“Fajro! (Fire!)”
“Kunigi! (Converge!)”
【Tier 4 Magic: Hellfire - Crimson Lotus Bow】
【MP Consumption: 1300 (Blessing of the Goddess of Light)】
A longbow of blazing fire suddenly rose from Ain's palm. A magic arrow was compressed to its absolute limit on the string, letting out a low, thunderous growl, while the crimson light flickering at the arrowhead seemed ready to pierce through the very air.
Ain couldn't suppress the grin spreading across his face.
Although this wasn't his strongest offensive spell at the moment.
Whether in terms of casting speed or practical combat value, it was undoubtedly the most versatile spell.
More importantly, the MP consumption of Tier 4 spells ranged from 2100 to 7000. Even with the boost from the blessing, the maximum spell he could cast was capped at 1331 x 2.
Although he had no other choice...
“But I really haven't tried...”
“...what it would look like to fire ten arrows all at once.”
In an instant, countless flaming arrows tore through the sky, howling forward like a pack of furious fire dragons. Accompanied by ear-splitting sonic booms, they carried a terrifying, all-consuming heat, as if to swallow Wesley and the ground beneath him whole.
A deafening roar erupted in the sky as violent pillars of fire swirled into a massive tornado, their scorching tongues of flame raging wildly like a meat grinder, mercilessly devouring everything in sight.
But Ain had no intention of stopping there.
“Kunigu vin! (Converge!)”
Ain suddenly clenched his right fist, and deep within his eyes, a tiny, crimson magic circle flashed past like a shooting star.
【Tier 4 Magic: Fire Convergence】
【Description: Regional elemental plunder. When free fire elements exist within the designated area, they will be forcibly extracted and highly compressed toward the specified target. Upon completion of the compression, an explosion is triggered, dealing massive damage to the target.】
【MP Consumption: 1200 (Blessing of the Goddess of Light)】
【Blessing of the Goddess of Light】
【Remaining Time: 7 minutes 23 seconds】
Countless flames rapidly compressed and collapsed into a single point before exploding into a blinding white light and a deafening roar. The violent shockwave instantly rippled outward, sweeping through the entire area with devastating force.
Lillian was blinded by the powerful blast of wind, forced to seek shelter behind a large tree nearby.
Ain, who was much closer to the battlefield, also struggled to keep his footing, barely managing to steady himself.
“Faj...”
He wanted to fire another arrow, but before he could finish the chant, blood began to trickle from his nose, and his mind started to swim.
“Have I overloaded myself...?”
Although his stats in casting speed and spell precision were top-tier, allowing him to produce pseudo-Tier 4 effects even at Tier 3, he still had a casting limit.
If anything, his casting limit was already at the absolute peak.
Counting the twenty Tier 3 spells from earlier and the eleven Tier 4 spells just now, he had lost track of how many magic circles he had constructed.
Even though he clearly remembered every single magic circuit, constructing so many in such a short amount of time took a massive toll on his mind.
It was like a machine gun; it would inevitably overheat after excessive use.
Ain had only done this to deny his opponent any opportunity to cast a Tier 5 spell or higher.
He had no intention of giving his enemy the chance to prepare.
Clutching his head, Ain forced himself to remain conscious.
“Ain!”
Placing his coat on the ground, Lillian rushed forward in a panic to support him from behind.
“Thank you...”
Sensing the weakness in Ain's voice, Lillian grew frantic, desperately wishing she could be of some help right now.
But she was still only a Tier 2 Mage. No matter how much mana she possessed, she couldn't comprehend high-tier magic circuits.
Before the dust in front of them could clear, just as Ain was about to catch his breath, an intense, life-threatening premonition suddenly gripped his entire body.
A chain with a tip resembling a scorpion's tail tore through the dust, shooting straight toward Ain's heart.
Oh no!
Lillian threw herself at Ain, pushing him aside and narrowly dodging the fatal strike. However, her forearm was caught in the crossfire, sliced open by a deep, long gash that sprayed crimson blood into the air.
Ain's pupils dilated. Forcing down his discomfort, he held Lillian close and quickly stabilized his footing, retreating rapidly.
With the boost from his God-Favored Body, Ain's speed increased more than twofold. No matter how rugged and treacherous the terrain beneath his feet was, he still managed to carry Lillian away from the sweeping chains.
“Ĉio, frostiĝo! (Everything, freeze!)”
