Chapter 16: Im an extra in the battle against Insidius?

Chapter 16: I'm an extra in the battle against Insidius?

As it turned out, the Dark Mage was far more strategic and cunning than we had initially thought.

Using a powerful illusion, he had fooled us all into thinking he was defeated. But just as we let our guard down, he revealed his true form and deviously snuck up behind Garret.

Garret spun around, his sword at the ready, but it was too late.

The Dark Mage unleashed a dark spell that caused shadows to spring to life, cutting through the air like knives.

Garret dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, but before he could counterattack, one of his fellow knights was hit. The dark blades sliced through the man's helmet and head, shattering them into pieces.

The knights on the sidelines murmured in fear and awe. They looked to me, who was still standing strong, furious at the sight of my comrade dying in such a brutal fashion.

"So, you're the one who used that holy magic, am I right?!" (Insidius)

The Dark Mage then turned his attention to Genny, sending lightning bolts crackling towards her with deadly intent.

But I was not about to let my anyone die.

「Grand Forest Emergence!」 (Rank B)

With a quick gesture, I summoned vines and roots to erupt from the ground, converging and interweaving into a massive shield that surrounded us all.

The Dark Mage's lightning struck the barrier with a deafening boom, but it held. I grinned, my eyes sparkling with amusement. "Is that all you've got?" I taunted.

The Dark Mage merely sneered, sending another wave of dark tendrils hurtling towards me.

This time, though, I was ready. I summoned more vines, twisting them together into a thick rope that I used to swing towards the Dark Mage at a lightning-fast speed.

The Mage saw the attack coming, but it was too late.

My vine lashed out, catching him by the arm and yanking him towards the ground. The two of them crashed into the earth with a resounding thud, and the Dark Mage lay there, momentarily stunned.

「Lumiere's Current MP: 23,950/25,000」

"Time to finish things!" (Garret)

He charged forward with <> poised for a strike.

I was glad I wasn't the one to finish things off, I'd already stood out enough as it was.

"Not even in your dreams!" (Insidius)

The Dark Mage summoned a horde of red-eyed creatures that obstructed Garrett's straight path for him.

"These bastards again!" (Garret)

He referred to the dark creatures.

The battle was tiring, Insidius was using a cowardly set of strategies to keep himself alive. Had it not been for that, the battle would've been over long ago.

That aside, I could've easily won against him. But, I couldn't risk revealing my abilities.

Even Genny noticed I was holding back a bit too much.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The battle raged on for what felt like hours.

The Dark Mage and his minions fought with a ferocity that was unmatched.

Garret swung his sword with precision, slicing through the creatures with ease. Genny used her sword imbued with [Holy Magic] to create radiant white light that disoriented our enemies.

I focused primarily on using [Water Magic] to heal the wounded knights.

I called upon the flowing streams and cascading waterfalls I had studied for years as a scholar, channeling their energy into my spells. As I sent waves of healing magic towards my allies, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

「Lumiere's Current MP: 21,250/25,000」

Using 「Undine?s Healing Wave」 (Rank A) twice, zapped 2000 mana points. In-between, I'd used [Wind Magic] to restrict the movement of the dark creatures so as to enable the knights to easily dispatch them.

There was still hope.

But the Dark Mage was no ordinary foe. He unleashed spells of his own, creating a whirlwind of darkness that enveloped the battlefield. I used my [Water Magic] to try and dispel the darkness, but it was no use.

This meant, the Dark Mage used an A ranked spell or higher.

Garret and Genny took charge, fighting their way through the dark whirlwind. Garret charged at the Dark Mage with his sword raised high, ready to strike. But the mage was quick to counter, unleashing a bolt of lightning that knocked Garret off his feet.

"(This is getting tedious..)" (Garret)

"(Why's he so strong!)" (Genevieve)

"You cannot defeat me, mongrels," the Mage sneered. "Your magic is nothing compared to mine."

Genevieve clenched her fists. "Shut your mouth."

The Mage laughed. "Do you seriously expect me to do that?!"

Genevieve used her [Holy Magic] again.

It manifested a warm, bright light that affected Insidius, allowing Garret to get back on his feet.

Together, they launched a coordinated attack, one creating an opening for the other to exploit. I used [Water Magic] to create a wall of ice, separating the Insidius from his minions and cutting off his source of power.

This wasn't [Ice Magic], it was a skill I'd unlocked recently called - 「Element Merger」 which allowed me to combine the properties of two affinities to make a new one.

Hence, the title - Meld Master.

Using [Water Magic] and superfreezing it with [Wind Magic] resulted in the wall of ice.

Garret landed the finishing blow which resulted in the Dark Mage - Insidius Black.

With a final scream, the he fell to the ground, his magic vanishing with him.

<> cut him in half. A brutal reminder of how strong Garret was.

Genny let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she surveyed the battlefield.

The Mage's minions vanished into nothingness, and the remaining knights were tending to their injuries.

As for me...

Merging two affinities consumed about 1000 mana points, but this wasn't an accurate answer. Because, the mass of kneaded mana used affects the number of mana points lost.

"W-We did it!" (Random Knight)

"We did.." (Lumiere)

「Lumiere's Current MP: 20,150/25,000」

I acted like I was exhausted. But obviously, I hadn't even scratched the half mark of my mana reserves.

"(Sigh. I feel a bit guilty... I could've ended this quickly, because I didn't, a number of them are injured. Guess I'll have to pay for it by using every ounce of mana I have left to heal them... but that isn't so wise either, with the amount of mana I've used, everyone will believe I have the mana capacity of the average court mage...)" (Lumiere)

As Genny took in the scene, she noticed that I wasn't among our allies. She approached me, concerned.

"Lumiere, are you alright?" (Genevieve)

I purposefully hesitated for a moment before responding. "I... I could have helped more. But my spells weren't strong enough."

Genevieve looked at me with understanding. "It's okay, Lumi. You did what you could. We all fought together as a team."

I nodded. "I knew you'd understand."

"Of course, I'm your little sister after all!" (Genevieve)

I breathed a sigh of relief as Genny and I healed the wounded and tended to their injuries.

The battle was brutal, but we emerged victorious.

The air was thick with the scent of magic and sweat as the final battle ended.

The clanging of swords and the echoes of powerful spells had finally come to a halt.

"Well done, everyone," I said, clapping Garret on the shoulder. "We did it."

Garret grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Yeah, but now comes the fun part."

We turned to the battlefield, where the remnants of our foes lay scattered. The knights began to scour the area, searching for any items or resources that could be useful. Some items were common - swords, bows, and arrows - but we also found rare magical items, such as a staff with an enchanted gem that granted powerful illusion magic.

"This is a rare one," Genny said, holding up the staff. "We could sell it for a fortune."

"Don't be too hasty," I cautioned. "We could use it ourselves."

We also found minerals and materials that could be used for crafting. We gathered iron, gold, and even some rare mithril that could be used to create powerful armor and weapons. There were also herbs and plants with potent healing properties that could be used to make potions.

As we worked, we talked and joked with each other, our spirits high despite the exhaustion. We were a team, bonded by our shared experiences and our drive to protect our land and people.

"This is just like collecting treasure after a dungeon raid," Garret said, laughing as he hoisted a chest overflowing with loot. "Only with more blood and sweat."

I nodded, chuckling. "But it's worth it. We did it together, and we'll reap the rewards together." n0velUsb.c0m

"We'll reap what? This belongs to the kingdom.." (Garret)

"(~laughs) Oh Sir Garret! Again with the jokes." (Lumiere)

Garret wasn't laughing, at the time, I was the only one.

"Wait you're serious?" (Lumiere)