Chapter 63: Human? (9)

Ketal’s expression clearly showed that he was deeply moved. He was undeniably impressed by the fact that his opponent could resurrect even after being killed. The Tower Master didn’t even consider the idea that Ketal might be impressed with the magic itself.

While mages were undoubtedly rare, they were far more common than an Anomaly who could resurrect after death. It was hard to believe that someone as strong as Ketal would be impressed by mere magic.

The Tower Master, observing the battle, thought to himself,

He might look a bit different, but a barbarian is still a barbarian.

A deafening rumble echoed through the air as the battle continued.

Adamant cursed under his breath.

This guy is a monster!

The barbarian wasn’t wielding Myst, and he was countering Adamant’s magic with nothing more than his sheer physical prowess.

I thought the story of the barbarian catching the Aura-infused sword with his teeth was just foolish delusions spread by ignorant knights, but I guess I was mistaken,

Adamant thought.

Ketal was withstanding the Myst as though it was perfectly natural. The ground quaked under another explosion as Adamant stared in disbelief.

And what is with that axe? How is it still intact after clashing with my magic? What kind of weapon is that?

While Adamant was struggling to comprehend the situation, Ketal was also taken aback.

“I think you are stronger than Swordmasters,” Ketal muttered to himself.

Adamant had described himself as barely at the threshold of Transcendent capabilities, implying he wasn’t particularly strong. Yet, from Ketal’s perspective, Adamant’s abilities as a mage far exceeded those of a Swordmaster.

Swordmaster Kain hadn’t been able to react to Ketal’s attacks, but Adamant not only reacted but also managed to activate his magic in response. Even in terms of raw reaction speed, mages appeared superior to Swordmasters.

The ground erupted with another explosion. Dirt and debris flew in all directions, leaving a crater in the forest. The destructive power of the attack was enough to obliterate any ordinary person without a trace.

Adamant unleashed such devastating spells one after another. The sheer ability to cast such destructive magic in rapid succession was an undeniable advantage.

Ketal silently acknowledged that mages were stronger than Swordmasters.

In games, the developers usually implement a balance between melee and ranged classes, but this is reality. There is no requirement for balance between the two.

“So, mages are all-purpose powerhouses,” Ketal said, noting their superior reaction speed, destructive power, and range.

So, this is how fantasy truly operates,

he thought, storing this information in his mind.

The Tower Master, overhearing Ketal’s musings, chuckled quietly to himself.

That’s not quite true.

Mages were undoubtedly powerful, but their strength was contingent on their mana reserves. Adamant followed the School of Polychromatic Orb, which allowed him to control and manipulate nature within a given range. This particular school was known for its low mana consumption.

Even so, Adamant should have run out of mana long ago with the way he was casting spells so recklessly. Reaction magic, despite its complexity, consumed an enormous amount of mana, enough that even a Transcendent mage could typically manage it only once.

Under normal circumstances, knights and mages would be evenly matched. Their battles were usually a matter of strategy rather than one being inherently superior to the other. Adamant, however, was anything but ordinary.

So this is the potential of an Anomaly,

the Tower Master thought. Adamant’s mana wasn’t being depleted; instead, it felt as though any mana he used was immediately restored.

This ability allowed him to unleash an unending barrage of magic. Considering how other mages constantly struggled with mana limitations, Adamant’s capacity was extraordinary. However, this advantage extended only so far.

While his mana was essentially limitless, the level of magic he used was still bound by his ability.

This level of magic won’t be enough to defeat the barbarian,

the Tower Master thought.

Ice shards scattered as an explosion erupted once more. The sharp fragments struck Ketal, but he simply smiled. “Impressive strength!”

Don’t taunt me!

Adamant thought, suppressing the urge to shout. No matter how many spells he cast or how much force they carried, the barbarian didn’t sustain a single scratch. Ketal endured it all with nothing but his physical strength.

If not for the abilities Adamant had gained as an Anomaly, he would have been defeated long ago.

What kind of monster is this barbarian?

he thought.

The level of magic Adamant was using wasn’t sufficient. The spells he currently relied on were simple materialization, strong but not enough to harm Ketal. He needed a higher-level incantation spell.

However, there was no time to chant. Even amidst the continuous barrage of spells, Ketal was gradually adapting to Adamant’s attacks. He needed to buy time, but against an opponent who remained unharmed by magic, it was impossible to see how.

The strain of the situation began to show. The number of spells he was casting gradually decreased.

“Is this your limit?” Ketal murmured, raising his axe.

Adamant hastily gathered mana. He thought about using teleportation, but he knew he could go back if killed, so teleporting back to safety held no meaning. His chaotic thoughts coalesced into a single spell.

A sharp whine pierced the air as the magic activated. Ketal, on the verge of striking, paused mid-motion.

“What’s this?” Ketal muttered.

Seven versions of Adamant appeared, standing throughout the forest.

“This is new,” Ketal said, extending his senses. With that, he observed that all seven versions of Adamant were real humans. There was no discrepancy in their presence, weight, or the subtle energy they emitted.

Is this also part of the Anomaly’s power?

Ketal pondered, his movements halting momentarily.

Adamant, observing Ketal’s reaction, became visibly flustered.

Why did he stop?

The spell Adamant had cast was called Mirror Image, a magic that used mana and the forces of nature to create clones indistinguishable from the caster. However, these clones could not wield Myst. If Ketal had used Myst, he could have simply distinguished the original from the duplicates.

Wait a moment...,

Adamant wondered. Realization struck him like lightning. The barbarian wasn’t using any Myst at all. No matter how monstrous his strength was, it remained purely physical.

If that were the case, Adamant saw an opportunity. He began to create even more duplicates. What had started as seven Adamants grew to fifty. As long as his mana reserves were sufficient, there was no limit to how many he could create.

