Chapter 104

Words : 1005 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Chapter 104: Chapter 104 At first, Clayton didn’t know what to do. The loud banging on the door had caught him off guard. But for safety’s sake, he quickly ordered his mini skeletons to go on full alert. "Please! Sir, ma’am—anyone! Open the door, please!" A hoarse, desperate voice rang out from outside. Clayton frowned deeply. Once again, he found himself in a dilemma. Should he open the door or not? If the person was a threat, it could spell disaster. But if they genuinely needed help, could he really turn them away? Before he could decide, a sudden explosion rocked the area—followed by a violent shockwave. BOOM! Clayton instinctively dove for cover, bracing himself. Rage surged through him. For a moment, he thought the stranger outside had set a trap. A part of him was relieved he hadn’t opened the door. But that thought quickly vanished when he realized the blast had come from the crowd—launched by someone he vaguely recognized. Clayton stared in shock at the devastation in the distance. "What is wrong with these people? Why are they causing chaos for no reason? Even the stray spells are this powerful?!" From where he crouched, he saw the person who had been pounding on his door. Their back was torn open—riddled with gashes and burns. Clayton felt a pang of sympathy. In the end, he decided to let the stranger in—just for a while—so they could recover and avoid being caught in another random blast. He ordered one of his mini skeletons to open the gate but kept his distance, still cautious. He wanted to help—but not at the cost of his own life. When the door creaked open, the injured man stepped inside and gave a weak, grateful nod. Clayton studied him carefully, watching his every move. It didn’t take long to realize the man was only a one-star apprentice mage. Clayton let out a quiet sigh of relief—he could handle someone of that level if things went south. His posture relaxed slightly. "You all right, brother?" Clayton asked, offering a drink and some basic healing medicine. The man smiled, genuinely touched. Seeing that, Clayton began to lower his guard. But just as he was about to speak again, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from outside. Both men tensed. In the distance, a ragged figure appeared—covered in tattoos, wild-eyed, and clearly dangerous. Clayton’s instincts flared. This one was trouble. Without hesitation, he ordered his skeletons to close the gate. The tattooed man slammed into the barrier, stopped cold by the skeletal guards. He looked agitated, constantly glancing over his shoulder. He tried to push past, but the skeletons blocked him each time. Frustrated, his face twisted into a scowl. His eyes locked onto Clayton’s home with hatred. Then he began to chant a spell. Clayton and the injured man both tensed. Clayton readied himself to intervene, but before he could move— Bang! A bolt of stray magic shot across the battlefield and slammed into the tattooed man, dropping him to the ground. His spell fizzled out before it could form. Clayton blinked, stunned. He’d expected more trouble—but there was no attacker. Just random destruction. He stepped back inside and had the gate repaired. The situation outside was spiraling out of control. Unless the city or a major organization intervened, it would only get worse. Meanwhile, the injured man was still recovering—though he occasionally cast strange glances at Clayton. Eventually, as things outside began to quiet down, Clayton relaxed slightly. Swoosh! Suddenly, the man raised a glowing object—and fired a spell straight at Clayton. Caught off guard, Clayton barely reacted in time. He hadn’t expected an attack—especially not from someone who seemed so weak. Fortunately, one of his mini skeletons jumped in the way and absorbed the hit. Boom! The blast tore through the skeleton instead of Clayton. Clayton’s face darkened. "Why?! Was this your plan from the start?" The man hesitated—then sneered. "Hah! Now that the secret’s out, there’s no point hiding it. Let’s finish this!" His demeanor completely changed. Clayton’s eyes widened. He could sense it now. This man... was a three-star apprentice mage. The mage grinned at Clayton’s stunned expression. "What’s wrong? You scared?" Clayton didn’t respond. His silence only made the mage’s grin widen. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a scroll, and activated it. A fiery serpent burst forth, hissing as it flew toward Clayton. Clayton rolled aside, activating a water-based enchantment. Threads of blue light shimmered around him. The flames licked his armor, but the enchanted water shield absorbed most of the damage. Annoyed, the mage pulled out another scroll. "You won’t survive this one," he spat. Clayton said nothing—completely focused. The next spell was more intense. A flaming dragon’s head rocketed through the air. Clayton quickly summoned a dome of water around himself. The two spells collided— Boom! Fire and water exploded into steam. The clash was fierce, the spells evenly matched. Clayton’s veins bulged as he poured mana into the dome, holding it together. The mage simply smirked, watching. Then— Clayton smiled. In one swift motion, he disconnected his water dome from the ground—launching it backward like a cannonball, with himself still inside. The fire dragon couldn’t keep up. The mage frowned. "What the hell...?" Mid-air, Clayton countered. "Water Magic: Water Cannon!" A huge projectile of water launched toward the mage—slow and clumsy. The mage scoffed. "That’s it? Pathetic." He ignored it, assuming Clayton had panicked. But then— "Now!" Clayton shouted. The puddles around the mage’s feet suddenly rippled—then surged upward, transforming into razor-sharp needles. They struck in an instant. The mage’s eyes went wide with horror. "Shit—!" Realizing the dire situation, the injured man swiftly pulled another magic scroll from his pouch. Swoosh! Snap! In an instant, a towering pillar of flame shot into the sky—a swirling inferno, hollow at its core. Ssshhh...! Almost all of Clayton’s water needles evaporated in the searing vortex. Almost—all but one. The first needle had already pierced through and struck the man’s side. "Arghhh! Gah!"

Chapter 104

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