Chapter 185

Two wizards simultaneously gestured towards each other.

Kwaaaaang!!

Suddenly, a vivid blaze erupted without warning, extending like the hand of a giant, seizing the location where Lennok stood.

The flames scorched the ground, spiraling upwards to create a colossal column of fire.

Lennok, maintaining his composure, shielded himself and stepped back to observe the spectacle.

Rather than the young man’s summoned fire column dissipating, it appeared to breathe new life into itself.

[Growwwww!!]

From the heart of the fiery pillar, a fluorescent giant, towering over 3 meters in height, emerged, pushing through the waves of flames.

The giant fixed a menacing gaze on Lennok and let out a bone-chilling scream.

In response, Lennok conjured flames in his hand and slammed them onto the ground.

As ashes scattered from the earth, a massive wall of fire ascended, clashing with the fluorescent fist of the giant.

Kwaaaaang!!

The expanding shockwave mingled with a dissonant fluorescent light.

When the two flames collided, an unimaginable explosion resounded.

Flames, which should possess no physical force, defied the laws of conventional physics within the realm of a wizard’s will and spell formula.

This might be one of the defining traits of elemental magic.

It was something Lennok could only vaguely deduce, having studied not only Thorben’s unique magic but also acquiring Blaiver Tower’s magic.

“That’s not how you do it.”

“...What did you say?”

“You need to unfold it step by step. Wasn’t it said that how you start isn’t set in stone?”

[Explosive Flame Sphere]

[Quad Transformation – Resonance]

Hwaruk!!

Four fireballs manifested from Lennok’s outstretched hands, swiftly transforming into four streams of flames.

Almost instantaneously, they encircled the giant from all angles, converging into a colossal spiral.

[Fire Suppression]

Paaaaa!!

As the four flames resonated, emitting an intense pulse, the giant began to wither, accompanied by a piercing scream.

[Oooooo!!]

Flames battling flames. Lennok’s fire overcame the giant conjured by the young man, gradually erasing its presence.

The giant staggered, seeking its master, but the young man appeared to hold no attachment to his creation.

Recognizing that his initial assault had been thwarted, he swiftly abandoned the giant and launched fresh flames at Lennok.

Dudududu!!

Numerous elongated flames shot forth, slicing through the air and dominating the battlefield, prompting Lennok to respond with another volley of fireballs.

As the fiery whips spiraled, Lennok’s precisely aimed fireballs detonated, forming yet another curtain of flames.

The expansive curtain spun around, shaping into a colossal spear of fire.

Meanwhile, the dozens of fiery whips unleashed by the young man spread out, transforming into an expansive net of flames.

[Circulating Flame]

[Fire Net]

Kwaaaaang!!

In the relentless tempest of flames, the two wizards tirelessly maneuvered their hands.

Fueled by their projected mana and will, the initially released flames didn’t diminish but instead continuously shifted in form and grew.

Extinguishing flames once they’ve been released is no simple task, and the residual heat lingers even after the fire has passed.

The mana, continuously infused with more energy and will, continued to expand and intensify until it reached the wizard’s capacity.

The inherent nature of the flames was one of constant growth and explosion.

Only then did the young man realize that Lennok still had reserves and screamed in despair.

[Six Advancing Reds]

The young man attempted to resist by splitting his flames into six streams, but the ring of fire remained unyielding.

“Although you’ve enhanced your magic’s power with drugs, its sustainability is a mess. Probably because the drug-induced frenzy disrupts your concentration.”

The output itself might be high due to forcibly drawing in breath, but the flow was intermittently interrupted.

Such side effects might not be noticeable under normal circumstances, but when wizards of similar caliber manipulated their magic, it served as a fatal weakness.

The young man probably wasn’t oblivious to this fact, but he likely never expected Byzen to push him this far.

For the same reason, Lennok always tried to avoid substances that affected the mind, regardless of the situation.

The chains that bound him were not in his mind but on his physical body.

Once the momentum started to shift, it was difficult to regain control.

The sea of flames that consumed the ‘Plant’ plantation and even evaporated the ground had suddenly dissipated, while the ring of fire conjured by Lennok relentlessly pressed down on the young man.

Even in a moment that appeared to be on the brink of victory, Lennok remained vigilant.

A wizard wielding that level of power, enhanced by drugs, would not have such limited ambitions.

Desperation etched across the young man’s face as he frantically searched his surroundings.

Lennok calmly refocused his mana as he observed the young man fumbling for three packets of drugs.

“Ha... ha... ha...!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!”

After inhaling all three packets of powdered drugs into his eyes and nose, the young man frothed at the mouth, his eyes rolling back.

Though his countenance hinted at imminent unconsciousness, the fluorescent flames emanating from him grew larger and more formidable.

Shortly thereafter, a colorless wave radiated from his body, exerting substantial pressure on the surroundings.

The Domain, a realm accessible only to a select few Level 6 wizards.

After ingesting multiple doses of the mind-altering drug, the young man had finally breached this realm.

“Ahahaha, hahahahat!!! Ahahahaha!!! Finally...!!”

His face was a chaotic mix of joy, tears, and mucus, making it challenging to discern his expression.

As the Domain expanded, the fluorescent flames around him burned even more intensely.

In that critical moment, Lennok deftly reached into his pocket.

An artifact once owned by Irina Pheffield, now fully in Lennok’s possession, sparkled brilliantly from within his coat.

“Davi.”

[Ready.]

Lennok had foreseen that the young man, when cornered, would resort to consuming drugs recklessly.

Who better than him understood the heart of a fellow addict?

While a straightforward power struggle would inevitably end in Lennok’s favor, it would also consume considerable time—something Lennok desired to avoid.

Hence, he engaged in a psychological battle, employing a confining spell like the Great Flame Wheel to compel the young man to unleash the Domain.

The intense determination and vast magical energy required for the Domain’s deployment. All of it stretched outward, creating a brief window of vulnerability that Lennok exploited.

Lennok activated the Compassion of Archangel as he swung an object, which materialized before the young man, piercing his chest.

“......!!!!”

The young man’s body convulsed as if struck by lightning, slowly lowering his head.

Behind those half-closed, flipped eyes, a twisted dagger was embedded in his heart.

Bang!

Immediately after, a bullet from Lennok’s revolver precisely struck the hilt of the dagger.

Whoosh!

The blade’s tip protruded from the young man’s back, accompanied by the energy of the curse magic seeping into him.

Under ordinary circumstances, this would have been a laughable amount of power. But at this moment, as he forcibly sustained the Domain and pushed his performance to the limits with the drug’s influence, it became a minor disruption that upset all balance.

Crash!

A sound akin to shattering glass resonated from within.

It was the noise of everything the young man had painstakingly built up throughout his life collapsing.