"So I really can't summon Saya again, huh? No problem." Julius muttered to himself, steadying his breath.
"Human... why have you come here?"
The voice was deep—incredibly deep. Commanding. It carried a strange pressure, as though the very air had grown heavier.
Julius looked straight ahead. The voice belonged to the Aunguru Tribe Leader, who now stared directly at him—as if he were gazing into Julius' very soul.
Julius had just brought his hover bike to a stop on the ground, its engine still softly humming. He stepped off, his stance firm.
"I want your treasure."
The words triggered an immediate shift in the leader's expression. He had already looked menacing—thanks to the demonic oni-like mask he wore—but now, something darker surfaced: anger.
The leader stood. He was even taller than the giant warrior from before—a towering 7'1"—his physique massive, bulky, rippling with inhuman strength. His maids, sensing danger, quietly slipped behind the throne to hide.
Raising his pale wooden staff—its swirling grey-green orb still spinning—the leader began to chant.
Then, with a single swing, he unleashed a storm of sharp, slicing wind gusts aimed straight at Julius.
Julius immediately tried to dodge, but the blades weren't ordinary—they followed him. Their speed was monstrous. If he didn't act fast, he'd be shredded into pieces.
He sprinted for cover, instincts kicking in. Though he'd trained in magic, he had nothing strong enough to counter this.
Ducking behind a nearby hut, Julius crouched at an angle where the house stood directly between him and the incoming gusts. It was a gamble—but one that paid off.
The razor winds slammed into the hut, tearing it apart. The wooden structure exploded into splinters, absorbing the full force of the attack. The wind blades disintegrated.
The leader began chanting again.
"What the hell is he chanting over and over... who even made this guy so powerful? Tch."
Julius muttered, irritated.
His eyes scanned the destroyed remains of the hut—among the shattered logs, one jagged piece caught his attention. It was long and sharp—almost spear-like.
He quickly snatched it up and charged toward the leader.
But just as he reached mid-range, the leader finished his chant, pointed his staff at Julius, and shouted:
"HURRAHH!!"
A brutal gust of wind blasted forward like a jet stream. Julius began losing his balance, the force nearly lifting him off the ground. He shielded his face with both arms to avoid being blinded.
Almost instantly, small cuts began appearing across his hands and forearms. The wind wasn't just strong—it was razor-sharp.
He had to think of something. Fast.
After what felt like an eternity of slicing wind, the attack finally ceased. Blood trickled from Julius' arms, but he endured. He didn't hesitate.
He hurled the makeshift wooden spear at the leader with all his strength.
But with a calm motion, the Aunguru leader conjured a shield of wind. The spear struck it—then shattered into dust, effortlessly destroyed.
Julius was unarmed again.
He glanced at his interface.
Time until Saya can be summoned: 1 minute, 30 seconds.
And he was running out of options.
The leader began chanting again—the classic flaw of all mages. If they wanted to pull off something incredible, they needed time to chant. Without it, their magic wasn't nearly as powerful.
Julius had played plenty of RPG games. He knew exactly how mages worked—he often picked the mage class himself.
As soon as the Aunguru leader began his chant, Julius grabbed another sharp wooden log from the debris and hurled it fast and hard.
The leader had no choice but to halt his chant and cast a shield instead.
A swirl of wind surrounded him once more, deflecting the makeshift spear with ease.
"Bingo."
Julius grinned, then charged up the staircase with everything he had.
The moment the leader's shield dropped, Julius was already in front of him—another sharp log in hand.
"I got your ass finally!" Julius yelled, slamming the log down.
But the leader, now on high alert, used his staff like a stick to block the strike.
There wasn't enough time for him to chant, but his raw strength was monstrous. He easily overpowered Julius in the clash.
With one forceful shove, Julius was pushed back down a few steps. But as he staggered, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, sharp stone—something he'd grabbed along with the wood earlier.
The leader gripped his staff in his right hand—and Julius slashed across that very arm, cutting it.
The wound wasn't deep or fatal, but it enraged the tribal warlord.
He growled and pulled back his left hand, aiming a brutal punch at Julius's face.
But the blow never landed.
It collided with something—a small, compact wind shield.
Julius smirked.
"What, you think only you can chant and control wind?"
Unlike the Aunguru leader's huge 2-meter wind barrier, Julius had mimicked the spell subtly—chanting slowly under his breath during the fight. His version was weaker, but just enough to block a single punch.
The leader's own momentum backfired, launching him off-balance. In that brief opening, Julius surged forward—his left hand still gripping another wooden log—and drove it straight into the center of the leader's chest.
His stats weren't godlike, but his Strength stat was 36—more than enough to break through.
Just then, he heard movement behind him. Lots of it.
"The moment I was waiting for… hell yeah."
Julius turned his head.
The remaining Aunguru warriors—survivors of Saya's assault—had arrived. Archers, spearmen, and wind mages.
The archers loosed arrows. The spearmen hurled their weapons. Wind mages conjured slicing gusts toward him.
Julius reacted fast. He yanked the wounded leader toward him and used the massive body like a living shield.
The impaled leader took most of the incoming damage—arrows, spears, wind blades. Some attacks missed entirely. Others struck true, embedding into his back and sides.
But somehow, the tribal lord was still alive.
Gritting his teeth, bleeding heavily, the giant dropped his staff and raised a trembling fist, preparing for one last punch.
Julius saw it coming—and moved first.
He grabbed the fallen staff, spun it in his hands, and drove its sharp end directly into the leader's skull, again and again, until there was a crunching sound. The head cracked open.
The lifeless body toppled down the stairs.
[You have successfully slain the Aunguru Tribe Leader]
[You have gained 676 EXP]
[You have leveled up by 3 levels]
[Current Level: 18]
[You have gained 564 Fame]
[You have gained 213 Roses]
Julius stood there, catching his breath.
The Aunguru warriors who had just arrived didn't attack again.
Instead—they turned and ran.
The women and children who had hidden in their homes now emerged… only to flee alongside them. Even the leader's two personal maids vanished without a trace.
The moment their leader fell, the tribe lost all will to fight. They gave up.
Julius—now alone—collapsed into the throne, exhausted.
"Open System Inbox."
The screen appeared.
[Saya has successfully slain 7 Aunguru Tribe Men and 1 Aunguru Tribe Elite]
[You have gained 212 EXP]
[You have leveled up by 2 levels]
[Current Level: 15]
[You have gained 112 Fame]
[You have gained 76 Roses]
These were notifications from before the boss kill—but Julius had ignored them, too busy staying alive.
"Open Stats."
Health: 57 pts
Defense: 51 pts
Sp. Defense: 51 pts
Attack: 51 pts
Sp. Attack: 51 pts
Speed: 57 pts
Magic: 57 pts
Accuracy: 57 pts
Intelligence: 51 pts
Additional Points: 10
"Add 2 points each to Intelligence, Health, Attack, Accuracy, and Speed."
[Points have been successfully added.]
Just then, Julius's eyes fell on the broken staff.
"Tch… looks useless now."
The orb—shattered by a stray arrow—had been the real source of the magic. Without it, the staff was just splintered wood.
He leaned further back into the throne.
And then—he heard a click.
The seat beneath him sank slightly, like it had triggered something.
"Huh?"