Chapter 176
Episode 58: The Mirage of the Mitra Desert (4)

Fragments of lightning scattered.

Each shard that struck the sandy ground exploded with a thunderous boom. Their power was roughly between late 7th rank and 8th rank magic, yet Jin couldn’t identify the spell’s name.

The second bolt was no different. The lightning energy coiling around Valeria’s staff transformed into a brilliant white spear, fired at an unbelievably rapid speed.

Valeria Hister—Jin’s magic mentor and the sole heir of the Hister family’s legacy.

Her magic defied convention.

Because she had mastered it completely. She delighted in twisting every spell she learned into her own unique variations. In other words, every magic she cast was a Valeria-style variant.

Crack!

The lightning spear shot straight, shattering Jin’s protective barrier. Before the sharp crack could even pierce his eardrums, a drop of blood burst from his earlobe.

The spear had grazed him by a hair’s breadth. Even the most skilled swordsman wielding a supreme blade couldn’t strike with such blinding speed.

Jin hastily raised a second shield, gritting his teeth.

She really intended to kill me.

In his past life, they had sparred over five hundred times.

In all those battles—over five hundred defeats and not a single victory—Valeria had never once tried to kill him.

“You’re dodging well, my student.”

Swish!

The lightning spear that had grazed Jin twisted its tip. As it was fired again toward his back, another lightning spear erupted from Valeria’s staff.

They crossed paths.

Jin rolled on the ground to avoid the two spears, but a third spear formed, narrowing the triangle and closing in.

By the time Jin barely finished chanting his first spell, there were already five lightning spears formed in that pattern.

The five spears converged in a line before Valeria.

Jin could no longer afford to be distracted. He readied himself for battle, his eyes darkening as they locked onto Valeria.

“So you’ve finally decided to get serious. This is your last chance. Pick up the sword.”

Valeria pointed to Bradamante, which was stuck in the sand.

Jin’s hand slowly reached for the hilt of Bradamante. But just before touching it, he shook his head and pulled back.

“As I thought, it’s no use.”

“Such stubbornness. You’ll die for that.”

“We’ll see when the fight’s over. I’ll play by your rules, Valeria.”

A thin smile curled on Valeria’s lips, her eyes narrowing.

“Your way, huh? I’ll be watching closely, student.”

The five lightning spears fanned out. From Jin’s right hand, a 7th-rank Reverse Flow Bomb began to emit a sharp, piercing sound.

“Looks like you’ve found a new master. Well, your talent was too precious to waste just because I’m gone. But Kidad Hall? Was abandoning me really your best choice?”

The only master, the only student. In their past lives, they always called each other that. No great mage could become Jin’s teacher, and no genius could become Valeria’s disciple.

So Valeria deliberately chose cruel words to shake Jin’s mind—to break him more easily, to create even the slightest opening.

That was who she was. Once she decided to kill, she spared no means or methods.

Offering the water flask at the start, giving him a chance to grasp the sword—it was all just a final act of affection toward her student.

Whirrr…!

The rotating Reverse Flow Bomb began to draw in the magic from the lightning spears.

Directly absorbing Valeria’s magic was difficult. To pierce through her solid magic release behind the lightning spears and cause a backlash, only Reverse Flow could do it.

I have to buy time until I’m ready to unleash Reverse Flow.

Valeria probably expected that much. And Jin was already thinking ahead.

She can’t maintain all five spears with her magic. Only one or two will last; the rest are illusions.

Identifying which spears she would keep was key to making his move.

Swish, swish! Shaak!

The lightning spears surged forward with slight delays.

Jin dodged what he could and twisted the trajectory of the sharp strikes using the Reverse Flow Bomb. Even a finger’s width of deviation created by the bomb’s pull expanded his movement range dramatically.

At the same time, he used simultaneous chanting to prepare Reverse Flow. If he could hold out for three minutes, he could unleash Reverse Flow at 70% power.

Of course, Valeria wasn’t just going to throw lightning spears.

Despite appearances, the five spears were one spell. And she was a simultaneous chanting user like Jin.

Thud!

Her silver pine staff struck the sand, instantly forming a vast magic circle that stretched to the ground Jin was leaping across.

A distant echo of chanting filled the air. As Valeria moved her lips, the magic circle quickly glowed red.

From within, chains of fire erupted—massive serpentine flames converging on the ground beneath Jin, attempting to engulf him.

Beyond the fire’s haze, the lightning spears surged again, one grazing Jin’s wrist. Without the Reverse Flow Bomb, his wrist would have been severed.

“Ugh!”

A scorching heat pressed down on his entire body, suffocating him. Dodging the tightening chains of fire was impossible; the shield was only a temporary reprieve from death.

Suddenly, a chain bit into Jin’s ankle. The searing pain shot up to his head.

Fortunately, Jin had deactivated the Reverse Flow Bomb and was opening a summoning portal.

Fwoosh!

Blue flames sliced through space like a blade. Valeria’s eyes widened as she saw a blue phoenix burst from the portal, screaming.

“Oh? Tes, is it?”

Blue and red flames intertwined. Tes stomped on the chain that had bitten Jin’s ankle, breaking it. Jin dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.

