The Magic Exhibition Hall.
A ghostly green light flashed.
On the stage stood a skeletal figure in a black robe. Its eyes burned with eerie green light, flickering like ghost fire, as if they could devour souls.
Deep in its throat, a cluster of blue-green ghostly flame stirred faintly.
Necromancer held a bone staff engraved with ancient patterns, its aura mysterious and extraordinary.
Hex paused for a moment, then let out a cold sneer.
"So you've picked up quite a few new tricks lately."
"Charmcaster, get in there and take down that annoying brat."
Charmcaster nodded.
"Yes, Uncle."
She reached into her pocket, pulled out several black-and-purple magic orbs, and hurled them forward. They exploded with a thunderous blast.
Five black stone beasts appeared, covered in glowing purple patterns. On all fours, they were bulky and heavyset, like some cross between a pig and a dog.
"Go!" Charmcaster waved her hand.
The five savage stone beasts roared as one. Their tremendous strength instantly shattered the floor beneath their feet as they charged at Necromancer at high speed.
Meanwhile, Hex was already attacking Lucky Girl.
"I'm getting the Keystone of Bezel today no matter what!" Hex looked nearly deranged.
A rare total solar eclipse would appear at noon. Before it arrived, he had to recover the last magic pendant stone and complete the summoning ritual to restore the five destroyed Keystones of Bezel.
"In your dreams!" Lucky Girl was more than skilled enough to hold her own, matching Hex blow for blow for the moment.
After all, Gwen already knew karate and had studied the Water Magic grimoire Lucian gave her. She had always been strong. It was just that Lucian and Ben were so powerful that they overshadowed her.
Now, with the Keystone of Bezel amplifying her strength, holding Hex off for a while was no problem at all.
Boom!
On the stage, blue Water Magic surged wildly, rolling like crashing waves as it collided head-on with sinister black magic. The two forces twisted around each other, devouring one another.
Fierce winds swept in every direction. Black and blue magic particles stormed through every corner of the Magic Exhibition Hall.
A furry paw shoved aside the table pinning it down, followed by an angry roar.
Wildmutt slammed its fist against the wooden floor, smashing it apart instantly.
It shook its head from side to side, sensing everything around it.
In its red thermal vision, Cuz was fighting Charmcaster and a pack of stone beasts in an intense battle, though Cuz clearly had the upper hand.
Gwen, on the other hand, was in much more danger. Several times, Hex had nearly caught her.
Seeing that, Wildmutt didn't hesitate. It charged straight toward Gwen.
She needed backup!
"Roar!" Wildmutt seized the right moment and lunged, clamping its jaws down on Hex while he was in the middle of casting...
...
Beside the wrecked stalls, all kinds of magical props were scattered across the wooden floor, leaving the place in complete disarray.
Necromancer's mouth opened and closed slightly, letting out a creepy, creaking laugh.
He raised the bone staff and chanted an obscure spell.
A green six-pointed magic array appeared above the staff, its brilliant light reflected across that deathly pale skull face.
"Water!"
As Necromancer spoke, hazy green mist flew out of the six-pointed array.
In an instant, it gathered into a blue-green lone wolf. Its fur stood on end like steel needles, and a faint chill mist drifted from its body.
"Water Wolf!" Necromancer swung his staff.
The savage green magic wolf let out a piercing howl and became a streak of brilliant green light as it slammed into the stone beasts.
"All of you, attack together! Tear it apart for me!" Charmcaster ordered.
The stone beasts obeyed at once. Their thick limbs pounded the floor until it cracked apart, wood splinters flying everywhere as they all charged the water wolf.
But in front of the green wolf, those powerful stone beasts were nothing.
In a single clash, the raging green wolf, wrapped in dense water vapor, opened jaws like a saber-toothed beast and crushed one stone beast's head with a single bite.
An instant kill.
The remaining four stone beasts flared with purple light in their eyes and pounced forward ferociously.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosive crashes rang out one after another as the green wolf destroyed them in quick succession. Their bodies shattered into countless broken stones that rained to the floor.
"What?!" Charmcaster's eyes widened in shock, her mouth falling open.
She hadn't expected him to wipe out those powerful stone beasts so easily. He really was no simple opponent.
No wonder Uncle Hex had lost to him before...
But she wasn't so easy to deal with either.
With that thought, Charmcaster reached into her pocket and pulled out several star coins.
"…￥@#@!"
As the chant ended, a fierce light burst from Charmcaster's eyes. She casually flicked her hand, sending the star coins flying.
The blue-glowing coins rapidly expanded in the air until each was as large as a small Ferris wheel, taking up nearly half the room.
There were three of them in total, and all three came crashing toward Necromancer.
Necromancer's eyes shifted slightly. Golden energy flowed from his staff.
"Guard!"
Hum!
A brilliant golden barrier instantly surrounded Necromancer, blocking the three giant "Ferris wheels" outside.
Taking advantage of that opening, Charmcaster leapt into the air and moved above Necromancer.
"Idiot, you're dead!"
Charmcaster bared her teeth in a grin, pulled out several purple lightning orbs, and threw them all at the barrier.
The golden magic shield trembled violently, ripples spreading across its surface as tiny cracks began to appear.
"Break!" Necromancer shouted in a low voice.
Boom!
The brilliant golden barrier exploded like a bursting furnace, instantly releasing a flood of golden light.
The surging golden energy, mixed with a violent shockwave, forcibly knocked the three star coins back.
Above him, Charmcaster's robe was blown open, revealing her long, smooth legs in an accidental flash.
"Ah!!" Charmcaster cried out, hurriedly pressing down her skirt before dropping back to the ground.
Necromancer gave a soft snort.
What was the point of covering up? He'd already seen it...
"You bastard, I'm going to kill you!" Charmcaster raged, her white hair whipping wildly in every direction.
As she chanted, two purple spheres of light formed in her palms, growing larger and larger.
Necromancer summoned flames and pointed from afar, sending them blasting toward her.
"Go!" Charmcaster threw the light spheres.
Boom!
The blazing fire and the sinister light orbs collided, unleashing a terrifying shockwave before canceling each other out in midair.
Seeing her attack fail, Charmcaster refused to stop. Gritting her teeth, she began chanting another spell.
"Space... Confinement!"
From the smoke ahead came a faint, ghostly voice, as if some demonic whisper had risen from hell itself, hollow and unreal.
In the next instant, a white ring of light appeared out of nowhere and snapped around Charmcaster's delicate body like lightning...