"Hah… hah… hah…" Catrine ran, gasping for breath. Every now and then, she glanced back to make sure her brother was still behind her.

But the distance was too great, and soon she could no longer see him. When she reached the village, several villagers going about their daily tasks stopped in surprise at the sight of her.

"Little girl, what are you doing here?" an old woman asked, worry creasing her face. "Where are your parents? Are you from the city of Droswem?"

The woman stepped closer and crouched in front of her. Catrine wiped the sweat from her forehead and shook her head.

"No, Granny, I'm not lost!" she said urgently. "My brother and I came to check the situation around here, hoping to find the source of the plague that's infected you all. But suddenly, we ran into an evil man in a black cloak! He tried to kill us!"

The old woman and the villagers gasped in shock.

A young man stepped forward. "Why are you alone? Did that man capture your brother?"

"No." Catrine bit her lower lip. "My brother is a mage. He stayed behind to hold him off so I could escape. He also told me to call Uncle Gover and the soldiers to deal with that man."

"Gover?" The young man's eyes widened. He knew the man well—Gover was the leader of the soldiers who patrolled and protected the area around their village.

"Then don't waste time! Go report this to them immediately!" the old woman urged.

Everyone nodded and ran with Catrine toward Gover and the soldiers.

***

"So, kid, what do you say to my offer?" The black‑cloaked man smiled thinly. "Imagine having great power—power strong enough to defeat anyone. You could have anything you desire. How does that sound? Isn't that… great?"

His voice brimmed with enthusiasm, as if every word he said was the absolute truth.

But was it really?

Merlin was certain the man was lying. After all, his -50 favorability points were proof enough that the man despised him.

Even if the offer were real, the price wouldn't be cheap. It could cost his own life—or the lives of those closest to him.

Besides, Merlin had no interest in so‑called instant power. In this world, nothing came for free. Everything demanded sacrifice and a price to pay.

With a firm expression, he waved his right hand, rejecting the offer outright. "Sorry, but I'm not interested. Do you really think I'm that stupid and naive?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, a playful smirk on his face. "The power you're talking about must be connected to the One‑Eye Organization, isn't it?"

The man's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a sharp, murderous glare.

"How do you know I'm from that organization?" he asked coldly.

"You don't need to know," Merlin replied indifferently. "What matters now is how you're going to die at my hands. I won't show you any mercy, you know?"

His arrogant words made the man's anger flare like wildfire.

"Kid…" A cold grin spread across his face. "Your tongue is as sharp as a sword. Could living under your family's protection have made you believe you're invincible? Very well. Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he vanished like the wind and reappeared beside Merlin.

His fist swung with deadly force, aimed straight at the right side of Merlin's face. If it had connected, his head would have been crushed.

Fortunately, Merlin's reflexes were well trained. He leaned back, dodging the punch with ease.

Then, he reached out, grabbed the man, and used his body as leverage to spin through the air.

Bang!

A sidekick slammed into the man's face, sending him flying dozens of meters.

Boom!

He crashed into a tree, leaving a faint crack and a hole nearly twenty centimeters deep.

"Argh!" The man groaned, clutching his reddened face. "Damn it!"

Killing intent blazed in his eyes. Rising to his feet, he clasped his hands together.

"Creeping roots!"

Whoosh!

Twenty green magic circles erupted on the ground. Thick roots, each two meters wide, shot toward Merlin at lightning speed.

Merlin's eyes widened in shock as he scrambled to dodge the roots. But no matter how fast he moved, the roots were like guided missiles, locking onto him with terrifying precision.

Boom!

Trees were ripped apart, their thick trunks hollowed out instantly by the tips of the roots.

"Damn it!" Merlin growled, gritting his teeth.

"Hahaha!" The man's laughter rang out, cold and cruel. "Where do you think you can run, kid? It's useless! Today, you'll die! Hya!"

He poured more mana into his spell. The roots thickened and doubled their speed.

Cornered, Merlin clenched his right hand and shouted, "Fireballs!"

Whoosh!

Five magic circles appeared, and five fireballs shot straight toward the roots. Even his most powerful basic magic, however, was no match for such advanced spells.

"Lightning Movement!" Merlin shouted.

Whoosh!

His body blurred, moving with the speed of lightning.

He vanished from one side and reappeared on the other, dodging the roots as they twisted chaotically in response.

The man in the black cloak scowled, fury flashing in his eyes as he cast another spell.

"Fire dragons!"

Roar!

Two massive fire dragons erupted from thin air, charging toward Merlin, who had just landed atop a tree.

"No good!" Merlin muttered in horror.

He tried to dodge, but it was too late.

Boom!

The dragons exploded on impact, incinerating dozens of trees. Fierce flames surged, sending the temperature of the area soaring.

"Hahaha!" The black-cloaked man laughed, his voice booming. "What an arrogant boy! Do you think you're great just because you survived my last attack? Kid, you're dreaming!"

"Oh? Really?"

A playful voice called from behind him. His laughter died instantly. Goosebumps ran down the back of his neck.

Before he could turn, a blade flashed across his throat, and his head was severed in a single strike.

"Impossible…"

His head hit the ground and rolled away. As darkness crept in, his last sight was of Merlin standing behind him, grinning mischievously.

"How foolish," Merlin sneered.

He twisted his daggers to wipe the blood from one blade, then sheathed them.

The black-cloaked man had indeed been powerful—at the Third Star Mage level, equivalent to the Seventh Spirit Core.

Given his current strength, Merlin shouldn't have been able to defeat someone of that level.

However, thanks to his rigorous physical training under Linda—and the man's surprising weakness in physical combat despite his magical power—the advantage was firmly on Merlin's side.

"System, am I—"

Before he could finish, the system's panicked voice echoed in his mind.

"[Be careful, Master!]"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.