A Formidable Enemy

“Sui… Sui-ge, did you hear that just now? His Majesty Bai Yunqing’s voice…”

“I heard it.”

Sui Ming’s expression was clearly grim.

Given the current situation, the outside might already be in total chaos. Ironically, this sealed zone could be the safest place right now.

“In any case, let’s just keep moving forward. Constant paranoia does more harm than good.”

Along the way, they’d relied on that absurdly overpowered lock mechanism and the auto-tracking radar. So far, nothing had been able to stop them.

Any attempt at a sneak attack was doomed to fail. The ability to trace targets regardless of causality allowed Sui Ming to execute kills from miles away.

Without realizing it, the two of them had already reached eighty points—just twenty short of the coveted blue student card.

“Our dream’s right in front of us! Let’s gooo!”

The ghost-white streets were completely deserted. Identical houses stood neatly aligned on either side, lush green plants swaying gently in the breeze.

Straight ahead, a blond-haired boy was walking directly toward them. The sheer magical pressure surrounding him made the already thin air feel suffocating.

“Lal, fall back. Things might get tricky now.”

“That can’t be…”

Lal recognized him instantly.

The only son of a Duke of the Empire—Lecter Fenrir.

Said to carry the Soul Invocation passed down from the gods themselves.

“It’s you?” Lecter seemed surprised.

The girl he admired—Her Highness the Princess—had glanced at this very man. The memory alone was enough to stoke the boy’s fury.

Why?!

He’s just a mere Tier 2 [Mortal Dust] Soul Invoker!

Why would someone like the Princess favor him?! What does he have that I don’t?

A being like Her Highness should belong with someone strong—like me!

“Is he… imagining a whole drama in his head?” Sui Ming asked, glancing toward Lal, who had wisely kept his distance.

“L-Looks like it…”

As that thought passed through Lecter’s mind, his anger exploded.

He looked like Sui Ming had slaughtered his entire family.

Veins bulged along his arms. His brow knotted. The handsome face twisted into something ugly.

“Die!”

Lecter stomped down hard. Dust exploded beneath his foot as his body shot forward like a missile.

He raised his fist and threw a punch!

[Transmutation of All Things!]

Seeing the attack, Lal slammed both hands onto the ground.

Glowing spirit runes gathered in rapid succession.

An alchemical formation burst into existence, anchoring itself to the realm.

A wall of solid earth surged up between the two, standing tall as a barrier.

“A Grandmaster-level alchemist? Interesting.”

Lecter smirked.

He pushed off again mid-sprint—executing a burst of acceleration!

Golden-tier mana cloaked his fist as it drove forward like a cannonball!

Dust stormed into the air. The stone wall cracked—

With a thunderous boom, the wall shattered instantly!

The fist, still roaring with momentum, charged directly at Sui Ming.

“Sui-ge, watch out!”

Lal tried to cast another formation, but even the residual shockwave of that punch blew away his spirit runes like dust.

Behind Lecter, a shadow flickered. Wisps of pale blue mana gathered toward him like moths to a flame.

[Inch Force — Jade Lotus!]

Sui Ming responded with one of the old martial art’s reactive techniques.

Using the momentum of Lecter’s sonic-speed punch, he twisted to redirect the force.

One hand caught Lecter’s arm. The other curled into a fist and slammed toward Lecter’s face.

At that same moment, a counter-blow launched from the same angle!

“Boom!”

But before the attack could land cleanly, Sui Ming’s body trembled.

A mouthful of blood erupted from his lips.

Even with a refined technique, the difference in raw physical stats had still taken a toll.

Still, the punch connected.

Lecter was sent flying.

Thin trails of blood appeared along Sui Ming’s right arm. Droplets fell, pattering softly on the stone road.

He stood firm, eyes locked on the wreckage in the distance.

‘This body… is still too weak, huh?’

From the ruins, a sound.

Moments later, Lecter rose from the remains of a collapsed shop.

“I’ll admit, I underestimated you.”

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said calmly,

“But next… I’m going to kill you without holding back.”

“Sui Ming! You’re worthy of being my opponent!”

A surge of mana spread through the air between them.

It was like gravity itself warped under the force—pulling everything toward the center.

Particles of magic streamed in from every direction, converging.

[Devourer — Fenrir!]

“Sui-ge, careful! His Soul Invocation is—”

Before Lal could finish, Lecter raised a single hand, palm pointed directly at Sui Ming.

The boy’s lips curled into a smirk as he whispered:

“Devour.”

In an instant, an overwhelming gravitational force descended upon Sui Ming.

His body was wrenched forward, drawn helplessly toward Lecter.

Before he could react, he was already face-to-face with the Duke’s son.

A massive wolf-shaped shadow loomed behind Lecter.

An immense pressure fell from above.

Then the wolf opened its mouth—wide.

[Miracle — That Which Is Willed]

All of Sui Ming’s mana converged into White Cry.

A faint golden sheen shimmered along the blade.

[Inch Force — Sky Splitter!]

He swung, combining two energies into a single strike.

It collided with the spectral wolf.

At that moment, a silver-white dragon silhouette materialized along the dagger’s edge.

Lecter’s eyes widened in shock.

“A gold-tier weapon?! Pretty lucky, huh.”

“But… if that’s all, it still won’t be enough.”

As soon as he spoke, the gravitational force intensified dramatically.

Sui Ming focused entirely on holding back the wolf’s onslaught—unaware of what was coming next.

The terrifying aspect of Fenrir wasn’t its physical strength or overwhelming mana.

It was its innate ability—its god-given trait:

Devour.

“Offer everything you are to the feast of the God-Slayer!”

Sui Ming felt it.

His mana—his very essence—was being pulled into the enemy, flowing out of him like a breached dam.

And then he remembered something.

A voice, a memory, from a certain damned crow.

[“Huh? You’re asking if Abyssal power will affect you?”]

[“Nah, you’ve already been blessed by the Abyss. You’re a full-fledged traitor now.”]

[“As for anyone dumb enough to try and absorb your mana? Heh… they’re in for a show.”]

[“You weren’t called the Mobile Contaminant for nothing.”]

Sure enough—Lecter’s grin widened.

He could feel the torrent of mana flooding into him.

Soon, his opponent would be nothing but a dry husk.

But Sui Ming… smiled.

He looked at Lecter calmly, like a seasoned hunter watching a clueless antelope try to sneak around.

“Die, Sui Ming!”