Chapter 191: Master of Mana

“What? Javier?!”

In the already chaotic [Checkpoint], Dexter’s voice burst out in disbelief.

He had just received word from Jun, who was on the other side of the island, that Javier and Velles from the Laness Magic Tower were together.

“This… this can’t be happening…”

For a moment, Dexter’s mind went completely blank.

This was a misjudgment on my part. I should’ve at least given him a heads-up!

He hadn’t said anything out of concern that Javier might worry unnecessarily.

He had never imagined that the usually quiet and reserved Javier would take action like this.

But the next piece of news that followed was so bizarre that it blew all those thoughts away.

“He’s getting help from Javier?”

Dexter looked at Eleanor as if to ask what she was talking about.

It was Eleanor who had brought him this information.

“Um, apparently the Third Prince possesses a unique kind of mana, and it might be useful in this situation?”

“What in the world does that mean…”

As far as Dexter knew, Javier’s fighting power amounted to little more than a few self-defense spells.

What kind of power could someone like that possibly have?

“Also, about the Sea Serpent…”

But before Dexter could dwell further on that thought, Eleanor relayed more information she had heard from Jun.

That there was an unknown magical force linking Derman and the Sea Serpent.

If that connection were severed, there was no telling what might happen. So Jun had asked them to buy him some time until he could resolve it.

I was just about to ask Sir Aden to deal with the Sea Serpent, even if it meant taking some losses…

In truth, someone of Aden’s caliber could probably handle a Sea Serpent out on the ocean with no issue.

He could dash across the raging sea and, with a single strike, sever the creature’s head from its body.

That’s the kind of skill Aden possessed.

But if we’re not careful, that thing might become even stronger in its current state…

If that were to happen, the lives of those on the island could be in danger before Aiden even had a chance to kill the creature.

And sure enough—

Shaaahhh…

As rain poured down from the dark sky, problems began to arise even at the [Checkpoint], a place that was supposed to be safe from monsters.

“M-Monsters!”

“Wh-What the—?! How did they get in here?!”

“Monsters are crawling up from the sea!!”

The Sea Serpent, cunning as ever, didn’t move itself but instead sent sea-dwelling monsters marching forward.

***

A purple liquid coursed through his veins.

With an overwhelming sense of omnipotence surging through his entire body, an immediate transformation took place.

“Wh-What the…?”

Velles who was watching the scene unfold was left wide-eyed.

Even before, the mana flowing around Jun was so pure and madly potent that he had doubted whether they were even the same person.

And now, even Jun’s physical appearance was beginning to stray far from that of a human.

This… this is…

Could this really be mana a human could possess?

It wasn’t ordinary mana. As a member of the Magic Tower who had met countless mages, even standing face-to-face with the Tower Master himself, Velles was certain.

Only now did he realize that what he had seen of Jun’s abilities back at the banquet was just the tip of the iceberg.

At that time, Jun must have made Velles look like a mere child.

Is he truly human…?

He even began to feel a trace of fear.

Calm down.

Yet rather than overwhelming him, that fear brought clarity to Velles’s mind.

True to his nature as a battle mage, the moment he sensed real danger, his head began to cool.

That’s not what matters right now.

Forcing himself to look away from Jun, he focused on his spell.

Perhaps it was Jun’s cold, indifferent gaze, but Velles found himself more focused than usual as he busily prepared his magic.

“Hoo…”

Jun, now fully ready, strode forward and stepped beyond the protective barrier.

Shaaahhh—!!

The fierce rain and wind drenched his entire body, and a cold surge of water-elemental energy subtly crept into his mana.

The force itself is within the expected range. But in the game, I just assumed it was some monster skill… How is something like this even possible?

Controlling water over such a wide area was no easy feat.

It wasn’t something that could be achieved by simply waving a hand around, like Derman had just done.

To release enough energy to cover an entire island….how could that come with no risks?

No way.

He observed the scene briefly through the lens of a mage.

Then, Jun cast [Shield].

[Enchantment: Support]

[Enchantment Magic: Concentration of Strength]

[Enchantment Magic: Rotation]

[Enchanted Element: Water]

Paaang—!

A much more compressed stream of water shot out like a cannon blast, but this time, the [Shield] didn’t break as easily as before.

“You can only get hit by the same trick so many times.”

Maybe if he had no intel, it would be a different story. But after being hit by this attack pattern countless times, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize it now.

“……”

Then a different type of mana was detected.

Jun immediately activated [Burning Step] and darted out of position.

Shushushuk!

Right where the fiery traces of [Burning Step] had been, spears made of water shot up from the ground.

If his reaction had been even a second slower, he’d have been skewered for sure.

“You sneaky bastard.”

But Jun wasn’t just standing there taking hits.

He stomped the ground, and a wave of blue mana spread outward from his feet.

This was to seize control of the surrounding mana field and prevent any more spears from emerging like before.

Still, I won’t get anywhere just playing defense like this.

If he wanted to achieve his goal, he needed to at least push the enemy into a critical state. Even if he didn’t completely kill him.

I need to force that thing up onto land.

To do that, he had to make it realize that long-range attacks were useless.

The real problem is our elemental compatibility. Especially that trident….it’s a pain.

The trident, known as the “Claw of Thunder”, had the ability to absorb lightning attacks.

