The Mysterious Black Magician

(Thud! Thud thud thud thud…)

From the loud explosion, a different kind of noise about something was rolling reached Rea's ears.

She glanced to where the dumbfounded wolf-girl beside her was staring.

A boss about 5 meters away from his back was standing without its-- 'head?!' Rea exclaimed in shock.

'The boss was decapitated?' In her mind. "How did that happen?" She asked.

Cinde heard his stupify exclamations.

"I think he used the same attack that he used to get rid of the Trent dummies," Cinde woke up from being stunned and replied to her.

"Oh, that attack? I was expecting to see it again the whole time.. But that person didn't use it while he was engaging with the enemy, which was weird. And now that he used it, perhaps he was waiting for the right moment to kill the enemy in a single execution," Rea deducted in which Cinde agreed with her.

"Right," she nodded. "But… although it's the same attack, it also felt different..." Cinde added.

She heard Cinde's confusing words. "Hmm, what do you mean?" She asked with a confused face.

"I mean… that technique had become faster and sharper…" It was what she believed upon seeing his attack.

Rea wasn't able to witness his execution. But seeing that the enemy wasn't torn to pieces as what happened to the Trent dummies, she could not doubt Cinde's words.

Rea bit her lips and secretly reprimanded herself for averting her focus from the fight. Because of it, she missed a good part of the fight.

She then decided to return her focus, though it looks like it was too late. The enemy already lost its head.

Some smoke was still on Crimson's body. It didn't disappear on the spot but it was dissipating slowly.

A moment later, they noticed his tattered clothing when the smoke finally went away. Even the sleeves were cut up to the part of his underarm. But they could not see any serious wounds on him, except for some little bruises.

They also could not find his weapons. Maybe it was shattered from the explosion. And because his weapons were corroded, the durabilities had weakened considerably.

In truth, he was hit by the explosion. He sacrificed his arms to shield his body. He even used his Spell Canceller ability. Though it wasn't as effective as before. After all, he was weakened upon entering the campus.

Yman believed that if he blatantly used Almina's skill, it won't be as expected as when he fought with the Trent dummies.

The boss was so agile and careful. So for his execution to succeed, he must do a sneak attack using it.

However, there was a problem. They were battling in an open area with nothing to hide. How come he sneak an attack in this regard? It was on his mind the whole time.

So when the enemy created the bubbles. He expected it to be explosive. When the enemy fired it at him, he already formulated a plan. But his plan was spoiled when it stopped and didn't continue towards him. It hovered in the air which was a very unexpected type of spell.

It was also the reason he asked Sistela to monitor it. So that he could focus on engaging with the enemy.

In truth, he could explode them by letting one of his scout bird or bee to suicide in the bubbles. But he chose not, as it might help him. Although his plan was insane, it was a success somehow.

When the explosion happened his arms were immediately charred, but thanks to his third version bee. It injected the restoration spell in him. Thus the lost arms were immediately restored. But the tattered training suit did not.

In truth, he could use his Time Warp to restore his body to its original form. But Yman was skeptical because of the weakened effect of the whole campus. And he was reserving the crimson mana. If possible, he would only use it if there was no other way for him to escape a tight spot.

By fusing Sistela and the Demon's mana, together with using his third version ants to inject speed and power booster elixir on him, he successfully executed an upgraded version of the Immediate Assault ability of Almina Amulet.

Now it's sharper and more agile.

It was more effective in fighting agile monsters and strong opponents like the boss dummy. But if he was fighting a horde of enemies, Almina's version was the better choice as it has a scattered impact that could damage multiple enemies at the same time.

A glint was visible in Cinde's eyes. She couldn't help but be amazed by him. Whatever he did always surprised her.

Yman sighed in relief. He finally—

Before they could celebrate his victory, they noticed something weird.

The boss was still standing without turning into light particles.

He immediately stepped back as he felt strong fluctuations of magical energy coming from the enemy.

"Could it be—"

<Yes, partner! It's the Craze Mode!>

Crimson wasn't able to finish his words as Sistela came ahead of him, telling him the same thing in his mind.

"Heh, as expected of the boss— Tsk! I forgot it," he said in honesty.

It wasn't part of his plan as he wasn't expecting that it also had a Craze Mode.

A moment later, a wave of magical energy erupted from the boss dummy's body.

Luckily, Crimson was already far enough from it.

Then they saw the boss dummy's head start to restore.

"Tsk! I thought it's dead! Crimson finish it!" Cinde started cheering once again. No, she was commanding him!

<Partner, what happened to Miss Cinde?>

"Don't ask me!"

<...>

Yman didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Cinde's sudden enthusiasm.

He also noticed Rea fixedly staring at him like she was staring at something she didn't want to miss. He wondered what happened to these two. They were acting so weird.

However, he had no time to lose his concentration as the enemy was already rushing forward to attack him.

After a huge leap backward, his foot landed on the ground. Then he kicked the ground once again to widen the distance.

His sword and dagger already disintegrated after the explosion. Now he can only depend on his strength.

Yman noticed the enemy's color turned to reddish. And more Fin swords appeared from its back, forming like fin-wings.

<No, it can fly!>

Sistela shouted upon seeing the enemy made a leap towards them, but to their surprise, it stayed in the air while fast approaching them.

It's form had changed. It's looked fiercer than before. And more powerful based on the magical aura that was oozing from its body.

Cinde stopped her cheering after seeing the new form of the enemy.

"From a fish to a flying fish?" She mumbled.

"Not only that, it looks dangerous as well."

Around this time, in the Mighty Solus Department, the department deputy leader Lord Gregor received a call from a friend.

"What do you mean someone broke my record? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Fufu, relax Gregor if you don't want to believe me, why don't you come here to the Training Pavilion."

"Fuck off, dumbass! Stop wasting my time with your jokes! I'm a busy man you know!"

"Fufu, you still believe I'm joking, huh! Let's see your reaction after the management of Pavilion notified you. Dumbass!"

Lord Gregor turned off the call and shook his head, he could not believe what that idiot told him. 'Tsk! That idiot has the leisure to joke against me. Did he expect that I'll fall for his nonsense? Dumbass.'

Lord Gregor thought so. It never once came to his mind that someone was capable of breaking his record as the fastest to reach the boss.

And besides, who would dare to challenge him? Only a psycho would do it.

The benefits he got from being the fastest king was a wholesome reward that he could not give up easily.

He smirked at the person who called him. If not only that he knew him. He already smashed that person's face onto the wall.

However, contrary to his expectation a few minutes later, a call from the management of the Training Pavilion did call him. Just like what the person who called him recently said. The management from the Training Pavilion had called him.

After discussing the reason for the call, Lord Gregor subconsciously broke the MTMD in his hand.

A glint of murderous aura exudes from his eyes.

He would be going to punish the bastard who dared to challenge him, after retaking his throne!

The call stated that they would cut off all the benefits for him as the rank 1 fastest trainee who reached the boss stage.

Grrr! Dammit! Thud! 

He gritted his teeth and bellowed. Then he threw the device in his hand.

"D-Deputy leader sir, i-is something wrong?" One of his men, one of the members of the department, warily asked him a question after seeing the anger on his face.

But Lord Gregor shot him a look in which pushed him onto the wall.