Outside Rosaline’s Clinic, three members of the HoundGuards, dressed in black and crimson uniforms, braved the intensifying rain. They stood in a line across the street, each preparing their signature magic, all aimed at the clinic's tightly shut new wooden door.

"Dammit, why do I have to come out and exterminate rats in this weather..." grumbled a haughty newcomer of the HoundGuards, idly twirling a fiery red halo in his hand, voicing his complaint.

"Stop your whining, Karl. It's only because you didn't manage to incinerate that little white rat last time, costing us all our bonus," retorted another, manipulating a swirling ball of wind in his hand, a green halo spinning on his left index finger, sparing no mercy in his judgment.

"Who knew the higher-ups would suddenly change the rules! Needing to capture alive or bring back the corpse for a reward? For the Caesar’s sake, who has the time to run around with a charred rat carcass?"

"You two, given this damned increasing rain, could you keep your complaints to a minimum? Let's just finish the three-warning procedure and kill the guy inside," urged the last member, adjusting the gem engraving on his glove at the back, a pale golden halo floating above his right palm.

"Fair point, this rain has soaked my new cloak... Karl, I'll use the Wind Voice spell one more time, you continue with the announcements." The wind-controlling HoundGuard moved his fingertips, chanting a brief spell: "Flatus Vocem."

["This is the final warning! Nivian criminals, I now command you to surrender the hostage and give yourselves up immediately, or we will forcibly enter!"]

The green ball of wind trembled slightly with the sound of the announcement, then burst open, dividing into several weak air currents. Carrying Karl's voice of righteous reprimand against the "criminals," it spread around, echoing through several blocks.

By now, a large crowd of onlookers and neighbors had gathered, standing under the eaves of shops and houses, watching this "clinic hostage situation" as if it were entertainment, and this loud third warning completely captured their attention — according to tradition, if three warnings went unheeded, blood would be shed.

"More Nivians, they never learn."

"Didn't the HoundGuards kill four or five of their gang members last time? Aren't they deterred yet?"

"If you ask me, we should just set the whole slum ablaze."

The mentality of these spectators was clear; they cared less about the truth of the incident and more about witnessing something to relieve their boredom, as not everyone could afford tickets to the beast fights in the town's northern arena.

*Cre-eak—*

As the surrounding chatter and the complaints among the three HoundGuards grew louder, the clinic door slowly opened. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a slightly disheveled, slender figure emerged.

Emerging was a young boy, looking frail and thin. In stark contrast to the three fully equipped HoundGuards in uniform, his clothes were far too simple—a wide, hole-ridden, coarse cloth garment, even barefoot on the cold ground.

Were it not for his messy white hair, blue eyes, and the way he held a thin, sharp rapier in an odd stance, no one would have thought he was the perpetrator behind the clinic's hostage situation.

"The rain is getting heavier." Julius looked up at the dark clouds, extending his hand to feel the raindrops, "You three still have a chance to withdraw."

His tone was calm, almost condescending, his demeanor like that of a sovereign dismissing the insects gathered at his throne, revealing a pity of the strong for the weak.

"Ha, look at this one, acting all high and mighty!" Karl, the young pyromancer of the HoundGuards, laughed mockingly, his face etched with disdain and scorn.

"Think holding a sword makes you a hero?"

"Must've starved his brain out! A little brat who's not even a mage dares to provoke us!"

The other two members of the HoundGuards joined in the laughter, clearly not taking Julius seriously. In their eyes, this was merely another opportunity to showcase their prowess and earn some bounty in their hunting game.

"I've given my warning." Facing the mockery, Julius's expression remained impassive as he silently raised his rapier, assuming a ready stance.

"Bluffing! Let's take him down!"

Karl's shout, mixed with the anger of being mocked, sounded like the start signal of a hunting contest. The next moment, the hands of the three HoundGuard members sparkled with halos of different colors, each manifesting a varying number of four-pointed star patterns.

"Petrae Laceratio!" The pale golden halo shimmered with four Magestars, conjuring two sharp stone arrows from the cobblestones laid upon the street, shooting directly towards Julius' lungs from two angles.

