Genius Warlock

Test subject 162.

It had been an extensive duration since Kevin last encountered that phrase.

Notwithstanding the passage of time, the term remained etched in his consciousness, akin to an indelible scar.

It bore no relevance to Kevin's volition.

"When Merlin first said he would take you with him, I thought he was crazy… Sometimes, that happens. Archiving leads to insanity. People cry all day, go mad, and even commit suicide. I also thought Merlin was one of those. To take an experimental rat and raise it as a disciple. But it wasn't like that. To turn an experimental rat into a wizard of this caliber. It's truly amazing. It makes me jealous."

Surprisingly, despite the adversity he had faced, Theodore extended his acknowledgment to Kevin. To be more precise, he acknowledged Merlin's influence on Kevin's growth.

The sole adversary Theodore recognized as a Grand Master.

As Theodore observed Tilda, who bore a bleeding eye, Philip, fiercely battling with a lost arm, and Terence, expending spells recklessly and depleting his energy, he reengaged with Kevin.

"What training did you receive? Test subject 162. While you explain, let me catch my breath."

In essence, Theodore indicated his willingness to spare Kevin if he divulged information.

This was a self-assured stance to adopt, especially in the face of the Honorary Grand Master and One Master, the seasoned war wizard and the Magic Tower's master.

The dilemma lied in Theodore's entitlement to such confidence.

Even amidst the raging skirmish that left the hilltop hotel in ruins, Theodore remained unyielding.

In fact, employing life magic to restore a youthful appearance, he maintained dominance.

Kevin and Terence, Philip and Tilda. The absence of any of these four would have posed a perilous predicament.

Kevin, who had remained silent in response to Theodore's earlier words throughout the conflict, finally replied.

"It's nothing special. I just received standard training."

"Is that so?"

"Yes… Feeling the mana inside the body, controlling the flow, outputting it outside the body, exerting control, and adding spells and willpower. I underwent the training that is typically conducted. There are no shortcuts to mastering the basics, and there shouldn't be."

This sentiment bore striking resemblance to Merlin's philosophy.

While Merlin possessed profound insight into mana and an innovative approach, his training methodologies were orthodox.

He even adhered to self-directed learning, merely providing guidance and objectives to students, allowing their progress to hinge predominantly on individual endeavors, a traditional approach.

In contemporary times, this methodology has somewhat waned, differing notably from present Magic Tower education.

Nonetheless, Kevin refrained from grievances. The outcomes were assured due to its traditional nature.

"That's quite impressive for that. Test subject 162. Your level of mana is impressive, but that salamander…"

"It's just the result of my effort and talent."

Kevin asserted confidently, for this assertion was accurate.

Particularly, the elemental magic he had acquired to bridge the gap with Merlin was undeniably a product of Kevin's diligent pursuits following adulthood.

Although elemental magic might bear semblance to regular magic, it fundamentally diverged, yielding results that transcended imagination.

‘I'm proving it now…'

Kevin ruminated as he stood in for the injured Philip and Tilda, who struggled in the battle of control.

Without the assistance of the salamander, his endurance would likely have wavered.

Even though life magic didn't align directly with combat-oriented disciplines like elemental or pure magic, Theodore's amplified physical and magical capabilities were formidable.

"Talent and effort, huh… You talk quite convincingly for a ‘red man'. Like a real wizard. You're arrogant, but I like you. You're impressive. But then again, if you're taking someone who killed your parents and siblings as your master, you need to have that kind of thick skin."

Theodore delved into Kevin's history, rendering a commendation intertwined with jest.

While acknowledging Kevin's accomplishments as a wizard, he concurrently confined and diminished him – very much a mannerism befitting a wizard.

Terence, Philip, and Tilda directed disappointed gazes at Kevin, yet his composure exceeded their expectations.

In truth, his actions aligned with reality. For the sake of survival and vengeance, he had adopted his enemy as his Master.

"Actually, I'm rather disappointed." Kevin remarked, his neck relaxing from its tense stance as he refrained from reacting to the provocation. He simulated indifference.

"Disappointed?"

"Yes. I was a little scared when you said you were once my master's rival, but it turned out to be easier than I thought."

Amidst the grime and soot garnered from his battle with Theodore, Kevin's voice bore a trace of provocation. While unmistakably a display of bravado, this was a sentiment Theodore, known for his pronounced pride, could not disregard.

"How dare you-"

"Well, it's only natural. In the old days, you might have been able to keep up with my master, but now my master is an Archiver and you are… well, you. Ah, now I understand."

Kevin paused mid-sentence, his murmur akin to a realization dawning.

"So that's why you did this… It's because of your inferiority complex towards my master. Despite approaching an age where you could die at any time, you still can't reach my master's level, so you got impatient and did this? Is that right? It's the nature of the Life School to steal from others and wear it on yourself, isn't it? There was no other way, was there?"

Kevin blended provocation with speculation in his words.

Curiously, his words held an element of accuracy. While the central terminology eluded him, the context was fitting.

