Oliver quickly conjured a wall of ice to block the incoming branch, but the branch's force was too great and it shattered the ice wall, sending shards flying everywhere. Oliver was thrown backwards by the impact, his chest incurring cuts and bruises. He landed hard on the ground, gasping for breath.
"The difference between a Common wizard and a Mystic wizard is like night and day," the man declared, a hint of superiority in his tone. "A Common wizard can only cast basic, rudimentary spells. A Mystic wizard, on the other hand, can manipulate the very elements themselves, bending them to their will. You see, there is far more to magic than simply casting a few flashy spells." He looked down at Oliver, a smug smile on his face. "You're just a beginner, a mere novice. You've still got a long way to go before you can even begin to approach my level of power."
Oliver slowly rose to his feet, his hands shaking as he wiped the blood from his mouth. He took in his surroundings, surveying the damage. The wheat field was a mess, trampled by the force of the man's spell. But luckily, the farmers had already gone home for the day. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the field.
Oliver turned to look at Robert, who was still standing a few meters away. "Poison, a little help?" he beckoned, then he closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he had taken Solomon's form.
"But of course," rumbled Poison's deep voice as he took shape.
"Elemental spirits!" The man exclaimed, clearly astonished. Although he knew that they had elemental spirits, that is; Ancestor souls, he had never seen one before and he had heard rumors that anyone who possesed it could have a high chance of advancing to the Supreme realm. "They are the rarest and most powerful forms of magical beings, and being possessed by them is a sign of great power. The last bit of ancient magic in the entire world!" His thoughts raced. "Our Black Fraggers' faction leader is rumored to be possessed by one of the Ancestor souls and is already in the Legendary level, this close to achieving the Formidable realm. The three Superior wizards in the Magic council were also rumoured to possess them. The remaining were scattered all over the world. But presently, the Black Fraggers had gotten information of two Ancestor souls... That's two! If I could bring them back to the Headquarters..." He grinned with excitement.
"Your Ancestor souls are not strong enough to defeat me, your bodies aren't even strong enough to unleash their full potentials," The man, or rather the Plant wizard said, his voice full of arrogance, "they are only as strong as 1st rank Mystic wizards while I am in the 7th rank. I'll give you one more chance to surrender." The Plant wizard sounded very excited - he was about to battle two Ancestor souls at once. He was going to boast about it to those Aetherii (superiors) who dared to order him around again!
Solomon's face was set with grim determination. "Just like the kid said, what if we don't?" He growled. The Ancestor souls were a towering presence, their size and stature imposing and intimidating. Their hulking forms were both impressive and fearsome, sending a shiver down the spines of all who beheld them.
"So you have your own consciousness, separate from your descendant? Fascinating!" The Plant wizard's tone was full of delight, as if he were a child discovering a new toy. Thorns, branches, and other dangerous-looking vegetation began to whirl around him, as if caught in a tornado. He was harnessing the power of the plants themselves, wielding them as weapons.
"Poison, I'm confused," Robert's voice echoed in Poison's mind, "I've always thought wizards were hearsay. How is it possible that I've never encountered one before?"
"Outright ignorance, kid. Outright ignorance," Poison replied, his gaze fixed on the Plant wizard.
"C'mon, tell me something!" Robert urged.
"Alright kid, I'll explain it to you this way," Poison began as a rock spear materialized in his hand. "From what I've observed throughout the centuries, in our world, Kreete, and particularly in this strange town you live in called Axille, wizards are believed to be rare, but this is only true for the general population. The average person might never encounter a wizard in their lifetime, not knowing that they had walked right past dozens of them. Wizards possess a unique ability to sense each other through their aura, much like tuning forks vibrating in harmony. They could recognize one another without ever having to be introduced. In other words, only wizards could identify other wizards without being told." Poison gestured with his hands, summoning an earth wall to shield him and Solomon from the Plant wizard's barrage of thorns.