“Oh?” Ketal remarked with interest as the new clones materialized. The clones moved in unison, all assuming a unified stance as if preparing for an attack.

Ketal moved swiftly, leaping into the air. Three of the clones lost their heads in one fluid motion, but just as quickly as they had been destroyed, new ones took their place.

The fifty Adamants grew to sixty, then seventy, all fixing their gaze on Ketal.

“This feels like something out of a horror movie,” Ketal muttered, his voice laced with a mix of amusement and annoyance.

Adamant watched Ketal’s reaction and felt certain of his advantage. The barbarian, incapable of using Myst, could not differentiate between the clones and the original.

Now’s my chance!

Adamant activated another spell. Spears of ice shot toward Ketal, while the ground beneath his feet transformed into a swamp, trapping him in place. Adamant wasted no time and began chanting a powerful incantation.

“Look upon the aimless winds that tremble without a will. Hear the foolish waters that cannot move of their own accord. Witness the flames that cannot even be born through their own strength,” Adamant chanted.

“Hm,” Ketal scoffed as he kicked his legs, sending a deluge of mud flying toward the Adamants. With his axe in hand, he charged forward, severing the heads of five more clones.

Yet again, the same number of duplicates reformed immediately, continuing their chant in unison.

“O foolish and ignorant ones, called by the name of nature,” Adamants continued.

Mana began to condense around Adamant. The energy was so overwhelming that even Ketal, who lacked the ability to sense Myst, could feel it. The very fabric of the world seemed to tremble under the immense concentration of mana.

This was no ordinary spell. The Myst of the world itself was bending to Adamant’s will. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Ketal stopped attacking the duplicates. He simply watched the unfolding spell, his gaze fixed on Adamant as if captivated.

“I am your master, and I shall wield your power as my own,” Adamant continued with the chant. The incantation finally came to an end. He raised his staff and swung it with authority. “Restricted Dominion of Nature.”

The spell activated.

***

At first, nothing seemed to happen. The silence was so profound that it felt as if the spell had failed entirely. But that stillness lasted only a brief moment.

The world began to shift.

A gentle breeze gathered in one place, coalescing into a single point. As it spun and accelerated, the breeze transformed into a small storm. The slight tremor in the ground rippled outward, amplifying itself into a powerful quake. Dewdrops collected from the edges of leaves, merging into a massive tidal wave.

The storm, earthquake, and tidal wave converged upon the small forest simultaneously. Trees splintered into shards, and the earth fractured beneath the onslaught. The violent wind made it impossible to keep one’s eyes open, and the chaotic wave distorted visibly.

Tiny forces, ever-present in nature, fused with Myst to create an overwhelming phenomenon.

This was magic only a mage who had reached the peak of mastery, one capable of commanding the very essence of Myst, could wield. This was called the Restricted Dominion of Nature, a signature spell of the School of Polychromatic Orb.

“Hahahaha!” Adamant erupted into manic laughter. His voice boomed, drunk with euphoria. Nature itself was at his command. The exhilaration and sense of omnipotence coursed through his entire being.

“I have to admit that you were a strong opponent, barbarian! But in the end, you are nothing more than an ignorant brute who cannot comprehend Myst!” Adamant sneered with contempt.

It was impossible for someone who was incapable of grasping the essence of Myst to defeat someone who could. That was an absolute truth.

Adamant twisted his lips into a smirk. “Fall and perish before this great power!”

Ketal said nothing. He simply stood there, staring in a trance at the forces manifesting before him. This was a natural disaster.

These were forces beyond human control—unavoidable, untamable, and impossible to replicate. They weren’t called acts of God for nothing. Even in the most advanced modern world, humanity could only anticipate and prepare for such phenomena, never hope to control them.

Yet here was a disaster, artificially created, aimed directly at him, moving according to a single individual’s will.

So, this is magic,

Ketal thought. He had witnessed many forms of Myst in this world, but nothing had moved him as profoundly as this. For a moment, he felt as if he might shed tears of awe.

“Magnificent,” Ketal muttered.

Adamant had truly shown him an extraordinary display of magic. The sight was enough to make Ketal instinctively tense his muscles in anticipation.

He tightened his entire body. Slowly, he raised one foot.

“Huh?” The Tower Master’s expression shifted, his instincts screaming danger. The motion of raising one’s foot was so simple that even a three-year-old could do it.

Compared to the sheer scale of the magic before them, it was a seemingly insignificant action. However, somehow, it felt threatening.

The Tower Master’s senses screamed in warning. Acting on reflex, he erected a magical barrier.

Ketal’s raised foot stomped the ground. In an instant, the trembling earth shattered.

The ground split apart from where Ketal stood, a massive fissure ripping through it. The violent tremors that had shaken the land vanished, consumed by the overwhelming force of his stomp. An earthquake was quelled by the movement of a single human foot.

Ketal pressed further into the ground, driving his body forward with explosive force. He charged toward Adamant.

The small storm swirling before him disintegrated upon contact with Ketal, the shockwaves rippling outward. Leaves from the forest were torn apart and scattered through the air in chaotic bursts.

Ketal clenched his fist, gathering immense strength. Then, he struck the tidal wave.

The tidal wave surged toward him, but the moment his fist struck it, the massive accumulation of water exploded into countless droplets. The devastating force capable of consuming the land dissolved into harmless mist.

“What...?” Adamant’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The catastrophic phenomenon he had created was completely shattered by the actions of a single human.

How is this possible?

Adamant thought.

He tried to comprehend what had just happened, but there was no time. Ketal repositioned himself, his movements deliberate. He charged forward once more, his body slamming into Adamant’s with overwhelming force.