Consequently, Theodore's demeanor, initially scornful towards Kevin, gradually solidified.

Nothing stings quite like the truth.

Theodore's gaze bore into Kevin, met unflinchingly by Kevin's wordless glare.

Philip and Tilda, both nursing injuries, alongside Terence, maintained tense postures.

At the apex of this silence, Theodore struck the ground, birthing colossal serpents crafted from earth.

Formed of both mana and will, these serpents possessed both intricacy and might.

In response, Kevin summoned salamander for aid, conjuring multiple fire dragons.

Boom! Crash!

Precisely when Theodore's serpents and Kevin's fire dragons teetered on the cusp of clashing, gargantuan iron spheres akin to wrecking balls hurtled from a distance, colliding with the earth serpents.

These projectiles were hurled by Philip, stationed at Kevin's left rear, providing support. Amidst the cacophony of structures crumbling, a portion of the serpents succumbed, and Kevin seized the opportune moment, directing his fire dragons to assail Theodore's serpents.

The fire dragons roared, their voices amalgamating the growls of untamed beasts and the crackle of wildfire. They soared diverse trajectories, gnawing into and immolating the earth serpents. Theodore, the sorcerer, similarly became their target.

The confluence of fire dragons' firepower appeared to overwhelm Theodore. In retaliation, he hurled colossal icebergs, mud torrents, and lances of mana, countering the fire dragons.

Of the five fire dragons, three sported perforations in their heads, necks, and torsos, exuding magma-esque blood. Yet, their distinctive strength, Life-force, and sheer numbers sustained them, enkindling their surroundings. Gradually, they exerted pressure, herding Theodore into a solitary point.

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh!

As Theodore's mobility constricted, Kevin infused his legs with mana, springing forth through a burst of fire magic that propelled him skyward.

With the heavens under Kevin's dominion, Philip dispatched another colossal iron ball.

Employing his untamed mana, Kevin suspended the iron sphere mid-air, descending upon it. Through the Agni school of fire magic, he channeled searing heat into the iron mass, causing it to liquefy like molten metal in an instant. Employing the Gaia school of magic, he manipulated the molten iron into the likeness of a dragon, embedding a salamander within.

The sculpture, a fusion of intense heat and iron, appeared to stir to life as the salamander entered, pouncing at Theodore with unprecedented intensity and aggression, its fangs bared.

Had it collided head-on, even the formidable Theodore would have struggled to emerge unscathed.

[Dragon Skin]

Grasping evasion as unfeasible, Theodore invoked a spell.

An immense surge of mana erupted from Theodore's form, manifesting a dynamic spell that seemed to possess Life-force. Dragon-scale-esque armor enveloped him, endowing absolute fire resistance.

This armor even withstood the scorching heat capable of igniting the very earth below.

The method through which Theodore harnessed this unique magic inherent to dragon lineage, presumed extinct, remained a perplexity.

Could it be that he had somehow located this extinct bloodline and infused it within himself? Should such a hypothesis hold truth, the feat was both awe-inspiring and audacious.

To err on the side of caution, Kevin employed his warlock's eyes, honing in on Theodore's Life-force and emotions.

Though significant concentration was requisite, the present circumstances rendered this skill impeccably suitable. Astoundingly, Theodore emerged unscathed amidst flames so intense they bordered on the unbearable.

Almost as if he were assessing Kevin.

Evidently, Theodore continued to regard him as an experimental subject or mere component.

"Well, this is troubling…!"

A frigid ire welled within Kevin, manifesting as mana eruption from his frame. He assimilated the enveloping flames, coalescing them into armor that cloaked him.

Yet, Kevin's endeavors didn't conclude there. He sought augmentation of the flame armor via the salamander. Consequently, Kevin fabricated a dragon armor distinct from Theodore's.

‘…Huh! Not done yet?'

Exerting all available mana to stabilize the fire dragon armor, Kevin ruminated.

This armor held the vigor of a volcano, yet its stability faltered, complicating control.

It wasn't yet primed for actual combat.

Unsurprisingly, Theodore discerned this fact, poised to assail Kevin at this juncture.

Just as the confrontation was poised to escalate, Terence, positioned in the rear for support, unleashed a barrage of magical ordnance in Theodore's direction, extending aid to Kevin.

Simultaneously, Tilda erected a colossal ice barrier and wall to buy valuable seconds.

Due to the combined intervention of Terence and Tilda, Kevin seized a brief yet invaluable reprieve. Within this narrow temporal window, he marginally harnessed dominion over the fire dragon armor. Employing its formidable firepower as propulsion, he endeavored to narrow the gap, advancing directly towards Theodore.

A resounding boom punctuated the air as Theodore conjured a magical barrier to neutralize Terence's artillery-like mana, simultaneously wielding control over Tilda's ice sorcery to forge an ice spear. Swiftly, he launched this projectile toward Kevin.

