The three of them stared blankly at Ava.
It took a long moment before Lorne finally managed to choke out a question, his voice strained:"Aren't you… a fire mage? How can you use ice magic?"
Even Lucien, usually the quiet one, murmured in disbelief, "And it was high-tier ice magic…"
This was truly beyond belief.
In this world, elemental magic—fire, wind, water and earth—forms the foundation of sorcery. Mages who can command all elements, known as omni-mages, are incredibly rare and exist only in legend.
Mages were born with an affinity for one of them and typically specialized in just that throughout their lives.
Legend had it that once every few centuries, a prodigy might be born with maximum affinity for all four elements. But of course, that was just a legend. It had been hundreds of years since anyone had seen such a person, and most considered it a myth. Therefore, it was generally accepted that mages, especially in their early and mid stages, could only master a single element.
However, when a mage reached the rank of Grand Mage, they could begin to comprehend and train in a second element. For instance, a fire mage might eventually master lightning magic, while a water mage could transition into ice magic.
So this mysterious mage had clearly lied—not once, but twice.
First, being able to cast high-level ice magic meant she definitely wasn't a mid-tier mage.Second, she was very likely from an enemy nation.
The two most powerful empires on the Nolan continent—the Arcane Empire and the Frostmoon Empire—had developed distinct magical traditions due to their unique geographies and environments.
The Arcane Empire bordered the mineral-rich Flame Mountains, and most of its mages specialized in fire and wind magic. In contrast, the Frostmoon Empire was home to the frost-laden Moonshadow Forest, rich in magical herbs, and its mages tended to specialize in water and earth magic.
Therefore, a mage casting lightning magic likely hailed from the Arcane Empire.And one casually using ice magic? Almost certainly from the Frostmoon Empire.
The two empires had been locked in a bitter struggle for resources for as long as anyone could remember. Even Lorne and Lucien's hometown had been destroyed by the Frostmoon Empire.
Lorne tightened his grip on his sword, and Lucien subtly adjusted his stance. Though they said nothing, both had quietly turned their sword tips and dagger toward Ava.
Kyle had no idea what was going on, but he could feel the sudden tension in the air. Ava, too, was completely unaware of the shift in Lorne and Lucien's attitude.
Lorne stared at Ava, his expression conflicted.
She was beautiful, powerful, and had just saved his life. Even without testing it, he knew that he and Lucien would stand no chance against her. If it weren't for the tragedy that had befallen his family, he never would have raised his sword at someone like her. He and Lucien exchanged a glance, then, just before making a move, asked the question again, voice tight with hesitation:
"Aren't you… a fire mage? How can you use ice magic?"
Ava had no idea the spell she'd casually bought was a high-tier ice spell! She was about to make up an excuse when suddenly, on the mini-map, the three friendly green dots around her changed—two of them shifting from green to light red.
Light red? That indicated hostility!
But… hadn't she just saved their lives?How was this even logical?
Thankfully, the game's prompt appeared just in time:"These two NPCs hold a grudge against the Frostmoon Empire and its allied principalities. Please choose a response."
Four dialogue options popped up:
＜What are you staring at? Keep it up and I'll gouge your eyes out!＞
＜How dare you disrespect me, you ungrateful rats—die!＞
＜Hmph. Just because you're handsome doesn't mean I won't beat you up.＞
＜Spend $10 to purchase a voice scroll and unlock a free-form response.＞
Uh… the first three options were all way too much. Was this even a choice? The only remotely sane option was the last one.
Ten bucks?! Ava recognized this tactic immediately—classic cash grab. This game's pay-to-win schemes were just shameless.
With a sigh, she chose the final option.
'Ava' gracefully lifted her chin. Her gray robes billowed despite the still air. Then a cool, commanding voice flowed effortlessly from her lips—imbued with an authority none of them had ever heard before:
"I am… an omni-mage."
Seriously? Ava groaned inwardly. Did she just steal Kyle's character arc?
Lorne's eyes widened in shock, while Lucien actually stepped back. No mage would dare joke about being an omni-mage—it was too easy to disprove. Unless… the impossible was now standing right in front of them?
They vaguely recalled hearing, back when they were kids—fourteen years ago or more—rumors of an omni-mage discovered somewhere within the Arcane Empire. But the rumor vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.
Could it have been real? Was that person… Ava?
Lorne's mind reeled. Had he really… contracted someone so blessed by the gods… for just 10,000 gold coins? His body swayed unsteadily. Beside him, Lucien instinctively caught his arm, his expression just as overwhelmed.
Then, the game took over.
Ava's body moved on its own.
Her right hand lifted, and an ancient incantation spilled from her lips without her control. Pale blue light flickered at her fingertips - A sudden gust formed a miniature tornado, lifting the fire lizard's scattered remains into the air.
Even Kyle recognized it now.
It's Wind Magic!
At the same time, Ava's left hand traced intricate runes in the air, glowing with brown energy. A rocky cliff thirty yards away collapsed in an instant, revealing a deep pit beneath it. The swirling remains in the air were neatly dumped into it.
Lucien visibly shivered.
Earth magic!
Ava clenched her left hand, and the pit sealed shut, the earth folding over itself seamlessly—without leaving a trace.
Just moments ago, the battlefield had been a mess of broken limbs. Now, it was spotless. As if the fire lizard had never existed.
Three spells, back-to-back. Instant casting. Flawless precision.
Lorne wavered, then dropped to one knee.
"M-my lady…" he stammered, voice trembling, "Please forgive my rudeness. I'll dissolve the contract… immediately."
Wait, what? Why dissolve it? What happened?
Ava was baffled. It was just the game auto-casting a few spells—why were they all acting like it was such a big deal?
As she regained control over her body, she quickly stepped forward to help the shaking Lorne back to his feet.
On the interface, the two NPC status bars began refreshing rapidly:
[Lorne's Affection +100 → Current: Awe]
[Lucien's Suspicion -90 → Current: Cautious Trust]
The mini-map showed their dots changing from light red… back to dark green.
"Why destroy the contract? Let's keep moving. Weren't you in a hurry to find your three missing teammates?"
Lorne hesitated.
With that kind of power… that kind of potential… even the emperor of the Arcane Empire would treat her as an honored guest. If she wanted to found her own principality, powerful warriors would flock to her banner without hesitation. No wonder she was so rich!
He didn't understand why Ava had agreed to such a ridiculous contract. Maybe she had her own reasons for traveling here—keeping a low profile, avoiding attention. Maybe that's why she chose to team up with them.
His thoughts were a mess, but all he could do was nod and say, "Yes."
At this point, the team was no longer his to command. Still, Lorne took the lead, nervous and awestruck, he guided Ava and Kyle toward the tunnel nestled in a nearby ravine—the same place his team had camped the night before.
Inside the tunnel, ten members of the Bloodclaw Mercenary Group—who had been closely monitoring the previous battle with the fire lizard—tensed as they saw the Ava's team approaching.