“Strike!”
Before the command of the hyena leader was even issued, shadows surged from all directions.
Blades rained down like a storm, targeting lethal strikes without a moment’s hesitation.
However.
Woosh!!
Just before their blades could graze Yohan’s body, they were caught by an invisible barrier.
The hyenas’ swords trembled, halted as if caught by something, vibrating without advancing.
That invisible barrier quivered as if about to tear apart but ultimately could not reach Yohan.
“What the!?”
“What’s happening…!”
The hyenas were struck with shock.
The tips of their swords hung in mid-air, not moving at all, as if entangled in a spider’s web.
There were no mana barriers or shields used by mages.
The hyenas could not comprehend why their attacks had come to a standstill.
A smile played at the corners of Yohan’s lips.
“Surprised? But this isn’t the end.”
Yohan’s eyes sparkled with a chilling light, and an intense wave of energy radiated from him, sending mana surging like waves to engulf the surrounding hyenas.
Boom!!
“Grahk!”
“Ugh…!”
The hyenas were swept into the air by the massive wave.
They screamed as they collided with the ground, scattering.
Yohan looked down on the hyenas as if they were pathetic.
“What kind of magic is this…!”
The hyenas, thrown onto the ground, trembled in fear.
To their eyes, it seemed as if they had been caught in an invisible trap.
It felt as if a transparent noose was tightening around them.
“Retreat for now!”
“Maintain formation!”
As expected from the highly trained and long-coordinated hyenas, they quickly assessed the situation and gathered in one place to form a line.
Yohan spoke in a calm voice.
“Curious about why the attacks were stopped?”
No one answered, but they awaited his reply.
The magic Yohan had shown was peculiar and otherworldly.
“Since you seem curious, I’ll let you know.”
With a snap of his fingers, the mana in the air responded.
A rainbow of colored mana shimmered, creating a radiant pattern.
“This is…!”
“Mana?”
The hyenas recoiled in horror.
“This is the nature of the wall existing around me.”
It wasn’t just a simple barrier.
What he had created was an intricately woven web of mana.
Yohan’s most outstanding abilities as a mage were mana manipulation and affinity for mana.
He intervened with the mana existing around him to create invisible threads.
These threads caught the incoming attacks, preventing them from reaching Yohan.
“The mana drifting around listens to my command. Unless I permit it, you cannot even lay a finger on me.”
Yohan brushed the air with his fingertips.
The mana reacted once more, and the invisible threads rippled as if they were waves.
“Oh my God.”
“Is that really possible?”
The hyenas were filled with disbelief.
The fact that physical attacks were ineffective meant that they were up against an unbeatable opponent without a mage on their side.
“Do you understand why I’m alone?”
One of the three spells Yohan learned to reach the rank of senior mage was Flowing Formation.
The manipulated mana flows like a shadow, wrapping around incoming attacks and stopping them instantly.
At first glance, it appears to be an invincible defensive magic, but in reality, it has a critical weakness.
It is vulnerable to attacks using mana blades, and if strong enough waves arise to affect the caster’s interference, mana control will instantly unravel.
Moreover, it can only block physical attacks.
However, Yohan wasn’t foolish enough to reveal such weaknesses.
“Time to wrap this up.”
Whoosh!!
With each step Yohan took, mana swirled around him.
A powerful gust exploded outward, vibrating the air.
With every step he took, the overwhelming force of mana followed.
“Whoa….”
“I didn’t expect this.”
The hyenas stepped back in fear at the intensifying storm of mana before them.
The confidence that had protected them until just now crumbled like a sandcastle.
They realized that to kill Yohan, they needed to prepare not just for simple attacks but for total annihilation.
At that moment.
Shh!
A sharp presence surged from behind Yohan.
A dagger, silent as a whisper, sliced through the air towards his back like lightning.
An unprotected back.
This was the hyenas’ perfect opportunity to end him with a single attack while he was caught off guard.
But.
Thud!
Just before the dagger touched his back, it once again came to a halt in mid-air.
As if time had lost its way, the trembling dagger floated helplessly, unable to advance.
“Even the attack from behind?!”
“Can he even stop attacks I wasn’t aware of!”
Fear glimmered in the eyes of the hyenas.
The dagger had aimed for Yohan’s back, but, against his intentions, the threads responded on their own.
Yohan turned to look at the floating dagger.
A trace of scorn crept across his lips.
With a slight wave of his hand, the dagger fell helplessly as if released from the air.
As expected, the combination of Flowing Formation and All-Stream Perception is overpowered.
All-Stream Perception.
It means to sense all the flows of the world, perfectly conveying them to the caster’s consciousness by merging the surrounding mana with their senses.
