Chapter 419: The Sun Giant Belt (Patreon)

Chapter 419: The Sun Giant Belt

Hearing Stio's address, the Wizard known as the Sun Giant Belt suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Stio, we're old acquaintances. Can you stop calling me by that nickname from my youth?"

The corners of Stio's lips curled into a smile uglier than a grimace.

"It's been over five hundred years since we last met, hasn't it? Seems like you've been doing well all these years."

"Not bad. I've completely absorbed that fragment of the solar core."

Belt shrugged and casually summoned a fireball radiating terrifying energy.

"You haven't been idle either. Who would've thought those metallic cells you discovered during your apprenticeship could now integrate even Adamantine."

Stio's eyes twitched involuntarily as he stared at the fireball.

The Sun Giant Belt—one of the Wizards he had known since his days as a Wizard Apprentice. Back then, Belt had dominated the bloody exams with his Flame Giant bloodline and elemental spell mastery that was nothing short of astonishing for an apprentice.

Stio was among the few Wizard Apprentices who had managed to escape his grasp.

Later, after becoming Wizards, the two fought side by side in the Plane Wars. Though not particularly close, their shared rank as Wizards made them familiar acquaintances.

Eventually, Stio left his original academy and joined the Galon Wizard Academy to pursue physical evolution.

From then on, their meetings became few and far between.

In fact, it had been over five hundred years since they last saw each other.

In Stio's memory, Belt had always been a genius. Even now, as a Third Circle Wizard, Stio still regarded him as such.

But among geniuses, there were hierarchies—and Belt was the genius among geniuses.

"Don't look so grim, Stio," Belt chuckled. "We're friends. I'm not here to take your points—just to catch up."

His tone was amiable, yet his words carried an unmistakable arrogance.

He didn’t consider taking Stio’s points to be any challenge at all.

Stio took a deep breath, his massive hammer-staff crackling with white-purple lightning.

"Old friend, I appreciate you remembering our bond. But I’ve made some progress over the years..."

He suddenly raised his head, eyes blazing with fighting spirit and fury.

"Who wins this fight isn’t decided yet!"

With that, Stio’s body abruptly expanded, transforming into a three-meter-tall giant. His hammer-staff, wreathed in thunder, swung down toward Belt with crushing force.

He was no longer the weak apprentice who could only flee from the Sun Giant Belt!

"Ah, why do all my old classmates react like this when they see me?"

Belt sighed in resignation before his body suddenly swelled, transforming into a Flame Giant even taller than Stio.

"Old friend, if you insist on fighting, don’t blame me for being too harsh!"

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion shook the entire forest.

Stio’s hammer was firmly blocked by a piece of Magic Equipment—a shield.

"Old friend, your progress truly surprises me," Belt said, straining slightly under the force. "It seems Grand Wizard Galon’s path suits you well."

Stio didn’t respond. Instead, he raised his hammer high once more.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Thunderous explosions echoed continuously through the forest, shaking the withered leaves and trembling the branches.

Two colossal figures clashed in the woods—one attacking, the other defending—their battle fiercely intense.

Stio gripped a massive hammer, his body entwined with white-purple lightning serpents, resembling a thunder god from myth. Meanwhile, Belt held up a shield of Magic Equipment, like red-hot steel on an anvil, being hammered relentlessly by Stio.

Stio’s momentum grew fiercer with each strike, every cell in his body becoming extraordinarily active in the exhilaration of battle.

His cells absorbed Magic Power from the air with increasing efficiency. Whether it was strength, speed, agility, or recovery, all had improved significantly compared to before the fight.

This was an ability unique to Wizards who pursued physical evolution—a phenomenon Grand Wizard Galon had named "Wild Awakening."

In this state, a Wizard’s power surpassed their usual strength by one-fifth.

Boom!

Another deafening explosion! The shockwave instantly uprooted the surrounding trees, sending dirt and stones flying like bullets in all directions.

"Why aren’t you attacking?" Stio growled.

He could sense that Belt wasn’t being suppressed to the point of helplessness—he was deliberately letting Stio strike.

Belt lowered his shield, wiping a few drops of Magma from his forehead, and replied casually, "If I attacked, I wouldn’t get to see your progress."

Hearing this, Stio suddenly laughed.

Of course. Belt was still the same Belt—the one who, despite considering himself affable, always looked down on others with an air of superiority, speaking with unshakable arrogance.

The most infuriating part? The man truly had the capital to back it up.

Stio sighed inwardly. In this competition, the only ones who can suppress him are the students of the Great Wizards.

"Old friend, if you’ve got nothing new to show, then it’s my turn."

The shield in Belt’s hand vanished, replaced by a golden flame javelin.

The javelin gleamed brilliantly, as if forged from the fires deep within the sun. Every wisp of flame radiated dazzling brilliance, its very light carrying scorching heat.

