"What was that? What demonic tribe had powers like this?" The head mage of the magic tower flipped through the pages of an old book like a madman in his study. He couldn't get those fangs out of his head.
"What species do they belong to? Every fang was created from a shadow… maybe a beast with shadow traits?" He contemplated as he tossed the old book on his desk and picked up another from his shelf.
COLD.
The four-star old mage froze in place as dread entered his heart, accompanied by the touch of a cold edge against his neck. Without moving, he looked down to see a hand holding a blade attached to a chain, the edge drawing a thin line of blood from his neck.
"SIT." A command came from behind, and he was pushed down onto a chair next to his desk.
"I see any movement of mana, and you're dead, mage," Ali said, standing behind the chair.
"If you kill me, the tower will explode—with you in it. It can wipe out half the city," the mage said.
"Wouldn't be so confident about that. How do you think I got through all those spells on your walls?" Ali replied.
"One of my disciples has betrayed me and let you in, that's how…" the mage said, his eyes darting to a magic circle on the roof of his study. He just needed a sliver of mana to reach it, and mana chains would bind the assassin in half a second.
"I can see you reaching with your mana," Ali said in a low voice as his masked face lowered enough for the mage to see the silver fire in his eyes.
WHAT IS HE? The magician saw Ali's otherworldly eyes and couldn't connect them to anything he'd ever read in all his books.
Then, out of nowhere, he felt an ominous power explode from behind Ali and cover the entire room in an instant. The mage's heightened sensitivity processed the threat in half a second—his connection to the outside world was being severed. He rushed to send mana to the circle, but before it could reach…
A black shadow covered everything around him, blocking the mana too.
So it can do that too… Ali thought, seeing the mana thread get cut off by his shadow. His hand was ready to behead the mage if that mana came close enough to the circle.
"Now it's just you and me, mage…" Ali said, and the old man gripped the arms of his chair tightly, fighting the urge to cast a mana explosion big enough to blow two hundred meters behind him to smithereens.
"I don't think you understand the position you're in yet… I heard every mage with a second star and above can cast a common and essential spell known to all mages," Ali said.
"Mana Shield," the old man answered, knowing exactly what the assassin meant.
"Cast it," Ali said, surprising the old man.
The Mana Shield of a four-star mage like me cannot be broken by anything other than the full assault of a peak rank-four aura attack. Is he a fool or playing at something? The mage couldn't understand Ali's actions. If he were a normal assassin, he would've already killed him.
"If you're going to kill me, then just do it," the old man said.
"You don't do what I tell you to, and I will. So cast Mana Shield now," Ali ordered.
The mage hesitated for another minute before closing his eyes and casting Mana Shield without using a magic circle. He was so proficient that he could do it by instinct—as any skilled mage should with their most vital spell.
He opened his eyes, seeing his thick blue bubble surrounding him. A smile crossed his face as he churned his massive mana reserves, ready to blast Ali with everything he had.
SLICE.
His excitement vanished the next second as the small blade at the end of a chain pierced through his Mana Shield—crafted from four-star mana—like it was nothing. The blade stopped again at his neck.
"Without your shield, you are sheep to the slaughter, correct? Especially from such a distance…" Ali mocked, casually sitting on the desk and watching the shocked mage whose eyes couldn't leave the blade in Ali's hand.
"What is that cursed thing?" the mage asked. He had never heard of such a weapon. If one ever existed, every mage on the continent would unite to destroy it and anyone who wielded it.
"Oh, this?" Ali tilted his head. "I use it to kill mages like you… Oh, how satisfying it is to see that look on their faces when those bubbles of theirs break." Ali lied, but the mage believed him. That weapon was a bane to all mages—except warlocks, who could fight back in close quarters. But warlocks were rare.
"What do you want?" the mage asked, fear finally in his voice.
"Abandon the viscount. Do not march with him to fight me," Ali said, and the mage's eyes widened in realization.
"You're Ali… the Dragon Master," the mage whispered, staring into Ali's draconic eyes.
Ali took off his mask and smirked.
"If you swear allegiance to me, you'll be rewarded handsomely. If not, I'll kill every mage in this tower before sunrise—and not a single soul outside will ever know." Ali's tone was calm but final.
The mage began to think.
"By reward, what are you offering?" Greed outweighed his fear.
"I have a magic crystal mine full of raw crystals. You can mine it and sell it for profit. Of course, I get a cut," Ali said casually, sitting on the desk.
The mage nearly collapsed hearing that. "A Book of Truth—say it under the law of a Book of Truth, and I'll fight the viscount for you," the mage said frantically.
"Sure."
The mage immediately took out a book from his highest shelf and held it with both hands before Ali.
"Please, just place your hand on the book and repeat what you just said to me. If the engravings activate, I'll know you're telling the truth."
"Any tricks, and you're dead," Ali warned.
"No tricks, I swear. I just want your words to be true," the mage confessed.
Ali did as instructed, and the engravings lit up in a soft green. The mage fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
"I can break through with this… finally, the five stars are within reach," he said aloud, overwhelmed with joy.
So the magic crystals can help him break through… Ali thought.
"I am your humble servant, Lord Ali. Command me and my tower as you wish," the mage said, lowering his head.
"Good. Just do nothing. Stay in your tower and don't accompany the viscount. Spread word that you were injured during the attack on the auction, and that your students will not leave your side. That should be enough…" Ali said, stepping off the desk.
"And check the engravings on this thing…"
Ali pulled out George's axe and laid it on the desk, nearly breaking it from the weapon's weight.
