Chapter 158: The Power of the Dark Eye

The two corpses lying on the ground each had a blood-red hole drilled through their skulls, their faces frozen in shock and unwillingness.

"That's Sodom, who betrayed the Ice City three years ago to join Osum."

"Yes, it's him. I remember a year ago he was seen holding his own against a sixth-level mage. Quite terrifying, given that he was only a fourth-level mage."

The mages recognized the fallen fourth-level mage as Sodam, once a prodigy of Ice City who later defected to join Osum. However, it wasn't Sodam's betrayal that stunned them—it was the fact that he, despite his near-sixth-level strength, hadn't withstood even a single attack from Mage Leo. Leo's Dark Eye was truly formidable.

Geselo, a mage from Abyssal Fortress, cast a conflicted look at the body of Ramus, his expression darkening.

"Mage Geselo," Helcius remarked, "it seems that Mage Leo has dealt with one of your fortress's prodigies—"

Geselo cut him off before he could finish. He understood what Helcius was getting at and replied with a cold smile, "Ramus ceased to be a part of Abyssal Fortress the moment he betrayed us."

Geselo then looked at Leo with a mixture of awe and caution. "The Dark Eye, truly deserving of its reputation as Pandora's arcane power. With Mage Leo wielding it, he is as strong as a seventh-level mage."

Geselo's own formidable spiritual power had allowed him to observe the attack from outside, witnessing how effortlessly Leo had destroyed two powerful prodigies with the Dark Eye, a feat that left even Geselo feeling uneasy.

"The reports said there should be another powerful Osum mage here," Geselo muttered with a deep frown.

Suddenly, an unusual flame descended from above, covering the entire chamber. Unlike ordinary flames, these were pure white, emitting an icy chill instead of heat.

"Zero-degree flames!" the two seventh-level mages, Geselo and Helcius, shouted simultaneously, their faces pale. "It has to be Oshius! That twisted maniac is here too?"

The other mages recoiled in fear, quickly conjuring defensive spells as the white flames engulfed the room.

Zero-degree flames were a hallmark of the seventh-level mage Oshius, whose mastery in Osum was legendary. He had crafted fire magic imbued with the essence of ice—an awe-inspiring feat of magical prowess.

Two sixth-level mages, unable to raise their defenses in time, were caught by the flames and instantly frozen into icy statues with flames flickering over them. Their robes, woven with defensive enchantments, proved futile against the lethal frostfire. In moments, both were reduced to ash.

"Get out of the castle!" Geselo roared in rage. The loss of two sixth-level mages was a heavy blow to Abyssal Fortress.

One by one, the mages fled, all maintaining a wary distance from the castle. Geselo's voice rang out as he yelled into the shadows, "Oshius! Show yourself! You won't escape today!"

"Escape?" a soft, mocking voice responded from the darkness. "It's been ages since anyone could make me flee."

A white-robed figure stepped forward. Though he appeared to be in his twenties, his eyes held a depth far beyond his youthful appearance. He ignored Geselo's hostile glare, focusing instead on Leo. With a slight smile, he said, "We meet again, Mage Leo."

Leo's expression contorted with rage. "Oshius... so it is you!"

"Indeed," Oshius replied smoothly. "Remember how your brother Redol once sought to join Osum? I gave him that chance, and it was *you* who killed him."

Leo's energy flared wildly, as his fury threatened to unbind his control over the elements.

Helcius, sensing the danger, whispered, "This is bad. Redol's betrayal is Leo's deepest wound. With Oshius here, he may lose control."

"Enough talk," Leo hissed, gathering his power. In an instant, he unleashed a wave of fire with a sixth-level spell, "Inferno Blaze." The sheer force melted the ancient castle's walls, causing them to crumble and collapse.

Helcius and Geselo leapt back as the structure disintegrated.

"You'll have to do better than that," Oshius taunted, extinguishing the flames with a flick of his wrist. "Come on, show me the Dark Eye."

The castle crumbled, yet Leo and Oshius hovered in midair, surrounded by wind magic.

Helcius turned to Geselo. "We have to help him. Even with the Dark Eye, he won't match Oshius alone."

Geselo nodded, his gaze hardened. "Oshius once defeated another seventh-level mage. If we don't work together, we're done for. Let's attack!"

"Yes, let's!"

Helcius extended his bony fingers toward Oshius, summoning a massive circle of freezing white light. "This is *Frozen Realm*, a spell that took me eighteen years to create!"

As he cast the spell, the temperature dropped sharply. Sheets of ice encircled Oshius, closing in on him like a deadly snare. The cold was intense enough to freeze rivers and mountains.

Oshius chuckled dismissively, deflecting the ice with his own zero-degree flames.

Geselo followed up with a powerful hand-shaped manifestation of dark energy, *Hand of Sin*. It descended upon Oshius, aiming to unsettle his deepest fears and darkest emotions.

But Oshius merely sneered, deflecting the attack with a wave of earth and wind elements. "Pathetic! This is all you've got?"

He retaliated with another cascade of zero-degree flames, forcing Geselo and Helcius back with defensive barriers. They barely withstood the assault.

Leo, seething with anger, prepared for a final assault. His Dark Eye glowed intensely, a blood-red gleam forming above him. He locked eyes with Oshius. "For Redol, I'll see you dead, Oshius!"

"Dark Eye, Entrap!"

A red beam shot toward Oshius, who found himself locked in a nightmarish illusion, his expression twisting in shock.

"Impossible!" he screamed, struggling to break free.

"Dark Eye, Dissolve!" Another beam followed, dissolving Oshius's defensive flames. Then, in a desperate final attack, Leo summoned the most destructive aspect of his power.

"Dark Eye, Obliterate!"

A blood-red ray pierced Oshius's shoulder, tearing through his enchanted robe and flesh.

With a final, terrified glance, Oshius murmured, "So… you're the true prodigy… Leo, we underestimated you…"

With that, Oshius turned and fled, disappearing into the night with incredible speed.

Leo watched him vanish, his face pale and exhausted from the strain of wielding the Dark Eye. He took one last look at Geselo and Helcius, murmuring, "I'll hunt him down."

Then he disappeared into the night, leaving the onlookers awestruck at the terrifying power of the Dark Eye—an ability strong enough to frighten a seventh-level mage into retreat.