Chapter 337 (Patreon)

Sa'al was not particularly worried when the initial stage of his skill began.

The initial stage of [Chronosphere] was always chaotic. No matter how carefully he activated it, the people caught within its range would be distributed according to the rules of the skill rather than his own preference. Physical contact mattered. Those touching each other would often appear in the same isolated room, while those standing apart could end up anywhere within the sphere. It was the one portion of the skill he couldn't fully control.

After that initial moment, however, everything belonged to him.

The moment someone entered [Chronosphere], they entered his world.

Over the years, he had refined the skill endlessly. He had created isolated chambers separated by walls that could not be opened through ordinary means, only him. Each room existed independently from the others, preventing unnecessary interference. It was a precaution born from experience. Assassinations failed when variables multiplied. Battles became dangerous when powerful opponents could support one another.

His solution had been simple. Separate everyone. Focus only on the target. Even Rose Light became far less frightening if she was trapped alone.

Sa'al allowed himself a small smile as he extended his senses throughout the sphere. As expected, the other Heavenly Jhings had been scattered during the transition. That was normal. Their locations immediately appeared from his specialized view from the text of god little more than points within the world he controlled.

Good.

The difficult part was already over. All he needed to do now was relocate them near their assigned target.

He had already begun reaching for one of their positions when a voice interrupted him.

"Where am I?" The voice was soft and slightly disoriented.

Sa'al frowned and turned over his shoulder. 

A young girl sat several paces away, one hand pressed against her temple. Her red hair was slightly messy, as though she had just woken from a deep sleep. She blinked several times while looking around the empty chamber, trying to understand where she had been taken.

Sa'al studied her for only a moment before reaching a conclusion.

She’s not the one.

The reports mentioned several students traveling with Rose Light's group. This girl was probably one of them. Very unfortunate. For her.

The girl finally noticed him standing nearby and immediately straightened. "Who are you?!"

There was caution in her voice now, though not nearly enough. Sa'al didn't bother answering. He had no reason to explain himself to someone who was about to die.

Mana gathered before him and condensed into a dark sphere no larger than a clenched fist. Shadows swirled across its surface as the spell stabilized. "[Void Orb]."

The black sphere floated forward. The skill wasn't particularly fast. It didn't need to be. Once created, it would continue pursuing its target until impact. Few people survived long enough to learn otherwise.

Satisfied, Sa'al shifted his attention away from the girl. There was no point watching the outcome. He had far more important matters to deal with than a random student.

He closed his eyes and focused on the locations of the other Heavenly Jhings. Then he heard something crack. The sound was sharp enough to make him immediately open his eyes. His gaze snapped forward.

The [Void Orb] had vanished. For a brief moment, Sa'al thought the girl had somehow dodged. Then he noticed the fragments.  A translucent construct floated in front of her, its surface covered in fractures that spread outward like cracks across glass. A heartbeat later the entire thing shattered into countless glowing pieces before dissolving into the air.

A shield. Made entirely from mana.

Sa'al's eyes narrowed. Interesting. The girl slowly lowered her hand from her forehead. Whatever confusion she had felt earlier was gone now. In its place was curiosity. It was almost an amusement.

She had already realized she was in danger. Yet she wasn't afraid. That alone made her unusual.

"You're making your death very difficult," Sa'al said.

The girl tilted her head slightly as though considering his words. Then she smiled. It wasn't the smile of someone cornered. It wasn't the smile of someone bluffing. It was the smile of someone who had suddenly discovered something fascinating.

"It's the same," she replied.

Sa'al frowned.

The mana in the room changed. At first it was faint, little more than a disturbance he felt at the edge of his senses. Then it grew stronger. The air itself seemed heavier. The walls of the chamber flickered for an instant, becoming strangely unreal before returning to normal.

For the first time since entering the room, Sa'al felt a faint unease crawl up his spine.

The girl's grin widened. Then she raised a finger and spoke.

"[Phantasm World]."

The words echoed through the isolated room. And suddenly, Sa'al wasn't entirely certain which one of them had trapped the other.

…..

Boris felt a sharp pain shoot through his head, forcing him to shut his eyes. It lasted only a heartbeat before fading away, leaving behind a dull throbbing sensation. When he opened his eyes again, he immediately realized something was wrong.

Everything around him was gray.

Not dark. Not bright. Just gray.

The strange landscape stretched endlessly in every direction. Smooth walls rose from the ground without any visible source, forming what looked like an endless maze carved from stone and mist. There was no sky overhead, no sun, and no horizon to measure distance against. The entire place felt unnatural, as though someone had taken a piece of reality and forgotten to finish creating the rest of it.

Boris groaned as he tried to sit up. "Uhm... guys, I'm not your horse."