That was why it hadn’t responded to Jun’s [Lightning Call] earlier.

Can I destroy it?

Artifacts had durability too. If he smashed enough lightning into it, he might be able to break it. But the efficiency just didn’t seem worth it.

Then what about fire?

This… might just work.

But even that wasn’t a perfect option either.

In this place overflowing with water energy, fire magic naturally lost much of its power.

But for Jun, that wasn’t a real limitation.

I’d only thought about it in theory…

He hadn’t had the chance to test it, but the conditions were just right.

With a field this wide, there’s no way its mana dominance is strong. In other words, it’s just drawing mana from the sea and scattering it over land.

He assessed his opponent through the eyes of a true mage, then immediately began to put his plan into action.

***

So that’s… what they call magic…?

Javier, who had been watching the battle between Jun and Derman, stared blankly at the scene before him, forgetting even the danger he was in.

Analyzing the enemy’s attacks, countering them, and even intercepting them entirely—

Every move calculated and executed without a single mistake. He looked less like a man and more like a being who had transcended humanity.

I… too…

It felt as though a long-forgotten dream was beginning to stir again.

A dream that had faded away long ago under his mother’s shadow.

Hadn’t that very dream begun to resurface recently, prompting him to seek Jun’s advice a few times?

Maybe that was why Javier focused so intently on Jun’s fight, analyzing every detail.

He’s preparing something.

At first, Jun had focused solely on dodging and blocking. But little by little, he had started to counterattack.

[Fireball]

A sphere of flame brimming with focused intent.

It might lack the piercing power of [Flare], but could anyone simply ignore those blood-red embers dripping from it like molten drops?

No—

For the first time, Derman moved from his position to dodge Jun’s attack.

The blast was far too wide to simply twist away from.

And that wasn’t all.

Boooooom—!

The crimson fireball struck the surface of the water and erupted into a massive explosion, sending flames bursting in all directions.

Even atop the water, the fiery magic burned bright, spreading like flames on oil. It was an awe-inspiring display of mana control.

And so, the two of them continued trading blows.

Dodging. Predicting. Blocking.

But if one of them held the upper hand, it was none other than Jun.

Unbelievable. He’s maintaining fire mana this long….over the sea?

Jun and Derman were like two players locked in an Othello match, devouring each other’s territory piece by piece.

Jun unleashed fire magic, turning the ocean’s surface into a sea of flames.

Derman, in turn, tried to reclaim ground by using the water energy brought by the torrential rain.

Yet Jun showed not even the slightest opening.

Fzzzzzzt!

At last, Derman began using more than just water attacks.

With his trident crackling with electricity, he fired a bolt of blue lightning.

But when it came to lightning, Jun was hardly one to fall behind.

[Lightning Whip]

[Enchantment Type: Support]

[Enchantment Type: Fire Infusion

A whip of crackling lightning, covered in crimson fire, clashed head-on with the blue bolt.

Fzzzzzzt—Whooooooooos!

For a brief moment, it seemed Jun was being pushed back….but only for a heartbeat.

Then, the red flames coiling around the [Lightning Whip] devoured the blue lightning, reversing the flow of energy.

An artifact’s attack can’t possibly hold dominance over mine!

Just as Jun predicted, the blue lightning consumed by Flame Infusion surged backward straight toward Derman.

“……!!”

Derman immediately tried to sever the mana flow to block it, but he was far too late.

The area around him was already thick with fire mana Jun had scattered earlier.

The lightning, now imbued with flame, reached him and detonated, scattering fire in every direction.

Fwoooooom!

In an instant, crimson flames surrounded Derman, enclosing him in a blazing inferno.

Jun stretched out his hand, manipulating the fire to tighten its grip around his foe.

“Devour him.”

The flames surging across the ocean all turned at once, baring their fiery fangs toward Derman.

At that moment, Javier thought of something. Jun’s quiet command reminded him of the ancient Dragon Tongue, the language said to be spoken by the dragons that dwell on the ninth level.

Of course, this ability was entirely different from words that distort phenomena through language.

It was merely the manipulation of mana within one’s area of control.

Rumble!

Derman immediately launched a counterattack.

When he slammed down the Claw of Thunder, the water attribute erupted around him as the core.

A clash of force broke out at once.

And the winner revealed themselves without the need for suspense.

Hack—!

Derman coughed up blue blood.

Unlike Flame Infusion, which endlessly absorbed and devoured water mana, Derman had forcibly drawn in a tremendous amount of water mana in a short time.

In the end, he swallowed his pride and retreated into the water.

“……?!”

They say there’s no paradise to be found in flight.

Beneath the surface, a condensed orb of lightning attribute was already lying in wait for him.

[Electro Circle]

Crack-crack-crackle!!! BOOOM!!

“Gaaah!!”

Blasted out of the water by the exploding wave of lightning, Derman was hurled into the air, soaring far beyond the rising flames on the surface.

Splash—!

Even though he fell into water, his body continued to burn.

Derman hurriedly drew in nearby water mana and barely managed to extinguish the flames before slowly rising to the surface.

His skin was ghostly pale, almost corpse-like, and covered in signs of melting. His brown shell had turned a bright, blistered red.

Perhaps the burns had finally provoked him.

“Looks like you’re finally ready to take this seriously.”

Around him, the water attribute began to shift.