"Ignis Sphaera!" The crimson halo flickered with three Magestars, igniting a fist-sized fireball out of thin air, hurtling towards Julius' head in an arcing trajectory.

"Ventus Impetus!" The verdant halo glowed with two Magestars, generating a forceful gust of wind, charging straight at the slender Julius.

As the three spells were cast simultaneously, a trio of long-prepared, coordinated attacks descended. Yet, facing such an onslaught, Julius did not dodge; instead, he stepped forward, emerging from under the clinic's eaves into the embrace of the cool rain.

"Die, you arrogant brat—"

Karl's sneer was abruptly cut off as he witnessed, within his field of view, the mirror-polished blade of the rapier, previously held in those seemingly delicate and powerless hands, vanish without a trace the moment Julius's body moved forward...

*Shing—*

A sound, barely audible amidst the rain, echoed, and in the next instant, a moonlight-like hazy sword shadow flashed by, turning the two stone arrows that reached him first into fine sand, scattering on the ground!

*Swish—*

The incoming fireball met the same fate; seemingly untouched by any tangible object, it bizarrely split into countless sparks, dispersing in the rain, leaving behind only a few wisps of black smoke as evidence of its existence.

*Whoosh—*

The last wind-based attack magic, which should have slammed the slender boy to the ground, was mysteriously redirected upon contact with the hazy sword shadow. It was manipulated with some profound technique, changing direction and lifting his body upwards, eventually landing him safely on the clinic's rooftop, with the rapier reappearing in his hand.

All this happened too swiftly, so fast that the onlooking crowd had no time to gasp before it was over. What seemed to be an overwhelming assault by three HoundGuards mages against one seemingly fragile Nivian boy was effortlessly neutralized.

"Defensive magic...?"

"How is this possible... he didn't use any magic at all! I can't feel any mana fluctuations!"

"Again! Ignis Sphaera! Ignis Sphaera!"

As if refusing to believe it, another round of attack spells was launched, only to end with the same result. No matter the attack, Julius merely needed to slightly move his wrist, and the rapier would mysteriously disappear, drawing a mist-like sword shadow to block all attacks.

The three HoundGuards members stood frozen, unable to believe their own eyes. Each of them possessed a certain degree of magical talent and had undergone rigorous training, yet their attacks were effortlessly neutralized by a boy who seemed barely able to stand!

Humiliation, confusion, and dread intermingled in their minds. However, people are often adept at deceiving themselves with excuses, and these individuals were no exception. Soon, the wind mage, as if suddenly remembering something, exclaimed:

"It must be that sword! It's definitely some kind of Artifact with defensive capabilities!"

"That must be it!"

"Damn thief, daring to fool us with the power of a stolen tool? Then let's use our Artifact as well! "

The three HoundGuards quickly pulled out a silver ring inlaid with a gem from their uniform's chest pocket, slipping it on. Then, their halos immediately burst into dazzling light!

*Buzzzz—*

Energy in the air started to stir, whirl, and condense, eventually etching several slightly paler tetragram patterns on the halos of the three men. In an instant, each of their halos boasted six Magestars!

"That's a one-time amplification Artifact from the HoundGuards!"

"Get away quickly! We'll get caught in the crossfire!"

"They won't compensate for any damage, so pack up everything quick and flee! "

Seeing the HoundGuards resort to this last-ditch effort, the onlookers quickly packed up and closed their shops, and those who had been standing under eaves with the intention of watching the drama dispersed in all directions, fearing being affected by the fallout of the battle.

First-Ringed Mages endowed with six Magestars! In a frontier town like Ironwood, they are the backbone that protects the city during invasions of external foes or beast hordes. Though these three individuals have only temporarily elevated their realms by consuming a one-time artificial Artifact provided by the HoundGuards, the enhancement in their destructive power is undeniable.

"Enough of your tricks, you white rat. The game ends now!" Feeling the surge of power within, Karl clenched his fists, his expression excited and his voice turning boastful once more. "You should feel honored in your grave for forcing us to resort to synthetic Artifacts! Ignis Sphaera-Triplex-Maxima!"

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

*Sizzle*

The chant echoed as the halo flickered, and in an instant, three fist-sized fireballs ignited in Karl's hands, evaporating the surrounding rain into steam, a wave of scorching heat spreading out

"Finish him!"