The weight pressing down on him immediately shifted. Chelle, who somehow ended up sitting on top of both boys, scrambled to her feet while muttering an embarrassed apology. Ryle rolled off Boris's chest and quickly stood, offering him a hand.

"Sorry," Chelle said, rubbing her forehead. "I don’t know what happened."

Boris accepted Ryle's help and climbed to his feet. The moment he did, all three of them became still.

Several meters away sat a man. 

He looked completely at ease despite the bizarre surroundings. One leg was stretched out while the other remained bent beneath him. Beside him rested a massive golden hammer whose head alone looked large enough to crush a horse. The weapon was almost as tall as Boris himself.

The man appeared to be somewhere in his forties. Long brown hair was tied into a ponytail behind his head, and a thick beard covered much of his face. Powerful muscles bulged beneath heavy armor that seemed custom-made to fit his unusually broad frame. Yet despite those muscles, he also possessed a large stomach that should have made him look ridiculous.

Instead, it somehow made him look more dangerous. Like a veteran warrior who had survived so many battles that he no longer cared how intimidating he appeared.

Boris couldn't explain it, but every instinct he possessed screamed at him to be careful. The man wasn't releasing bloodlust. He wasn't threatening them. In fact, he seemed almost relaxed.

That made him even scarier. A familiar weight suddenly crawled up Boris's chest.

Thorne. The little lizard clung to his armor before settling comfortably near his shoulder. Boris released a breath of relief and gently tapped her nose with a finger. "I'm glad you're safe too."

Thorne blinked once before curling her tail around his shoulder. Boris looked around again, hoping to find some clue about where they had ended up.

Nothing. Only endless gray.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"I don't know," Chelle admitted. Her brows furrowed as she stepped forward. "Maybe I can figure something out."

Mana gathered around her feet as she activated one of her skills.

"[Nullify Zone]."

A large purple diagram briefly appeared beneath them, its intricate patterns glowing against the gray floor. The skill expanded outward for several meters before fading away.

Nothing happened. No reaction. No change. Not even a flicker.

Chelle stared for a moment before sighing. "Well, it didn’t work."

"Don't waste your time."

The sudden voice caused all three students to tense.

The man hadn't moved from his position. He simply watched them with calm eyes.

"An old man made this place," he said while scratching his beard thoughtfully. "Claims it's a separate world."

His gaze wandered across the endless gray surroundings. "I thought he was exaggerating."

The man chuckled softly. "Looks like he wasn't. Glad I’m not his enemy."

Ryle gulped. He had some idea already that some assassins would be sent by the empire so he was planning to reveal his identity just in case. "You're... not here to kill us?"

The question drew the man's attention.

For a moment he looked genuinely confused. Then he shrugged. "No."

The answer came so casually that it almost sounded reassuring. "Fortunately for you three, I only kill my target."

He rested one hand on the massive hammer beside him. "And that target isn't here."

The tension eased slightly. None of them needed to ask who that target probably was.

Kana.

The name remained unspoken, yet it hung heavily between them.

The man seemed unconcerned by their silence. "Anyway," he continued, glancing around the strange chamber, "I'm simply waiting."

"For what?" Boris asked.

The man smiled. "For something like a guide."

When Boris frowned, he elaborated. "Something will eventually lead me toward the target I'm looking for."

That was enough. Boris leaned closer to the others and lowered his voice."We can't let him reach Kana."

Chelle nodded immediately. Ryle did not. Instead, the nobleman's eyes remained fixed on the stranger.

He was studying him. 

The hammer. The armor. The beard. The relaxed confidence. Then something seemed to click. The color drained from Ryle's face so quickly it was almost alarming. His eyes widened. Not in surprise. In recognition.

"What is your identity, sir?" Ryle asked carefully.

The man rubbed his beard.

"Hmm." He seemed to genuinely consider the question. Finally, he smiled. "I suppose most people know me as Dante."

His hand casually rested on the golden hammer. "One of the Four Heavenly Jhings."

Ryle's face went pale. Not nervous pale. Terrified pale. The sort of expression people wore after realizing a monster from a story was standing right in front of them.

Boris frowned.

He had heard the title before, but the meaning behind Ryle's reaction was impossible to ignore.

"Who is he?" Boris asked quietly.

Ryle never took his eyes off Dante.

His voice came out strained.

"I suggest we don't fight him or else.."

Boris frowned. "Or else?"

Ryle gulped again.

The answer came without hesitation. "Because if we do..."

His eyes remained locked on the enormous hammer resting beside the relaxed warrior.

"...we will surely die."

Post note:

Evolved mage class battle!(this is the first as far as I can remember)

3rd chap of the week.

Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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