Michael stepped into a wide clearing. It had the shape of a circle, completely free from the winding walls that composed the underground. Three columns of stone held up the ceiling above it, while mushrooms grew everywhere, as was the standard. He quickly evaluated his surroundings. He couldn’t see anyone. The circular area was completely free of anything that even resembled a small outpost or hideout. It was around thirty meters in radius. It was almost unnatural, as if someone had intentionally created that space.

His levels of suspicion rose rapidly; he was certain that this was it. His staff glowed as he cast twin Mana Shields. It was at that moment. Danger Sense flared up. A sound reached his sharpened hearing. It was almost imperceptible, consisting of nothing but the sound of a small rock being kicked. Michael turned his head to look towards its general direction just in time to dodge an arrow, stepping back.

Barely a second later, another arrow hit the Shields’ outer barrier. It had come from a different spot. With a nonchalant expression, Michael strained his eyes to see the attackers hidden in the shadows of the giant mushroom caps. His heart beat strongly. His Dragonheart had been activated without hesitation. He took a step to the left to dodge one more arrow. By this point, he had already identified several different archers. More arrows kept coming from other directions. There were at least ten archers.

He heard hurried footsteps. He turned around to see ten Warriors enter the clearing from the same spot he had entered from. It was likely that they had been here waiting for him from the beginning. Michael realized the nature of this trap when twenty more Warriors followed after the initial ten, yelling and roaring.

“Kill him!”

This is it.

It was the culmination of Lohann’s efforts. This would be the final showdown against Lohann’s forces. Would Lohann come forth personally to fight him?

It’s impossible.

It didn’t make sense for Lohann to fight. Instead, the man would continue to hide and watch from the sidelines as Michael was crushed by overwhelming numbers. Michael clicked his tongue. The arrows kept flying at him, while the Warriors had approached. Most of them wore similar gear, but one or two were dressed in heavier armor, while a few only wore leather armor. There was no need to guess the obvious differences between them.

The lightly-armored Warriors were the first to reach him, as he expected. No words were exchanged. They wielded daggers and shortswords, and slashed or stabbed at Michael. Once the attacks were blocked, they aimed for a different spot. It was as if they were trying to find a chink in Michael’s armor, but it was useless. Mana Shield was an omnidirectional spell. Michael stepped back, avoiding the nearest two blades. There was no way they didn’t know about a basic Skill. What were they trying to do?

He ducked, knowing that it wouldn’t destabilize the Shield too much. An arrow went through the air right where his nape previously was. The several attacks by the Warriors were only a distraction hoping to weaken the Shield enough for the arrow to pierce through. Michael had seen it coming, however. His heartbeat quickened.

It was as if pure fire were coursing through his veins, filling him with energy. Every time his Dragonheart beat, the feeling intensified.

In the meantime, more and more people flooded the circular area. Michael retreated to the middle while keeping his Shields up. He couldn’t move too quickly; he dismissed the Shields, believing in Danger Sense, in his Dragonheart, and in his overwhelming stats advantage. He identified several Mages among the crowd. They cast Mana Sphere as the Warriors rushed at Michael. The number of enemies had surpassed fifty, including the archers, who kept shooting.

Time to fight back.

As he grasped his staff tightly, he froze in place.

It was because he noticed injured fighters joining the ranks of his attackers, stumbling and wincing. He remembered those people. They were the ones he had fought against and wounded personally.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“That son of a bitch!”

His hatred towards Lohann surged. Almost immediately, an arrow aimed for his shoulder. He hit it mid-air with his staff, alongside two others. They had been shot from far away enough that he could react. A Warrior reached him and stabbed forward with his sword. Michael side-stepped the attack and drew a line in the air. Chanting was completed as a series of whispers.

“Mana Wave.”

The Skill tore at the bodies of the Warriors closest to him. Michael had limited his power, keeping the Wave from splitting them in half. Instead, they were only injured. IIt was only possible because of his improved mana control after learning Mana Field.

