As Mr. F performed the ritual to merge two souls, he did something that defied all known logic. Every person possesses an astral image, a unique projection of their soul, and it is considered impossible to create another one, as the soul is entirely occupied by this singular astral image.

There have been instances where people attempted to generate two astral projections simultaneously after reaching Tier 3, but the consequences were often fatal. The soul's capacity is finite, and attempting to split it could result in severe mental and physical consequences, possibly leading to death. Some individuals managed to survive such an ordeal, but they could only use one astral image at a time, which meant they had only half the magical power of others at the same tier.

What use is having two astral images if only one can be utilized? Progressing to the next tier would also be twice as slow, as one would need to train both astral images simultaneously. However, what if two souls were merged into one, each with its own astral image? Throughout the history of humanity, it's uncertain if such a person has ever existed. That is, until now.

Mr. F knew the time had come to fight. Until now, he hadn't had the opportunity to use his second astral image, but this moment was perfect, especially since he wanted to avoid using any more soul magic.

His magical power flowed from his hands and touched the roof tiles of the building. In the next moment, the tiles split into sharp triangles and flew toward the soldier standing before him.

The soldier, skilled with his sword, managed to destroy all the tiles, but the vibrations on the roof prevented him from advancing toward Mr. F. Although this only hastened the collapse of the building, Mr. F knew he needed to defeat the opponent quickly, as reinforcements were just a minute away. From his spatial pouch, he retrieved a potion and downed it in one gulp while the soldier was occupied with the roof tiles.

A blue mist began to swirl around Mr. F. This was the effect of the Mana Burn Potion he had prepared in the lab. Originally intended to fulfill his alchemical mission, Mr. F realized at the beginning of the fight that he needed to use every tool at his disposal.

Mr. F's magic flowed into the moss on the side of the house. A massive, green, fuzzy ball formed behind the soldier. The soldier only noticed the attack from behind when a shadow fell over him.

The green ball sprouted vines from its fibers and lashed out at the soldier. The soldier managed to retreat and fend off the vines with his sword, but the relentless assault caused the roof to quake with each impact, creating several holes that penetrated deep into the building.

The soldier grew frustrated with these attacks. The green ball was too large, and each time he struck it, it simply regenerated. Deciding to end this threat once and for all, the soldier channeled a large amount of magic into his sword. To an observer, it appeared as though a yellow film enveloped the blade, extending it further until it reached ten meters in length.

As the green ball attacked again, the soldier leaped toward it. With a single swing of his sword, he cleaved the ball in two, landing behind it. In the next moment, the building reached its breaking point, and the soldier jumped off the roof to avoid being buried under the collapsing structure.

Once on the ground, the soldier searched for the mage who had created the green ball, but Mr. F was nowhere to be seen. At that moment, the two halves of the moss creature landed on the ground. Something was amiss—both halves began regenerating and grew into two smaller balls, each slightly smaller than the original.

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The soldier decided to dodge for now, worried that attacking them might result in further duplication. However, within seconds, his reinforcements arrived. They had observed the battle from a distance and were aware of the monster's capabilities. A group of ten mages, each holding a staff, stepped forward and began casting a spell.

Spells that require time to cast are usually stronger than those created instantaneously. It took them four seconds to collaborate and conjure two massive fireballs.

The soldiers, who had been holding the moss balls at bay, retreated on the signal of the mages. The path was clear, and the mages unleashed the fireballs, coordinating their strike with precision. With a tremendous explosion, the moss creatures were incinerated into a thousand pieces and burned away to nothing.

Only now did the soldier have time to reflect. Was Mr. F truly a soul mage, or had he been mistaken? Could a soul mage cast a spell that created a monster unrelated to their affinity? Perhaps the mage had only learned a single soul spell and was experimenting with it today. The effects of soul magic were still largely unknown, but the soldier resolved to investigate further once he had secured the elixir.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw several silhouettes retreating from the collapsing building. "Halt! Capture anyone trying to flee!" he shouted.

The soldiers sprang into action. Some of the figures managed to escape, but a few were captured. Those who resisted were killed. In the end, they managed to capture only two enemies alive. However, after hearing a snapping sound, their mouths foamed, and their skin turned purple. Suicide by poison hidden within the mouth was not uncommon, but it was unfortunate that the commander couldn't capture anyone alive. He would have to rely on the report from the local church to determine who the man on the roof was and what had transpired in the mansion.

As the entire house completed its collapse, there was a brief moment of silence. But then, in the center of the mansion's ruins, a hemispherical barrier began to dissolve.

The soldiers surrounding the mansion readied themselves for battle, but their leader called out to calm them: "That's Priest Dunkin's magic. Prepare to receive the elixir or to search for any who might have stolen it."

One by one, the group emerged, and the soldiers' leader approached the barrier to fulfill his mission.

While the leader of the soldiers was engaged in battle with the monster, Mr. F took the opportunity to erase his tracks and stealthily made his way back to the alchemy lab through several detours. Using earth magic, he re-entered the lab unnoticed, avoiding any alarms.

Once inside, Mr. F checked his observation artifact, which he had set up to record any attempts to find him during his absence. He quickly realized that his reclusiveness had worked to his advantage. No one had come looking for him, except for Albert, who had briefly knocked on his door to inform him that he would be waiting for him in the lab the next morning.

Mr. F exhaled deeply, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Everything had gone according to plan—well, almost everything. The final battle had been more intense than he had anticipated. His original intention was to disappear before the enemy could spot him, but his greed had gotten the better of him when he saw how much profit he could gain.

He was also amazed at the power of his second astral image. With the appearance of a tree, it was a standard astral form, but the true strength revealed itself when combined with the Mana Burn potion he had consumed. The amount of magic he had channeled into the monster was astonishing—even as he made his retreat, he could still feel it healing and duplicating itself. For his first real fight in decades, he was extremely satisfied, and it had only cost him one Mana Burn potion.

Additionally, he had made a substantial haul. The thought of his loot brought a sinister smile to his lips. The battle had been more than worth it, not just in terms of the riches he had gained but also in confirming the resurgence of his powers. He felt invigorated, almost like the days of his former glory when he was at the peak of his strength.