This time, it was the Tier 4 Domain of Eternal Frost.
Countless shards of ice suddenly erupted in the air, firmly pinning down the advancing chain. But after only a few seconds, the icy barrier shattered under the immense pressure. The chain shot out again like a venomous serpent, aiming straight for Ain's throat. He twisted his body violently, barely dodging the lethal strike.
The chain slammed heavily into the massive tree behind Ain. With a deafening crack, the giant trunk collapsed, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
My Tier 4 magic couldn't even block this chain?
Without giving it another thought, Ain hurriedly cast Holy Healing Light to treat the wound on Lillian's forearm.
“I almost died there.”
From within the dust, a figure slowly stepped out.
Very little of Wesley's clothes remained, and his entire body was covered in hideous burn scars. Strangely, however, the wound previously pierced by the ice spear had already miraculously healed for the most part.
“Ain, if it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have been able to withstand that onslaught just now.”
“I suppose you still don't understand why some people spend their entire lives yet fail to ever reach the Tier 5 realm.”
“But I did.”
A golden gleam flashed in Wesley's eyes as several magic marks symbolizing judgment materialized behind him.
Tier 5 spell, God-Binding Chains of the Abyssal Prison.
“No matter how hard you struggle, your pitiful tricks will never touch true power.”
“You cannot possibly comprehend the insurmountable chasm between us.”
【Blessing of the Goddess of Light】
【Remaining Time: 4 minutes 39 seconds】
If Tier 4 magic was about borrowing the forces of the world, such as fire and frost...
...then spells of Tier 5 and above had already begun to touch upon the laws of reality.
The minimum requirement to cast a Tier 5 spell was an extremely high level of magical attainment, requiring the caster to construct highly complex magic circuits in a very short amount of time.
Beyond that, they also needed to possess pure conviction and faith.
In other words, the caster's mindset had to be extreme—be it extreme good or extreme evil.
Yet, rather than calling it extreme thought, it was more like each individual's unique comprehension of the world.
Ain's face was dangerously pale.
“Those Tier 4 spells just now were already my current limit.”
“If even that couldn't defeat you...”
“...then I really have no other options left.”
In the next second, the corners of Ain's mouth curled up into a smile once more.
“Did you think I was going to say that?”
Ain naturally knew that relying solely on Tier 4 magic would never allow him to defeat the Peak Tier 5 Mage before him.
No matter how many Tier 4 spells he threw out, their core concepts couldn't even compare to the Tier 5 realm.
“Speaking of which, I've stalled for long enough.”
“Just so we're clear, I have no idea what's going to happen next.”
Stalled?
Wesley froze slightly.
【Scale of Astral Judgment is converting mana values】
【Current Progress: 98%】
“Living beings? Humans? Let me answer your question again, Wesley.”
As he spoke, Ain gently took Lillian's small hand.
“What you cannot do, I will do!”
【Current Progress: 99%】
“Those you cannot save, I will save!”
【Current Progress: 100%】
“And the light you fail to uphold, I will carry!”
With those words, the Scale of Astral Judgment instantly vanished. At the same time, a deep purple magic circle suddenly materialized over Ain's hand, which was holding Lillian's.
Having studied countless spells, Wesley found the magic circuit strangely familiar.
That pattern... could he be planning to—!
Wesley's eyes widened. He had still far underestimated Ain's level of madness.
“After all, a witch...”
“...is also a monster.”
【Tier 4 Magic: Spirit Contract】
【Effect: Twists the will of a monster, forcing them to sign an unequal contract. The caster will inherit the target's attributes and a portion of their abilities.】
“Lillian.”
“Let's go eat wraps tomorrow.”
“Would you like to come with me?”
Ain smiled gently. His soft words washed over Lillian like the warmest winter sunshine, wrapping her securely in their warmth.
He naturally respected her wishes and would never force his will upon her, nor would he ever establish the unequal contract described in the spell.
Lillian stared blankly at Ain, her eyes shimmering slightly. To her, the word “tomorrow” carried a weight that had long surpassed any ordinary expectation.
It was the only light she could hold onto in her endless dark nights.
“Mhm!”
【Contract Spirit: Lillian Knight】
【Current Mana Source: Lillian Knight (Switchable)】
【Note: Maximum mana limit increased!】
【Current MP: 4410/4410】
Rate on N.U.