Once the Skill wounded the five incoming Warriors, the others behind them ground to a halt. The battle entered a temporary lull. There was no point in attempting to talk to them or ask them where Lohann was. The silence was eerie. However, Michael could see his attackers’ expressions. They were conflicted. It was as if the devil and the angel on their shoulders were arguing.

Yet, Michael noticed the same trace of mana from every enemy that he could perceive. At that moment, a shiver went down his spine. Rage bubbled within him.

Michael’s gaze shook. Even after everything, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The injured enemies had stepped forward, limping and grunting as they did. They stood in front of the intact Warriors. A few of them moved as quickly as they could to shield the archers whose positions had been compromised, and also the remaining ones. They threw themselves in front of the other enemies and spread out their arms.

That fucking brand!

It had already been proven that the brand could make an individual discard even their self-preservation. Yet seeing it like this was still jarring. While Michael was lost in his thoughts, the enemies finished arranging themselves. There was now a human barrier in front of the Warriors, as well as a single injured combatant in front of each Mage and Archer. They were all people Michael had fought before and previously spared. The plan was obvious. The enemy desired to take advantage of his hesitation and unwillingness to kill more people.

Simultaneously, the arrows didn’t stop coming, but Michael either dodged or blocked them all. The human barrier pressed forward, followed closely by Warriors with spears, who could attack from behind the barrier. The Archers’ rate of fire increased. More people kept entering the clearing. He eyed the only entrance carefully. His plan was simple. Once all the enemies had gathered, he would use Mana Field to overwhelm them all at once.

“Mana Wave.”

It was a full-moon Mana Wave. The higher mana expenditure showed its worth. The Wave destroyed all the incoming arrows and reached the human barrier, as well as the Warriors aiming for his back.

Blood splashed like red flowers blooming. Yet, nobody died. The ground was covered in red in nothing but an instant. Most of the human barrier collapsed like puppets with their strings cut, screaming in pain. The Warriors behind them, however, had crouched at the right moment, avoiding the Wave. The spears and swords approached Michael, dividing the air. His entire field of view was accurately captured and processed by his empowered mind. The sound of his blood rushing through his veins rang in his ears. Every time his Heart beat, he got a little stronger. He hit the shafts of the closest two spears with his staff, avoiding the blades with his superior Agility.

The Warriors were unfazed as the spears broke and became useless. They pulled swords out of the scabbards on their waists. Michael extended his staff. Mana coalesced around it, crawling over itself until it turned into two long ethereal blades, one at each end.

Mana Blade, Mana Wave, Mana Sphere, and Mana Shield. That’s all I need.

The Skills that he was most familiar with were also simple enough to be cast in a second at most. There was no need to focus on output and firepower. His Intelligence and proficiency were so high that killing one of his enemies was simple. Even if he restricted himself to save up mana, his Skills weren’t something that could be withstood by the bodies of the enemies surrounding him. Mana Sphere alone would be able to kill any of them if it hit their heads. Casting speed was what mattered.

Michael deflected the two swords being swung at him with his Blades. The blue Blades unceremoniously dug into the iron swords, searing right through the low-quality iron. At the same time, a blade aimed at Michael’s back. Danger Sense helped him avoid it. He quickly turned around and cut the attacker’s chest in the same way. His Blade went through flesh, but the injury wasn’t too deep. In an instant, six weapons were cutting at him.

Michael shielded himself with his Blade, which then vanished. A Sphere took shape over his open, free hand. It flew towards a Mage who had been about to throw his Mana Sphere at Michael. It seared his left leg, making him collapse. Four more Mana Spheres came flying at Michael. He avoided them by twisting his body, recovering his sense of balance in a heartbeat. A Warrior duo was skilled enough to try and take advantage of that gap.

His staff glowed. A Mana Wave blocked them completely.

There are too many enemies.