"You're too weak. Better yet—why don't all of you come at me together?"
The moment these words left Kael's lips, shockwaves rippled through the crowd.
Before him stood seven mages from the Crystal Spire—including Roland and the icy-faced Gavin.
Kael intended to fight all seven alone?!
Even Ethan found it absurd. Among these mages, Roland and Gavin were both level ten, while the rest were at least level nine.
Roland and Gavin ranked among the continent's top-tier young elites, their strength renowned far and wide.
Though not quite on Einar's level, they were still formidable prodigies.
Ethan knew his own talent wasn't inferior to theirs—but time was the critical factor. At twenty-eight, they'd cultivated seven or eight years longer than him, granting them overwhelming advantages in both power and combat experience.
Yet now Kael proposed taking on all seven Crystal Spire experts single-handedly, including two level ten mages. Ethan couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety...
Dylan's expression also darkened. Though their side had numbers, none reached level nine. Against the Spire's elite seven, they stood no chance. The Sacred Council's strongest youths had already departed for Moonmist Lake's center...
"You've got some nerve, brat. Heard you wiped out the Renault Family? Don't think crushing some minor magical clan means you can strut across the continent. The Renaults were insects compared to our Crystal Spire..." One of Roland's lackeys sneered.
Roland himself laughed in furious disbelief at Kael's challenge. "Truly ignorant of your own limits. A local tyrant thinking he can run wild? Today, I'll teach you proper manners!"
He stepped forward, staff clenched tight as overwhelming mana erupted from his body. The very air thickened with power as his miniature world unfolded—its rules pressing down on Kael like a mountain, locking him in place.
Roland's mana was remarkably refined—even comparable to Orc, the Renault Family head. Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. This Roland truly lived up to his reputation as a genius. Such pure mana indicated even greater potential than Orc had possessed.
"Hellfire!"
Bound by the miniature world's oppressive force, Roland chanted his spell. Hellfire—a level ten area-of-effect magic with devastating destructive power.
Crimson flames, so deep they verged on blood-red, erupted violently. Waves of searing heat rolled toward Kael like a tidal wave.
Yet Kael remained utterly calm. His own miniature world unfolded as he raised his staff and tapped lightly, releasing a fire spell of his own.
In an instant, frostflame burst forth. Having fused with the Fire Element, Kael's control over frostflame had reached an indescribable level—effortless, as if it were second nature.
"Wrath of the Fire God!"
This was another level ten spell recorded in The Book of Immortality. The frostflame rapidly coalesced, roaring like a wild beast—a sound akin to the furious bellow of a fire deity—before crashing toward Roland.
Both Kael and Roland specialized in fire magic, and neither hesitated to wield it in this duel.
"Mutated magic..." Gavin, watching from nearby, murmured the words, his expression shifting slightly.
His keen eyes immediately recognized Kael's spell as a mutated variant. Moreover, the purity of Kael's mana far surpassed Roland's!
BOOM!
The collision of the two spells generated a tremendous shockwave, forming a localized hurricane around them. Fortunately, both had deployed their miniature worlds—otherwise, the clash alone would have flattened everything within a thousand miles.
Such was the power of level ten mages.
With a deafening explosion, Roland's body was sent flying backward. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his complexion paling as he crashed heavily onto the ground, his aura visibly weakened.
After just one spell clash, Roland was utterly overwhelmed. The magical shockwave sent him flying, blood spilling from his lips, his face twisted in disbelief.
A single exchange—and Roland had lost!
His face paled. He never imagined this outcome. As a peak early-stage level ten mage, just half a step from mid-stage, the gap between him and Kael should never have been this vast. Yet he couldn't even withstand one spell!
The disparity was crushing.
In truth, this was precisely Kael's intention. He had held nothing back in that strike, unleashing his full power to completely suppress Roland in a single move.
Silence fell over the scene—so absolute that the drop of a pin would have echoed. Every eye was fixed on Kael.
Ethan and Dylan exchanged glances, mutual shock flashing between them. Kael could absolutely dominate Roland, a mage of the same level?
Kael's gaze remained steady on the stunned Roland as he repeated coolly, "I told you—you're too weak. All of you should come at me together."
Roland and his group's motives were transparent: they sought to probe Kael's strength. With his arrival at Moonmist Lake alongside Zorath the Silent, all factions had turned their scrutiny toward him, eager to gauge his capabilities.
The Crystal Spire's blatant provocation was nothing more than a test.
But Kael was no pushover. Faced with their challenge, he immediately demonstrated his power—crushing Roland with a single spell!
Moonmist Lake now teemed with factions, their intentions varied: skepticism, disdain, even outright hostility.
Roland's group had presented Kael with the perfect opportunity to establish his dominance.
He had no patience for endless harassment. His solution? Make an example so terrifying no one would dare provoke him again.
"D-Don't bully others with your strength!" one of Roland's companions stammered from behind the fallen mage, his voice shaky, eyes avoiding Kael's. After witnessing Kael's overwhelming power, fear had taken root—they now understood exactly how terrifying he was.
Kael almost laughed. They instigated this confrontation, yet now they play the victims?
Kael's gaze turned icy. "Bullying with strength? You should've considered the consequences the moment you destroyed my tent. Those who insult others must endure insults in return. Enough talk—come at me together. Save me the trouble."
He had no intention of letting the Crystal Spire off lightly.
This time, no one doubted Kael's words. He truly possessed the power to take on the entire Crystal Spire group alone.
"You—!"
"Kael, don't get too arrogant!"
The Crystal Spire members seethed with rage, stepping forward aggressively. Roland, though defeated earlier, hadn't sustained severe injuries and could still fight, albeit weakly.
On the Sacred Council's side, excitement surged. Kael's actions had been immensely satisfying—the Crystal Spire's earlier provocations had infuriated them, but their lack of strength had left them powerless to retaliate. Now, Kael's dominance felt like their own victory, as if they were the ones who had crushed Roland in a single strike.
The Crystal Spire fighters closed in, led by the cold-faced Gavin. Kael had already noted Gavin's presence—in his assessment, Gavin was even stronger than Roland. His mana was vast, his aura more restrained, and his demeanor far calmer, making him the greater threat.
Among the Crystal Spire's ranks, Gavin was unquestionably their strongest.
Indeed, as Gavin stepped forward, the others seemed to regain some courage, their fear diminishing as they encircled Kael.
Kael observed them with a faint smile before unleashing an overwhelming surge of power. Mana poured out of him like an unending river, and fierce flames erupted from his body, distorting the air with scorching heat waves.
Dylan and Ethan exchanged stunned glances. Kael's aura has grown even stronger—did he not even use his full power earlier?
The battle was about to erupt.