Chapter 193 - 193: Who's this mage?

Words : 1596 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

"I was always one step ahead!" Grey's voice echoed through the cavern as the earth trembled beneath his command. With a snap of his fingers, the ground shifted violently, thick stone walls rising in a heartbeat to encircle the beast before it could flee. The earth coiled around the ant-like creature, binding it to the very ground beneath it. Above, thirty razor-sharp wind blades materialized, their edges crackling with electric energy, buzzing in the air like a swarm of angry bees. "Grey," Dante gasped, his voice filled with disbelief. He watched in awe as Grey effortlessly contained the creature with his magic, the mighty ant thrashing beneath the weight of the elemental bindings. Vince's heart pounded in his chest, his voice barely a whisper. "Was Grey always this strong?" Scarlet's gaze widened in stunned recognition. "I knew he was powerful, but this…? It's absurd." Her mind reeled, flashing back to the times Grey had obliterated his enemies with frightening ease—first the bandits, then the breaking of the beast portal, and now, this moment of destruction. "Keh keh keh!" The ant laughed, its voice sinister and mocking, sending a chill through the air. The creature ceased its futile struggles, its beady eyes narrowing as it fixed on Grey with growing amusement. "You think you've got me? Think again." In an instant, the beast's body surged with unnatural power, and with a single, explosive movement, it tore free from the earthen bindings, sending chunks of rock flying in all directions. Grey staggered back, momentarily stunned, but his wind blades hovered ominously in the air, crackling with lightning. "You shocked?" The ant's laughter echoed mockingly. "Or are you finally realizing your plans have failed?" Grey's eyes flashed with determination as he regained his composure. "Not in the least!" he called out, his voice unwavering. "Wind magic! Continuous wind blades barrage!" With a single snap of his fingers, the blades shot forward like a storm, their velocity and power leaving no room for mercy. The barrage tore into the beast, sending it skidding back with a series of violent impacts, its dark exoskeleton cracking under the force. "Enough!" The beast howled, its voice vibrating with fury. A powerful wave of energy erupted from its body, crashing into the wind blades with enough force to break them apart like fragile glass. 'It still has so much power, huh? So do I.' Grey's thoughts raced, his mind sharp and focused. Before the beast could make another move, Grey's voice rang out again, filled with raw energy. "Fire magic!" Flames erupted from his hands in a brilliant blaze, the fire burning with an intensity that mirrored the wrath of a volcano. The flames shimmered and twisted, radiating with a heat so fierce it scorched the very air around him. The sight of Grey unleashing such ferocious fire magic sent a wave of shock through the group. Everyone took an instinctive step back, their faces etched with fear and disbelief. "F...f... fire magic too?!" Greg stammered, his eyes wide in shock. The realization hit him hard—every time he'd taunted Grey, he had no idea how close he'd come to facing death at any moment. Now, the weight of that truth was settling in like a cold, suffocating hand. "H... how is this possible? Who is this mage?" Scarlet murmured, her fingers trembling as she glanced down at her own hand, the powerful fire magic from before now feeling insignificant in comparison. Her mind raced as she recalled the fire ring she'd acquired, the one that had enhanced her abilities. But now, she stood face-to-face with someone who not only matched her power but surpassed it in ways she couldn't even fathom. 'My fire magic was powerful earlier because of this ring I got in that cave the other time. But I can see someone rivalling my magical power and producing something I can't do, who is this peasant?' she thought. Greg's thoughts mirrored hers. 'I see now... I've been underestimating him all this time. I have so much to learn before I can catch up to this peasant.' Charlotte, however, couldn't hide the unease stirring inside her. 'Grey, now that you're revealing yourself, aren't you worried about the consequences?' she wondered silently, watching the transformation unfold before her. Grey's hair, once brown, began to shift, the color changing to a vibrant red. It rippled like a flame in the wind, dancing around him with an almost mystical energy. The sight was enough to make everyone gasp, their eyes glued to him in a mix of awe and fear. 'Transformation spell?!' Dante's mind raced, his breath caught in his throat. 