magic themselves.
Even if he killed these two, could he truly ensure that his secrets wouldn't still somehow leak?
Quaiesse was a member of the Black Scripture, and whether he carried one of the Six Gods' relics remained unknown.
While it was true that members of the Black Scripture were typically not entrusted with player-grade items outside of active missions, this was not a certainty. Sakeer had to account for every possibility.
"I take back what I said earlier. You're not just some minor character," Quaiesse's calm voice drifted from behind the aqua lizard.
"Did you escape unscathed because of defensive magic artifacts?" he continued.
"I can extend an invitation to you on behalf of the Priest of the Earth God of the Slane Theocracy. I could even arrange reparations for this incident."
"I refuse," Sakeer answered coldly, lifting his head. "Exchanging your life for my dog's is the only fair compensation."
"As expected, you're unreasonable."
Quaiesse's crimson eyes gleamed icily. Comparing his life to that of a worthless monster was nothing short of an insult.
"I am, however, interested in the magic ritual you used," he said, his tone laced with confidence. "Don't worry—I'll make sure you get a chance to breathe."
So what if he could cast fifth-tier magic?
In the team Quaiesse belonged to, the Hero Realm was nothing more than an entry-level threshold.
Almost the moment Quaiesse finished speaking—
From the shadow of a towering tree just behind Sakeer, another four-tailed black panther, hidden in the darkness, sprang forward, launching a silent ambush at his back.
"Silver Knight's Lance."
Sakeer didn't even turn his head.
A silver knight's spear materialized in mid-air, piercing straight through the black panther's skull and tails in an instant.
It was true that he lacked detection magic, but he possessed the martial art Heart Eye, allowing him to sense and react to attacks beyond his field of vision.
"Thunderball!"
As Sakeer and Quaiesse briefly clashed, a roaring thunderbolt shot toward Quaiesse in an electrified streak.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out as the aqua-blue lizard hissed, whipping its tail toward the incoming Thunderball. The two forces collided mid-air, triggering a violent detonation.
"How about we team up, boy?"
The gray-robed mage smirked at Sakeer. "This one's skilled in summoning and controlling monsters to fight in groups. He's a pain to kill."
"Didn't you want the Lizardman's Magic Cauldron? You can have it in exchange."
It was an offer that benefited both parties, and the mage doubted Sakeer would refuse.
However—
Bang! Bang!
Two dazzling lights flickered.
Two Principality Peace descended onto the battlefield, their wings spreading as they lunged toward Quaiesse.
Sakeer turned to the gray-robed mage, his gaze sharp.
"I think eliminating all of you in one go is the best option."
"You arrogant—" The mage's words caught in his throat, but he wasted no time, immediately chanting,
"Magic Shield!"
"Flame Knight's Lance."
Sakeer's voice was calm, detached.
A knight's spear wreathed in flames materialized and shot toward the gray-robed mage.
BOOM!
The fiery lance collided with the Magic Shield, resulting in a massive explosion that sent the mage staggering backward, barely maintaining his balance.
"You—" The mage, visibly irritated, was just about to unleash an offensive spell when—
Whoosh!
A sudden gust split the air.
"Storm Knight's Lance!"
A translucent wind-forged spear shot forth—significantly faster than the Flame Knight's Lance.
Faced with this sudden assault, the gray-robed mage had no time to evade. His only option was to reinforce his defenses.
"Magic Shield!"
CRACK!
The wind-forged lance slammed into the barrier, producing a shrill, grating sound as it tore against the magical defenses.
The mage's expression darkened as he felt the Storm Knight's Lance continuously eroding his shield.
He hastily poured more magic into his barrier, struggling to hold out.
But then—
"Riptide Knight's Lance."
Another incantation rang out.
The mage's face twisted in alarm. He was already funneling magic into maintaining his Magic Shield—he had no time to cast another spell!
BOOM—!
A streak of aqua-blue light shot across the sky.
The Magic Shield shattered.
Blood spurted from the gray-robed mage's mouth as his eyes widened in horror, fixated on the Riptide Knight's Spear embedded in his body.
His robe trembled, and an invisible magical barrier unfurled from the fabric, pushing back against the force of the spear.
"What the hell is this?!" he gasped, staggering backward, his face contorted in shock. A streak of crimson trickled down the corner of his mouth.
"Is water magic weaker in attack power?"
A calm voice echoed from the other side—Sakeer.
As a Mad Mage, he possessed the passive ability Elemental Transformation, allowing him to convert elemental magic into one of four primary attributes: wind, fire, water, or earth.
The Silver Knight's Spear was naturally an attack imbued with silver energy.
Sakeer recalled that in the Abelion Hills, among the fabled Ten Heroes of Demi-Human, there was a Demon Queen who developed Knight Spear Magic infused with three attributes—Thunderstorm, Ice Burial, and Flame Burn—by enhancing the Silver Knight's Spear spell. Other non-human races referred to her magic as "Ice Flame Thunder."
Now that I can manipulate four attributes… should I call mine 'Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth'?
A fleeting smirk crossed Sakeer's lips at the thought.
However, Elemental Transformation only worked on elemental magic. He had discreetly tested it on his summoned angel earlier and found it ineffective.
It made sense.
A summoned angel's strength lay in its divine nature, while its holy attributes were merely incidental.
That said, the ability should work with elemental summoning magic—and conveniently, he had mastered the Mixed Wetland Elemental Summoning Spell.
Now then—
His thoughts shifted back to reality as he locked eyes with the stunned gray-robed mage. Cold determination flickered in his gaze.
