“Kresku (Nourish).”
“Purigo (Purify).”
“Sani plene nun (Holy Healing Light).”
Ain placed his hand on Silas’s chest. A green magic circle emerged, emitting healing particles that rapidly began to mend Silas’s injuries.
“Sorry, Senior. I didn't step in immediately because I needed to make sure I had enough mana for what comes next.”
Ain never cared about what others thought of him, nor did he pay any mind to their radical remarks.
He couldn't be bothered with the mess the original owner of this body had left behind.
What mattered was what happened next!
His delay in acting was solely to ensure he had a sufficient mana pool for the upcoming battle.
Silas didn't quite grasp the meaning behind Ain’s words. He frowned, but as he looked down at the triple-layered magic circle on his chest, his pupils constricted violently.
Silas knew very well that healing magic was several times more complex to learn than ordinary spells.
He recognized the first and second layers—Nourish and Purify—which were Tier 1 and Tier 2 healing spells, respectively.
But the third spell was something only those in Persephone, who specialized in healing magic, would even dare to touch.
“Twelve main patterns, forty-eight auxiliary circuits, one hundred and ninety-two mana nodes...”
“Holy Healing Light?! A Tier 3 healing spell?”
Silas quickly met Ain’s gaze, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“So you’re a Tier 3 Mage? No, wait, are you a member of Persephone?!”
“No, that can't be right. Persephone’s uniform is white. How are you...”
Silas had too many questions, but they were all overshadowed by one final thought.
Hadn't this guy said he had no mana left?
Then how was he casting magic?
After finishing the treatment, Ain gave Silas a reassuring pat on the shoulder and slowly stood up, his gaze shifting toward the magic wolf.
“Leave the rest to me.”
Seeing its full-power attack intercepted by Ain, the magic wolf didn't immediately lunge again.
Its golden pupils stared intently at the boy, seemingly trying to understand why he was immune to its mana absorption.
【Positive Effect: Sensory Sharpening】
【Effect: Capture the flow of mana in the environment】
In Ain’s vision, several streams of different colors floated through the air, all flowing toward the magic wolf.
Because he had no mana of his own, he was perfectly positioned to manipulate the free-floating mana in the air.
Meanwhile, Mages who possessed mana were nothing more than living batteries to the wolf.
【MP: 2374/0 (Continuously increasing)】
【Currently usable magic rank: Tier 3】
“Glacio, sago! (Ice, arrow!)”
Ain slowly raised his right hand, and a magic circle materialized in his palm.
In an instant, several ice-blue magic circles lined up behind him, their patterns weaving together in the blink of an eye.
Arrows forged from ice glinted coldly in the sunlight, pouring down toward the magic wolf with a sharp, whistling sound.
Tier 2 magic: Frost Arrow.
The magic wolf whipped its tail—the white tail entwined with lightning patterns—turning it into a blur as it attempted to swat the arrows out of the air.
However, it overlooked one crucial detail.
Ain’s magic was not affected by its mana absorption.
Dozens of arrows pierced its flank, hind legs, and shoulders. The magic wolf let out a pained howl, releasing a burst of purple lightning that shattered the arrows.
But almost immediately, Ain clenched his right fist.
“Freeze everything!”
Tier 3 magic: Domain of Eternal Frost.
The shattered ice fragments floated back into the air and plunged into the magic wolf’s body. They then transformed into layers of frost, encasing the wolf at an incredible speed.
Even as it howled in pain and released an even more massive surge of mana, it was futile.
Seconds later, the magic wolf was frozen solid into a massive ice sculpture.
“That’s... Erylin’s move!”
Lillian cried out in shock.
As the person who had spent the most time with Erylin, she knew the power of this spell better than anyone.
It was the strongest magic Erylin currently mastered and the key reason she was known as the strongest ice Mage.
“That guy... how could he...”
Lillian pressed a hand to her forehead; she could no longer make sense of the situation.
The Tier 1 Mage with the foul personality who constantly harassed Erylin and even resorted to forbidden magic—was he really the same person as the Ain standing before her?
He was holding his own against a magic wolf that even Erylin couldn't defeat?
Lillian took several sharp breaths, unable to fathom how Ain’s transformation could be so drastic.
Erylin felt the same way.
Just as she was about to say something, she noticed something jarring about the way Ain cast his magic.