The three massive fireballs were launched at different angles, each tracing an arc from three directions, hurtling towards Julius on the rooftop with a speed far surpassing the previous attacks!

Even the purple wolves and giant bears that often attacked the town's outskirts would have to flee from such an assault. Yet, the target, Julius, seemed utterly unfazed, maintaining his serene demeanor, one hand holding the sword, the other extended outward, continuing to feel the raindrops.

"The rain... heavy enough," Julius murmured, closing his eyes.

Just as the three destructive fireballs were about to hit Julius, his figure, under the watchful eyes of all, turned as misty as vapor, then vanished without a trace!

*Boom*

With their target gone, the three fireballs scattered, striking the surrounding houses and burning through several roofs before they were extinguished by the rain, causing a series of collapses.

"He disappeared! How?!" Karl frantically looked around, trying to find any clue that might reveal Julius's whereabouts.

"What are you waiting for? Search! Mor, use your Aeromancy!" the oldest among them, a Geomancer, urged while placing his hands on the ground, drawing rocks to cover his body for protection.

"I've been using it since the beginning! But there's no response..." The Anemomancer, with a ring of green light around his ears, concentrated, gathering breezes from all directions that carried sound waves. Yet, all he could hear was the rain, "Flatus Vocem-Maxima! Flatus Vocem-Maxima! Still nothing!"

The rain intensified, turning from a drizzle to a downpour, with cold water seeping through the gaps in the HoundGuards' uniforms, bringing a bone-chilling coldness and an indescribable fear.

Despite being three elemental mages whose powers had been significantly boosted, all they could do now was to huddle back to back, looking around nervously. Their unease grew with each passing moment, resembling three chicks in a storm, trembling and vigilant against predator's attacks.

Only now did their primal fear make them realize they were not facing an ordinary Nivian to be slaughtered at will, but something beyond their imagination.

"As I said earlier, you had a chance to flee before the rain got heavy,"

Suddenly, a voice clearly resonated through the rain, sounding as if the rain itself was speaking from all directions.

"Now, there's no escape."

The HoundGuards nervously scanned their surroundings, seeing only curtains of rain, their vision blurred.

"Where is it coming from..." Karl muttered nervously, trying to use fireballs as light sources to illuminate and defend all sides, but the evaporating rain only made the surroundings more obscure.

"Don't ask, just maintain our defense. If he attacks, he'll reveal himself. Petrae Lorica Tegmen-Triplex-Maxima." The experienced Geomancer quickly regained his composure, casting a defensive spell, extracting three sets of rock armor from the street's paving stones to cover them.

*Pff*

But the moment the rock armor solidified, the sound of blades piercing flesh echoed, and Karl and Mor turned to see the experienced Geomancer collapsing onto the ground!

"Mr. Gron!"

"Cough, cough, cough!" The Geomancer on the ground, clutching his chest in agony, coughed up blood, his eyes wide with surprise at his chest, "My armor... how could, when did he—cough, cough!"

They looked where the sound came from, only to see the thick rock armor on the chest riddled with holes as dense as raindrops, with fresh blood flowing out, mixing with the puddle on the ground.

Then, a pale figure appeared in the rain like a ghost, lightly shaking the blood off his rapier. Only then did the remaining two HoundGuards see that the rapier's blade was completely dry.

But Karl was too consumed by rage to care, continually drawing energy from the amplified halo, launching attack after attack:

"Ignis Sphaera-Triplex-Maxima! Ignis Sphaera-Triplex-Maxima!"

The triple-fireball chant with maximized power drained almost all the mana from his body, transforming it into a devastating release of fire element.

*Sizzle--Sizzle--Sizzle--*

The fireballs flew, but once again, Julius disappeared without a trace, merging effortlessly into the torrential rain.

"It's no use... we can't... " Seeing this scene, the Anemomancer named Mor trembled, clearly on the verge of collapse, "We can't beat this monster..."

"Mor! What kind of defeatist talk is that? We HoundGuards don't have deserters!"

"Flee... Yes, we must flee!" Realizing what needed to be done, Mor quickly activated his mana, shouting, "Ventus Volatus-Maxima!"

