The dark spirit had spread the dark mist around him, causing it to scatter and trail behind the four men on the field. The dark mist of aura flashed around them. The three swordsmen, who were tied to their waists, experienced a surge of strength, sight, and speed.

For a second, the aura vanished as they sucked through their bodies.

While the mage was active, his dark mist aura surged constantly around his body.

The dark spirit flashed a wicked smile. His eyes were cold and his pierced look was implanted in Euris' mind. But suddenly he vanished into thin air.

Only four men were left on the field.

The swordsmen scanned Euris and the coachman as they held the sword handle at the same time. The handle made a high pitch sound as they pulled it out of the scabbard.

"Surrender your goods and hand me over your power or else you'll pay a price." The mage said.

Euris glared at them, "Not a chance!"

'Mist Fist' he chanted in his mind as a sudden burst of wind erupted from the forest. The wind started to form a white mist as they gathered into Euris' fist.

As the swordsmen exchanged glances, they drew their brows together. He gestured his hand over his men with a slightly raised lip. "You asked for it."

Euris' hands continued to form a thick mist, it rotated constantly. He suddenly punched into the air and gestured his fist toward his opponent.

The mist in his hand drove a wave of wind toward the path.

The three swordsmen jumped to the side as they attempted to dodge the wind in mid-air and only two of them landed on the ground. The remaining swordsman was hidden by the trees as he held onto a branch. He grinned from ear to ear as he got a bird's-eye view from above. His comrades flexed their swords to their sides as they rushed towards Euris.

The wind blew into Euris's body as he squeezed his eyes shut. The ground rattled as rocks clutched his body. It formed a thick layer of rocks covering the lower half of his body and his arms. He stepped forward and blocked the coachman behind him.

Their swords swung at Euris in haste as soon as they reached him.

He blocked the sword with both of his hardened arms.

The sword clanged upon impact and they were pushed back as they gritted their teeth behind the cloth they wore. As they kept swinging at Euris, they continued to attempt to get the upper hand, while still being pushed back.

No signs of defeat are visible in their eyes, instead they remain calm and steady.

Euris momentarily found open gaps in their body so he immediately moved his arms and hit them with a great impact—causing them to cough air as they stood still and took a breather.

Suddenly, the swordsman leapt away from the branch. He raised his sword mid-air in the direction of the coachman. Euris turned his head towards the shuffled leaves. He drew his pupils to the man who made his way towards the coachman.

He bit his lower lips and immediately smacked the two swordsmen's legs as they groaned and fell to the ground. He spread his hands in a quick motion. A spark of light came from his hands. It created a crackle sound and suddenly dashed at the speed of light in the swordsman's direction.

Having been struck by lightning, he lost his grip on the sword and fell to the ground.

Yet, the central ridge slashed through the coachman's arms as he groaned out loud. As the sensation grew stronger and more violent, his arms felt like they were being stabbed constantly.

He clenched his teeth and squinted his eyes at the coachman. When he saw the coachman in the middle of his path, he hurried to place his hands near his wounds. His hand started to shine a white light as a warm sensation clung to the coachman's skin as his wounds closed.

The coachman's eyes sparkled brightly as the pain he felt started to ease. In a blink, the pain had vanished. "Thank you, my Lord!"

After finally standing on their feet, the swordsmen groaned and fixed their gaze on Euris' back before moving.

Euris rushed to move away from the coachman and faced the swordsmen with a fierce and determined look in his eyes. He raised both of his arms as he smashed into the ground.

The ground shook at high frequency as the swordsmen struggled to keep their footing. The ground from his arms suddenly began to show waves like water as it approached their feet.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Suddenly, the rock towered above the two men's feet as it pushed them upwards. Moving around, they sprinted towards Euris and moved away from the towers of rock.

From afar, the clothed mage watched them fight. The mage held his staff high above his head. He chanted between his breaths as the sky started to gather its force and then emitted a spark of light in the crackle of the clouds.

He chuckled as he gazed at his men and Euris. "This will be your end!"

As Euris' body was surrounded by an aura, its hair stood up. He raised his head and gasped as a bright light dashed in his direction. Euris raised both arms as he was struck directly by lightning.

The swordsmen around him flew away upon impact and landed on the ground a few inches apart; smoke flew out of their flesh as they lay motionless. Their dark features make them impossible to recognize.

