One-Eyed Monster

”Impossible!” Wizard Gus exclaimed.

He watched as the forbidden spell he had been arduously preparing was simply blown away by a gust of wind.

Although he was still in his Illusionary Realm, carefully dealing with the Great Witch, he didn’t think there would be any problem trapping her in this predicament.

However, what he didn’t expect was the slackening of his Illusionary Realm, a slackening over which he had no control.

The feeling was like someone suddenly lifting the tent he lived in, exposing him to a vast wilderness.

He did not even notice what kind of technique the opponent used...

His own Illusionary Realm had not been fully created and was literally torn apart by someone. This was quite a blow to him. At that moment, he didn’t know what to do.

To be defeated by an advancing Gray Robe was a disgrace, not only an insult to him, Wizard Gus, but also an insult to the Black Crow.

As the leader of the Black Crow, how could he inexplicably be defeated by a fool who spouted nonsense?

Unfortunately, his Illusionary Realm had disappeared, and he was unable to utilize his specialty...

Moreover, the Great Witch’s displayed strength remained an unknown factor. This uncertainty made Wizard Gus unsure of his next move.

Although deep down he felt such a situation was impossible, the reality in front of him dispelled that belief. The evil wind blew again, dispersing the Black Smoke he had painstakingly condensed.

The powder that created the Black Smoke was his treasured possession, a treasure he had put in a lot of effort to acquire. Now it was just scattered, causing him much distress.

Wizard Gus felt the remaining powder, then tested his own Spirit Power. Finally, he gave up the idea of condensing the Illusionary Realm again.

He didn’t know the true capability of this witch, and thus he dared not predict what would happen while he was condensing the Illusionary Realm.

The wind had blown away the Black Smoke, and the Great Witch appeared from the Illusionary Realm. The surroundings that had once been pitch black suddenly became immensely bright. When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing on the same mountaintop.

This was very new to her, and she didn’t fully comprehend the process at all. All she knew was the constant shift between darkness and light, as if she were going in and out of two or three places multiple times.

And the child she had previously seen was gone.

The Great Witch rubbed her eyes. She wanted to find the child; at least then she could understand the ins and outs of the whole situation.

Just as she was constantly thinking of the child, the child suddenly popped up in front of her. ”See, this is reality, where you truly exist.”

”Huh? Then how did you appear? Didn’t you say I created you?”

”You dummy, I said this form was created by you. I’ve always existed. I am the wind, omnipresent.”

”The wind?” The Great Witch, Biggs, was perplexed. How could a child be the wind? She couldn’t understand it at all.

”I’ll explain all of this to you later. You’re the worst wizard I’ve ever met.” The Wind Elemental was extremely impatient with the Great Witch’s bewilderment.

”Huh?” The Great Witch didn’t understand what ’later’ meant, still puzzled.

”Your opponent is in front of you. If you don’t figure out a way to defeat him, I’m afraid you may not see me next time,” the Wind Elemental reminded the Great Witch.

But this reminder was futile. Even if the Great Witch knew she was facing an enemy, she didn’t know how to fight back. She was a complete bookworm who knew nothing. Give her a Spirit Book or a Crystal Ball, and she could perform some Divination, but she was completely clueless when it came to dealing with a person. She didn’t know any offensive Spellcraft. How could she launch an attack?

”Aren’t you going to act?” The Wind Elemental was somewhat anxious.

”I, I... don’t know how,” the Great Witch confessed, flustered.

”Sigh, it’s just my bad luck to end up with a wizard like you,” the Wind Elemental said, clearly agitated.

Witnessing the Great Witch’s unusual behavior, Wizard Gus became even more cautious. He was not particularly skilled in direct confrontation, and his opponent was wind-based. Even though she was just a Gray Robe, he didn’t dare lower his guard.

”Forget it. I don’t want to be a short-lived elemental. I might as well tire myself out,” the Wind Elemental sighed. Then, on tiptoes, it hopped forward.

”Remember, this is your elemental basic attack: Hail Storm Wings.”

As soon as the Wind Elemental finished speaking, it leaped forward. Instantaneously, two wings burst from its shoulders and started flapping. WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Wind blew again on the mountaintop.

But this time, the wind was even more bizarre. It swirled on the ground and then lifted off at an unimaginable speed, sharp as a sword, stabbing straight at Wizard Gus.

Seeing the strange wind spiraling toward him, Wizard Gus found it impossible to guard against and could only try to evade.

But the wind was too fast. He didn’t have time to dodge. BOOM! He instinctively raised his arm to block the whirling wind attack.

However, wind is intangible; he couldn’t block it at all. When it struck him, he felt completely powerless, barely managing to keep himself from being blown down by the malevolent wind.

Defending against this attack didn’t make Gus relax; instead, he felt a flicker of grim anticipation. The Great Witch was finally using her power! After a few rounds of battle, he would surely find her weakness. Once he found a vulnerability, he wouldn’t lack a way to deal with her.

Come on, attack more fiercely! Let me see what this advanced power truly looks like!

While Wizard Gus was keen to witness this rarely seen spectacle, his opponent did not oblige. Fierce gusts of wind continued to assail him, sometimes like a battle-axe, sometimes like a long spear...

And the Great Witch still just stood there, barely moving.

This kind of contempt was infuriating, or rather, it was designed to provoke. But Wizard Gus kept his cool at this moment.

Firstly, he was busy fending off these malevolent wind attacks. Secondly, he was trying to devise an effective counterattack.

He had originally thought he’d picked an easy target; he hadn’t expected it to be this difficult.

Wizard Gus took a moment to catch his breath and reflect. His mind was a whirl of emotions—it had been a long time since the leader of the Black Crow had been this rattled.

To be utterly powerless against a newly advanced Gray Robe Wizard’s Wind Elemental... it was shameful. If word got out, he’d become a laughingstock among the other leaders. This was simply too humiliating.

Not to mention, that fatty next to him would probably die laughing...

While fending off the wind, Wizard Gus quickly turned his head to check on the others’ battles.

Lord Jani should be fine, he figured. His adversary was a mere Fighter, unlikely to best Lord Jani.

As for Mugen, who was entangled with the ancient Hunter, his battle should end soon too. His Wire Puppet had achieved Integration—that fellow was definitely making a last-ditch effort.

And he himself was still desperately trying to figure out a way to defeat his opponent...

Wizard Gus used his own body to withstand the malevolent wind. The wind grew stronger and colder, feeling like knives slicing his flesh.

He used his peripheral vision to glance around, hoping to distract himself from the pain with the thought of his companions’ likely success...

But...

His comrades had disappointed him.