Chapter 89
Chapter 89
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Living Flames (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gold-rank mages kept their home turf—the Phantasmal Realm—spread around them at all times, making them relatively safe from surprise attacks by other mages.
Gold-rank warriors and bishop-level priests lacked that advantage, but they made up for it with overwhelming physical prowess.
With razor-sharp senses to detect anomalies and agile movements to react swiftly, they weren't easily felled by ordinary ambushes.
Ventis might have been a fake mage relying on his magic weapon, but he was a true warrior through and through. That's how he managed to barely slip away at the last moment before the massive explosion, narrowly avoiding a fiery end.
"Kuhk!"
But that didn't mean he'd escaped unscathed by any means.
The entire village was already engulfed in the heat from the blaze, and he'd believed he had perfect control over it all.
Even if he'd sensed something off, it took an extra beat for that instinct to register as true danger.
And Ventis paid the price for it with his body.
Thud-thump-crash!
His body, caught in the blast, tumbled across the ground without any proper landing roll, bouncing pitifully before slamming to a halt.
Beneath his tattered clothes, his skin was lobster-red and blistered in places, with blood oozing from wounds here and there.
He could only control the flames summoned by his magic weapon—not become invincible to all fire.
Thankfully, as a Gold-rank warrior, his body was tough enough to keep moving even in this state, but there was no denying his combat effectiveness had taken a severe hit.
"Tch...!"
Better late than never—his warrior instincts, now fully awakened to their peak, forcibly dragged him back to his feet amid the pain.
Standing there groaning would just paint a target on his back for the next attack.
But for all his grit in rising, his opponent made no follow-up move, simply smirking mockingly from afar.
"Oh? You actually took that hit? I figured you'd dodge it, no problem."
"You... you bastard!"
Once both sides had unleashed their hidden powers, the signs had started showing. Now that the scales had tipped, Ventis no longer had the composure for polite speech.
"What trick did you pull?!"
"Want me to show you again?"
Galen replied coolly to Ventis's bellow.
Right then, chills raced up Ventis's spine. That alien heat was building again.
Having learned the connection firsthand, he reflexively leaped to the side.
Boom!
The spot where he'd stood exploded once more.
This time, his senses were honed to a razor's edge, letting him read the signs and evade even faster than before.
But it still wasn't enough distance to fully dissipate the blast's pressure.
"Ngh!"
The heavy shockwave sent numbing tremors through his body. With his existing injuries, even that was enough to make everything throb fiercely.
At least now it was confirmed.
This wasn't some bizarre application of water magic. It was an entirely different lineage altogether.
Clearly some kind of fire-based explosive spell that his opponent could wield.
Of course, realizing that didn't improve his situation one bit. If anything, it just made his head spin more.
"Damn it all, what the hell is going on?!"
Ventis ground his teeth.
He'd been the ultimate magic weapon wielder, confident he could crush any Gold-rank who came his way. Getting stalled by some fresh-faced kid who looked half his age was maddening enough.
And now another type of magic popping up? A Gold-rank spell no less—one that could spell disaster if a Gold-rank warrior didn't detect and dodge it full-force?
"No way—you've got a magic weapon too?!"
Ventis, who firmly believed himself to be the rational one, could only conclude as much.
The first revelation could barely be explained away as genius among geniuses. But mastering two magics to Gold rank? That was impossible. No mage could do both.
"A magic weapon user traveling with a priest? Bold, even for you! Or did you corrupt the priest instead?"
"What the hell are you babbling about?"
Galen sneered at Ventis, who was spinning wild theories in his head.
"Doesn't matter. Believe whatever you want. You'll need the delusion to escape reality anyway."
"Delusion? You arrogant punk! Acting like you've already won. The real fight starts now!"
"Oh, sure. Whatever you say."
"Once we cancel out each other's magic weapons, it's down to raw skill. Warrior versus mage—who's stronger? But your magic has a fatal flaw."
"A flaw?"
"Try blowing that up right next to yourself sometime!"
All around them, flames and torrents of rain clashed, giants battling giants amid the chaos.
Ventis attempted to close the distance with Galen.
"Well, you're not a complete idiot."
Galen muttered under his breath.
Aside from mistaking his magic for a magic weapon, Ventis's actions were logical enough.
Water Flow Manipulation and Spirit Creation were countering the magic weapon's flames.
Strip that away, and it might look like a question of whether Phantasmal Flame Burst could contain a Gold-rank warrior.
Closing distance was the classic counter to mages anyway, and explosive magic should falter even more up close. That had to be his thinking.
But whether things would play out as Ventis hoped remained to be seen.
Bang! Boom! Boom! Bang!
Small-scale explosions erupted in sequence along Ventis's charge path, preemptively blocking him.
But ramping up the firing rate had sacrificed raw power; the blasts' pressure wasn't enough to fully halt him.
"You think you can catch a constantly moving warrior that easily?!"
Ventis shouted triumphantly as he steadily narrowed the gap.
He'd had to zigzag to dodge, or he'd have been there ages ago.
Still, Galen's expression showed no urgency. His calm eyes cast deep shadows.
Whoosh!
The moment he sensed that alien heat, Ventis veered sharply—but instead of an explosion, flames erupted before him.
The wide area forced him to click his tongue and fall back.
The distance he'd gained was lost again, but no need to bull through flames with his injuries.
"What? Not just explosions—you can do pure flames too—"
Ventis's eyes bulged before he could finish.
The flames, spreading wildly like wildfire, suddenly wilted and shrank.
But not from weakened power.
The fire had condensed into a single point, forming the shape of wolves. And not just one or two.
"Wh-what?!"
The various flame beasts Ventis had summoned when he was still brimming with confidence.
