The strike was strong enough to make the sorcerer crash violently into the mountain behind him, leaving a massive crater in it. Dust and debris rose everywhere, and among them, a spark of black aura flared intensely and advanced forward. Carlos knew that this attack would not be enough to kill the sorcerer, but it was strong enough to inflict direct damage.
The sorcerer advanced forward, his monstrous hands hanging before him, blood covering his body. But soon, those wounds began to heal as if they were evaporating completely and returned to their original state. However, even though the sorcerer's wounds had healed, he had consumed a great deal of mana to treat them instantly.
In contrast, Rian and Carlos were standing directly before him, both taking a stance of caution and alertness. The sorcerer's voice broke the silence that hung over the area:
"Heheheheee... That was truly close. It seems I have underestimated you two far too much, mutants. I never thought things would go this far."
Expressions of surprise appeared on Rian's and Carlos's faces.
"This far? What do you mean?"
A sharp whistling sound… The sorcerer blew a strong whistle using a whistle he possessed. Its sound was so irritating that both Carlos and Rian covered their ears to avoid hearing it. At the same time they blocked their ears, their eyes remained wide open, observing the sorcerer closely.
Soon, Carlos caught sight of a flash descending from the sky. It didn't take long before it crashed into the ground like a rock falling from the top of the mountain. The impact raised a bit of dust that blocked their vision, but they could make out a figure standing before the sorcerer in the spot where it had fallen.
The strange thing at that moment was that Carlos immediately launched an attack. He released several air blades toward the sorcerer's location and the strange figure. These attacks stirred up the dust and cleared it away, but they met a dead end — the newcomer had dispelled those attacks before they reached the sorcerer.
As the dust faded, the figure's features gradually became clearer. It was a tall young man, almost the same height as Carlos, with slightly sharp features. He was pointing his hand toward the direction the attacks came from — directly at Carlos.
His hand looked strange; it wasn't human at all, yet his appearance said otherwise — he was, in fact, human. At that point, Rian and Carlos both realized the truth about him: this person was definitely a mutant just like them.
The sorcerer, who was standing behind, smiled faintly and said,
"Heheheee, it seems this battle is about to take a different turn now."
During that, Rian spoke loudly to Carlos,
"Hey, Carlos! You take care of that boy properly. As for me, from this point on, I'll handle the sorcerer myself."
Carlos placed his hand on his face and said,
"You really never change, do you? You always leave the hard work to me!"
But considering the nature of their powers, this was indeed the most reasonable choice. Rian's strength depended on direct attacks, physical toughness, and his fiery strikes that could cause massive damage but were hard to control — unlike Carlos's flexible power, which relied on agility and evasion.
Carlos knew this well, though he complained about having to deal with an enemy without hurting him. Still, he was fully aware that his opponent was aiming to kill him.
The sorcerer tilted his head toward the boy as a signal. Instantly, a black aura ignited around the boy — one just like the sorcerer's, though even darker and more intense. The boy charged at Carlos immediately after receiving the sorcerer's command. Then, the sorcerer turned toward Rian, a more relaxed expression appearing on his face. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, saying,
"Now, we can continue our game. But before that, I want to ask you a question."
Rian's expression clearly showed that he wouldn't answer any of his questions, yet the sorcerer's question was odd. He asked Rian about his name.
"You mutant... son of the Crimson Dragon, what is your name?"
Rian was surprised by the question. He had expected something else, but there was no harm in answering.
"My name is Rian."
Upon hearing that name, the sorcerer began acting strangely, scratching his head as if thinking deeply.
"Hmmm... Rian... where have I heard that name before? Hmm... well, it seems my memory is failing me, but I'm sure I've heard your name somewhere."
To Rian, the sorcerer's behavior was annoying and bizarre, and he didn't like it. So, he launched his attack immediately — he had no time for the sorcerer's nonsense. Rian fired several blazing orbs that shot rapidly toward the sorcerer. At that moment, the sorcerer snapped out of his daze, his expression shifting as he regained focus and took a battle stance. He tore apart the fiery orbs Rian had hurled, but just as they neared him, they exploded, completely obscuring his vision.
Under normal circumstances, Rian wouldn't have had any chance of victory against a sorcerer of this level. But since the sorcerer had suffered many injuries and drained much of his mana, there was now a real opportunity to win.
While the sorcerer's sight was blocked, Rian used the same technique he had used earlier — Meteor Leap. Rian had gained this skill thanks to his evolution and his approach to the third stage of transformation. Now he could manifest the dragon genes in his legs, and by infusing them with Aether, he greatly enhanced his speed.
But the ability was more than just speed. Meteor Leap consisted of extremely fast leaps that allowed Rian to move through invisible energy markers he set along a path, letting him travel at incredible velocities — faster than sound.
Rian once again broke into the sorcerer's range and landed a powerful, direct punch. But this time, things were different — the sorcerer had anticipated this and only pretended that his vision was still impaired.
Rian's fist collided with the sorcerer's fist. The impact was immense — like two opposing forces repelling each other backward. On Rian's side, a crimson aura flared from his fist, while on the sorcerer's side, a dark, black aura enveloped his hand, as dark as the deepest night.
The clash of absolute power didn't reveal a victor; both were pushed slightly back by the collision. Before the sorcerer could recover his stance, Rian appeared behind him, using Meteor Leap once again. He struck the sorcerer directly on the upper back. The sorcerer reacted to the hit, but his expression suggested that he had allowed it on purpose.
As Rian's fist made contact with the sorcerer's body, several dark tendrils emerged from the point of impact and swiftly coiled around Rian.
"End of Chapter