In other words, there are no blind spots within his perception.
When both Flowing Formation and All-Stream Perception are active simultaneously, no ambush can penetrate.
For Yohan, whose mana affinity and manipulation ability are exceptional, the combination of All-Stream Perception and Flowing Formation was like a unique item.
However, such an extreme combination of All-Stream Perception and Flowing Formation is considered a niche magic among senior magics and is not widely known.
This is due to the numerous requirements that must be fulfilled.
Of course, for Yohan, whose mana manipulation and affinity are almost perfect, that was not an issue.
“Now it’s my turn.”
Yohan slowly raised his index finger.
A flickering sphere of darkness, pulsing like shadows, rose from his fingertip.
Woosh!!
A pure mass of mana and a sphere of release.
This was magic that compressed his outrageous mana into the form of a sphere and directly struck.
“Rupture Point.”
Yohan’s fingertip aimed at the heart of the hyena group.
As the compressed mana reached its limit, a sharp vibration twisted the very fabric of space.
And in that instant, the pitch-black sphere shot out with explosive speed.
It was a velocity difficult to follow with the naked eye.
The unrelenting wave surged toward the center of the hyenas.
“Run, run away!”
Boom!!
A colossal explosion erupted from where the hyenas had gathered.
The sound reverberated as if the earth was crying out, and shockwaves blasted in all directions.
Dust surged into the sky, enveloping the area in darkness.
“Grah….”
“Ugh…!”
The hyenas groaned as they crawled on the ground.
The formation they had established crumbled in an instant.
With just one attack, the balance and order of their group were utterly shattered.
Yohan tilted his head with a smile.
As the residual heat lingered at his fingertips, the surrounding mana slowly dispersed and vanished.
There’s no need to use Spiral Break Heaven.
Among the senior magics Yohan mastered, the strongest and only aggressive magic was Spiral Break Heaven.
It was a powerful spell capable of blasting the body of a supreme monster in half, but there was no need to use it now.
Just managing the absorption sphere and the release sphere was more than sufficient.
But where did the leader go?
Yohan’s gaze sharpened.
The leader, who seemed most likely to charge in during their conversation, had suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Did he realize it was hopeless and run away?
Yohan let out a short sigh.
If it were the black knights commanded directly by Cassis, it might be different, but the hyenas were individuals who prioritized money and their lives above all.
Even though they swore allegiance to the Renokhonen Grand Ducal’s family, their essence remained unchanged.
For those involved in the underworld, their lives were far more precious.
“But one must not let their guard down until the end.”
Yohan tightened his senses.
The mana surrounded him, raising his alertness to the extreme.
At that moment.
“Whoosh!”
Suddenly, a killing intent flew in from behind Yohan.
The tension resonated with his senses, ringing an alarm.
The sharp mana-infused blade shot forth like lightning.
“Swish!”
Without hesitation, Yohan threw his body forward and rolled on the ground.
The crimson mana-wrapped curved blade tore through the air.
The residual wave of mana brushed dangerously close to his back.
“Ugh.”
A sharp voice echoed from behind.
“Indeed, the mana blade was your weakness.”
The hyena leader looked down at Yohan, a sinister smile on his face.
It was a relaxed expression, full of mockery, as if he believed he had already won.
“Seeing you rolling on the ground to avoid an attack that would have blocked itself if you just stood still, it’s clear you’re done for.”
A serpent-like venom mixed in with his words.
Yohan quietly stood up.
A chill settled on his face.
The weakness of the “Spirit of the Soul” was the mana-infused attacks, but if the caster’s mana density was higher than that of the opponent, they could block it to some extent.
However, the mana blade that the hyena leader just wielded showed a density beyond the norm.
‘It’s at least 1st class, if not special class.’
Given the difference in levels, he could block it, but Yohan had just reached the super-level and was still inexperienced with magic use.
With his life on the line, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
“Was that a critical hit? You’re awfully quiet. Ugh.”
The hyena lifted his curved blade again, lowering his center of gravity.
He was likely preparing to leap out and ambush.
“Well, I’ll have to find out if that was indeed a critical hit.”
Whoosh!!
Mana swirled around Yohan, creating a powerful gust.
‘There’s no need to use the “Cataclysmic Spell.”’
Using that magic, which brings disaster everywhere, would also be troublesome for him.
If someone discovered traces of it, it would cause complications.
The hyena leader laughed with a tainted smile.
“Noble sir, don’t blame me too much; I’m just following orders. Ugh.”
Boom!
The figure of the hyena leader standing in front of him vanished, leaving a faint afterimage.
Yohan raised his mana sense to the limit and expanded his perception.
‘Where are you?’
