The sound was like a pane of thick glass shattering.
The high-tier invisibility spell, overloaded by the sudden, violent injection of the Archduke's destructive mana, violently imploded.
The space shattered, revealing a man dressed entirely in dark, mana-absorbing leather, standing with a jagged, glowing magical array etched into the palm of his hand.
He had been reaching out, preparing to cast a sleep spell on a group of children laughing near the lantern cart.
The man's eyes widened in absolute, paralyzing horror as he looked at the 'mercenary' who had just shattered his master-tier illusion with a single strike.
He didn't get a chance to scream.
Kaelus's hand shot out, grabbing the man by the throat.
He didn't choke him, but channeled his freezing magic directly into the man's vocal cords, freezing them solid in an instant.
The man's mouth opened in a silent, agonizing scream.
