So many High-Explosion Scrolls—was he dreaming?
Even the youths from the House of Violet, an esteemed alchemy family, were utterly shocked, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
They knew all too well the devastating power of these High-Explosion Scrolls.
For a moment, the valley was filled with the sound of people swallowing hard.
Many turned to the young man beside them, their faces filled with fear.
"Young master, maybe we should call it a day…"
"Young master, with so many High-Explosion Scrolls, I think we should show him some respect!"
As these voices reached Noah's ears, his fists clenched tightly.
To ensure he could secure Anastasia, he had brought over a dozen of the most talented youths from his family, intending to win her over in one decisive move.
But unexpectedly, everything was disrupted by this good-for-nothing who hadn't even awakened his mana core!
Even as an Apprentice Rank awakener, Noah found his lips twitching as he watched Velen pull out not just dozens but hundreds of scrolls—and still more.
If Velen had only taken out ten or so High-Explosion Scrolls, Noah might have risked it. But there were far too many.
"Fine! You win!"
Finally, Noah could only leave a harsh retort before signaling his group to retreat quickly.
Yet, Velen's icy voice rang out, stopping them in their tracks.
"Trying to leave now? A little too late!"
The cold and cutting voice pierced their ears like a freezing wind.
A violent wave of mana surged toward Noah and his group.
With a snap, Velen unfolded a single High-Explosion Scroll.
The thunder rune inscribed on it streaked through the air like a meteor, exploding in front of them with a deafening roar.
Lightning burst forth in a dazzling spectacle, arcs of silver electricity dancing wildly as a sharp, crackling noise filled the air.
Those nearest to the explosion, youths from the House of Violet, were instantly engulfed by the searing arcs of lightning.
Their once-sturdy ironstone armor bore charred black marks, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably, struggling to stay upright.
The ground beneath them had turned into a scorched wasteland, grass reduced to ash.
Without the protection of their armor, a single High-Explosion Scroll would have been enough to cripple them!
"You wretch! What do you think you're doing?!"
Noah glared at Velen with seething anger, feeling humiliated. How dare this waste make a move against them!
"Do you really think a few scrolls make you qualified to stand against us? Do you even know what the House of Violet is capable of?"
Before he could finish his rant, Velen unfolded another series of High-Explosion Scrolls.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Multiple thunder runes shot out like a dazzling meteor shower, blanketing Noah and his group.
Their faces contorted with fear.
Panicked, they unleashed their strongest techniques.
The chaotic mana distorted the very air around them.
Boom! Boom!
The thunderous explosion of the High-Explosion Scrolls created shockwaves that rippled across dozens of meters.
The destructive power far exceeded the earlier single scroll—by more than tenfold!
The furious mana clashed with the protective spells and abilities of the Violet youths, but their defenses dissolved like sand before a tidal wave, swallowed up by the relentless barrage of lightning.
Those caught within the storm of raging thunder, even the awakeners from the House of Violet, suffered broken bones, charred skin, and smoldering black smoke rising from their bodies.
Their agonized screams filled the air.
"Ah! My hand! My hand is gone!"
"Help! I can't hear anything!"
"My leg… I want my mom…"
Their ironstone armor was battered and pockmarked with craters.
Without it, they would have been reduced to nothing but bone fragments.
Even so, most of them were left maimed, missing limbs, or critically injured.
Their terrified gazes locked onto Velen, now filled with both awe and fear.
Some, glancing at the severed limbs scattered across the ground, broke down entirely.
"Big brother, please spare us! We were wrong, and we swear it won't happen again!"
"Big brother, we'll follow your lead from now on! If you tell us to steal chickens, we won't dare touch dogs!"
The once-arrogant youths now groveled, nearly crawling to Velen's feet.
But Velen shook his head calmly. "If you dare mess with me, you better be prepared to never go back!"
Saying this, he pulled out another large stack of High-Explosion Scrolls, ready to unfold them.
The strongest among them, Noah, wiped the soot from his face, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes.
"Kid, you're too arrogant! Do you really think the House of Violet is so easily bullied?"
"This trump card was meant for an Adept Rank awakener, but since you insist on courting death, don't blame me!"
Noah's voice dripped with murderous intent as he pulled out a blood-red scroll. He bit into his finger, letting drops of heart's blood fall onto it.
The scroll's seal broke instantly, and Noah slowly unfurled it.
"Dying at the hands of the Magma Giant is your destiny—and your privilege!"
As his crazed voice rang out, the air grew hotter, a fiery breeze sweeping through the valley.
From the scroll emerged a giant blood-red hand, tearing through the parchment.
A massive figure followed, stepping into the devastated valley.
It was a three-meter-tall magma giant, molten lava coursing through its body.
Its mere presence caused the air temperature to spike, igniting nearby dry grass and trees.
Anastasia's expression turned grim.
The magma giant was Adept Rank—a power leagues beyond Apprentice Rank!
Even dozens of High-Explosion Scrolls might not be enough to harm it.
This was a true monster.
"Kid, do you really think your tier-1 level 9 scrolls give you free rein?" Noah sneered. "Against the Magma Giant, your scrolls are nothing but toys!"
Noah's voice was tinged with bitterness.
That tier-3 scroll had been his ultimate trump card, an invaluable treasure from his family.
Using it on this worthless nobody felt like a colossal waste.
But before Noah could revel in his supposed victory, Velen unleashed a barrage of thunder runes from over a hundred scrolls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions resounded, debris flying everywhere.
The valley shook violently, sinking several meters.
The Magma Giant, however, stood firm, an unyielding fortress of flames.
Though its glow dimmed, it remained mostly unscathed.
Noah's sneer deepened. "Out of scrolls, are you? Now I'll show you what true cruelty looks like!"
Velen cracked his knuckles, turning to Anastasia and handing her a storage pouch.
"I'm too slow unfolding these by myself. Help me out."
Anastasia froze. He'd already used over a hundred scrolls—how could he still have more?
Surely, there couldn't be that many left, right?
But when she peeked inside the storage pouch, her jaw nearly dropped.
Inside were countless High-Explosion Scrolls, neatly stacked.
A rough estimate put them at over a thousand.
Over a thousand High-Explosion Scrolls!
Even as the esteemed young lady of the House of von Michelstein, Anastasia was utterly floored by Velen's extravagance.
A single High-Explosion Scroll could fetch over a thousand gold coins at auction.
Over a thousand scrolls meant a fortune worth millions of gold coins!
This was pure, unbridled luxury.
"Are you really going to use them all?" Anastasia asked, her mind struggling to keep up.
Velen nodded. "Of course. Hurry up. If this isn't enough, I've got another thousand!"
These people wanted his life. He'd make sure they understood the meaning of terror.
Biting her lip, Anastasia activated her mana and simultaneously unfurled hundreds of scrolls.
In an instant, the air warped under the chaotic power of thunder. Hundreds of thunder runes merged into a dazzling storm of lightning.
Noah's smug expression froze.