As he spoke, a strong wind lifted him slightly off the ground, then he swiftly flew down the street's end.

"Don't blame me! I can't die here! I have a family to take care of..." At this critical moment in the fight, this coward chose to abandon his comrades, shouting self-righteous reasons to comfort himself.

"I told you, none of you can escape."

Just as Mor rejoiced, thinking he had escaped to safety, that ghostly cold voice sounded almost within reach.

*Pff*

"AAAAAAAAHHH!"

The next moment, the sound of blade piercing flesh was heard, and the sharp pain in his thigh made him scream. The wind vortex dissipated, and he lost balance, crashing to the ground and rolling into a construction site, buried under building materials.

As if performing some sort of execution ceremony, Julius once again flicked the blood from his blade into a puddle. Then, raising his finger, he pointed at Karl, who was still standing dumbfounded at the clinic's entrance.

"You're the last one."

Then, he dissolved into the rain curtain once more.

Karl immediately felt a cold sense of crisis creeping up his spine, his gaze darting around, but to no avail. However, under the high pressure of a life-or-death situation, his brain worked rapidly, and he had an epiphany.

"Damn it! Mr. Gor? Wake up! " Seeing the core member of their squad completely pass out from excessive blood loss, Karl quickly moved away from the open area and darted into a narrow alley—a dead-end alley with overhanging eaves from the houses on either side blocking all the rain.

Rushing to the dead-end of the alley, back against the solid wall, he finally stopped and started shouting into the air:

"Kid, I admit you've got some skills, but I've seen through you! Your illusion tricks can't be performed without rain, right?"

His morals might be questionable, but his combat intuition are undeniable. For someone like him, accepting something completely beyond their worldview is challenging.

"What's the matter? Scared to show yourself after I've called out your tricks?"

Karl's chest heaved, his eyes nervously scanning the entrance of the alley still drowned in rain, his mouth chewing on a few pills to speed up mana recovery, waiting for that white specter to appear.

*Whoosh—*

After a long wait, all that came was a gust of wind. Karl's pupils sharply contracted. He could feel something approaching, but all around was still just the unending sound of rain.

"You think you're safe out of the rain?" A calm voice echoed through the alley.

"Damn it... come out! Face me!" Karl tried to make his voice sound firm, but the trembling tone betrayed his fear.

*Whoosh—*

Another gust of wind, different from before, brought torrents of rain into the alley, forming a small river that extended to Karl's feet.

And at the source of this small river, at the entrance of the dead-end alley, that white-haired figure reappeared.

But this time, the mysterious technique from before seemed to have lost its effect; his figure was no longer ethereal, even the hand holding the sword and the feet showed spasms from overexertion.

No matter how mystical the technique, this body was ultimately mortal, and it was a malnourished, frail child's body at that. Reaching its limit now was inevitable.

"Ha! I knew it!" With a sense of sudden enlightenment and euphoria, Karl snapped his fingers, chanting, "Ignis Sphaera-Triplex-Maxima!"

Firelight illuminated the damp alleyway, where the destructive trio of fireballs, launched closely together in the narrow space, left no room for evasion. Feeling the hot waves rushing towards him, Julius simply raised his weapon again and then, thrust forward.

*Boom—*

In the next moment, amidst the storm and surging waters, thunder exploded in the sky, and then, the three fireballs were instantly torn apart by something imperceptible, leaving only a few sparks to fall on Julius, singeing the tips of his hair slightly.

In this place untouched by the rain, under the illumination of the lightning, Karl finally saw Julius's actions clearly—his sword picked up water as he stabbed forward with a density close to a curtain of blades, his steps light and elusive, his body's movements as fluid as flowing liquid...

The sword tip traced through the puddles on the ground, raising barely visible ripples, which interwove and extended in the air, forming an invisible, seemingly fragile—

"Rain?" Karl muttered in disbelief, then immediately tried to deny this intuition, "No, this can't be possible..."

Imitating raindrops with countless sword stabs? How could such a feat be within human capability! What kind of madman would even conceive or attempt such a ludicrous technique!

"In my homeland, many devote their lives to exploring the limits of the fragile body. Nothing is impossible."

Julius continued to advance down the alley, step by step closing in on Karl, who was backed against the wall with no escape.

