A surge of mana burst from the Magus in a cone, a flash of light trying to blind, to halt, to stop Ben in his tracks.
But Ben didn't even blink.
He grinned, baring his teeth. No matter how strong this bastard was, with his pickaxe, magic meant nothing.
Effect: When Blockify is used against a magic or spell, it consumes 10% of the calculated mana required for that attack.
As long as he have enough white gemstones, and he had stacks of them, there was no spell the magus could throw that would hurt him.
Ben dashed forward, straight through the wave of mana. The light peeled around him like water over stone. He leapt into the air, body twisting mid-motion, pickaxe raised high.
The head of the pickaxe slammed down on the Magus's shoulder, tearing through his lightning armor like wet paper. The impact hurled him back, carving a ragged trench through the stone as his body skipped across the ground.
Ben dropped to a crouch, smoke curling from his arms where lightning still clung. He rose slowly, pickaxe dragging sparks from the ground.
His smirk widened. "That all you've got?" he called out. "I expected more from you."
The Magus rose from the crater, blood smeared down his jaw, eyes burning with fury. He thrust his hands outward and roared.
From the air above, six glowing beasts surged into form—massive kirin, forged from roaring thunderclouds and pure, focused mana.
Their manes sparked, hooves trailing arcs as they circled Ben.
Ben didn't falter. Pickaxe spinning once in his grip, eyes locked onto the Magus.
Another surge of lightning erupted from the Magus's outstretched palms.
A second spell activated,. The air howled as bolts rained down, ripping the stone apart, blasting apart walls, vaporizing fungi trees in the distance.
Some of them struck the castle's outer barrier. It shimmered under the pressure without any problem.
Within the chaos, the six kirin howled and charged. Trails of thunder followed in their wake as they surged toward Ben from all sides.
But Elvira watched from the wall without a flicker of worry. She knew Ben wasn't going all out. If anything, he was enjoying himself.
Her attention, however, wasn't on the fight anymore. Instead, her gaze shifted to the distant horizon, where the other mana signature slowly coming closer. 'Their pace slowed the moment Ben started fighting…'
Her fingers tightened over the railing. 'That was suspicious. If they were allies of the Magus, they should have rushed in to help.
If they were afraid of the battle, they should have turned back. But they didn't. They were still moving—slowly, carefully, almost like they were waiting for the outcome.
No… they're stalling. Hoping both sides wear each other down.'
Her brows furrowed. It could only mean one thing.
'A third party. But who?'
The Ravagers should be finished. Without the Alpha, there was no unity left in their ranks.
She narrowed her eyes further. 'Is it one of the elmental?'
Meanwhile the fight keep going, Ben crouched low, the ground cracking beneath his feet as strength surged through his body.
His eyes locked onto the lead kirin, watching the way its form moved. He timed it. Waited.
Ben vanished. He reappeared above it, mid-air twist already bringing the pickaxe down. The weapon split the thunderbeast in half, its core unraveling into a burst of sparks.
But the others were already on him.
One slammed from behind, launching him across the field. Ben hit the dirt hard, skidding through stone and ash. He grunted, but he was already on his feet again.
The second kirin moved. He rolled under its lightning jaws, swinging upward. A clean strike to the belly sent it howling into fragments.
Three more encircled him now, lightning tightening like a net.
The Magus raised both hands. "Let's see you stop this."
From the stormcloud above, a massive bolt descended like a judgment from heaven.
Ben braced. His pickaxe flashed, and the spell bent unnaturally. The lightning veered midair, consumed in an instant as its mana was sucked into the artifact's core.
The backlash blew out a crater, but Ben stood tall in the center, cloak singed, steam rising from his armor. His lips curled into a sharp grin.
He hurled himself into the remaining kirin. Each swing of his pickaxe sent shockwaves through the air.
One shattered on impact. Another tried to dodge—too slow. It was cleaved in two, its body dispersing into static.
Ben grabbed it by the mane, dragged it mid-flight, and drove it headfirst into the ground. A final stomp shattered the beast.
Then the Magus slowly clapped, a smirk twisting his lips. "Fine," he said, voice edged with amusement. "You're better than I expected."
Lightning coiled up his arms, . It hissed and snapped across his fingers like serpents "Let's see how you handle this."
The crackling current surged toward the ring on his hand. The dark gem pulsed darkly. The lightning gem flared. Sparks danced between them, forming a violent energy.
The Magus grinned wide.
With a snap of his wrist, a beam of purplish lightning exploded from his palm.
It wasn't just electricity, it warped the air, tore through space. The bolt curved unnaturally as if alive, tracking Ben mid-sprint.
Ben's eyes sharpened. The hairs on his arms stood on end. He could feel this spell is different.
Mana surged through his body, his footwork adjusting instantly. His pickaxe rose.
The cursed lightning struck. The world lit up.
Sparks crackle along the shaft. The blow sent shockwaves down his arms, but he held firm, boots skidding across the dirt, carving a deep groove.
Smoke curled from his shoulders. But he was still standing.
Ben cracked his neck, and smiled. This time he felt it, even after the spell dissipated, the shockwave is still there, but nothing that he cannot handle. "You're gonna have to do better than that."