His ankle bone was exposed, white and raw. There was no time for healing magic. The fire chains had lost momentum, but the lightning spears relentlessly stabbed at Jin and Tes.

One minute.

If he could hold out just that long, Reverse Flow would be complete. There was only one chance. But if he couldn’t identify the real lightning spear within that minute, it was all over.

Kaaargh!

Tes flapped its wings, sending a whirlwind of blue flames swirling. But the wind was weak compared to the true majesty of a fire elemental—Jin simply lacked the magic power.

Though the water Valeria had given him restored some energy, it wasn’t enough to fill his reserves.

His body was battered from walking the desert, and he had poured nearly all his remaining magic into preparing Reverse Flow. Only the bare minimum remained to summon Tes.

Thud…!

One lightning spear pierced Tes’s chest. Valeria immediately shifted her target, realizing Tes was weakened.

Thud! Thud!

Three spears tore into Tes in quick succession, while Jin, drenched in sweat, completed the Reverse Flow chant.

Tes let out a roar and shielded Jin.

It was as if to say, “I’m sorry.”

That was enough.

Just as the last two lightning spears aimed for Tes, Jin finished chanting Reverse Flow.

Tes turned to a handful of flames and vanished back through the dimensional gate. The shattered fire chains scattered across the ground.

Kaang…!

A massive sphere of Reverse Flow magic rose against the pale sky. As the backlash spread, the lightning spears blurred and lost their form.

Blood dripped from Valeria’s lips. The backlash was turning against her magic.

At the same time, Jin coughed up a mouthful of blood. Doubling over, he spat out a black clump of blood and quickly scanned his surroundings.

The early symptoms of backlash were spreading.

Yet, five lightning spears still embroidered the air.

What a monster…

Among all the world’s 8th-rank mages, no one could do what Valeria did.

She too had suffered extreme magic depletion from casting five lightning spears and fire magic in such a short time. One lapse in concentration could have plunged her into backlash.

But Valeria had endured Reverse Flow as well. She had been tightly controlling her magic all along, waiting for the backlash to unfold.

“Magic backlash is something only those who can’t control their magic suffer from…”

Pfft.

Spitting out blood, Valeria’s complexion quickly stabilized. At the same time, the blurred lightning spears regained their color and obeyed her control once more.

“You must be hiding something. It can’t end this easily.”

Jin didn’t answer. For a long moment, their eyes met.

Then, slowly, he took a step toward Valeria.

“No. I’ve lost. There’s nothing more I can do.”

“Lies.”

“I just want to see you a little closer, one last time.”

Jin limped forward, each step soaking the hot sand with blood dripping from his mouth, ankle, and ear.

Thud, thud…

“Stop. If you come any closer, I’ll fire the spear. You’re definitely hiding something.”

“I’ve never lied to you.”

“…Did I expect too much?”

“At sixteen, isn’t this enough?”

“That thought was what kept you trapped. You could have become so much stronger. But now, stop. If you come any closer, I’ll shoot my spear.”

The distance between them was ten paces.

One step short.

As he moved forward, Jin analyzed which lightning spear Valeria would use last. The only reason she had unleashed the Reverse Sky technique was for that.

The lightning spear at the far left edge.

It was the only one that didn’t fade after Reverse Sky was activated.

If I charge, all five will be fired, but only that one will remain until the end. Valeria’s magic must be running low.

Dodging just two would be half the battle won. Of the remaining three, he had to block two—and catch the last one that would keep targeting him relentlessly.

Could he do it with this leg? An ankle so pale the bone showed…

There was no point in doubting. If he failed, death was the only outcome.

As Jin’s trembling leg took another step—

“Look at this!”

Valeria’s eyes blazed as she swung her staff. Jin threw his body toward the spot where she stood, where the lightning spears were flying from.

A short leap.

The first spear missed. It passed by Jin and vanished into thin air like a dying flame.

The second spear struck squarely in the middle of his torso.

Without his Black Light Armor, it would have pierced through. Thud! The spear hit the armor, and Jin coughed up blood. Valeria bit her lip, clearly surprised. The second spear disintegrated and disappeared.

Barely regaining his balance, Jin charged again. Valeria took more care aiming the third spear.

“Looks like your magic is almost gone. The lightning spears are fading.”

Valeria fired without waiting for a reply.

But contrary to expectations, the third spear was a real lightning spear. The fourth and fifth followed immediately.

As the last three spears shot simultaneously, Jin activated Multa’s rune. The real lightning spear aimed at his head was blocked, while the others targeted his thighs.

The distance between them was now five paces. Jin exposed both thighs and collapsed. As the spears piercing his thighs vanished, only the real spear Jin had predicted from the start remained.

Before his head hit the ground—

He planted his hand on the earth and pushed hard against the sandy floor. That alone was enough to close the gap by about five paces.

“Hmph!”

Valeria retreated, pulling back her staff. Following the movement at its tip, the real lightning spear was fired again, aimed at Jin’s back.

Spinning through the air, suspended mid-flip, Jin had no way to dodge.

Instead, he drew the dagger he’d been hiding in his robe sleeve all along.

With all his strength, he hurled it at Valeria’s neck—a single dagger, blackened and wrapped in spiritual energy.