Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1709: Fear Me (Part 2)

Even though the mages stationed on the second inner wall were part of the elite core of the Noble Guild, their confidence was rapidly evaporating. These weren’t the common practitioners found in the outer slums; these were individuals scouted for their high mana potential and their capacity for ruthless efficiency. Yet, as they looked down from their high vantage point and saw Raze walking toward them, a primitive, cold fear began to take root in their chests.

They could feel the atmosphere thickening around him. It wasn’t just the mana of a nine-star mage, a level of power that commanded respect even in the capital, but it was the mana of a man who had already stained his hands with the blood of the Grand Magus’s own enforcers. Beyond the magic, there was a second, darker power swirling in his wake. It was a physical weight, a crushing gravity that made the air feel like liquid.

"I am the Dark Magus!" Raze’s voice boomed, carrying across the open streets and vibrating through the stone foundations of the city. "I have come here for one reason and one reason only: to rid this world of the Grand Magus, Turbin, and Idore. Anyone who decides to get in my way... is my enemy!"

The proclamation sent a ripple of unease through the ranks. The mages began to whisper frantically among themselves. How was it possible for him to walk so freely through the outer circle? Why was the security so quiet? And more importantly, why was he standing in the open with such terrifying confidence?

"Towers! Mage towers, respond immediately!" one of the wall commanders barked into his receiver, his knuckles white as he gripped his staff. "Target section four! He’s out in the open! Strike him down before he gets any closer!"

High in the stone towers that dotted the outer ring, the mages began to pivot their heavy focal crystals toward Raze’s position. These towers were designed to incinerate intruders from miles away. But as they locked on, they saw Raze do something they didn’t expect. He stopped. He lifted his foot high into the air, and suddenly, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Lightning began to spark from his boot, jagged bolts of blue and white energy coiling around his leg like serpents. This wasn’t just magic; it was the fusion of high-level Qi and elemental mana. The mass of energy was so bright that it acted as a beacon, making it obvious to every mage in the district exactly where he was standing. He wasn’t hiding; he was inviting the world to watch.

"Let me show you the power I have obtained, a power that you mages will never understand! The First Descending Step!" Raze roared.

He slammed his foot down. The impact was not a mere thud; it was a cataclysm. The ground beneath his foot didn’t just crack, it disintegrated. A massive shockwave of Qi surged forward in a visible ripple, tearing up cobblestones and sending them flying like shrapnel. Those standing on the wall miles away felt the stone beneath their feet shudder violently. The mages who had spent their lives focused on the delicate art of spellcasting had never seen a Pagna warrior of this caliber. Seeing a single foot cause more destruction than a high-tier fire spell made them realize they weren’t facing an ordinary man.

But the destruction was precise. The lightning that sparked from the point of impact didn’t dissipate into the air. Instead, it streaked across the ground in several specific directions, moving with the intent of a guided missile. Raze knew exactly where the energy was heading. The bolts struck the hidden magic circles he had surreptitiously prepared earlier, which were already laden with volatile beast crystals.

A series of deafening explosions rocked the city. One after another, the foundations of the mage towers were obliterated. The structures groaned, the sound of rending stone echoing through the streets as they began to tilt. The mages inside screamed as their vantage points crumbled into dust, the towers falling one by one in a domino effect of stone and fire. The watchers on the wall watched in horror as their primary line of defense was erased in seconds.

"Did he... did he just do all of that with a single step?" one mage stammered, his staff trembling in his hand. "How powerful is his magic? Is that even possible? Those towers were miles apart!"

"Does that even matter right now? We have to stop him!" another mage shouted, trying to regain some semblance of order. "Ignore the towers! Use every long-range spell we have! Kill him now!"

Despite the orders, a paralyzing fear had set in, especially among the outer ring mages who were just now arriving at the scene. They noticed the lack of leadership; there were no commanders left to give orders, and the barracks were eerily silent. Raze was presenting himself as an unstoppable, singular force of nature, and the sheer psychological weight of his presence caused many to hesitate, their spells fizzling out before they could even be cast.

On the walls, the more disciplined mages finally began to rain down a barrage of attacks. Fireballs, ice lances, and bolts of pure mana descended toward Raze like a localized storm. But Raze didn’t move to dodge. He didn’t have to.

Kelly, Alen, Liam, Londo, and the others stepped forward, forming a living shield around him. They deflected, parried, and countered every incoming spell with desperate intensity. They knew Raze was building toward a climax, and they were willing to hold the line with their lives to give him the time he needed.

Raze was now moving through the sequence of the Descending Steps, each strike of his foot further destabilizing the ground and sending fresh waves of Qi into the earth. By the time he reached the final step, the pressure was so great that the stone rubble beneath him was being pulverized into fine sand. He raised his hand, and his sword, the conduit for his darkness, began to glow with a void-like energy. The dark magic extended far beyond the physical blade, growing into a giant, spectral image of a sword that seemed to blot out the sky itself.

"I will destroy your entire wall and show you that you are not untouchable, Idore!" Raze’s voice was a thunderclap that shook the very heart of the guild. "Abyssal Strike!"

*****

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