I recognized the nature of that magic.
It was a water-element area spell.
A 6-circle magic, Water Horse Tsunami.
'So you're starting strong right from the beginning?'
Water Horse Tsunami had the advantage of wide coverage and instantaneous destructive power, but it wasn't without countermeasures.
The real problem wasn't with me; it was with my companions.
'Damn…'
It felt wasteful to use a barrier here, but I had no choice.
I turned to Michael and shouted, "Captain! Set up the device I gave you! Quickly!"
Michael snapped back to attention and quickly positioned the long device in front of him.
The other members followed suit, placing their devices in a north-south-east-west formation.
Suddenly, the small area was infused with mana energy.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, a torrent of water in the shape of warhorses surged forth, engulfing the area.
I leaped high into the air just in time to avoid being swept away by the wave.
-Crash!
The dense trees fell simultaneously, and the dry ground was gouged out, leaving it as bare as a desert.
The destructive force obliterated everything in an instant, but fortunately, its duration was short-lived.
When I landed back on solid ground, I found myself standing in muddy water.
Thanks to the Silent Space, my companions had survived, but they looked like drowned rats now.
Cough! Cough!
The scene was utter chaos.
I never imagined that a single 6-circle spell could cause such devastation.
As I surveyed the damage around me, I couldn't help but marvel at the audacity of the Billy family.
'Did they really think they could defile Trimun Mountain and get away with it?'
This was where Arahan's tomb lay. If word got out that they had damaged the mountain, they would face severe consequences.
So why resort to such a wide-area spell just to catch me?
There were plenty of other ways to deal with me without causing such destruction.
"Damn it! Are they trying to kill us all?! This isn't what we agreed upon!"
At that moment, Gracie's sharp voice rang out from across the room. Her breath was ragged; she must have cast a defensive spell.
Only then did I understand what had happened.
"I thought you were clever, but you're really quite foolish."
"What?!"
The Billy family intended to kill both Gracie and Tunda. They likely believed that eliminating their client would ensure a perfect crime.
As I taunted her, Gracie glared at me.
"How pathetic. You think I'd let you live as long as you're still breathing? You're just a witness against me."
"Shut up! What do you know…!"
"You're trying to kill an Arahan heir; do you really think killing one more person would be any trouble? You probably didn't even consider it."
"Ugh...!"
Gracie clenched her teeth in frustration.
It seemed she had exhausted her energy defending against my earlier spell while keeping Tunda unconscious beside her.
"Wow, you managed to block my magic? It seems you've been training hard."
Just then, several mages clad in gray robes appeared around us.
The others wore hoods, but one man stepped forward confidently, revealing his face as he looked down at us.
With thick eyebrows and prominent cheekbones, he looked familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.
He smirked maliciously at Gracie.
"Rooker Mone...! How dare you try to betray me! Your sister!"
"Kukuku! Since when did the Mone family care about such things? The bond between siblings ended the moment you joined Arahan."
What? This conversation was shocking.
I suddenly remembered her full name: Gracie Mone.
So that was why she sought out the Billy family?
"I told you many times! Joining Arahan was meant to destroy this family!"
"You have too much ambition for someone so small. If Arahan could be easily toppled, it wouldn't have remained our family's long-standing goal."
"I've done my best! What have you done for the Billy family?"
"To bring down a massive tree like Arahan, you must dig down slowly from its roots. My goals align with those of the Billy family. I will end our family's long-standing grudge here."
Listening to their conversation made me realize how formidable Arahan truly was.
How could someone live their life while incurring such disdain from their own family?
If that's not a talent in itself, what is?
As I shook my head in disbelief, I noticed the man's hand gathering water energy.
"Our conversation ends here. Killing you will be easy; you're nothing but fodder."
"Rooker! How could you...!"
"Don't blame me too much; this is all due to your poor choices."
-Whoosh!
Mana gathered in his palm, forming into a round droplet before transforming into a sharp ice spear.
Just as he prepared to launch it at me, I moved quickly.
[Using trait 'Challenger of Tenacity (S)'.]
[All stats temporarily increase by +10.]
[Using magic 'Lightning Strike'.]
-Bang! Boom!
The sky lit up as golden currents struck downward in a straight line.
A blinding light fell upon Rooker's head. However, when the light faded away, he stood there unchanged as if nothing had happened.
Smoke billowed from the shield formed above his head as his expression twisted awkwardly.
"Lightning... The quality is poor."
"I'm sorry, but that woman cannot die here; I've made a promise."
"You're making quite a fuss for someone about to die. What can a kid like you do?"
"The last spell was quite loud—perfect for summoning someone."
"What do you mean...?"
"Just wait and see. The Black Knights waiting nearby will come rushing in. It would be wise for you to flee now."
The Black Knights were everywhere; however, what I summoned wasn't just them—it was something far greater.
I smiled lightly at their bewilderment.
But my confidence faltered momentarily when—
"...?"
What's going on? Why aren't they coming?
Weren't they supposed to arrive when I signaled with 'Lightning Strike'?