“Wait, Lillian! Ain... he’s not using a wand?!”
Erylin gasped.
Every Mage was equipped with a tool to manifest their magic circuits. She used a portable wand, Silas used a magic book, and some powerful Mages used full-sized staves.
“Without the assistance of a wand, even a perfect magic circuit shouldn't be able to conduct mana properly...”
Erylin’s voice was low. She remembered the magical theories her mentor had taught her very clearly.
But why could Ain do it?
And how could he manifest magic circuits with just his bare hands?
He could even manifest Tier 3 magic circuits?
Was he really just a Tier 1 Mage?
Was this really the same person who had been so antagonistic toward her recently?
Wait.
A question suddenly occurred to Erylin.
“Doesn't he have no mana left?!”
Erylin looked at Lillian, and Lillian looked back at her. The two of them stared at each other, finding everything happening before their eyes to be utterly surreal.
The person who had been the most in need of protection in their team had now become their only hope in battle.
【MP: 121/0 (Continuously increasing)】
【Currently usable magic rank: Tier 1】
Ain glanced at the panel beside him, calculating his upcoming mana consumption.
A Spirit Contract would cost nearly two thousand mana, but if the magic wolf wasn't in a weakened state, the cost might be even higher.
He had to end this quickly!
“Awooo!”
The magic wolf roared. Purple lightning crackled in the air, the screeching sound growing more piercing by the second. The violent mana fluctuations allowed its upper body to break free from the magical restraint.
“Magio, fluu al mi. (Magic, flow to me.)”
The magic wolf began chanting an incantation, and its wounds started to heal slowly. Ain instinctively glanced at the panel, and the smile on his face could no longer be hidden.
【MP: 3689/0 (Continuously increasing)】
【Currently usable magic rank: Tier 4】
Oh, I was worried I wouldn't have enough mana. This helps a lot.
“Senior Erylin.”
Ain smiled and turned to look at the bewildered Erylin nearby.
“W-What is it?”
Ain licked his lips.
“Your mana...”
“It’s quite rich.”
Erylin blinked. She didn't quite understand what Ain meant, but she felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort. She felt like a protector who had failed in her duty.
Ain’s gaze sharpened as he took a stance as if drawing a bow. In an instant, a magic circle as fierce as a raging fire appeared behind him.
A moment later, a longbow forged from condensed flames materialized in Ain’s hands.
【Elemental Magic: Karmic Fire—Red Lotus Bow】
【Proficiency: Pro Max】
【Rank: Tier 4】
【Description: Special flames created by continuously compressing mana. The arrows released will produce violent explosions.】
【Mana Cost (MP): 2600】
“I’ve been waiting for this.”
Ain let out a light chuckle. An arrow of compressed fire formed on the longbow. As Ain pulled back with increasing force, the arrow expanded at a visible rate.
“What on earth is that...”
Erylin murmured. She had never seen this spell before, but the mana fluctuations within it told her it was a heavy-assault magic.
And its power was certainly no weaker than any assault magic she had ever seen!
Watching Ain’s magic, Silas, who was slumped on the ground, couldn't help but recall the lectures he had given Ain earlier.
He suddenly felt like an ignorant fool, a clown not even worth a glance from Ain.
He truly wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
Whish!
As the arrow was released, the sound of it tearing through the air echoed throughout the entire forest. Lillian instinctively covered her ears and squinted, her gaze shifting away.
The arrow of condensed flame was simply too blinding.
The magic wolf, its lower body still trapped in the ice prison, struggled desperately to break free, but the thick ice on its legs showed no signs of cracking.
Faced with the arrow closing in on it, the magic wolf instinctively unleashed all the mana in its body. Purple lightning surrounded it, and the roar of thunder shook the sky.
The moment the arrow struck, a powerful surge of mana exploded with the wolf at the center. The resulting shockwave completely destroyed the trees within a several-meter radius.
Lillian and Erylin huddled together, the intense gale nearly blowing them away.
When the dust finally settled, Lillian slowly opened her eyes. She saw the magic wolf lying in the center of a massive crater, its body a bloody mess as it panted heavily.
At that moment, only one thought remained in the girl’s mind.
The monster that even Erylin couldn't beat... Ain won.
Rate on N.U.
