One Last Stand [1]

"Psuedo tier-4 spell: Iceberg." Silas muttered after tracing the rune out. It was made of 25 strokes and used the same amount of mana as a tier-3 spell.

The rune pulsed with an icy-blue light before unleashing a sudden burst of power that shook the entire town. A wave of fear washed over everyone present, including the commander of the darkless organization, whose skin prickled with a foreboding sense of danger.

Silas heard the sound of everything around him rapidly freezing, and in an instant, a massive mountain of ice erupted from the ground, towering twice as high as the town walls and expanding for hundreds of meters in every direction. The spell had utilized the rain as a material factor, turning it into snow and transforming the once-bustling battlefield into a frozen wasteland.

The clash of swords and cries of pain had abruptly ceased, replaced by an eerie silence that hung heavy in the air. Nobody dared to move, too shocked or terrified to break the stillness.

Death turned to Lochras, his eyes glittering and his mouth extending into a devilish grin. "For a garnet core, your son is remarkably powerful," he remarked. "I wonder what the commander will make of him."

Meanwhile, on Silas's battlefield, the earth bear had inched back, eyeing the towering iceberg with a mix of wonder and confusion. Suddenly, the bear lunged forward and licked Silas's face.

"Ugh... Again!?" Silas complained. It was too cold to be covered in a coat of saliva.

Before he could react, a subtle crack resounded in the air, and Silas knew he was in trouble. He quickly infused his body with fire mana as the bear readied its own spell, a version of a tier 4 attack.

Creating runes instead of magic circles had its benefits, but it also had drawbacks. The spells were less malleable, making it challenging to change the outcome once the runes were set in place. Silas had to know exactly what he wanted and trace the runes with utmost precision. One mistake and the spell could explode in his face.

However, Silas's greatest improvement over the past year wasn't in his magic, but in his physical strength and agility.

*BOOOOOOM*

Chunks of ice flew in all directions, creating a massive cloud of freezing mist. With a single explosive move, the commander shattered the iceberg and emerged from its ruins unscathed, as though he had just taken a leisurely stroll through the park.

"I was told you might be a garnet core by the time we reached this backwater town," he said, grinning maliciously at Silas. "But to think you're already capable of producing tier-4 spells, and with an affinity for ice too." He brushed off the remaining ice shards from his shoulders, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.

The earth bear roared, a deafening sound that rattled the stones on its back. But unlike the sonic bat's attack, this wasn't the attack; it was a call...

Silas felt his heart pounding in his chest as he faced the commander, his mind racing with fear and anticipation. He knew he was in over his head, but he also knew he had to fight with everything he had.

This was a battle he couldn't afford to lose.

"I see that you've healed your pet too. Your skills are impeccable." The commander stroked his beard.

Silas saw an enormous amount of mana turn bronze as it flowed toward the earth bear.

'What the f*ck.' Silas jumped back when he felt the flow rumble.

Mana flowed into the bear briefly before it opened its topaz-bronze eyes and released another deafening roar.

'Did it just refill its mana supply... That's my trick! What the hell!'

The ground shook as the earth bear crashed through building after building, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The town was in chaos, with people running and screaming in all directions, desperate to get away from the battle that raged on.

The commander laughed, his eyes fixed on Silas. "Oh! I think your pet wants to attack me. I wonder what it'll attack me with this time. This is fun! We should do this more often." His laughter echoed through the alleyways, but it was short-lived as his expression quickly turned serious.

"Though, we can save that for another time." The commander's body flickered, and he appeared beside the earth bear, his foot on its side.

In one swift motion, he lifted the bear and hurled it with incredible force, sending it flying through the town and smashing through hundreds of houses instantly.

Silas barely had enough time to react.

He jumped back with all the strength and speed he could muster, but before he knew it, the commander was already above him, his hand hovering over Silas' face before slamming it into the ground.

Silas was then grabbed and thrown through several buildings like a ragdoll, each impact sending waves of pain through his body.

"I hope your sister puts up this much of a fight when I find her." The commander spoke as he walked through the broken buildings, his focus fixed on his prize.

In the distance, a few children and a mother cowered in the corner of a building, their faces filled with terror as they watched the man's ruthless attack. But the commander didn't even spare them a glance.

He was too focused on Silas.

Silas was in agony, his body wracked with pain. He had trained tirelessly day and night, but the moment the commander hit him, he felt the full force of the attack down to his bones.

Despite the pain, Silas forced himself to stand up.

"Ugh," he grunted, determination etched on his face.

His vision was still a little fuzzy, but after looking forward, he saw that he had been flung through dozens of buildings.

Looking down at his hands, he saw that they were covered in blood. Yet this time, it wasn't his blood, nor was it a symbol of his guilt.

'Poor bastards.' Silas thought while swallowing his pain and finally standing up.

"I wonder how she'll fight after finally knowing the feeling of desperation?" The commander's voice echoed into Silas' ears.

Silas could see the commander turn and stride toward the shelter.

'Like I'd let you anywhere near her.' Silas thought as life fusion healed all the minor injuries and was quickly replaced with fire fusion.

Sure, wind fusion was the best for agility and maneuverability; however, fire fusion was by far the best when it came to bursts of strength or speed.

*BOOM*

Silas's body turned into a blur as he shot through the dozens of broken houses and immediately appeared before the commander.

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