"Though the average person knew that wizards existed," Poison continued, launching rock daggers and dodging to the side to avoid getting hit by a large root, "they had very different ideas about what they are and what they do. Some believe they are hidden away, working secretly for the government. A few others believe that they are nothing more than a myth, a fable from a bygone era. To most ordinary people, seeing a wizard in action is a rare and wondrous event, usually when they battle magic beasts in the city, even if it was masked behind a cloak of secrecy. I've seen people gathering in amazement, as a wizard captured a fugitive, or subdued a rampaging beast. But strangely, after the excitement was over, the event would quickly be forgotten, dismissed as mere gossips or even as fanciful drills by the military. That's probably why you don't know so much about them - probably. To a few - children mostly - wizards were like superheroes, hidden protectors of the city." Poison concluded as he and Solomon were pushed back by the Plant wizard's counterattack.
"It's just like the old days, Gabor," Solomon rumbled, a false note of nostalgia in his voice. "Remember when the magic beasts would invade a town, and we'd all put aside our differences to fight them alongside the brave wizards of old?"
"Yeah, it's a shame that the kids are just ordinary," Poison replied. "It's putting a real damper on our strength. Do you think we'll even be able to beat him?" His voice was heavy with doubt, as if he already knew the answer.
"Enough talk," the Plant wizard snapped, his patience finally worn thin. "You've wasted enough of my time. I'm supposed to report back before sunset, and I'm not going to let you delay me any longer." As he spoke, a whirl of water began to form around him, condensing into a massive sphere of searing hot liquid. It hovered above him, thrumming with power, ready to be unleashed.
"A water spell?" Poison muttered, eyes wide with disbelief. The water sphere continued to expand, fed by the Plant wizard's magic energy. But how had he done it? Water spells were supposed to be the domain of Water wizards, not Plant wizards.
"You're in for a surprise," the Plant wizard said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You see, as wizards grew more powerful, they could form a pact with a magical or elemental creature, who would become their servant and ally. The creatures would have different elemental affinities based on their species, and a wizard could tap into the power of that element once the contract was forged. This meant that the wizard could summon their creature to fight alongside them, and also use their element as their own. The water spell I'm using is proof that I have entered into a pact with a powerful water magic beast, more precise, an Aquaserpine. And mine is so powerful, it could match the strength of a sixth-rank Mystic wizard. But that's information you wouldn't be privy to, since you're from a time where magic never reached such heights!"
"To be honest, we really don't understand any of that," Poison replied, eyes fixed on the rapidly expanding sphere of water.
The man's face flushed with embarrassment. "Water sphere!" he cried, and the boiling hot sphere of water shot towards the two Ancestor souls, its power rippling through the air. As it sped towards its targets, it gathered even more force and speed, a whirling vortex of liquid destruction.
The Ancestor souls stood frozen, like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. In this case, the "truck" was a massive sphere of boiling water, moving at breakneck speed. With their current level of power, it would be impossible to set up a strong enough defense. It would be like using a sheet of paper to block a speeding bullet. If only Oliver or Robert were at least ordinary wizards, the Ancestor souls could have completely regained their first-rank Mystic power. But they weren't, and they were now faced with an insurmountable challenge.
"Solomon!" Poison yelled, his voice barely audible above the cacophony caused by the approaching spell. "We have to set up a defense! As many ice and earth walls as possible!"
"It's no use," Solomon replied, "even if we put up our strongest shields, we won't be able to withstand that attack!"
"We have to try!" Poison cried, his voice heavy with desperation.
"Aaaarrgghhh!" they both yelled, summoning all their strength and erecting a huge wall of ice and sand. They shut their eyes, bracing themselves for the impact. Poison knew that he could regenerate from any injury, but he feared for Solomon, who could not do the same.
The water sphere collided with something, and the sound was like a thousand thunderclaps rolled into one. It was deafening, the sheer force of it sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The earth trembled, the trees swayed, and the birds scattered, their startled cries echoing through the wheat field.
But the force of the impact did not affect them.
"Did we just… block the attack of a seventh-rank Mystic wizard?"
Poison wanted to shout with delight, but before he could even utter the words, he noticed a figure standing between them and the Plant wizard. The figure was a middle-aged man with feathery wings that were disappearing into his body. He wore a green robe and had a jet black goatee, and the sheer power he was radiating was far greater than the Plant wizard's. He was emitting magic waves so powerful that the air seemed to crackle with energy.
"My God!" the Plant wizard exclaimed, his voice trembling. "Chairman Manhawk." The mention of this name immediately struck fear into his heart.