Galen had replicated them perfectly. The fine details differed, but the overall forms were nearly identical.
Did he have the same magic weapon? No, it lacked explosion power. Another one entirely then?
Galen smirked as Ventis's mind tangled in confusion.
The flame wolves lunged at the flustered Ventis.
They weren't as freely mobile as spirits—more like fiery projectiles hurtling forward.
But their power was enough to char a man to a crisp.
Ventis desperately evaded, finally resorting to his magic weapon.
Fwoosh!
The magic weapon's flames clashed with Galen's in midair, distorting on impact.
Different mana sources repelled each other, detonating in the collision.
But Galen's assault didn't end there.
Roar!
As Ventis dispelled the wolves, Galen thrust forth new flames that swirled into a towering pillar.
A massive fire dragon, big enough to fill an alley, bore down on Ventis.
"You madman!"
Ventis paled in shock. No time to think ahead—he had to block or die.
He abandoned maintaining the encircling flame wall around the village, redirecting all output here.
Protective flames surged volcanically before him.
Kaboom!
Flames ravaged flames in a frenzied clash, devouring each other.
The eerie blaze no longer looked safe. Ventis's voice began trembling despite himself.
"What... what the hell is this...!"
Galen didn't quite hear, but he chuckled as if he had. He could guess the man's mindset all too well.
"I told you—I learn by watching."
Phantasmal Flame Burst Lv.60
Progress to next level: 6%
The previous evolution of Spirit Creation had been huge—letting immobile spirits move freely.
But this upgrade to Phantasmal Flame Burst was an even greater leap.
Galen had called it borderline reinvention for good reason.
At its core, Phantasmal Flame Burst was about explosions.
Blowing things up was the essence; the flames were mere byproducts.
But this evolution added direct flame control.
Just like Ventis freely manipulated his magic weapon's fire.
Honestly, the wolves and fire dragon were mostly for show—style over substance. But the fact it worked was key.
Best of all, the biggest annoyance—"taking damage from my own flames"—was solved by controlling the fire itself.
Of course, the original framework remained intact and functional.
Designate an area via the shadows only he could see, then ignite it—
Boom!
Or trigger an explosion.
"Gah!"
Galen didn't miss the brief respite as the fire dragon and volcanic shield concluded their clash. Ventis, half-caught in the aftermath and flung away, barely regained his balance.
Not as bad as the first hit, but substantial—and cumulative damage piled on.
"This... damn it all... "
As Ventis's weary, injured body began to break his spirit, Lilia's return drove the final nail.
"Phew!"
Lilia burst through the lingering flame-rain boundary and landed beside Galen.
Exhaling the breath she'd held, she panted with a pitiful frown.
"I... I almost died..."
"How did you even punch through that?"
As Galen's attention shifted to Lilia, Ventis caught a breather. Not that he welcomed the reinforcements.
"Sheer grit?"
"You didn't have to. What if you got hurt?"
Lilia was a drenched mess, her slightly frizzed hair a sight. Galen stroked it worriedly.
"Couldn't just relax while you were fighting, brother!"
Lilia beamed radiantly despite it all.
"The outer flames are out, villagers are safe, and the surgery went fine—no need to worry!"
"What?"
Ventis, who'd been quietly trying to rest, couldn't let that slide.
"The surgery succeeded? You're saying Steelwall's young master didn't die?!"
"Yup!"
"Ridiculous! How does he survive that wound?!"
"Good healing?"
Her innocent expression ruled out lies, and there was no reason to bluff. It had to be true.
Ventis's vision darkened.
With Veron alive too, he'd gained nothing. Not just a failure—a total wipeout.
The sheer scale cleared his mind instead.
Discarding all else, Ventis fixated on one goal:
Escape this place.
He quickly reviewed the terrain in his head.
"Hup."
Deep breath in—then he pulled back half his magic weapon's power.
"Huh?"
The surging flame waves, poised to swallow Galen through the downpour, suddenly lost momentum and shrank.
As Galen blinked in confusion, Ventis released that half-power in a single burst.
Roar!
Concentrated solely forward like a mountain of fire, while advancing the fire giant.
Hiss!
The onslaught collided with the waterfall, turning the battlefield into instant chaos.
Flames, waves, and steam mixed, blocking vision entirely.
With that reckless max-output strike unleashed—
Pat-pat!
Ventis bolted backward. Not a tactical retreat—he turned tail and ran.
Fine, that kid mage was a monster. Acknowledged.
But still a mage. No mobility to match his physical specs, same as any commoner.
Even if the priest beside him was a high priest with Body Hardening miracle—Silver-rank warrior level at best.
Sure, he was injured, but could a Gold-rank warrior not outrun Silver trash?
"Damn brat... I'll make you pay later...!"
Etching Galen's face into his brain forever, Ventis fled at startling speed for an injured man.
Ignoring the lingering flames behind, he blurred like the wind, vanishing from the battlefield in moments—passing through the village's charred palisade.
The opposite side from the entrance. Toward the mines.
Hide in the mountains, recover in some cave—
Whoosh!
A ferocious wind interrupted his thoughts, shrieking past his ears.
Before he could identify it, a chill hit—he whipped around—
Splat!
Something burst.
As his vision tilted and balance crumbled, Ventis realized too late.
Something had pierced his left thigh with brutal force, exploding the flesh and severing it clean off.
"Gaaaaah!"
Toppling onto one leg, he screamed as agony crashed in belatedly.
"You can't just run away."
Lilia landed lightly beside him with a bright smile.
Seeing her—platinum flames cloaking her body, retrieving a spear of light deeply embedded in the ground—Ventis finally understood.
How Veron survived. How he'd been caught.
"High bishop... fuck."
With that short, vicious curse, he blacked out.