"Earth Bomb Knight's Spear."
With a sudden surge of energy, a knight's spear, fully composed of solid rock, materialized in mid-air. It tore through the atmosphere in a violent gust, hurtling toward the gray-robed mage.
"Damn it!"
"Silver Knight's Spear!"
Seeing that Sakeer had no intention of giving him even a moment's reprieve, cold sweat trickled down the gray-robed mage's forehead. He hastily conjured his strongest offensive spell in response.
His specialty was summoning magic—a skill he prided himself on.
Against an opponent like Quaiesse, a Beast Summoner, or even Sakeer, who had just begun revealing his ability to summon angels, he had every confidence he could dominate.
But Sakeer had abruptly changed tactics.
His relentless magic barrages and overwhelming raw firepower had thrown the mage completely off balance.
BOOM!
The Earth Bomb Knight's Spear and Silver Knight's Spear clashed mid-air, unleashing a shockwave that blasted through the battlefield.
The surrounding trees trembled violently, and countless leaves were ripped from their branches, swirling through the air in chaotic disarray.
Though both spears were fourth-tier spells, appearing evenly matched at first, the Silver Knight's Spear began to fade under the sheer force of the impact.
Meanwhile, the Earth Bomb Knight's Spear—now riddled with cracks—fractured and shattered into a barrage of fine rock fragments, which then exploded forward like a shotgun blast toward the gray-robed mage.
It happened so fast.
The mage barely had time to react.
Fortunately, the defensive enchantments on his robe activated once more, shielding him from the brunt of the attack.
But just as he exhaled in relief—
"Storm Knight's Spear."
Sakeer's voice was cold and unhurried.
SWOOSH!
A translucent spear vanished into thin air, piercing through the mage's chest before he could even register what had happened.
"Gah—!"
A fresh spray of blood burst from his mouth, his eyes widening in shock.
THUD.
His body collapsed backward, sending up a cloud of dust as he hit the ground.
His hooked nose and pallid face twisted into an expression of utter disbelief.
It ends.
Too fast.
He still had plenty of magic left to cast, but against this relentless barrage of pure attack magic...
"Why are there so many kinds of Knight Spear magic...?"
The gray-robed mage wasn't afraid of death, but his face was twisted with frustration and unwillingness.
Step.Step.
Footsteps echoed through the battlefield.
Sakeer approached the fallen mage, who lay on the ground, chest pierced and breath weak. Without hesitation, he retrieved a bottle of alchemical potion and poured it directly over the gaping wound.
Then—
With a sharp kick to the mage's neck, Sakeer knocked him unconscious.
"One down."
His gaze lingered on the unconscious body for only a moment before shifting away.
Of course, he wouldn't let the mage die outright. He had to guard against the possibility of resurrection magic reviving his opponent.
[Orb of Death: 280 → 120/280]
He had expended a tremendous amount of mana, casting five high-powered fourth-tier Knight Spear spells in rapid succession just to take down this single foe.
The mage's defeat was inevitable.
Sakeer had no intention of slowly exchanging spells—he needed to end the fight quickly and redirect his focus toward his remaining opponent.
If mana consumption weren't a concern, and if he hadn't been testing how Elemental Transformation altered the power of his magic...
He would have unleashed a fifth-tier spell—"Dragon Thunder."
Now then—
Sakeer turned, his left hand gripping the Orb of Death, hidden within the loose sleeve of his robe. His gaze locked onto Quaiesse, who was entangled with two Principality Peace.
No—
Quaiesse wasn't entangled at all.
The Black Scripture member had already summoned another aqua-blue lizard, commanding both creatures to fight off the Principality Peace while he kept his attention on the battlefield.
The key to battling a Magic Caster was magic itself.
Since Sakeer had chosen to face another magic caster, Quaiesse had no intention of interfering. Win or lose, it would only benefit him.
However—
Quaiesse had never expected the battle to end so quickly.
In fact, the moment he saw Sakeer unleash his third elemental Knight Spear spell, he had already realized the gray-robed mage was doomed.
All of the mage's tricks were completely useless against the sheer overwhelming force of Sakeer's magic bombardment.
Quaiesse now understood why Sakeer had targeted the gray-robed mage first—he wanted to end that battle swiftly so he could focus entirely on him.
Swish! Swish!
The two Principality Peace suddenly flapped their wings, disengaging from the battle and returning to Sakeer's side.
At the same time, the two aqua-blue lizards retreated as well, repositioning themselves—one to Quaiesse's left, the other to his right—as guardians.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A slow, deliberate applause rang out.
A smile appeared on Quaiesse's gentle, composed face as he raised his hands.
"What a wonderful battle."
"Storm Knight Spear!"
Sakeer wasted no words.
Without hesitation, he fired off another spell.
Quaiesse lifted his left hand, and the magic ring on his thumb flashed faintly.
"That level of magic won't work on me."
"Attack Deviation."
Boom!
The high-speed Storm Knight Spear suddenly veered off course mid-air, narrowly missing Quaiesse and instead soaring into the jungle behind him, where it detonated with a thunderous explosion.
Sakeer's eyes narrowed.
Only now did he notice the rings adorning Quaiesse's left hand—enchanted items, without a doubt.
Troublesome.
"How much mana do you even have left?" Quaiesse asked, his voice tinged with amusement.
His gentle smile widened as he continued, "Looks like today is the day you die."
"No."
Sakeer lifted his gaze, eyes locked onto Quaiesse's.
"You're the one who's going to die here."