Chapter 90
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 090
Chapter Title: The Fraud and the Staff (4)
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‘Even in this situation, his expression doesn’t change at all. He definitely has plenty of combat experience. I need to be careful.’
Alistair didn’t underestimate Heros.
He was a powerhouse who had taken down Desmond, the head of the eastern branch, despite his young age.
But that didn’t mean Alistair lacked confidence in winning.
‘I’ll turn it into a war of attrition.’
Alistair’s strategy was a prolonged battle.
He planned to drag it out until Heros’s mana ran dry first.
He was confident he wouldn’t lose in terms of mana reserves.
After all, his opponent wasn’t older than him, was he?
Alistair was certain he had read far more grimoires than Heros had.
‘Let’s take it slow.’
With that in mind, Alistair entered the fight.
But he had to revise his plan immediately.
Heros was completing his spells at a speed that far exceeded Alistair’s expectations.
Pzzt!
A bolt of lightning flew toward Alistair.
His nerves on edge, he reacted swiftly.
A rectangular wall rose from the ground.
Alistair successfully blocked the attack.
But he couldn’t relax yet.
This time, lightning bolts came flying from both sides of the wall.
‘Dual casting?’
Stunned by the advanced technique, Alistair hurriedly cast his own spell.
Earth rose from the ground and enveloped his body.
A suit of stone armor formed around him.
The two lightning bolts struck its surface and fizzled out harmlessly.
‘Now it’s my turn!’
Alistair thought of counterattacking.
But Heros’s assault wasn’t over yet.
Slurp.
Suddenly, his feet began sinking into the ground.
Realizing it, Alistair tried to pull away in panic, but an invisible force pressed him downward.
He lost his balance and toppled forward.
It was the devouring earth spell, followed by earth leveling.
A combination Heros favored often.
“Urk!”
Was it the effect of the rock armor covering his body?
Alistair survived the tremendous impact unscathed.
He tried to get up quickly, but the armored body wouldn’t move as he wished due to its weight.
On top of that, the ground kept pulling him in.
And Heros’s attacks still hadn’t ended.
Swish!
Weeds suddenly sprouted rapidly around Alistair.
They twisted together into two thick vines that wrapped around his ankles.
His legs sank faster.
Alarm bells rang in Alistair’s mind.
‘If this keeps up, I’m dead...!’
The relentless barrage of spells continued.
Sensing the crisis, Alistair gathered his mana to break free and activate a spell somehow.
But Heros didn’t let him.
Bam!
A stone spike erupted from the ground.
It struck the head of the rock-covered Alistair.
Fortunately, he was unharmed.
But the impact wasn’t mitigated.
Concussion from the blow.
Alistair’s mind grew hazy.
“Grooo...”
Even in his dazed state, Alistair felt excruciating pain.
He had lost control of the mana he was gathering.
It rampaged wildly, damaging his soul.
And with it came severe internal injuries.
He wanted to vomit the blood rising in his throat, but his mouth was already buried in the dirt.
“Mmph...”
Alistair strained to crane his eyes toward the boy approaching him.
His right eye buried, half his vision gone.
There was Heros’s face.
Deep blue eyes looking down at him.
The moment their unyielding gazes met, Alistair cleanly accepted his defeat.
‘I never even considered losing from the start.’
Confidence in his own abilities.
Alistair saw it in Heros’s eyes.
But it didn’t feel arrogant.
The result spoke for itself.
‘I couldn’t do a damn thing.’
Alistair had suffered defeats before, but never one so overwhelmingly one-sided.
The sense of emptiness was profound.
The gap between his talent and Heros’s.
Now he truly felt it.
“That proves it. You’re no true Earth Mage. Right?”
At that moment, Heros’s voice came.
It was calm.
Not mocking—just confirming facts.
Alistair wanted to nod, but his head was fully buried in the earth now.
He couldn’t fulfill that wish.
Only complete darkness remained for him.
‘It’s cozy.’
His body still sinking.
Alistair was satisfied with an Earth Mage’s fitting end.
Then, a sudden curiosity struck him.
‘The true Earth Mage Heros mentioned. Who could that be?’
Heros had said he knew one person worthy of the title.
Alistair was immensely curious.
And that was his final thought.
I looked down at the ground.
Alistair was buried inside.
A pathetic end for someone who’d stepped up so confidently.
‘Easy opponent.’
A duel with a mage.
I was confident I wouldn’t lose there.
I had a clear advantage.
‘I can complete spells faster than anyone.’
My spell completion speed was abnormally quick.
So I could chain another spell right after one.
In other words, relentless attacks.
‘As long as I don’t let them seize the initiative, victory is easy.’
