Chapter 322 -: 321 Sorrounded.
The broad-shouldered Zlycon spell caster among the pursuing forces, had already stepped into the Second Heavenly Trial, a realm where every individual possessed terrifying strength earned through countless battles and years of experience.
Deafeating them wasn’t possible for anyone who hadn’t even passed a single trial, it was like trying to creak a stone with eggs.
He had almost died trying to defeat Lyra–however, the one to fight Lyra was Kavin and now he was Julius, so there was a small but big difference.
And this difference was that earlier he was Kavin and now he was Julius.
Both identities possessed the same power, at the early Void Core stage, but that similarity was only superficial. The difference between them wasn’t measured by rank, but by everything surrounding it.
Kavin was a nameless bandit with no background, no inheritance, and no family capable of supporting him.
Julius Augustus Hayes, on the other hand, was the sole heir of the mighty Hayes Family, raised at the very centre of its affection.
Since childhood, the finest resources, the greatest teachers, and the rarest inheritances had been placed before him without reservation.
His father had personally instructed him. His mother had refined his understanding. His aunt had spoiled him with techniques gathered from every corner of the world, while the family elders and even his grandparents had poured countless famous spells into his memory.
Combined with his monstrous talent, Julius possessed access to treasures that countless organisations would wage wars to obtain.
That alone created a difference impossible to bridge.
As Kavin, he had been forced to imprison nearly all of that knowledge.
No matter how gifted someone was, mastering multiple advanced spell paths while coming from an insignificant background was simply impossible in the eyes of the world.
Kavin was publicly known as a Time Path spell caster. If he suddenly began wielding famous Space, Fire, Light, or other high-ranking spells, every major power would immediately realise something was wrong.
The identity he had painstakingly built would collapse in an instant. Because of that, Julius had deliberately limited himself throughout every battle, suppressing the overwhelming majority of his true arsenal.
But now...
Kavin no longer existed.
There was nothing left to hide.
The Broad shoulderd spell caster narrowed his eyes, murderous intent surging from them as he watched Julius fly directly toward him without slowing in the slightest.
The human’s gaze never even lingered upon him, as though he were nothing more than another obstacle in the sky.
A cruel smile spread across the Zlycon’s face.
’Good... good...’
Once he captured the two fugitives, the Solarian Family would undoubtedly reward him with an enormous amount of resources. Such a contribution was more than enough to change the rest of his life.
Excitement burned within him as he completed the final syllables of his incantation, raising both hands while an enormous sphere of radiant light rapidly condensed between his palms.
The surrounding mana trembled violently as the spell reached completion, flooding the sky with blinding brilliance.
Then...
Without warning, an indescribable chill crawled across his spine.
His heartbeat faltered.
Every instinct within his body screamed that death was approaching.
The sensation was so overwhelming that cold sweat instantly drenched his back. For the briefest moment, his survival instincts urged him to abandon the spell and flee without hesitation.
However, reason quickly suppressed that impulse. His opponent was merely an early Void Core spell caster. Against someone at the Second Heavenly Trial, such fear was completely irrational.
"...Ridiculous."
Snorting at his own hesitation, he ignored the warning and completed the spell.
The instant he did, the space surrounding his head suddenly distorted.
It twisted unnaturally, folding inward as though an invisible hand had grasped reality itself.
His confident expression vanished.
Panic flooded his eyes.
He instinctively tried to move, but it was already too late.
The distorted space collapsed.
His head disappeared without leaving behind even a drop of blood.
His headless corpse continued drifting forward for a single silent moment before gravity reclaimed it, sending the lifeless body tumbling from the sky.
Julius shot past the falling corpse without sparing it more than a single glance, contempt flickering across his face.
This...
’These were the opponents who made me spend countless sleepless nights devising strategies..?’
His lips curled ever so slightly.
"...Pathetic."
The word had barely left his mouth when an overwhelming force suddenly exploded against his chest.
There was no warning.
It felt as though an invisible giant had driven a fist directly into his ribs.
A violent shockwave erupted through his body, knocking the breath from his lungs and sending blood rushing into his throat.
The unexpected impact forced Julius several metres backwards through the air, his grip loosening for a split second as Rosalina slipped from his shoulder and began falling toward the earth below.
Julius’ pupils contracted.
Ignoring the searing pain spreading through his chest, he forcibly stabilised himself before diving downward.
Reaching her in an instant, he wrapped an arm firmly around her slender waist and pulled her back against his shoulder before she could fall any farther.
Only after confirming she was secure did he release the breath trapped inside his lungs.
Looking at Rosalina’s pale sleeping face, completely unaware of the danger surrounding them, Julius let out a quiet sigh before spitting the mouthful of blood he had been holding.
Then...
He slowly turned around.
The path leading toward the Nightmare Forest had momentarily been cleared. The enemies stationed ahead had been eliminated, leaving nothing between him and his destination.
Unfortunately...
The direction Magnus occupied had become even more troublesome.
Three figures now hovered silently beside him, each radiating an aura powerful enough to distort the surrounding mana.
Standing on Magnus’ left was an exceptionally tall woman clad in gleaming silver armour. Her physique was sturdy and imposing, while an enormous greatsword rested effortlessly upon one shoulder.
A confident smile curved across her lips as though she had merely been warming up. Julius immediately recognised that she had been the one who struck him only moments ago despite the incredible distance separating them.
More importantly, the pressure emanating from her clearly belonged to someone who had already crossed into the Third Heavenly Trial.
On Magnus’ right floated an elderly man dressed in plain grey robes. His head was completely bald, while an impossibly long white beard swayed gently beneath him. Julius recognised him almost immediately.
The Head Elder of the Sun Family.
Yet even those two failed to draw the greatest amount of his attention.
Ahead of them stood another figure.
Tall and slender, dressed in flowing robes woven from deep crimson and emerald green.
A slender rapier rested casually within his hand, yet the faint aura surrounding the weapon caused even the space nearby to tremble almost imperceptibly.
Julius had never seen the man before, nor did he recognise his face, but the instant their eyes met, an icy chill ran through every fibre of his body.
Among everyone present, that man emitted by far the most terrifying presence, standing at the Third Heavenly Trial while carrying himself with a calmness that was infinitely more unsettling than Magnus’ furious rage.
Julius’ expression gradually darkened.
And they weren’t alone.
Far behind those four, countless more spell casters were rapidly filling the sky, their figures growing larger with every passing second as an entire army converged upon his location from every direction.
"...Crap."