'How... how is he doing this? Only high-level mages, those above level 5, can perform transformations like this.' Grey, however, wasn't concerned with the spectacle of his transformation. 'Using high-level spells is taking its toll. I can barely sustain the transformation as it is,' he thought, gritting his teeth as he prepared to strike. "Fire magic! Fire bullet!" Grey shouted, his voice fierce with determination. A thin, concentrated fiery bullet shot from his outstretched hand, faster than anyone could track, slamming into the beast's shoulder. The impact sent a shockwave through the cavern, the fire burning deep into its thick exoskeleton. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Lightning magic! Lightning bullet!" Grey's voice was barely a whisper, but the next attack was even faster—another bolt of pure energy streaked through the air, striking the beast's other shoulder with pinpoint precision. "I will kill you!" The beast roared, enraged by the onslaught. With a furious, primal scream, it lifted its claws, ready to crush Grey. In a blink, Grey was lifted into the air, weightless for a brief moment—before he was violently slammed back into the ground, dust and debris exploding around him as he coughed, gasping for air. "Grey!" Vanica screamed, panic flooding her voice as they saw him floating once more, only to be slammed down harder, the impact shaking the ground beneath them. "Shit! At this rate, he's going to die!" Raze cursed, his hands ablaze with magical energy. He moved to charge in, ready to face the beast head-on, but then, a sound—a low chuckle—came from Grey, who, battered and bloodied, was hoisted into the air again by the beast's overwhelming magic. Despite his mangled face and the blood dripping from his mouth, Grey still managed to give the beast a defiant smirk. "What's with that smirk?" the ant demanded, his voice dripping with venom. "I have the upper hand here!" The beast slammed Grey back down with all its strength, sending him crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. Blood splattered from his mouth as he gasped for air, but the smirk never left his face. Grey slowly stood again, his face battered and bruised, a mangled mess of blood and dirt. He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his body trembling, but his eyes were fierce. "Do you think you have the upper hand?" he rasped, his voice low but full of defiance. With a swift motion, Grey raised his hand high, and fire flared to life around him once more. "Fire magic!" he shouted, his voice like thunder. A massive fireball, the size of a boulder, erupted from his hands, soaring towards the beast. The fireball careened toward the beast, but Grey wasn't finished. "Explomb!" With a snap of his fingers, a fiery explosion detonated with such force that the beast was hurled back, its body scorched and singed, blood oozing from the fresh burns. Grey wasn't done. His eyes burned with determination as he stomped his foot into the ground. A massive, jagged earth spike shot up from beneath the beast's feet, sending tremors through the cavern. The beast leapt into the air, but before it could react, a massive boulder—larger than any they had seen—plummeted from above, crashing into the creature with earth-shattering force, sending it hurtling down to the ground once more. "I'm not done yet!" Grey shouted with a battle cry, his lightning armor crackling as it flared to life around him. In an instant, he was gone, dashing toward the beast with the speed of a lightning bolt, leaving a trail of light in his wake. The beast began to rise again, its body enveloped by spheres of water that crackled with threatening energy. It launched them at Grey, each one exploding on impact, the cavern shaking with each blast. Grey darted around the room at blinding speed, effortlessly dodging each attack, his movements a blur. "Your magic is as slow as you!" Grey taunted from above, his voice dripping with confidence. He descended upon the beast like a meteor, his foot swinging in a powerful roundhouse kick aimed at the creature's head. But just as he was about to land the blow, the beast vanished from his sight. "You were saying?" it asked from behind him, its claws slashing into Grey's side with terrifying force. Grey was sent crashing into the wall with a sickening crack, the impact so violent it shattered the stone around him. "Darn it! Grey!" Vince shouted, his voice choked with panic. They all stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the spot where Grey had been sent flying, unable to see whether he would rise again.

Chapter 193 - 193: Who's this mage?

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