Ethan was like a ghost—an unshakable presence that constantly haunted and interfered with his plans.
If it weren't for him, his identity wouldn't have been exposed.
If it weren't for him, the magic stones would have already been collected.
If it weren't for him...
In short, as long as this man lived, there would be no peace!
"Yo? You brought quite the crowd this time. Let me see... hmm? Pretty much your whole crew, huh?"
Ethan teased with a calm expression, though his heart was growing heavy.
Rades, Valtos—those former small fries were no longer worth his attention.
But Rhya, Vetto, Fana... practically all the prominent members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun were here!
They'd come out in full force.
"With this lineup, they could take on the entire Nine Magic Knight Squads head-on..."
Ethan felt a growing sense of pressure.
If it were only Patolli, with his current power, he had at least a 70% chance of defeating him.
He'd be lucky just to escape unscathed.
"Return the magic stone!"
Patolli roared, charging forward in a blur of light magic.
His blinding speed brought him before Ethan in an instant, his sword of light slashing down without mercy.
The temple's stone wall crumbled under the force, but Ethan was already gone.
However, right where he reappeared, Vetto's massive wolf-like hammer came crashing down.
Raising his right fist, Ethan stood his ground without flinching.
As their blows collided, shockwaves rippled outwards, thundering like a storm.
Vetto was stunned by the force traveling up his arm.
Ethan hadn't used any magic at all. Yet purely with physical strength, he was able to meet him head-on?
"Fire Magic – Blazing Inferno!"
A wave of scorching heat surged in.
Fana, one of the Third Eye, released her fire magic.
Ethan kicked Vetto away and steadied himself mid-air before landing on the ground.
One after another, seven figures—Patolli included—encircled Ethan.
Scanning his surroundings, Ethan's expression remained blank.
"What? You think you can bully me just because you outnumber me?"
He scoffed coldly, already calculating his chances of escaping.
If he truly wanted to flee, it wouldn't be too hard.
Only Patolli with his light magic and Vetto with his beast magic could keep up with his speed.
As long as he focused on escape, they couldn't stop him.
Now that he had the magic stone, his mission was basically complete.
But if he left now, Patolli would definitely vent his rage on the Undersea Temple.
At that point, nothing—man nor beast—would be spared.
"But since when did I become such a bleeding heart?"
Ethan smiled bitterly to himself. He had changed a lot.
His values, his worldview—everything was different now.
The old Ethan was entirely self-centered—"better you than me" was his motto.
But now, he cared more about the people around him—even the innocent ones caught in the crossfire.
In the past, he would've made his move without hesitation.
But now, he actually thought to fight first and assess the situation—only run if truly necessary.
Both paths led to the same result—escape—but the current one had more humanity, less cold calculation.
"Guess people really do change when they live in a group..."
Thinking of Noelle and the others, Ethan couldn't help but smile faintly.
To the enemy, though, that smile looked like pure mockery.
Seven of them surrounding one guy, and he still had the nerve to smile?
Did they look like clowns to him?!
"Beast Magic – Cheetah Charge!"
The wild-looking, lion-like Vetto struck first.
What made beasts fearsome were their sharp instincts, explosive speed, and fatal power.
Vetto had mastered all three.
He lunged like a pouncing cheetah, his speed rivalling even Patolli's light magic.
"Spirit Magic – Spirit Fusion!"
Without hesitation, Ethan instantly entered his Spirit Assimilation form.
He wasn't a fool who waited to get beaten half to death before using his trump card.
If he didn't go all out from the start, he might never get the chance to.
Vetto's punch smashed into the ground, sending debris flying.
But Ethan didn't relax.
Because right after that, Patolli came in for the follow-up strike.
The spirit bracelet on Ethan's right wrist transformed into a longsword, clashing repeatedly with Patolli's light sword.
Both of them flickered through the air like starlight, their movements too fast for the eye to follow.
Watching from a distance, Kahono was stunned.
This was the same man who, with just a glance earlier, had taken down Gio and Kiato?
Yet now someone had appeared who could go toe-to-toe with him?
"He's… incredible..."
While the two clashed overhead, the rest of the Eye of the Midnight Sun weren't idle either.
They couldn't match Ethan, Patolli, or Vetto in speed—
but that didn't mean their magic lacked power.
Especially the Third Eye.
Under certain conditions, each of them could surpass even Patolli in strength.
"Fire Spirit Magic – Salamander's Breath!"
Perched on Fana's shoulder, a dragon-like creature with crimson wings opened its jaws and unleashed a barrage of searing flames.
This wasn't ordinary fire magic.
It held a destructive force capable of burning everything in its path.
"Fire spirit magic, huh?"
Ethan didn't even need to look.
He knew exactly what it was just from the aura it gave off.
He wanted to dodge, but Patolli was like a rabid dog—biting and refusing to let go.
Just as the fire was about to hit—
—lightning-blue arcs danced across Ethan's wind-shrouded body.
"Lightning Creation Magic – Phantom Thunder: Seven Steps!"
Lightning coursed through his body, hypercharging his cells.
His speed surged dramatically.
In seven flashing steps, Ethan left a trail of afterimages in the air.
He not only shook off the relentless Patolli—
but in a blink, he appeared before Valtos.
Before Valtos could react, Ethano's spirit sword had already pierced through his chest.
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