A New World, an immersive game experience

While Eldrian's actions seemed intimidating, he was racking his brain on what to do. Currently, he was leaving the magic to Two while he analyzed his options. Both the Zonthans were Tier 7, and while their physical attributes were lower than his, their magical attributes weren't.

Eldrian felt confident that if he could close the distance, he would come out on top. However, as if knowing this, the two had separated to opposite sides of Eldrian. If he rushed one, the other would attack his back.

He couldn't fathom why they were being so wary. When earlier, they had talked so confidently about turning him into an undead slave. How Eldrian wished they had been blinded by that same confidence.

'And I don't have that much leeway on the physical side. At my fastest, I might be twice as fast as them. But they'll easily react to anything I do, even with that difference.' Sadly, the distance Eldrian had to cross to reach either was simply too great.

While twenty meters wasn't much and Eldrian could cross it in less than half a second, it would leave them plenty of time to react.

Realizing this and noticing the gathering mana near the Zonthans. Eldrian knew he was out of time to ponder. He had to act.

'Then I'll make good on my threat!' Eldrian decided. Instead of dashing for either of the parents, he dashed towards the estate. While it was further away, a large courtyard separating Eldrian from it, it was a big still target.

Naturally, spells rained upon Eldrian from behind as he turned his back and rushed the estate. But Two expertly dealt with those spells. While the defenses he summoned wouldn't last long, Eldrian only needed a couple of seconds.

Like always when facing superior opponents, Eldrian didn't plan to face them head on. As soon as he was close enough to the estate, he summoned three of the four medium mana crystals he had gotten from the school.

Knowing that the estate would surely have defensive measures. Eldrian staggered the crystals. And while they flew forward, he turned and threw the fourth towards the parents. Knowing that they would have to defend themselves.

And indeed, they paused. In their haste, they had closed the distance between one another. Now, they were both within range of the coming explosion.

Naturally, the two did not know what Eldrian's plan was. But they weren't idiots. Throwing a mana crystal could only mean Eldrian planned to somehow detonate their vast storages of mana. The flames following the crystal then were surely how Eldrian planned to do this.

As such, they focused on dispelling the fire. Which was just what Eldrian hoped they would do. After all, he was confident he could best most Tier 6 mages in a battle of willpower. Against Tier 7's, he felt hesitant, but still certain he could contend. And while he was up against two, he didn't need the crystal to explode, only to stall.

While their focus was on the crystal heading towards them, tugging away at the fire spell, the staggered three neared the estate. The first heading straight while the second and third headed up to avoid the shockwaves, setting them off before their time.

As for the parents. They found the mana making up the fire spell impossible to dispel it. They were forced to consume the mana instead. Which caused the surrounding air to become volatile. The nearby death mana growing active.

Eldrian wasn't aware of the air becoming volatile or that the nearby death mana had turned active after feeding on the mana of his simple fire spell.

But as the crystal reached the parent's harmlessly, the first of the staggered three made contact. And Eldrian timed it perfectly with runic magic to shield himself from the shockwaves—though this did cost him a whopping 2000MP to not be sent flying like the Zonthans.

The crystal exploded against the front door. An explosion just as large as the one at the school, causing the earth to tremble. Shockwaves flattened the surrounding area, while heatwaves turned to ash and even melted the unprotected steel and stone near the estate.

So strong was the attack that the parents were blown away through their defensive barriers. Crashing into the opposite estate fence, they both fell to their knees as they focused on reforming their defenses. All the while hoping that the defensive formation of their estate would survive the onslaught.

However, that hope was not something they could hold on to for long. Each crystal had as much mana as they had, as not only Tier 7 mage. But mages of a race with natural magical affinity.

Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine a time would come where something equal to the Tier 9 spells would rain down on their home. It was commendable enough that it had survived the first attack.

The second, however, decimated the estate. The formations crumbled mid explosion, and all that was left was ash and molten stone. And to add insult to injury, the third waiting Nova suddenly turned to them.

"HARVIERRRR!!!"

"KILL HIM!" Valerie, the mother of the deceased and cremated Harvier, screamed as she watched Eldrian disappearing from view. While it might be possible for him to kill the two, Eldrian didn't have another medium crystal on hand. And smaller ones would not do the job without risk.

As for the large crystal he still had, Eldrian had other plans for it. He did not want to use it just to kill two Tier 7 mages. They were certainly strong, but they weren't actually worth it. In this city alone, there were over a thousand beings at or above Tier 7.

Besides, Eldrian's job was to cause as large a commotion as possible, not to assassinate people.

"You do it!" The father countered, mustering the strongest barrier he could to protect them.

He had already tried to consume the fire spell again. However, Eldrian had grown wise. During his retreat, he had cast four more spells. Each coming towards the collision point from different angles.

With the surrounding mana in an active state, doing anything more might actually cause the crystal to explode, regardless. There was also the previously thrown crystal, blown somewhere unknown by the shockwaves. It could detonate at any time.

Honestly, the best bet would have been for them to run. However, his wife was not in her right state of mind to listen to logic. She shrieked and cursed as Eldrian's figure neared a corner. And in her desperation, she summoned a knife from her dimensional storage and sliced through her own arm.

"Don't—!" The explosion deafened the couple. Even as his ears rang, Lilian clearly heard her incantation.

"Aídae s'ae aeídae. Préqdae s'ae vréqdae. Tláraekat s'ae kláraeka. Kaekaequaklíxa!" (EN: "Blood for blood. Spirit for spirit. Death for death. Devour!")

As if it had a life of its own, her blood flew forward. Morphing and blackening as it chased after Eldrian, leaving Valerie even paler as she collapsed to the ground.

—

Eldrian didn't realize the danger coming for him until it was too late. Somewhere along the way, the blood had turned ethereal. Becoming invisible to the naked eye. And it had pierced his heart.

AN: Happy new years! Hope you all enjoyed the festive season.