The blood moons hung low in the night sky, their pale and crimson light bathing the town in an unsettling glow.
As the transformation inside the black miasma came to a conclusion, a sudden chill gripped the air. The temperature dropped sharply, and an overwhelming sense of dread settled in with
A figure emerged from the miasma and landed on the ground. At first, it was only a shadow, but gradually the miasma parted to reveal the creature in all its terrifying glory.
It was a white werewolf!
The creature was towering and monstrous, his fur a ghostly white that glowed against the darkness of the night, reflecting the crimson light of the twin moons.
His blazing crimson eyes were filled with cold, malevolent intelligence. They flickered with a predatory hunger, surveying his surroundings with a calm yet cruel detachment.
Stratford's gaze first landed on the cold corpse of Mayor Hobbs lying near the northern gate. Ah, what a pity, he thought.
That descendant of mine had the most affinity with me, making him very suitable to become my vessel.
He lowered his head and clenched his fists, feeling the raw power coursing through his veins. Centuries of planning and I still wasn't able to recover my peak strength...
I had subtly influenced all my descendants, influencing them through my bloodline, to not draw any attention to this town...
So why is it that I sense not just one but two Mana Liquefaction Magi here?
Stratford looked in Adam's direction, his eyes narrowing.
I have a feeling that it is all your doing, he thought.
His lips curled up into a malevolent smile and he growled.
"You're dead, Magus!"
In the distance, Adam's body trembled involuntarily, hearing the werewolf's declaration. He couldn't help but nervously gulp, thinking to himself, As I thought...
This bastard actually turned out to be a Rank 3 - Mana Vortex Magus!
Hmm, he seems to be barely Rank 3 though... It must be because he couldn't use the mayor as his vessel. If he had, I'm certain his strength would have reached the peak of Rank 3!
The more he thought about it, the more he felt grateful about casting Luck's Blessing. If he hadn't, he would have stood no chance against his opponent.
Although it's going to be very difficult, Adam thought.
I can still fight with him if I use everything in my arsenal... or at least, I hope-
But his thoughts abruptly came to a halt when Stratford, who was standing in the middle of the crater, suddenly disappeared.
A gust of wind blew and he appeared before Adam a moment later.
The youth's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Stratford's fist enlarging in his vision. BAM!
Adam flew away from the impact of the attack, colliding through several buildings and landing all the way on the other side of the town.
Stratford had a solemn expression on his face as he muttered to himself incredulously, "He... blocked it?"
Despite not having reached his peak strength, he was still a Rank 3 Magus-an existence that was beyond the reach of a mere Rank 2 Magus.
Yet, Adam had managed to block his attack nonetheless!
"As I thought, he's no ordinary Magus," Stratford muttered coldly.
Without waiting another moment, he jumped off the ground, resulting in another large crater being formed and all the nearby buildings being destroyed.
The bones in Adam's forearms had shattered. He glanced at his bloodied arms and seeing the bones jutting out from them, he grimaced in agony.
"Aghh!" He gritted his teeth, trying to bear the pain. "That damned werewolf!"
At the last moment, he had managed to raise his arms and block the attack. If he hadn't, his head would have probably burst open like a watermelon.
Just as he was seething in pain, his arms were enveloped in a warm, green light.
"Yavia!" Adam's eyes lit up.
Although the wood spirit was nowhere near him, because of the contract bond that tied them, she was able to heal him over a large distance.
Of course, if the distance between them was too great, or if she was in the Spirit World, such remote healing would not have been possible.
In a matter of moments, Adam's forearms had been healed.
"Nice!" He exclaimed. But soon his expression darkened when he sensed Stratford vaulting through the air and coming toward him.
Dust and debris scattered in all directions as Stratford landed on the ground. Everything around him had been reduced to rubble as a result.
When the dust cleared, the werewolf's face was riddled with fury. This time Adam had managed to evade his attack in the nick of time.
He turned his head and looked at the raven-haired youth, but soon he was stunned.
"Your arms have healed already?"
"Heh," Adam sneered. "Did you think you were the only one with regenerative capabilities?"
Stratford's eyes narrowed. "It seems I have underestimated you."
The following moment, he weaved a simple hand gesture, causing his palms to be covered in ice. His sharp claws turned icy cold, flashing with a murderous glint.
Seeing this, Adam was taken aback. "Ice Magic!"
His body involuntarily began to tremble. However, it wasn't because of fear. Instead, it was because of excitement.
He revolved the Five Elemental Codex inside his body and then coated his fists with fire! Then, he got into the beginning stance of the Phantom Dance.
Since shadow magic can seamlessly merge with the techniques of the Hand of Doom, I wonder if the same holds true for the five fundamental elements, he thought in great anticipation.
Neither Stratford nor Adam spoke another word. They disappeared from their positions and clashed with unmatched ferocity.
A great dance of fire and ice had commenced!
While their gruesome battle was going on, in the distance, hidden in the shadows, Gore was secretly watching everything unfold with shock.
He clenched his fists tightly, perhaps in fear or unwillingness to accept just how powerful
He can go toe-to-toe with a Rank 3 Magus?! This is unheard of!
He then turned his head in the direction of the large crater in the center of the town, the place
where Stratford had emerged from.
Everything that Adam said was true, he thought.
When the blood moons rose, the entity beyond the red door emerged...
His eyes flashed with greed and his lips slowly curled up into a smirk.
Now that the entity is busy fighting Adam, there's no one left to guard the treasures!
The next moment, he disappeared into the shadows, silently making his way toward the
ancient underground chamber.
All the treasures will be mine!