The ice spear cleaved through the atmosphere with such swiftness it couldn't be tracked with the naked eye. Yet, Kevin nimbly evaded it through the characteristic agility of a Red Man, progressing unswervingly.

Theodore, compelled to bridge the distance rapidly, parried Philip, Tilda, and Terence's encroachments, intercepting their assaults whilst propelling a colossal electric orb skyward.

[Zeus]

The thunderbolt Theodore summoned surged within the yellow electric mass, indiscriminately assaulting all animate entities within its radius, excepting the sorcerer himself.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz—Boom! Bang! Sizzle! Sizzle—Kurung!

The electric mass blazed fiercely, discharging streaks of lightning.

Each lightning bolt wielded substantial force, even constituting mortal threats for Grand Master and One Master.

Inevitably, the formation upheld by Philip, Tilda, and Terence – aimed at restraining Theodore – fractured, compelling them to adopt defensive stances.

However, Kevin allocated scant consideration to these peripheral disruptions, channeling his energy to breach Theodore's defenses and contract the spatial interval between them.

He adroitly evaded lightning-swift ice spears, incinerated the ground's attempts at ensnaring him, and countered plummeting bolts of electricity with flames, tenaciously persisting.

After skillfully eluding and dodging numerous incantations, Kevin ultimately succeeded in approximating Theodore within a mere ten paces. In this state, he triggered the Fire Dragon armor's detonation.

[Fire Dragon Ascends]

A draconian conflagration engulfed the vicinity, tinging the surroundings with crimson hues, and emanating an overwhelming torrent of flames and heat as it ascended toward the heavens.

An all-encompassing surge of scorching heat propagated akin to a tidal wave, disintegrating all in its radius to ash. This compelled Philip, Tilda, and Terence, proficient in mana manipulation, to conjure a protective barrier.

Yet, the definitive demonstration of Fire Dragon's potency emanated from the extinguished Zeus, Theodore's own mana, and the orifice rent within the enshrouding mist barrier.

Ordinarily suffused with spatial mana, this mist sidestepped most physical forces. Nevertheless, Kevin sundered the barrier through sheer dominance.

Although Theodore remained unscathed by the conflagration.

Thunk!

Kevin discerned a bone spear impaling his shoulder.

Theodore had extracted his own bone to forge a spear for impalement.

A technique straying closer to black magic than conventional magic.

Evoking associations with body modification, transplant surgeries, and seemingly an innovative Life School methodology.

"Quite impressive magic, Test Subject 162."

Clad in dragon armor, Theodore contorted the hand grasping the bone spear, coercing Kevin into a kneel.

"But my magic, just as special as elemental magic, cannot be hurt simply by increasing firepower. It was very Red Man-like of you, but foolish."

"Ugh… So you didn't kill me just to explain that?"

"Well, there's that too. I want to put you to good use and teach you some manners."

Theodore rotated his hand, intensifying pressure upon Kevin's wound.

Suppressing a scream, Kevin ruminated. Exploiting him? He held intrigue regarding this utilization.

The Life School wasn't renowned for its communicativeness concerning such intentions.

"How foolish…! If you let me live, you'll regret it!"

"You overestimate yourself, Test Subject 162. Do you think you can beat me just by using a single elemental spirit?"

"…It's not just one."

"What?"

"It's not just one! Consider it an honor to be my opponent. It wasn't prepared for someone like you…!"

Kevin channeled his mana toward his injured shoulder, suppressing anguish, seizing Theodore's spear. An extraordinary occurrence transpired in this moment.

Flash.

Something descended through the rift in the sky Kevin had earlier sundered, bathing the environs shared by Kevin and Theodore in pure white.

Colors evaporated, swiftly followed by sound and form, as though erased by an all-encompassing eraser.

After a fleeting interlude, Theodore realized a colossal lightning bolt had struck.

Crackling—BOOM!!!

A colossal lightning bolt cleaved the air, targeting the expanse directly above Kevin and Theodore.

The wizard's dragon-scale-like armor, constituted from mana, proved impotent against this onslaught. Theodore incurred severe burns across his entirety.

Inevitable, really. The lightning was no ordinary force; it carried the essence of the Thunderbird spirit.

This occurrence ensured Kevin, also subjected to the lightning's impact, emerged unscathed.

Elementals exhibited precise targeting endowed with a potency surpassing conventional magic.

Tzzzzzz!

The conflagration-stricken Theodore, his frame seared, enacted a spell to sculpt a mechanical hand from magical particles, fostering self-healing. His voice quivered marginally.

"…! Can you use two types of elementals?! Test Subject 162!"

"Of course, just like this."

Kevin melded mana with his punctured shoulder, retorted, and promptly an object plummeted anew through the aperture rent in the firmament.

It was the same Fire Dragon that had ascended previously.

[Fire Dragon Descends]

Salamanader-infused flames plummeted to earth, compacted then erupted in a cataclysmic detonation. This upheaval obliterated all in proximity, including the mist barrier encircling the vicinity.

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