If my offense never stopped, they’d be forced into defense.
Eventually, they’d fail to endure and take a hit.
Then the follow-up would land too.
Battle over, my win.
That was my surefire strategy.
‘That’s why knights are more dangerous than mages.’
In magic battles, I had no fear of defeat.
But knights fought with their bodies, not spells.
They could dodge my magic with superior physical prowess.
Even tracking their movements was tough.
So knights felt trickier.
“Heros! I firmly believed you’d win!”
As I pondered knights, Cedric’s voice came from behind.
Turning, I saw him leading Jake over.
But Jake looked off.
He was staring at me blankly.
“What’s up with Jake?”
I asked Cedric about Jake’s state.
He grinned and replied.
“He’s shocked by the fight’s outcome. He feared that enemy mage, right? And you handled such a terrifying foe so effortlessly.”
“Ah, got it.”
I responded, sensing the surrounding mana.
Most of the black mages were dead.
Proof that Bear, Gilbert, and the undead knights were faithfully carrying out my orders.
Only three left now.
They’d be gone soon too.
‘No worries about the black mages then.’
I could leave them be.
Bear, Gilbert, and the undead knights would handle it.
So I planned to head back to Stonehill.
Dozens of barghests remained.
‘Gotta stop the damage before it worsens.’
Undead without a master revert to instinct.
Rampaging to slaughter the living.
Stonehill was in danger.
“Let’s head back to the village first.”
I said, turning away.
Cedric followed, leading Jake.
“Block them!”
“Don’t let them through!”
“Hold the line!”
Back in Stonehill, shouts rang out.
Familiar voices—soldiers, mercenaries, squires.
Following the noise led to the battlefield.
‘So this is how they’ve been holding out.’
Houses in the village center.
Doors all smashed.
Barricades of piled furniture remained.
Barghests battered them with bodies, swiping paws, desperate to break through.
Soldiers, mercenaries, and squires wielded weapons from behind, blocking desperately.
One building couldn’t hold everyone, so they’d split across several.
‘Good.’
No casualties yet, it seemed.
But no time to relax.
Any entrance could give way soon.
A precarious scene.
Time for me to step in.
Crunch!
Where barghests clustered thickest.
I unleashed earth leveling.
They turned to chunks of flesh in an instant.
“It’s Heros!”
Did they see the barghests become meat?
Someone shouted my name.
It sparked cheers from all around.
Allies’ morale soaring.
I decided to meet their expectations.
Plenty of mana left.
‘Let’s clean this up quick.’
I used clinging flames.
Familiar spell—thought of it, and it completed instantly.
The small fireball flew toward a barghest cluster.
Whoosh!
One barghest couldn’t dodge.
Its upper body ignited.
Sparks spread, burning ten bodies.
Earth leveling and clinging flames.
Two spells halved the attacking barghests.
Satisfied, I prepared another.
Finish clean.
After the battle.
Villagers emerged and bowed to me.
Everyone, young and old, men and women, expressed gratitude.
Overwhelming.
I slipped away, pretexting a check for remaining black mage forces.
Gilbert and Jake followed.
“No grimoires hidden by the black mages?”
I asked Jake.
Quick reply.
“No. But there are materials Alistair prepared for making his staff.”
“I think I know where.”
A spot in the village pulsed with mana.
Staff materials there, probably.
My guess hit.
‘Oh, these are the staff materials?’
A rundown house on the outskirts.
Familiar item inside.
Round shape, smooth surface.
A red gem.
Slightly smaller than mine, but fist-sized.
And packed with far more mana.
Top quality.
‘Hold on.’
Gazing at the red gem.
Jake’s earlier words resurfaced.
“Alistair said he could infuse mana into an object of his choice using people as materials, right?”
“Yes.”
Quick answer again.
“Then this gem is...”
“Right. That’s what Alistair made by using humans as materials to infuse mana.”
Jake’s confirmation.
The once-beautiful red gem now felt repulsive.
Still...
‘Better to take it.’
Destroying it wouldn’t revive the sacrificed.
Best in my possession.
As I grabbed it, Jake asked cautiously.
“Heros, any specific use for that gem?”
“No. Just keeping it for now.”
My answer.
A lie, of course.
Planned for body sculpting magic materials.
But Jake made an unexpected offer.
“Then, may I use that red gem to enhance the staff you have?”
“Huh? Enhance how?”
I asked back, and Jake looked at me.
“I can synthesize magic tools. That’s why Alistair kept me alive. He needed my magic to make a new staff.”
Jake offering to upgrade my staff.
Hearing that, I nodded like I was enchanted.
Can’t resist weapon upgrades.