One Week Before the Foundation League: To the Bitter End

After wrapping up practical training with Eunbyeol and Seong Jiho, Monica asked me triumphantly.

"Kiddo."

"What is it?"

As I licked my candy, Monica pointed at me in disbelief.

"Didn't you learn anything from that practical session? They're all way more prepared than you thought, right?"

"I already know that much."

I greedily lapped at my candy while watching the TV anime Spy Friends.

I knew the Foundation League would be brutal. With pro promotion dangling right in front of them, no one would back down even where they should—they'd gamble everything. The smart ones would have some hidden ace up their sleeves, too.

"Yeah, I get the matchup advantages, and that everyone's packing a trump card."

"Right. From what I saw today, that Seong Jiho kid's no pushover either."

"Hmm..."

"His Ether Control's already past 3-level."

"......"

I closed my eyes, recalling the moment.

'Casting 4-level magic, huh.'

Back in my Mage Hunter days, most mages I encountered were 5-level or higher elites. My memories of greenhorn 4-levels were fuzzy, but Seong Jiho's felt similar enough.

"Right. 4-level, then..."

"Just so you know, if Seong Jiho's at that level, you should assume Isara's definitely 4-level too."

I nodded at Monica's words.

"So, we just ramp up the training, then."

Monica hesitated at my suggestion.

"Your training volume's already scraping the limit, and cramming 4-level magic in a week is too risky."

"Feels like I could pull it off if I tried."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠picked up my staff, leaning against the sofa.

"I could even reveal Secret Transmission Dynamics."

I floated a black beam of light in front of the staff and grinned.

"No way. If you bust that out in the Foundation League and accidentally trigger an Abyss bubble overload..."

"......"

Eh, just another dungeon popping up—Gangnam Dungeon followed by Yongsan Dungeon. I quietly set the staff down.

"So, is there anything else you wanna try in this last week?"

Monica scratched her head with her pen.

"It's a bit of a gamble, but there's a way to make a real impact."

"If it's your idea, Master, I'm in."

Monica blinked at me in surprise.

"Huh? I haven't even explained yet?"

Crunch—I shattered the giant candy and popped it in my mouth.

"The Demon King must overwhelm. That's how it is."

"......"

"So if there's a surefire way to dominate, I'll do whatever it takes."

Monica grinned and slammed her notebook shut with a thud.

"Alright, kiddo. Then our job is getting you to wield Abyssorium at 100%."

"Abyssorium?"

It was already a 2-level spell stuffed to the brim with compressed ether—its limit.

"Didn't you evolve it to the peak of 2-level? Has the spell formula changed or something?"

"Heh heh heh..."

Monica pressed her index finger to my forehead.

"Abyssorium is 2-level, but it's Control, right?"

"Hmm..."

"What are Control spells for?"

"Complex magic designed to neutralize defensive spells like Survival or Enhancement."

"Exactly."

Monica cracked open an ether cartridge, closed her eyes, and conjured a simple spell.

"You've seen mages manipulate spells freely in tournaments, right?"

"Ether Control, you mean."

I stood up, intrigued, as Monica toyed with the Ether Shot blob. She'd silently cast the basic 1-level Control spell Ether Control.

"Just like you can steer Ether Shot with Ether Control, your spells should work the same. Wave of Stars and Abyssorium can synergize."

Synergy? I tilted my head.

How would a massive wave spell mesh with a deep-sea environment spell?

Waves in the abyss depths? What's the point?

They'd just interfere with each other.

No, casting two spells in one space? The environment would react, requiring recalculations, plus collision impacts between spells...

My head heated up as multiple Calculation Error! pop-ups flashed.

As question marks filled my mind, Monica smiled slyly.

"Of course, true spell fusion needs near-6- or 7-level skill."

"......"

I glared at her in disbelief, and she beamed.

"But~ some American water mage—ugh—once developed a spell that forces synergy in water magic."

"......"

"That's how she became the Aqua Queen."

Monica ruffled my hair.

"Just like that spell made me Queen of the Waters, you'll become the Demon King of the Waters with it."

Suddenly, a vast abyss sea unfurled across the wasteland screen. Beneath the twinkling starlight of the deep sea, three junior mages ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lay sprawled on the ground.

"Whoa! Hong Jiyeon doesn't even have a protection spell?"

Hajieun's words sparked a flurry of rapid chats.

As everyone marveled at the overwhelming spell's range, Isara rose from the ground.

Bright light poured from her, defying the black abyss sea.

"Oh, that's the 4-levelSatellite of Protection, right? Too bad—it would've been perfect if she'd gone down here."

As Isara prepared another spell, the camera shifted to Yu Eunha.

Perched atop the Abyssorium, she muttered something.

"Neeee! Another spell here?!"

A sky-blue aura swirled around Yu Eunha.

"What the heck is that?"

As curiosity amped up the casters' voices, an excited announcer chimed in.

The machine-gun commentary cut off as Yu Eunha finished casting first.

The incantation ended, and massive waves crashed down.

Whoosh—Wave of Stars poured refreshingly into Abyssorium.

The night-sky-like waves hit the depths and morphed into heavy shockwaves.

Boom—shockwaves rippled through the abyss world with a deep rumble.

The fusion of the two spells felt not just beautiful, but sublime.

"Whoa... it's like real Demon King magic."

Hajieun was about to dismiss it—"Nah, not that bad"—when the casters spoke.

The massive shockwave rocked the abyss depths, triggering two teleports. A brief message flashed on screen.

Unlike other confirmed outs, these had "Review" tags.

"Oh, survivor count over 5 now...?"

Hajieun checked the list, but in the fused Abyssorium-Wave of Stars zone, bright light erupted.

"Huh?!"

I gritted my teeth, watching the light beam out.

Ether surged wildly the moment the light appeared.

'Ether Control's failing!'

I knew she was leagues above the others—quick learner, magic-obsessed, and recently learned she's Lee Han's blood sister. I'd been wary.

'But blocking THIS?'

It was my trump: Waterflow Harmony fusing Abyssorium and Wave of Stars.

Monica said it'd near 6-level, unbeatable even in America ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for juniors.

'She should've been dead!'

Frustrated, I remembered it was just a week's practice.

'Right, I'm still not enough.'

A wry smile escaped. After slaying countless high-level mages, stumped by one junior? Now I truly understood why she was the nation's prodigy.

"Fine! Let's see it through! I am the darkness that devours light! The Demon King reigning over heroes!"

I clenched my teeth and poured in more ether.

Overflowing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beyond the spell's limit, massive Reverse Flow erupted.

Muscles twisted, veins bulged, vision reddened, head throbbed like a migraine.

In response, fireworks of starlight and shockwaves exploded.

In that no-survival hellscape, a single beam shot toward me.

'Ridiculous...'

That radiant, unyielding light—it was surely the signature spell that made Lee Han the Hero of Light.