While he couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, it was clear that the hyena was darting around to create confusion.
The black afterimage slipped like a ghost under the moonlight, weaving between the sky and the ground.
He was probably trying to take advantage of the moment when Yohan’s perception slowed to slice him down with the mana blade.
“Noble sir, you think too much!”
In that moment, the hyena leader appeared behind Yohan.
Yohan reacted instinctively, generating a sphere of mana and a rupture point at his fingertips.
But.
The hyena leader had already vanished.
What happened? There were no traces detected.
Yohan quickly looked around for him.
He couldn’t see him, nor could his mana sense catch him.
‘What an annoying pest.’
Yohan clicked his tongue and withdrew the rupture point.
This spell, which could affect the surroundings due to its strong wave, couldn’t be maintained for long unless it was shot out immediately, as it would burden the caster.
Swish!
At that moment, a dagger shot through the air toward him.
Yohan perceived the trajectory of the dagger accurately with his mana sense and halted the blade with his “Spirit of the Soul.”
“Ugh!”
He heard laughter from behind him.
For a brief moment, his focus wavered due to the hyena’s cunning movements.
‘This is bad!’
In that fleeting instant, Yohan interfered with the mana.
The sphere absorbing the surrounding mana began to spin and draw him in.
Swoosh!
The red-flaming mana blade sliced through the air.
‘His level is at the first-class civil servant standard, yet his combat ability is outstanding.’
Yohan bit his lip. True to the nature of hyenas, who have fought dirty, he adeptly controlled the flow of battle.
“Ugh! You’re cornered! What will you do now?!”
The hyena leader activated his mana blade and charged at him.
The blade scraped the ground, sending red mana flying like flames.
In that fleeting moment, Yohan braced himself, covered in dust, sharpening his senses.
“I’ve never operated like this before, but I have no choice.”
A sphere of mana formed at his fingertips.
The rupture point whipped up like a storm, revealing its shape before it began to vibrate precariously.
A powerful wave wrapped around him, distorting space.
“Ugh, noble sir! It’s too late for you to respond!”
His speed was too quick.
The blade rushed toward Yohan like lightning.
“Do you really think so?”
However, Yohan smiled leisurely as he aimed at the quivering rupture point in his hand.
Boom!
From a single point, an intense magical power erupted in a cone shape.
The immense shockwave spread mercilessly, tearing the air apart.
The direction where the hyena leader had been was engulfed by the explosion of the rupture point, leaving nothing but scorched ashes behind.
Yohan slowly lowered his hand as he stared at the debris.
‘It worked perfectly.’
He had minimized the range of the rupture point explosion and directed it in a specific direction.
It was his first attempt, but his extremely sensitive mana control aided him, leading to a successful outcome.
‘Now, let’s see how it turned out.’
Yohan dusted himself off and slowly surveyed the devastated area.
It looked as if a massive wave had swept through, leaving only the debris of destruction behind.
“Cough…!”
The hyena leader lay in a completely ruined state, coughing up blood.
Having taken the full brunt of the rupture point, his lower body had vanished without a trace.
“Ugh….”
The hyena tried to grasp at the air with a twisted hand amidst the debris of dirt and blood.
Yohan walked slowly toward him without uttering a word and stood in front of him.
Each of his steps weighed heavily on the atmosphere.
“Y-you… crazy bastard…”
The hyena ground his teeth, summoning every bit of strength to speak.
His voice was tangled with defeat and contempt, but even that came out mixed with blood.
“You won’t tell me who’s behind this, will you?”
“Of course not…”
“Actually, I already know.”
“…What?”
A tiny rupture point shot from the fingertip he was aiming at.
Boom! The hyena leader’s head flew off entirely.
It was a scene that would make anyone feel nauseous, as it was not surprising to feel like vomiting.
This was the first time Yohan had killed someone, but he felt no particular emotion.
They were aiming for his life after all.
If they were innocent, he would have felt turmoil, but facing hyenas, who were born from the underworld, he felt no emotion at all.
In the battlefield, if you don’t kill, you will be killed.
In this world, that’s only natural.
Yohan understood the laws of this world well.
Living as a noble on a tightrope for 21 years, he had grown numb to it.
“Are there any survivors?”
As Yohan turned his head and let his blue eyes shine, the surviving hyenas recoiled in terror, stepping back.
“H-hiii…!”
“A monster…”
He walked slowly toward them.
Yohan hardened his expression coldly and opened his mouth.
“Relay this clearly to your master, Cassis Renokhonen. Tricks like this won’t work no matter how many times you try.”
His blue eyes gleamed menacingly.
“If you continue to target Francia like this, one day, Cassis Renokhonen, your life will be snatched away like this.”