"Ignis Sphaera-Triplex-Maxima! Ignis Sphaera-Triplex-Maxima!" Karl shouted in fear, continuously launching fireballs, "Damn it! What are you? What kind of sorcery is this?!"

"Wish to know? Then I shall enlighten you." Julius, slicing through the incoming fireballs with his sword, reminisced, "Once upon a time, there was a man, utterly bewitched by the way of the sword."

The halo flickered, and the mana-drained fireballs were again torn apart by the sword, leaving only small holes burned into his clothes.

"In the midst of a rainy day's practice, a whimsical thought struck him—to sever the very veil of rain with the sword he wielded."

One feared, the other advanced, but the former had nowhere to hide, and the latter would not stop.

"Yet, the force of the storm, descending from the heavens, scattered across the myriad forms of the world, elusive, beyond the grasp of mortal flesh. How could one hope to capture such a thing?"

Desperation drove the Pyromancer to drain the last bit of potential within himself, each newly released fireball pushing past previous limits, attempting to break through the seemingly fragile curtain of rain-swords, yet unable to halt the steps of the man with white hair.

"But obsessed with the sword he was, and he yearned to accomplish the impossible."

Flames interwove with the raindrop swords, scorching the fingers that wielded the sword more severely than before, yet the sword did not stop, nor did it hesitate even for a moment.

"If the raindrops were endless, then let the thrust of his sword match their infinity."

"If the momentum of the rain was unpredictable, then let his movements mirror the descent of those myriad droplets."

"If the chill of the rain slowed one's actions, then become water itself."

Advancing, swinging the sword, the distance too close, the residual burns from the fireballs scorching skin, burning away white hair, leaving dark charred marks.

"And so, to sever the storm, he and his blade became one with the rain."

The Pyromancer kept shouting spells in despair, but his mana was exhausted, his halo faded, and at that moment, he was just a human, trembling in a dead end, no different from those innocents he had cruelly killed.

And his opponent, that frail boy with white hair, despite being covered in wounds and seemingly weak, remained an unstoppable storm, ready to tear him apart completely.

"And the culmination of all these efforts, the epitome, the crystallization, was this sword art—the Opaline Drizzle style."

As Julius concluded his tale, he reached the end of the alley, standing before Karl, who had lost all will to fight, dominated by fear.

At this moment, Karl trembled, attempting to draw the sword hanging from his waist—a mere ornament carried by members of the HoundGuards for show. However, his fingers, devoid of any fighting spirit, seemed to have given up already, unable to grip the sword even in the slightest.

"No... don't kill me... please, spare my life!" Karl cried out, devoid of all bravado, "My uncle is the Vice-Captain of the HoundGuards, just spare me..."

"Spare you? When my sister turned her back to flee from you—" Julius's tone remained even, "Did you spare her?"

Karl's mind went blank.

Not because he truly realized his mistake and suddenly became enlightened, but because he had killed too many to even recall which one specifically was being referred to.

*Shing—*

A sound like a sword being unsheathed echoed from nowhere, causing Karl to look around in panic, only to see Julius's eyes beginning to twinkle with silver light.

And a few breaths later, that unidentified silver light spread to the rapier, emitting a strange humming noise!

"No... not like this AHHHH!"

*Pff*

The slender blade slowly pierced into flesh, and pain and despair made Karl scream in agony before closing his eyes.

But the pain quickly faded, replaced by numbness, a loss of all sensation in his right arm.

Forced by the strange sensation, Karl opened his eyes, only to see Julius withdrawing the sword blade from his right shoulder, flicking off the blood that clung to it.

"Whether it was a whim or an oversight, regardless of the reason, you indeed did not kill my sister on the spot." Julius sheathed his sword, the silver light in his eyes dimming, "An eye for an eye, I will spare you this once, taking only one arm as a warning."

*Thud*

Beyond the speed which Karl could react, the rapier’s hilt harshly struck the back of his head, knocking him out cold on the spot.

Before he completely lost consciousness, the last words Julius left him with echoed in his ears.

"If henceforth you sincerely turn to goodness, then carry this wound, do good deeds to atone, and we shall be at peace. Otherwise... you will face the consequences."