The shadows beneath Leo began to twist and writhe unnaturally, enveloping him as if alive. Slowly, he sank into the dark void, disappearing from sight. Clemens, still frozen in place, felt a surge of panic. He let out a burst of raw mana, desperate to break free.
He knew this wasn't ordinary Mind Control. Only one person could subdue someone of his rank, even for a few seconds—Ryan Alston Law.
Gritting his teeth, he poured more mana into his resistance. The invisible chains of control shattered, and his body surged with freedom. But it was too late. His sword sliced through empty shadows, where Leo had been just moments ago.
A few meters away, Leo emerged from the darkness, stepping into the dimly lit space where Ryan stood waiting.
Ryan offered a sly smile, his arms crossed casually. "Good job. Looks like you've earned the title of a full-fledged Illusionist."
Leo glared at him, irritation flickering across his face. "You know," he said, his tone biting, "of all the things you taught me, only the part about controlling my mana actually helped. You nearly corrupted me for nothing."
Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. "Hah! And you think you'd have reacted this fast without that control? You'd be dead by now, kid."
The two of them spoke as if the deadly warrior just meters away didn't exist.
Clemens's veins throbbed with fury, a visible bulge forming on his temple. With a roar, he charged at them, moving at a speed that belied his massive frame. But before he could close the gap, a Ball of Light streaked through the air and struck him in the side.
The impact wasn't strong enough to stop Clemens, but it made him pause. His gaze darted to the source of the attack—one of the C rankers, a priest, stood with his hand raised, readying another spell.
Knowing he is under Mind Control, Clemens snarled and retaliated. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, he unleashed a near-invisible slash of air and mana. The deadly wave raced toward the priest, but just as it was about to connect, the C rank paladin stepped in, raising a glowing shield. The shield absorbed the attack, shimmering under the strain, while another C rank warrior countered with a mana wave of his own. Together, they nullified Clemens's strike.
Clemens turned his glare back to Ryan. "Don't you have the guts to fight me yourself?"
Ryan smirked, his tone dripping with mockery. "Oh, absolutely. I mean, look at you—so big, so strong. You're terrifying!"
Clemens's face turned crimson with rage. Ignoring the barrage of low-level spells pelting him, he charged at Ryan again. But just as he closed the distance, the ground beneath him gave way. With a loud crash, Clemens fell through the floor to the level below.
The impact didn't faze him. He landed on his feet, instantly surveying his surroundings. Around thirty fighters—D and E ranks—stood ready, their weapons and spells aimed at him.
Ryan stood among them, his smirk never faltering. "You've got two choices. Fight your way through all these people to get to me—which, let's face it, will take time—or run. And while you're at it, don't forget the paladins will arrive any minute. Once they do, you're finished."
Clemens rose to his full height, taking a defiant fighting stance.
"Idiot," Ryan muttered, shaking his head.
At that moment, twenty spells of varying elements shot toward Clemens. With a roar, he swung his sword in a wide arc, dispelling the attacks effortlessly. They were no match for his strength.
He reached into his belt and grabbed a horn. He blew in it and the chilling sound it emitted froze everyone in place. The weaker fighters collapsed, paralyzed.
Ryan's eyes narrowed as he recognized the artifact. "The Horn of Authority? How the hell did a brute like you get your hands on that?"
The Horn of Authority paralyzed anyone of a lower rank than the user and boosted the wielder's physical strength for every person affected. Clemens, surrounded by thirty paralyzed individuals, now had more power coursing through him than ever before. But there was a cost—when the effect wore off, the accumulated fatigue would hit him hard.
Clemens bent his knees slightly, veins bulging across his body as his skin turned a deep crimson. His eyes became entirely white. He had used Berserk, a warrior's ability that pushed their body beyond its natural limits, unleashing a devastating burst of strength.
In a flash, he crossed the ten-meter distance between himself and Ryan. His sword slashed down with monstrous force, cleaving Ryan's body in half. The blade didn't stop there—it carved through the wall behind him, through the next wall, and finally struck the magical barrier Ryan had installed around the building, leaving a deep scar on its surface.