Stio swallowed dryly.

From this javelin, he smelled death.

"This is a new Spell I’ve recently developed—called ‘Light of the Sun.’ I created this Spellcraft after devouring fragments of the sun’s core, harnessing the solar principles within them."

"The power isn’t much—just twenty thousand energy units."

"Since you’ve shown me your progress, old friend, it’s only polite I return the favor. Let me send you off with the Light of the Sun."

With that, Belt’s expression turned solemn. Gripping the javelin in his right hand, he hurled it straight at Stio.

Instinct screamed at Stio to flee, but Belt’s golden flame eyes—like the gaze of a demon god—rooted him in place.

A thought flashed through Stio’s mind.

Curse Spell!

In that moment, Stio felt as if he had returned to his apprentice days—once again the weak, fleeing apprentice under the towering might of the Solar Giant, Belt.

Boom!

The golden javelin exploded, transforming into a sphere of Golden Flame that incinerated everything around it, leaving only ashes and molten rock.

"Hmm?"

Belt looked curiously at the epicenter of the Light of the Sun’s devastation.

There, Stio still stood.

Although he was covered in a layer of soot, making him look like a black man, Belt could clearly sense that Stio hadn’t suffered any serious injuries.

From the shadows behind Stio, a young Wizard clad in tall metal armor emerged with a friendly smile.

"Richard, at your service. May I know your name, sir?"

...

Richard?

Belt felt the name was somewhat familiar.

Unfortunately, the name was far too common, and he couldn’t recall where he’d heard it before.

But it didn’t matter. If he couldn’t remember, it must mean the man was a nobody.

Dealing with nobodies was just a matter of expending a bit more effort.

"Belt," Belt replied with equal friendliness.

This wasn’t a battlefield, after all, and he didn’t mind exchanging a few more words with another Wizard.

He was certain he would win anyway.

"So it’s Master Belt! Truly, meeting you in person is better than just hearing your name," Richard feigned surprise, his tone exaggerated.

Though he’d never heard the name before, that didn’t stop him from offering a few flattering words to buy time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Crystal Floating Cannons moved stealthily through the surrounding woods, preparing to construct a massive deceleration field.

"Oh? Did Stio mention me?"

Belt’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected this Wizard to have heard of him.

Richard’s mind raced before he replied, "Yes, yes. Stio spoke very highly of you, saying you’re a once-in-a-generation genius, a future Great Wizard in the making."

Belt couldn’t help but laugh. "Haha, I never knew my old friend held me in such high regard. You’ve got excellent judgment!"

Behind Richard, Stio’s lips twitched, but he didn’t utter a word of protest.

Though he’d never mentioned Belt to Richard, he did believe Belt had the potential to become a Great Wizard.

After his laughter subsided, Belt smiled. "Since you’re friends with Stio, I won’t take your points. Just step aside and let me collect his."

At these words, Richard’s smile froze.

"Friend, you don’t seem like a Wizard who’s short on points. Why insist on taking Stio’s?"

"I didn’t want to at first," Belt sighed. "But Stio insisted on fighting me."

Richard glanced back at Stio, who was peeling off his charred skin, looking weak as he replied:

"Richard, just go. You can’t help me. This guy is a monster. There’s no need to lose so many puppets for my sake."

In Stio’s mind, Richard was also a genius—but a genius at making money, whereas Belt was a genius in combat.

Geniuses and geniuses were not the same.

"Stio, you’re being too pessimistic."

Richard chuckled, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"I’d say my odds are pretty good."

With that, a swamp-like force field instantly enveloped the battlefield. Thousands of Crystal Floating Cannons, operating at the very limit of a Third Circle Wizard’s mental capacity, created an immense deceleration field.

As the deceleration field took effect, Belt’s smile slowly faded.

He could feel it—every movement he made within this field would require an enormous expenditure of energy.

Even releasing his mental energy had become incredibly strenuous.

"Friend, your terrain Spellcraft is quite impressive," Belt remarked coolly.

Though the deceleration field was powerful, he was confident he could still defeat this nameless nobody in front of him. At most, it would just take a bit more effort.

"Thanks for the compliment," Richard replied just as calmly.

Belt raised his hand slightly, and the flames covering his body gradually turned gold, starting from his heart.

"But you don’t actually think something like this can win, do you?"

With that, Belt charged toward Richard in large strides, seemingly unaffected by the deceleration field.

In Richard’s energy vision, a faint barrier completely separated Belt from the surrounding deceleration field.

"Bio-field?"

Richard narrowed his eyes, surprised that Belt possessed such an obscure ability.

But unfortunately, the deceleration field was merely the appetizer.

"Radiant Convergence Cannon, activate!"

(End of Chapter)