Energy surrounded Euris as he remained in his stance as the battle of magic and lightning inside his body took place. The light emitted around him grew violent and stronger. He squeezed his eyes shut as sweat streamed down his face. His eyes were filled with bright light as soon as he opened them. The light gradually calmed down.

The corner of his eyes flickered an electric static as he blinked his eyes. His pupils scanned his surroundings as he found three men had fallen to the ground, two were unrecognizable. His eyes traveled to the mage who stood in the distance, and his eyes glared but he plastered a grin on his lips.

"Seems like you underestimate me too much—you don't even hold back from killing your subordinate."

The mage laughed hysterically at the top of his lungs. "They mean nothing to me. Death always comes from those weaklings."

Euris gritted his teeth. "You deserve to die!"

"And so are you!"

A mage pointed his staff at him as he made his way toward him. Several violent and powerful spells were cast on him.

Euris' pupils were relentless. As his body responded and countered them, he was also able to dodge his spell in a calculated manner. In contrast, his use of mana was more careful and limited.

There were many thoughts running through his mind, but he couldn't leave the thought of calm and patience in his heart. His face was stern and confident, and his eyes glistened. While he cast spells on his opponent, the mage didn't stop. The spell had grown more powerful and violent. His face showed no sign of fatigue caused by overusing powerful spells.

Euris scanned the mage's face carefully to check his complexion. He had not been tired, in fact. His face became bright and full of excitement. He pondered—'Did the dark spirit spell give buffs by expanding his mana core? If it's true...how can that be possible?' And bit his lower lips hard.

His eyes flickered as he struck Euris with his spell.

Euris was taken aback. He could feel his inner strength violently erupt. His inner organs throbbed as he coughed for a moment, and a warm liquid dripped from the corner of his lips as he wiped the blood off.

"You're a very curious one aren't you? Your curiosity also throws you off guard?" The mage giggled energetically.

"Fine, I'm feeling well today. I'll fill you up."

Euris glared at him as the mage placed his staff on the ground.

"Dark spirits can surely be described as wicked. No one knows just how powerful and effective they can be. My dark spirit is capable of buffing me with unlimited mana for an hour."

I doubt you could bear that long."

Euris' eyes grew larger as his face stiffened. He took his time to catch his breath as his eyes never left the sight of the mage. "That's cheating..."

"No, it is a masterpiece! I'll show you the true power of the dark spirit!"

Suddenly, the dark spirit appeared back in thin air after the mage summoned it again. The spirit gestured his hands in the air as a dense mist started to spread out of his body.

"Recall of Darkness!" The mage chanted as the mist surged violently out of the dark spirit's body as it transferred through the swordsmen lying on the ground.

Dark mist surrounded the three men as they stood. Their faces were lifeless and cold and their eyes were endless darkness. From a dark mist, they grabbed a sword and began to advance toward Euris.

Euris' eyes dilated as he stepped back, but he kept his hand in front of his body.

The muscles in his body stiffened and his nerves trembled. As he had attempted to blend magic and lightning into his body a while ago, he overused them. This is a sign of him starting to reach his limits.

'A dark spirit knows the art of resurrection...but it is the resurrection of a vile soul who has been lost in darkness. I don't see any signs of life in their eyes. I'm sure there's no doubt it became a puppet without its soul.' Euris sank deep into his thoughts as he prepared for the movement of the three swordsmen which cornered him.

On the other hand, the carriage remained sealed from the inside. Tears fell from Ikaria's eyes as she witnessed every moment of her husband. Since the beginning, everything has been fine.

She couldn't stop a loud pounding in her chest. Her tears streamed down and poured down her child's face. He was asleep despite the noise from outside as her body shuddered completely.

Mage and Euris were both attracted to each other. As the dark spirit watched them fight, his eyes squinted and he yawned abruptly, but his boredom was soon overtaken when he exhaled a sweet aroma.

The smell grew stronger as he followed them until he noticed that it had come inside the carriage. He smiled and glanced at the coachman. In the air, he murmured coldly at him. For a minute, the coachman's eyes shut as his body fell suddenly.

The dark spirit vanished in the air and appeared above the carriage as he gestured his hands around and continued to mutter words.

A sudden chill swept through Ikaria's body as she sat inside the carriage. A cold and heavy burden weighed heavily on her shoulders. Despite her best efforts, her eyelids began to become heavy when she tried to open them.

But as time passed, she discovered herself swallowed up by endless darkness.