The Legendary Mage

...

Nysah and her followers had pursued him for a long and exhausting while, only to finally admit they had lost him again!

"Damn it! Damn it all!" Ogmundr swore furiously, unable to accept their failure.

"What kind of strength does Alavin possess?" The muscular man demanded of Nysah.

"He’s just a Novice Mage, but he possesses a startling brute strength, which he seems to wield to its fullest potential. His strength cannot be judged by his title alone," Nysah admitted reluctantly, forced to accept the reality that Alavin had truly surprised her that night.

"Brute strength? He's not just strong, his Sword Skill is even more refined than mine," Ogmundr reflected on the previous night's duel, which had made him feel genuinely threatened. He was beginning to doubt what had really happened during their brief clash. He vaguely remembered deflecting Alavin's blade with his Gold-Veined Bronzesword, then launching a surprise attack. By all logic, he should have been able to strike Alavin down. Yet, Alavin's blade seemed unaffected, thrusting straight at him.

The Gold-Veined Bronzesword was a treasured blade, able to easily cleave iron and stone. If it had truly met Alavin's sword, it should have cut his sword in two. Could he have remembered wrong? Did he miss Alavin's sword?

Nysah shook her head decisively. "Impossible. I know Alavin's strength well. He cannot possess Combat Magic."

"Let's not argue about this now. We need to find Alavin before he escapes again. He's been struck by my sword; his blood vessels were punctured. His injury will worsen over time; he can't have gone far."

sat in a concealed cave, absorbing the Restoration Aether of the ancient woods. The Restoration Aether

even a scar remained by

or wonder

Mage

recalled the previous night's perilous battle. His current strength was far from sufficient to challenge Stage VII; he would struggle even with Stage V. Just as there was a hurdle moving from Stage III to

It was kill or be killed, no room for negotiation. While he had his reservations back in Cobalt Strike, now, in the deep forest,

a matter of who could

seeking Nysah. His strength was far inferior to his enemies; he had to rely on the cover

Alavin avoided recklessness, steering clear of any Magi-Monsters he encountered. Luckily, he did not stumble upon

him, for not long into his journey, he discovered an Elixir Herb – three of them,

could help Alavin replenish

the sound of

It didn't sound like mages dueling, but more like a group of mages battling a Magi-Monster. The noise was

he moved silently

a massive beast. The creature resembled a fierce tiger but was even larger than a black bear. Its fur was glossy black, its blood-red eyes were filled with savagery, its mouth bristled with jagged teeth, and two sharp fangs, each half