novelraw Chapter 489:The Hunter Is Being Hunted
Chapter 489:The Hunter Is Being Hunted
Chapter 489:The Hunter Is Being Hunted
Above, the mage let out a low chuckle.
"You're fast. I'll give you that. But speed means nothing if you can't touch me."
Ethan landed lightly on the ground, his posture steady.
He exhaled slowly.Then his fingers began to move.
Wind gathered.
Lightning sparked.
Light and darkness twisted together.
Multiple elements formed around him at the same time, swirling and merging into a powerful force.
The mage's expression shifted slightly.
"…Multi-element… what?"
"Aren't you a swordsman?"
Ethan showed a faint, cheeky smile.
"Who said that?"
He raised his hand slightly.
"Go."
The next moment, a storm erupted.
Blades of wind shot forward while spears of condensed water followed closely behind. Lightning bolts crashed down from above, and beams of light pierced through the air. At the same time, shadows twisted beneath the mage, locking onto his position.
The attacks came from every direction.
BOOOOM!
The sky itself seemed to tremble under the barrage.
The mage's smile faded as he tapped his staff quickly.
"Spatial Shift."
The space around him folded repeatedly, and his figure flickered as he moved. He managed to dodge most of the attacks, but not all of them.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning struck his shoulder, and a blade of wind cut across his arm.
He staggered slightly before regaining his balance.
His eyes turned colder.
"You're not just a brute."
Ethan stepped forward slowly, his gaze steady.
"I never said I was."
The ground beneath him cracked as his aura rose again. This time, a faint golden light mixed with dark shadows surrounded him, creating a strange and powerful presence.
The mage raised his staff once more.
"Let's see how long you can keep that up."
"Spatial Domain."
A low hum spread across the battlefield.
The space around Ethan suddenly became heavy and distorted. Every movement felt slightly delayed, as if something invisible was holding him back.
Ethan frowned slightly.
"…A domain."
The mage smiled faintly.
"Now you're inside my world."
He pointed his staff forward.
"Collapse."
The space around Ethan shrank violently from all directions. Pressure closed in like invisible walls, and the ground beneath him began to crack and sink.
CRACK! CRACK!
Ethan's muscles tensed as he extended his hand forward. Several streams of elemental magic appeared and began compressing rapidly in his palm.
"Let's try this "
BOOM!
A massive wave of energy exploded outward from his body.
Lightning flickered from his hand while the wind howled in between.
Flames flared up alongside.Instead of letting it go,he compressed it as much as possible.
The pressure around him shattered as cracks spread through the invisible domain, breaking it apart piece by piece.
The mage's expression changed instantly.
"What—"
Before he could react Ethan moved.
His figure disappeared from sight.
The next moment, a voice echoed from behind him.
"Dont be so smug."
SLASH!
A blade of pure condensed light and lightning formed in his hand and cut through the air with terrifying speed.
The mage barely managed to twist his body.
The blade grazed his chest, tearing through his robe and leaving behind a deep burn mark.
He retreated instantly, sliding back through the air as his breathing grew slightly heavier.
For the first time, his calm demeanor showed cracks.
The battlefield fell into a tense silence for a brief moment.
The middle-aged mage staggered backward through the air, his breathing uneven as he struggled to regain control. The burn mark across his chest still glowed faintly, and the confidence he carried earlier had already begun to crumble. His grip tightened around his staff while he forced himself to retreat further.
But Ethan did not move.
He stood there calmly, his eyes locked onto the mage. That steady gaze alone made the mage's heart sink slightly. It felt like he was being watched by something far more dangerous than he had expected.
"…Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
He twisted space repeatedly and tried to create distance, but no matter how far he moved, he could still feel Ethan's presence trailing behind him like a shadow. There was no space to breathe and no chance to reset the fight.
"You bastard…" he cursed quietly.
Then his eyes shifted.
They landed on Rathlos, who stood near the horse, completely still.
The mage narrowed his eyes and tried to sense his strength. From what he could tell, it felt like early Legendary.
"Hah… a fodder," he muttered, and a cruel idea quickly formed in his mind.
A twisted smile spread across his face.
"Let's see how you handle this."
The next moment, while still keeping an eye on Ethan, he twisted space abruptly and vanished.
SWOOSH!
He appeared right behind Rathlos without warning. His staff rose instantly, and his voice rang out sharply.
"Void Chains!"
Countless chains burst out from distorted space and wrapped tightly around Rathlos' body. The chains locked in with a loud metallic sound and bound him completely, restricting every movement.
"Kekeke…" the mage laughed, relief and madness mixing in his voice.
"If you want your friend alive… hurry up and kneel down… hahah—pfff!"
BOOM!
His laughter stopped abruptly as his body jerked violently.
For a moment, he did not understand what had happened.
Then he slowly looked down.
A long blade of darkness had pierced straight through his throat.
"What…?" his voice came out broken and weak.
The blade pulsed faintly, and dark energy spread slowly from the wound.
"Tsk… it missed the heart…" he muttered, his voice trembling.
Even then, he forced himself to stay conscious.
His eyes moved again.
They landed on Rathlos.
The chains were still wrapped around him.
But something felt wrong.
"…How?" he asked, disbelief filling his voice.
Rathlos looked down at him calmly.
There was no panic in his expression. Instead, there was a faint sense of disdain.
"Did you really take me as fodder?" Rathlos said quietly.
The next moment..
BOOOOOOM!
A terrifying surge of energy exploded from his body.
The chains binding him trembled violently as cracks spread across them. A deep and ancient pressure filled the surroundings as Rathlos' aura rose sharply.
His back tore open, and massive wings burst out.
Scales spread across his body like armor, and his entire presence changed.
"Mythic rank… ahhhh!" the mage screamed, his eyes widening in shock.