Kael's mind raced. If Simon and Jessica didn't bring those seventh-tier scrolls with them... they must have looted them from that chest!
Which meant—greater treasures likely still lay inside!
"Survive first, profit later!" Kael snorted coldly as the dual spells—Death Gale and Earth's Wrath—descended like apocalyptic tides. The magical tempest crushed the air from their lungs until Amelia's combat aura flared, forming a shimmering bulwark that momentarily slowed the onslaught.
The palace's magically-reinforced structure was the only reason it still stood—ordinary stone would have vaporized under seventh-tier spells.
Even so, the ground quaked violently. Though Amelia held the line, her face paled, blood churning within her. These weren't ordinary seventh-tier spells—their enhanced potency meant her defense would soon crumble.
Kael acted instantly. His staff swept forward, unleashing a pre-chanted incantation:
"Hellfire Wall!"
A seventh-tier inferno barrier erupted. Before the flames fully manifested, silver runes blazed across his staff as he roared:
"Cyclone!"
Dual-cast magic!
The composite spell—Hellfire Wall merging with Cyclone—transformed into a raging firestorm. Ghostly blue flames devoured the opposing spells with predatory precision.
"Impossible! Since when was he this strong?!" Simon's smirk shattered. Kael hadn't just leveled up—his spellcraft had ascended to monstrous tiers.
"How is one spell overpowering two seventh-tier magics?!" Jessica's hands trembled. Their prey had become the hunter in mere weeks.
A silent glance between them confirmed mutual terror. They scrambled backward—
"Web Bind!"
Kael's third spell snapped out. Arcane threads woven from pure mana ensnared the fleeing duo mid-retreat.
"Damn it!" Simon fumbled for another scroll—only for Amelia to blur into motion. Her Glacial Aura arced like a scythe, smacking the scroll from his grasp.
Having learned from past mistakes, Amelia had anticipated this exact move.
Above them, Kael's composite spell still clashed against the twin seventh-tier magics. But ghostly icefire proved superior—Death Gale and Earth's Wrath sputtered and dissipated into nothingness.
"No... NO! How can you overpower two seventh-tier spells alone?!" Jessica's shriek bordered on hysterical. Kael's meteoric rise defied all logic, her face twisting as if she'd seen a walking corpse.
Their ignorance was their downfall. Having fled their last "exchange" with Kael in disgrace, they'd missed his championship duel against Ethan. They knew he'd won—but not how overwhelmingly.
"Retreat! We'll settle this later!" Simon barked, already backpedaling.
"There is no 'later.'" Kael's voice was glacial. Marcus' betrayal had taught him: leave no roots to regrow.
His staff flicked.
"Deceleration Hex!"
The spell sludged their movements to a crawl, the arcane web squeezing tighter.
Amelia struck like a blizzard. Her frost-laced combat aura crashed into them like a tidal wave—
THUD!
Simon and Jessica vomited blood in unison. Kael didn't hesitate. "Flaming Demon's Hand!"
A colossal fire palm materialized overhead, slammed down, and incinerated them to ash. Not even charred bones remained.
With the duo eradicated, Kael's gaze locked onto Soren.
Soren—Nanka Academy's top disciple, akin to Ethan's former status at Flamecrest. Currently embroiled in a duel, he was losing. Though both were seventh-tier, Ethan's refined techniquesand battle instincts gave him the decisive edge.
"Gravity Surge!"
Kael seized the moment, his staff flashing as he unleashed the spell.
Soren's body lurched as if crushed by a mountain, sweat beading on his forehead.
Ethan struck like lightning. His fist shattered the air, a whirlwind of energy blasting Soren fifteen meters backward.
"Gah—!" Soren's scream cut short as he scrambled upright, his venomous glare locking onto Kael. The corpses of Jessica and Simon confirmed his doom—retreat was the only option.
He spun—only to face Amelia's silhouette.
BOOM!
Her Glacial Aura erupted, morphing into raptor-like claws that scooped Soren up like a helpless chick.
CRACK!
His right arm disintegrated instantly—severed in one brutal motion.
This was "Eagle's Descent", Amelia's signature combat art—a technique even Kael respected.
"Meteor Shower!"
Kael's pre-chanted spell ignited the sky. Flaming projectiles incinerated Soren mid-air, reducing Nanka's star disciple to cinders.
A seventh-tier expert, obliterated without resistance.
"Done." Ethan exhaled, then eyed Kael. "You've gotten sharper since the finals."
Kael shrugged. "So have you."
Ethan wasn't wrong—Kael had progressed. But so had Ethan and Amelia. Complacency bred death.
"I thought victory would soften you," Ethan teased. "Yet here you are—stronger."
Amelia's cheeks pinked, her glare at Kael equal parts reproach and affection. Kael coughed—damn Ethan's big mouth.
Though their bond had deepened, relentless training left little time for romance.
"Ahem. Their spatial rings." Kael redirected, scooping the trophies. "Standard rules—take what you need."
"Obviously."
Jessica and Simon's hoards held generic mage supplies: spell gems, blank scrolls, journals. Kael skimmed—unimpressed. Compared to Old Ethan's archives, this was trash.
Still, the spell gems weren't worthless. Kael unceremoniously dumped them into his spatial ring—mage-exclusive loot.
"Soren's stash has a few decent combat manuals—we can share these!" Amelia announced, flipping through the contents of the fallen warrior's ring.
True to his status, Soren's collection outclassed the two mages'. Both Amelia and Ethan walked away with solid upgrades.
"Shame they're useless to me," Kael grumbled, suppressing a twinge of resentment. He'd done most of the heavy lifting, yet reaped the least rewards.
His disappointment vanished the moment his gaze landed on the chest—the very treasure Simon's group had died protecting.
"This…"
A single glance inside erased all grievances. His pulse skyrocketed.