Magus Supremacy - Chapter 708
Capítulo 708: Coming Back Stronger
CHAPTER 708
Low rumblings echoed continuously, sounding as if the entire world was on the verge of collapsing inward.
The mountain crumbled apart like a towering structure whose foundation had been completely obliterated.
The earth split violently, stretching fifty metres to the north and thirty metres to the south, tearing itself apart without restraint.
It felt as though a massive cleaver from the heavens had descended, striking the land with divine force and cleaving it cleanly in two, as the gaping crack from the northern and southern ends connected into a single straight line.
The impact caused the world to quake uncontrollably.
Beasts unfortunate enough to remain nearby were either caught within the lingering shockwaves from the earlier battle or plunged helplessly into the deep fissures that had formed beneath them.
The lucky ones managed to flee, yet even they had nowhere safe to run, as the entire planet had transformed into a warped and unfamiliar terrain.
It was as if gods themselves had descended upon the mortal realm to clash.
The land continued shaking violently, trembling with enough force to throw a fully grown man off his feet.
Yet, a certain figure stood unmoving amidst the chaos.
His crimson robe waved calmly in the turbulent wind, and the brilliant light that once engulfed his hands was now slowly fading away.
A faint stain of blood marked the corner of his lips, while his brown eyes remained locked onto the collapsed mountain barely a metre away.
His crimson hair fluttered gently through the thinning wind, and a soft, satisfied smile rested comfortably on his face.
The scene itself was nothing short of a marvel.
That figure was Grey, standing in the heart of the devastation that both he and Kira had brought upon the world.
Basking in the aftermath of destruction, the mage walked forward casually, completely unbothered by the magnitude of calamity he had inflicted upon the planet.
He strode ahead and plopped himself down on one of the massive rocks from the ruined mountain.
One leg rested firmly against the ground, while the other was placed atop the stone he sat upon.
Leaning forward, he propped an elbow against his knee and rested his palm against his chin, carefully examining the shattered landscape stretched out before him.
“Humph. How amusing.”
It was as though everything that had just occurred was nothing more than an afterthought.
His smile remained warm, carrying a hint of cynicism.
“This reminds me of a phrase that circulated through Lunaria Academy back when Kael and I clashed. A certain question about who would win between the Lunaria Academy demon and me.”
His gaze sharpened slightly as memories surfaced.
“It has been a year since I arrived in this world. I do not know how much stronger he has grown since then.
Back then, he was the only one worthy of my full strength. The only individual capable of contending against me. But I wonder…” he mused softly, eyes glinting as he stared into the distance.
“…Can he still contend with me after how powerful I have become?”
The thought sparked a strange excitement within him.
His smile widened subtly as anticipation bubbled up, a growing urge to test that question as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, that desire would have to wait.
He could not return to his original world yet.
‘I could go back right now and make a brief appearance. I know I can, thanks to my spatial magic,’ he reflected inwardly while slowly stroking his chin.
‘It seems that as long as I have visited a location before, and as long as I remember it vividly, I can open a portal there with nothing more than a single thought or a simple wave of my hand.’
He paused, lifting his gaze toward the sky above.
The thick cloud of dust was gradually settling, slowly unveiling the clear grey skies that stretched endlessly overhead.
“But it depends on my mana capacity. Coming here took more than a quarter of my reserves. If I wanted to travel to a faction, it might consume nearly half of what I possess.
But interworld travel? Humph. That would probably drain everything I have and would be risky, especially depending on where I arrive. I could aim to land close to my companions and end up dropping into the middle of an active war.”
A low chuckle slipped from his lips as he covered part of his face with his palm, amusement laced with caution.
‘Lucky for me, I still have Ki on my side. The more I reflect on this, the more grateful I am that I ended up in this world and lost my memories.’
The chuckle faded as he looked ahead once more, expression settling into thoughtfulness.
“If that never happened, I would have remained stubborn and apathetic toward learning Ki, relying entirely on magic instead.
But now, if my mana runs dry, I can switch to Ki and let my martial arts hold out long enough for recovery before I resume wreaking havoc.”
His grin stretched wider as he stood up from the rock he had been sitting on, rolling his shoulders slightly before patting himself on the back.
“Good job, Grey. You have successfully become a powerful menace. Although, all this theorising about travel and mana expenditure is still just speculation. I do not actually know how much it would truly cost.”
He released a quiet sigh and shrugged lightly.
“Well, we will cross that bridge when we reach it, I guess.”
Another chuckle escaped him, but it cut short as his brows knitted together and a faint frown crept onto his face.
“Now… How long is this damned phoenix’s rebirth supposed to take? I have been talking to myself for several minutes already.”
He lifted his hands and pressed his fingers against his temples, massaging them slowly.
“How long did it take the previous time? Let me think…” He rubbed his chin as memories surfaced, flashing back to the first day he encountered the phoenix.
“We escaped the collapsing mountain, argued for a while, then turned around to draw a magic circle for escape when it suddenly materialised before us, stronger than before. So I believe it took roughly fifteen to twenty minutes back then.”
Grey paused and glanced toward the sky, twisting his neck slightly as though trying to measure time itself.
“Should be around ten minutes now. Hmph, I suppose I still have a bit more waiting to do.”
His words trailed off.
About a metre away, a brilliant blue glow began to shine. A massive core, roughly the size of an ostrich egg, hovered silently in the air.
Above it, storm clouds gathered rapidly, swirling with ominous intent. From within those clouds, dozens upon dozens of lightning bolts descended, crashing relentlessly into the core.
Each strike intensified the glow until the light became blinding, forcing Grey to shield his eyes with his hands.
A knowing smirk formed on his face as he lowered his arms slightly, already aware of what was unfolding.
The phoenix was undergoing rebirth.
And when it returned, it would be stronger than it had ever been when it last faced Grey.