Time passed slowly as my confidence turned into anxiety.
Even the enemy began to look puzzled after initially being on high alert.
"...No one is coming?"
I thought they were known for keeping their promises? Aren't mercenaries supposed to be punctual?
Damn... trusting those words made me look foolish!
They might be letting their guard down while I'm left hanging here!
Suddenly Rooker began laughing maniacally.
"This is amusing—truly amusing…!"
"...Just wait; they'll come soon enough."
They won't come; that old man won't show up!
I cursed silently while trying my best to appear calm on the outside despite feeling anxious inside about everything unfolding around us...
As Rooker's taunts continued echoing through air filled with tension—
"Arahan's bloodline truly shows its worth; how lowly your actions are—what kind of games are you playing now...?"
At that moment Rooker's eyebrows furrowed sharply as he sensed something amiss—
Suddenly ice shards flew from his palm toward us!
-Pick! Pick! Clang!
Unseen silhouettes darted past us swiftly!
At first glance it seemed like my mentor had arrived—but upon closer inspection realized whose presence it truly belonged too...
"Young Master! Are you alright?!"
The Kinzer brothers surrounded me protectively before asking frantically about my well-being!
Thank goodness they showed up!
"No worries; I'm glad you're here!"
"Leave everything to us! We'll protect you!"
"We may be outnumbered—but we'll do our best!"
In unison their bodies shimmered with purple light—a reassuring sight amidst chaos surrounding us!
Seeing them rally together felt far more comforting than having an absent mentor watching over things instead...
"Tch…!"
Rooker's expression soured further as his focus shifted away from me towards Gracie who had abandoned Tunda and fled into distance instead...
Rooker directed his attention back toward his waiting mages nearby:
"Stop being so pathetic—take care of those little pests while I deal with Gracie myself!"
"Yes!"
Was this unfortunate turn of events actually beneficial for us?
As Rooker prepared himself once again—my instincts kicked into high gear—I ordered Kinzer brothers accordingly:
"The weakness of mages lies within distance—distract them enough so I can close in undetected!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
"We've got this!"
Boom!
[Using magic 'Total Incineration'.]
As Rooker vanished from sight—our group sprang into action instantly!
We couldn't afford any distance between ourselves and those mages now...
I charged forward with explosive speed unleashed by Total Incineration!
"What?!"
They hadn't expected me to move so quickly—their expressions shifted from surprise into panic as I seized one mage by their throat and slammed them down onto ground below hard enough where impact echoed loudly throughout area surrounding us...
"Master!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Feeling cold sensations wash over me—I quickly dodged away just before various spells rained down where I'd stood moments earlier...
Having narrowly escaped danger—I realized how chaotic things had become since we'd engaged those enemies head-on earlier without losing anyone yet...
"Ha-ha! Young Master! They're completely overwhelmed!"
"Our strategy is working perfectly!"
"You're amazing Young Master—truly impressive!"
Originally meant for assassination tactics focused primarily on speed—it seemed our strengths aligned perfectly together during this encounter today despite being outnumbered overall too...
Suddenly however—the enemy began regrouping themselves again—
They shifted positions tightly together forming new formations around each other now instead…
"Wait…?"
They were clustering together instead of spreading out?!
Then suddenly outer mages began constructing barriers while inner ones started creating magical circles around themselves…
'Could this be coordinated magic?!'
Lower circle mages attempting higher-level spells using teamwork effectively—
Despite being only around 4-circle levels—they could achieve 9-circle level spells depending on training status combined with numbers present here today...
Clang! Clang!
"Damn it…! Young Master! The barriers aren't breaking!"
The shape of their magical circle felt ominous indeed...
Instinctively sensing danger—I shouted loudly:
"Everyone get back! Spread out as far apart as possible!"
"Yes…?"
"I said run away now! Move quickly!"
At that moment—the mage at center of barrier grinned wickedly while uttering chilling words:
"Kukuku… It's already too late! This is my secret technique honed specifically for taking down an Arahan heir—you won't escape!"
Boom!
In an instant—a torrent of water surged upward from within magical circle above us like an enormous pillar piercing through night sky above…
Dark clouds rolled in quickly blocking out moonlight overhead while chilling winds whipped around us violently causing shivers down spines alike…
'This is bad…!'
Even someone like me—whose mana stat barely reached 5—could feel overwhelming pressure emanating from this attack approaching fast towards everyone present here right now…
Even Kinzer brothers appeared frozen unable to move under weighty aura surrounding them too…
A sense of dread washed over me knowing something monumental was about happen imminently…
Boom boom boom boom boom!
"Ugh?!"
Suddenly—the essence behind powerful energy began revealing itself slowly through swirling clouds above—
Emerging claws broke through darkness followed closely by distinct scales glimmering brightly beneath dim light shining down upon them…
"A-a sea dragon?!"
By time realization hit—it became clear what lay above us now—a massive dragon looming ominously overhead revealing its teeth menacingly readying itself for battle against anyone foolish enough stand against it…