The Captain of the City Guard, the priest and his companions, along with the surviving soldiers, all retreated to the center of the room. Some enemies attempted to pursue them but were driven back by fireballs from above. Tem stood on one of the two remaining walls, covering the soldiers' retreat.
When everyone had gathered in the center, she decided to join the rest as well. In the middle of the room, everyone was assembled. The Captain of the City Guard looked around and asked, "Any casualties?" Everyone glanced around briefly before a soldier stepped forward and reported, "Commander, we lost five soldiers and the Baron."
The Captain initially wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to remain silent. The loss of five soldiers weighed heavily on him, as he would have to answer to the army for it. After all, he had used his men to protect a private individual.
The problem, however, was that this private individual was a Baron of the land. It was his duty to protect him, but his failure would have serious consequences.
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, a silhouette appeared in the distance, running towards them. As everyone reached for their weapons, the Captain got a clearer view and made a calming gesture.
No one could believe what they saw as the figure drew closer. Baron Stapler, with his chubby face, came running, drenched in sweat. An arrow was visibly embedded in his leg, and if one looked closely, another arrow could be seen lodged in the back of his head.
They were all unsure whether they were seeing a ghost or a living person until the Baron, wheezing and gasping for air, collapsed on his knees before them.
The Captain stepped forward and extended his hand. "It's good to see you're still alive, Baron Stapler. We thought you were dead."
The Baron was still gasping for air but took the offered hand. "I was lucky. As I retreated, I focused all my magic on defending my head. If he'd aimed at my heart or any other vital organ, I'd be dead right now. But more importantly, what is happening here?"
The Captain looked to the priest, waiting for him to explain the situation.
"The house is about to collapse. I would have liked to bury all the enemies with us, but that would have cost many lives. I'm about to release the stabilization spell and create a dome of stones over us, which will at least shield us from the collapse."
In the next moment, he did just that. He formed a cone of stones and enclosed them all in darkness. Around them, the entire mansion collapsed, and inside the dome, it sounded like the end of the world.
The Captain began to speak amidst the chaos: "Be ready. We don't know if all the enemies have been dealt with or if our reinforcements have arrived. We must be prepared to react according to the situation."
Once again, everyone assumed their battle stances as the dome above them slowly began to crumble.
As the moonlight shone down on them and their surroundings, they could see the completely destroyed mansion of the Baron and, in the immediate vicinity, several soldiers in gold-trimmed armor.
Next to the soldiers were the bodies of several attackers who had tried to escape but had run straight into the arms of the soldiers. The middle-aged man, who was their leader, approached the priest.
"Priest Markus, it's good to see that you are... alive. We were worried when we saw the house collapsing. I'd love to clarify what happened here, but I have a duty to fulfill. Do you have the elixir?"
Priest Markus was slightly annoyed by his directness. It probably wouldn't have mattered to him if Markus had died, as long as the elixir was safe. "Yes, it is with the alchemist."
Hearing this, the alchemist approached the two and handed it over. The soldier took the vial from the alchemist's hand, placed it in a gold-embellished box, and stored it in a spatial sack.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Without further delay, the soldier bid farewell and led his troops toward the city gate. Just as they were about to leave the perimeter of the mansion, he turned around and shouted, "We've discovered a soul mage with ill intentions. The Church will send someone to deal with the matter."
With those words, they marched away until they were out of sight.
Everyone was puzzled by what the man's final words could have meant, but Tem and Markus exchanged glances, their faces tightening with concern.
…
At the Time of the Building's Collapse
Mr. F had just dodged the newcomer's attack, his movements swift and precise. From the speed of the assault, Mr. F estimated his opponent to be a Tier 6 mage. What intrigued him was the absence of any magical traces during the attack, leading Mr. F to conclude that this was the man's natural speed—a rare and dangerous attribute.
The man glared at Mr. F with fury, while the roof beneath them trembled from the ongoing battle. "What vile ritual have you performed here, mage? I can still sense the grotesque remnants of soul magic! Speak now, or I'll make your death far more painful than it needs to be."
Mr. F was not intimidated by the man's words. On the contrary, he felt a surge of excitement, eager for the impending confrontation. How long had it been since he last faced an opponent with full force? Sixty? Seventy years? While "full force" might not be entirely accurate given his current state, it had been decades since he had been at 100 percent due to his deteriorating health and approaching death. Even back then, his strength was never quite on par with others at the same tier who were not as aged as he was.
But now, he could unleash the maximum combat power of a Tier 6 mage! The prospect filled him with a sense of exhilaration he hadn't felt in years.
It's important to understand how different types of mages come into existence in this world. Every mage is born with an organ capable of accumulating magical energy. If this organ is damaged or destroyed, it doesn't always result in death, but it does mean the mage will never be able to use magic again—a fate worse than death for many.
However, this wasn't something beyond repair. There are countless stories of mages left crippled by their enemies, only to return years later with overwhelming power, striking down those who had once considered them defeated.
In the beginning, every person starts by gathering and storing mana in their mana apparatus. This can be achieved through meditation, consuming mana-rich food, or bathing in alchemical baths infused with mana-rich plants.
People can have affinities that draw them to certain elements. For example, a person with a fire affinity might absorb nutrients more effectively from creatures that use fire magic, while struggling with the energy derived from aquatic creatures. Depending on the situation and the environment in which one is born, this affinity can be either a blessing or a curse.
Imagine being born on a small island, surrounded by water. If you possessed a fire affinity, you could consume sea creatures, but you would lose a significant amount of efficiency in absorbing their mana. On the other hand, if you were born in such an environment with a water affinity, you would naturally absorb the abundant mana from sea life and ascend faster in power compared to your peers.
Most people, however, are born without any affinity, and those with a specific affinity are considered rare exceptions. The first three tiers of magical development are crucial for every mage. By cultivating mana, a mana crystal forms within the mage's mana organ. This crystal reveals the type of mana the mage has focused on during its formation and hints at their future potential. Mana, however, is diverse. A normal person who has absorbed mana from various sources typically generates a universal crystal. This allows them the flexibility to choose the type of magic they wish to practice. Even if one primarily integrates water mana into their core, there are multiple ways to apply that magic. Water can take the form of ice, liquid, or vapor—each of these forms representing a possible specialization. Moreover, it is possible to combine different types of mana.
With water and earth mana, for example, one could cultivate plants, turn earth into mud, or even make the earth brittle by extracting all the water from it. While a mage with a water affinity can use their mana to cast fire spells, the mana consumption would be significantly higher. However, there are general spells used in everyday life, such as lighting a fire or filling a bath, that can be performed by anyone, regardless of their affinity. In combat, though, one would typically avoid using magic that is counter to their element.
Returning to the topic of mana crystals, they enable mages to cultivate projections that reflect the connection between the soul and the mage's mana stone. Such a projection could, for instance, be a tree. By strengthening this projection, a mage can advance up to Tier 6.
To achieve this, a mage would continue to consume food rich in earth and water mana, as well as alchemical products. These projections leave traces when magic is used. If a mage used their tree projection to manipulate vines and harm someone, an investigation could reveal that the vines were moved by plant magic. And it was exactly this phenomenon that had occurred that day on the rooftop of the building.