But the halved body dissolved into mist, revealing itself to be an illusion.
Ryan appeared a meter away, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Tut, tut, tut," he said, waggling a finger. "You really need to work on your temper, my friend."
Clemens roared and swung again, slicing the second illusion in half. Another appeared, smirking, a meter away.
Ryan didn't give Clemens a moment to breathe. Ten identical clones of himself appeared and, after a tense moment, charged at him in unison.
Clemens, already a formidable warrior, was now enhanced by the Horn of Authority and Berserk. His movements were a blur, cutting through the clones with ease. But for every one he struck down, more seemed to take its place. Within moments, the number of clones swelled to fifty, then even more, until some managed to slip past his defenses, their daggers slicing into his flesh.
Blood dripped from his wounds, but in his frenzied state, Clemens could barely think. Overwhelmed by fury, he charged wildly, destroying anything that entered his path.
…
Upstairs, Leo peered down through the hole in the floor, watching the chaotic scene below. Ryan stood beside him, his face calm despite the chaos. Down there, amidst the fray, another Ryan was locked in combat.
"Are you using real Illusion? The kind that alters the space around you rather than affecting the target directly?" Leo asked, his tone skeptical.
"We don't call it that," Ryan replied with a sly grin, "but yes."
"Where's the real you?"
"Standing right next to you," Ryan said without hesitation.
Leo raised an eyebrow, his suspicion unmasked. "Sure," he muttered, unconvinced. "What about Eliza's mom?"
"She's safe," Ryan reassured him. "I made sure your paladin friends would find her."
Leo's eyes remained fixed on the battle below, the clash of steel and cries of pain cutting through the air.
"How can you attack him with illusions?"
"I'm using shadow clones within the Illusions," Ryan explained, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
His attention shifted to Lizzie, who was off to the side, behaving in ways that were anything but ordinary. His brow furrowed as he asked, "What did you do to her?"
Leo followed Ryan's gaze and blinked. "Oh, right. I completely forgot about her," he admitted, a mischievous smile creeping onto his face. "I just gave her what she wanted."
Ryan shot him a strange look, one eyebrow arched as if to say, How do you even know about things like this? Aren't you sixteen? Deciding not to comment, he turned his focus back to Lizzie.
"I think she's had enough," Ryan said, his tone flat but decisive.
With a casual wave of his hand, a faint glow emanated from Ryan's fingertips and Lizzie collapsed into unconsciousness, her body slumping gently to the floor.
From other rooms, the panicked screams of nobles filtered through the halls. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed as they fled, spurred by the chaos unfolding.
As the fight spilled into the courtyard, Leo leaned on a wooden stick salvaged from the nearby ruins, his earlier healing allowing him to stand. Slowly, he made his way to the balcony, Ryan following close behind. Together, they watched the fierce battle unfold under the moonlit sky.
…
Ryan carefully maneuvered Clemens, luring him further away from the panicked crowd. Despite Clemens' relentless attacks, each slash and strike cutting into him, Clemens' form didn't falter or fall.
Minutes dragged by, the tension mounting with every step. Then, suddenly, Clemens let out a thunderous roar, a sound that echoed through the open space like a beast pushed to its limits.
All the mansion's glass shattered and disappeared, taking Ryan's illusions with it.
"You'd better use your scroll and go. The paladins are coming," Ryan said without sparing Leo a glance.
Before Leo could respond, Ryan leapt off the balcony, landing effortlessly on the ground below. He began walking toward Clemens, his movements unhurried and deliberate.
Leo hesitated, torn between fleeing and watching what Ryan was about to do.
Ryan's calm strides seemed to draw Clemens' attention. The massive warrior turned, his bloodshot eyes locking onto him. With a roar, Clemens charged, moving with a speed that eclipsed anything Leo had seen, even from Edmond.
Ryan's face shifted from calm indifference to visible annoyance. "You've wasted enough of my time."
As Clemens closed the gap, the earth beneath him trembled. The ground rippled and surged, suddenly engulfing his feet and halting his charge. Before he could react, gnarled branches erupted from the soil, twisting and coiling around him like living chains. Clemens thrashed against them, but the branches multiplied by the thousands, binding him completely.
