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Amanda froze for a moment. Her pupils dilated, and her breath quickened.
"What? You… How do you know that?"
Kaelen raised his eyebrows mockingly, keeping his eyes locked on the two mages.
"Don't stall—help me. Otherwise, we'll both end up splattered across this village."
The tension in the air was almost tangible. Sunlight struck the abandoned stone walls, casting the surroundings into an eerie silence. The wind whispered past his ears as if carrying a song from ancient times. Kaelen kept his enemies in sight while Amanda's eyes narrowed. After a brief hesitation, she took a deep breath and began chanting the magical words:
"From the seven heavens above,
From the hidden treasures below,
From the tongue of the ancient winds,
Let these words come to you…
May the moon's silver light touch your skin,
May the stars whisper their secrets to your ears,
May time pause in moments you cherish,
And may your path always remain open in the corridor of souls!"
Amanda brought her hands together over her chest, and her mana began to swirl within her like a vortex. Golden light rose from her fingertips, radiating a sacred aura around her. Each magical word fed the energy within Amanda's soul, intensifying the glow.
When she spoke the final word, the mana in the air condensed into its "Nex" form. Dazzling beams of light wrapped Kaelen like a cocoon. The young mage closed his eyes, feeling the waves of mana moving over his skin, and let out a small, satisfied smile.
"Ah… so this is what it feels like."
He felt the circulation of mana within his body. The power seeped into every particle in his veins. Amanda's mana was pure and clear—already remarkably strong for an apprentice mage.
But the danger was far from over. Arnold roared in anger and charged at Kaelen. His massive body moved forward, metal armor clanging with each step, echoing on the stone ground. Kaelen noticed the enemy's shield swing at the last moment and leapt aside with lightning reflexes. He gripped his blade, Canis, and thrust it toward Arnold's exposed side.
But something unexpected happened.
Arnold's mana enveloped the blade's sharp edge, absorbing it like a magical shield. He had shifted into "Pik" form. Kaelen's blade vanished within the dense flow of mana.
"Tch…" Kaelen gritted his teeth. He had too much mana to contend with.
Without wasting a second, he retreated, repositioning the blade safely behind him. But Sofia attacked simultaneously. Her short blade struck Canis, making Kaelen lose his balance. As if anticipating this, she swung her second dagger while Arnold raised his axe.
Kaelen was fast enough to deflect their attacks. He struck Arnold's shield with a kick, staggering him backward, then delivered a strong kick to Sofia's waist.
Her short blade never reached him, flying several meters away.
Yet the more immediate threat was Arnold's massive axe descending toward him. The mana-infused weapon gleamed in the dim light, ready to deliver a deadly blow.
There was no time to escape.
Kaelen gripped Canis with both hands, placing it between himself and the axe. Steel clashed against steel—but the result was worse than expected. The destructive blow split the blade in half. The sharp tooth fell to the ground, and Kaelen stared in shock at the broken hilt in his hands.
At that exact moment, Sofia reappeared. The brown-haired mage swung her black short blade like a shadow.
Kaelen activated "Pik" at the last moment, letting her mana slow him slightly. But it wasn't enough—her sword struck, absorbing his energy and hurling him backward.
He staggered a few steps and quickly regained his footing. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists. When he looked at the broken blade, the familiar system alert sounded in his ears:
"Ordinary-tier item 'Canis' has been destroyed."
Kaelen narrowed his eyes as he watched the mana particles drift from his fingers. Canis had been his first weapon.
For a moment, a wave of sorrow rose within him. But then the spirit of the warrior inside him flared up again. His eyes refocused, scanning his enemies.
"So, it's time to go back to old-school methods."
He took a deep breath and clenched his fists. Mana surged through his veins like a waterfall. He had fought with a blade until now—but that didn't mean he was powerless without it.
A devilish smile appeared on his face.
Arnold and Sofia noticed this sudden change and hesitated for a moment.
And that was the moment Kaelen struck.
The battle had only just begun.
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