The mage's eyes widened. "Careful with it!" he shouted, rushing to disperse Ali's aura from the axe with mana.
"Where did you get this, my lord?" he asked, tracing the thin lines with his eyes and fingers.
"From a dead knight. Now explain what it's capable of and how to use it," Ali ordered.
"This here is dwarven craftsmanship—grandmaster smiths, too. It has a very complex rune of weight engraved on it. A powerful rune indeed. A knight can channel their aura to control the axe's weight—making it heavier just before striking an opponent, and lighter to increase speed without losing durability. Truly incredible…" The mage explained, then showed Ali how to manipulate the aura lines to control it.
Ali memorized every motion.
"Before I leave," Ali said, putting away his axe. He opened his palm, and a metal spider appeared out of nowhere. Ali threw it at the ceiling, where it stuck and crawled away into the shadows.
"That's something that will spy on you and your students at all times. Don't make me come back here without knocking on the front door," Ali warned before opening the study window and jumping out.
The mage looked out the window but saw no one falling. Ali was gone.
Instead, Ali was looking down at the mage from the top of the tower. Beside him stood the elf, clutching her arms and shivering in the cold. Ali had left her there to endure the icy winds.
"Let's go," Ali said, picking her up. She didn't resist this time—his body heat was what she needed, especially with the thin gown she wore.
Ali flew away using the Force, soaring high above the clouds before Eldora came sweeping by.
"A—A DRAGON!" the elf screamed in terror as the emerald dragon soared toward them. Ali's calm demeanor confused her even more.
Her confusion only deepened when the dragon slowed, allowing Ali to land smoothly on her back.
"What is happening?" she shouted over the wind as Eldora flew away from IronPeak.
"Meet my Wind Dragon, Eldora. Enjoy the ride," Ali said, seating her before him. Her back pressed against his chest, but she didn't care. The experience of flying on a dragon for the first time captivated her completely. She stared at the clouds, the air whipping through her hair, the full moon shining above.
She's very pretty, that's for sure, Ali thought, his face expressionless. The moonlight only heightened her beauty.
Eldora flew at great speed through the clouds, the winds pushing her faster. Soon they passed the twin mountains that blocked the view of Stork Fortress.
The young elf turned back toward the masked man who had brought her here.
His eyes met hers, and she immediately looked away, blushing. She didn't understand why, but being this close to him made her heart race and her body grow warm.
"We're landing," Ali said, wrapping his hand around her waist and pulling her close. She blushed even harder as she felt his solid body against hers.
Eldora landed smoothly next to the fortress, where Ali's Fire Dragon lay resting, the heat from its body scorching the grass around it.
Ali lifted the elf in a princess carry and flew her to the fortress gate. As he set her down, the gates opened on their own.
What awaited them inside were rows upon rows of Elven knights standing in the fortress hall, which had been heavily reconstructed by Miles.
"My lady," all the knights said in unison, dropping to their knees as they saw her—except for their leader, who ran forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. He was a close friend and had cared for her since she was young.
The young elf couldn't hold back. She cried in his arms, releasing all the pain she'd endured in human captivity.
Ali walked past them, the knights stepping aside as he approached Fiona, who waited at the bottom of the stairs.
Fiona smiled as Ali removed his mask and sent it to his inventory. "They cause you any trouble?" Ali asked, standing beside her. She linked her arm with his, and he didn't mind.
"Your dragons helped, but I think I could've handled them on my own. Elves are easy to deal with—so straight and predictable in everything they do," Fiona said.
The moment she said that, every elf in the hall turned toward her, including their leader, who approached Ali with the queen candidate beside him.
Her eyes widened when she saw Ali's face. Not even the Queen's harem can compare to him, she thought.
"I introduce Lord Ali," Fiona said.
"Thank you for helping us and rescuing the elder's daughter and queen candidate. We will not forget your kindness," the knight said, giving Ali a respectful bow.
"Thank you," the elf beside him said shyly.
"I want something in return," Ali said, his directness catching them off guard.
"Of course," the elf replied, waiting for him to continue.
"I want to send an embassy from my land to yours. I want her to meet her father and propose trade between my land and the elves. I want our relations to improve."
The knight nodded. "I will carry your request to the elder. I'm sure he won't oppose meeting your ambassador."
After that, the elves left the fortress peacefully, returning to their side of the border.
Meanwhile, Ali descended the fortress stairs down to the dungeon Miles called home.
When he entered, he was surprised by the incredible machinery Miles had constructed—processing ore, analyzing data, and blasting each piece with a brilliant white beam of concentrated energy before feeding in another.
Ali walked down to Miles's pod, where he sat uncomfortably in a chair beside his cold capsule.
Next to Miles was his robot, now made of a completely different metal. The rotations of its reactor hummed twice as fast as before.
He's gained a lot from this world, Ali thought.
"Have you made your decision?" Miles asked.
"Yes," Ali said, glancing at one of the monitors showing a map of the continent littered with red targets.
"Now that I have access to a demon—total destruction," Ali said.
"Many of those around you will die. You don't care for them?" Miles asked, his mechanical eyes zooming in on Ali's face.
"No."
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This is to help u understand what character ur dealing with here. The MC is in a deep deep deep hole that makes him disconnected from others on an emotional level, he simply cannot do it even if he wanted unless something really strong pulls him out. So do not complain if he shows emotion over a pretty girl or tells her something she might want to hear. All Lies, even to himself. Just wanted to say that. Oh and he remembers what light outside of the hole felt like, which is why he knows these emotions very well and can mimic them when he wishes.👍
Please donate some of your power stones, it would help my ff massively.
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