In moments, a massive tree formed around Clemens, its bark enclosing his body, leaving only his head exposed. He opened his mouth to let out another defiant roar, but Ryan calmly placed a hand on his head.
For a brief moment, Clemens' rage burned bright, but then his eyes dulled, and his roar faded into silence.
Leo, watching from above, stood frozen, his mouth agape.
'Does Ryan have elemental abilities too? Or… is it another illusion?' he wondered, his thoughts racing.
He wanted to ask, but staying here any longer was far too dangerous.
Leo hurried back inside, pulling out his scroll. Injecting his mana, he felt his vision blur before the world around him shifted. Moments later, he stood in the alley near the coffee shop.
He exhaled deeply, relief washing over him. It was finally over. He'd saved Eliza's mother. Stretching, he prepared to leave, but a sudden realization stopped him cold—he'd forgotten his magic bag.
Panic set in as he grappled with the implications. 'Should I go back?' He shook his head. That wasn't an option.
'I'll have to contact Ryan,' he decided.
Just as he wanted to use Telepathy, the sound of footsteps echoed through the alley. Leo tensed, activating his spells and crystals, taking a defensive stance. The figure approached slowly, his face obscured by shadow.
"You should be more mindful of your belongings during a mission like that," a familiar voice called out.
Leo's tension eased slightly as the figure stepped into the moonlight. It was Edgarth Wells.
"Teacher…" Leo began, his voice faltering.
Edgarth raised the bag in front of him. "Take it," he said firmly. "And be more careful next time."
Leo accepted the bag, his words caught in his throat.
As Edgarth turned to leave, he paused, glancing back slightly. "Tell your friend not to cause any more trouble." a sudden wave of pressure rolled off Edgarth, freezing Leo in place. "Or I'll step in myself," he warned, his tone cold and unyielding.
With that, Edgarth disappeared into the shadows, leaving Leo trembling in the alley for several minutes.
After his trembling subsided, Leo made his way home. The night was deep and silent, and as he stepped inside, the faint sounds of his family's sleep reached his ears. Careful not to wake anyone, he slipped into his room and leaned against the edge of his bed. Yet, sleep eluded him.
Frustrated but determined, he began reviewing everything that had happened.
First, he now understood what it truly meant to think like an illusionist. He didn't have to fight every battle head-on; trickery could be his weapon, allowing him to outmaneuver opponents far stronger than himself. It was a revelation—a chance to hold his own, even against a B rank foe.
The way Ryan fought was fascinating. While his shadows and illusions battled with relentless precision, he stood nearby, observing with an almost detached calm, as though orchestrating a performance only he could see.
Second, the gap in power between him and a B rank was staggering. A single wave of an attack from Clemens had almost ended him. The memory sent a chill down his spine, reminding him how vulnerable he still was.
Third, Ryan's lessons opened a path to faster progress. If he dedicated himself, he could grow stronger, more quickly. But that meant more books, more study, and relentless effort. The thought of asking Ryan about the final spell he'd seen crossed his mind, but he doubted Ryan would reveal it if it were a high-ranking ability.
Yet, amid all these thoughts, one thing stood out above the rest: tomorrow, Eliza would finally reunite with her mother.
The weight of recent events now organized in his mind, Leo turned his thoughts back to his previous goals. He needed to resume his plans without delay.
First, he had to track down the book Liamond and Cristina had recommended—it could be the key to unlocking the next stage of his journey. Second, he had to finish preparing the research room he had purchased. Speed was crucial.
An idea sparked: he could ask Ryan about spells that enhanced vision. If heat vision existed in this world, it was better to know now than to waste his time over it.
A sudden realization pulled his focus to his hand. His Ring of Clarity was still active.
"Damn," he muttered, hastily deactivating it.
The moment the ring's effects wore off, a sharp headache overwhelmed him, pounding relentlessly. Sleep became an impossibility and he spent the rest of the night wide awake, wrestling with the pain and his restless thoughts.