The Mysterious Black Magician

Everyone was wondering what these creatures were. Even Betty was caught by it. She tried to stab it using the sword in her hand, but she felt so weak that her attack could not get rid of it.

Also, even though the sword had successfully stabbed the creature, she noticed no blood was dripping. Even after she took back the sword, she could not see a wound from it.

It was fortunate for the Senior Leader to escape from it. Before it absorbed his mana, he already noticed a thin fluctuation of magical energy behind him.

He discharged a sudden surge of mana all over his body to rid it, but the effect of his move was contrary to his expectation. Whatever was behind him, it did not disappear, in fact, he noticed that the fluctuation of magical energy grew bigger than before he discharged a sufficient amount of mana.

"Tsk! It's a mana-eater!" The Senior Leader concluded.

A bad premonition suddenly crept on him, without wasting time, he took off his coat and threw it to the ground. He saw a fist-size ant sticking on it. It was black in color and gleaming crimson-colored veins were all over its body. He creased his brow and wondered what kind of insect it was. Wait, it could be a monster from the Gateway! He slashed with his sword and split the insect in two. Just then the insect turned to smoke.

Upon thinking of it, he glanced around to warn the others of such creatures. However, he was too late to warn the others. When he was about to warn them, the black insects on everyone's back had already expanded.

"Kyahh!"

The Senior Leader heard a yell coming from Betty, who was in the same situation as everyone. He saw her being dragged away.

He was surprised to see the insects grew bigger than he imagined.

"Betty!"

He called out.

"Sir, help!" Betty was asking for help while trying to get rid of the insect.

He hastily ran towards her to help. He could have fired a long-range attack to get rid of it, but he pushed away the thought as he was wary of the insect. He had no idea what this type of insect could and couldn't do.

When he neared them, he leaped in the air and attacked it in a sudden strike. Yet, his sword only caressed an empty air. The black insect left on its own accord and fluttered away, leaving the exhausted Betty falling.

The falling Betty was caught by the Senior Leader on his arms. Betty sighed in relief, but for some reason, she was very exhausted.

Most of them were dragged to a distant place, away from the Demonic worm, just then, the creatures on their back freed them.

All of the creatures flew in the sky to where they saw a black flying mount. It was a bird, and they noticed two people were riding on it. "Who are they?" They could not tell who those people were as they were far in the air. They could not discern their faces.

They all gawked upon watching the flying black ants, almost covering the whole sky. They hoarded around those two on the bird mount.

Although many of the people had their mana absorbed by those insects, not all of them fell to them. Many were able to get rid of it, and those who were flying in mid-air, fighting against the evolved monsters from the miasma, were also not part of those who were dragged by the flying ants.

Mr. FWL and Cowhead were one of those who were able to get rid of the insect before it absorbed their mana. Mr. FWL hastily flew towards the person he thought was dead.

It was so weird because even the healers were not one of those people who had their mana stolen from them.

While the others were still busy fighting against the flying monsters from the miasma, those who had their mana stolen from them were gazing above. Ahead of them, the Demonic worm was wildly brandishing the tentacles on its body, slamming the ground. It must be angry that its playmates were taken from him by those insects. The ground shook at every impact and created large and long leaks on the ground.

Betty and the others were staring in puzzlement. Their attention was on the flying black ants.

"W-What are those creatures?" Betty asked.

Like her, everyone also had the same question on their mind. Even the Senior Leader was also wondering about those creatures.

"I'm not sure, but they absorbed mana. So probably a type of mana-eater insect."

"Mana eater? I see, no wonder I feel so exhausted." 

They glanced around, then noticed most of their comrades were exhausted as well. Betty turned back her gaze above, but she was stupefied by what she saw. "Look, sir!" She pointed.

When the Senior leader glanced, "what? They turned into spheres?" The Senior Leader exclaimed in surprise.

"Not only that, they fused!" Betty added.

Just like what Betty and the Senior Leader said, the flying black ants turned into spheres then fused to create a huge sphere.

Around the huge sphere, they noticed eight smaller spheres orbiting around the giant sphere. In truth, even those eight spheres were gigantic in their eyes. But the one in the middle was so huge!

They could even feel a strong magical aura from it. Beads of sweat were visible on their faces as they stared at it.

Even those who were fighting against the evolved monsters from the miasma stopped their attacks and looked above them. Not only them, but even the monsters also stopped their attack as well. All of them glanced above in full alert.

They all had uniformed faces that could not be described as they were staring at the gigantic mass of magical energies. Everyone was thinking, 'what are those?'

Since the spheres were a fusion of mana from different people, the sphere's color was also hard to describe. But seeing it from afar, it looks like a glowing black and white, together with different colors inside it.

Before their eyes wandered around, the Demonic worm started to move its gigantic body, though its movement was sluggish. Perhaps, because of its size.

He could not explain why, but the Senior Leader felt a foreboding feeling.

He didn't know if the people above were allied or enemy. But since they didn't resemble a monster. He had a strong belief that they weren't enemies. And if ever they were enemies, he could only pray for their life to her grace the goddess of nature Htraerea. 

The Demonic worm stopped its charge, it felt a dangerous aura. Then the two humanoid figures on top of it gazed above, seemingly sensing something was amiss in there.

"!!" Everyone was surprised. From the mouths of the two humanoid figures, laser-like magical attacks were fired above.

"Everyone! Be careful!!" He shouted.

The demihuman immediately moved away from the Demonic worm when they heard the Senior Leader's voice. Seeing the laser attack of the Demonic worm, everyone was horrified. In their minds, if such an attack hit them, not even their ashes would remain. After all, it was an attack coming from the Demonic beast. It could even dissolve a mountain.

Right after everyone moved away, their eyes were stolen by something. In the corner of their eyes, they noticed a gleam coming from above.

They saw a long beam?! It was coming from above! It directly collided with the laser magical energies of the Demonic worm. This beam was much stronger than the super attack fired by Mr. FWL.

Although it was night, the world was seemingly turned morning in an instance, because of the colliding attacks. The next second a thunderous explosion happened in mid-air. The blinding lights hinder their visions and they felt like the world shook terribly.

They noticed the laser attack of the Demonic beast was stronger because the beam attack disappeared first. However, just before they blinked their eyes, another beam came down and directly hit the Demonic worm. The Demonic worm wailed in pain. Yet they noticed the Demonic worm was able to materialize a magical shield in time.

Just looking at the shield, everyone agreed that it was several times sturdier than the shield used by Cowhead.

Everyone held their breaths as they were watching with their wide mouth open.

Even Rea gawked at the person beside her. She knew this attack he was using at the moment. It was familiar to her. If her memory served her right, it was the super attack of the boss in the Training Pavilion. But how could this person learn it? It wasn't even thought in the academy.

Although some tried to copy it, none of them had succeeded. Yet this person, not only he copied it, he even improvised it to such degree!!!

However, although the beam was so strong, everyone noticed that it wasn't enough. Just when they thought that it was useless. The Demonic beast was just too strong, and this one was a Tank-type Demonic beast, spcialized in defense.

Yet, what happened next, almost had their eyeballs left from their eyes. One after another, the other spheres started to shine and fired to the Demonic worm, leaving it no chance to fight back. The beam's power increases everytime a new sphere fired.

KEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH!!!!

They heard a weird wailing coming from the Demonic beast. Everyone noticed the shield started to desolve.

"Hehe."

"!?"

Rea heard the person beside her grinned. The next second, the biggest sphere descended and world turned white. He was so happy at the result of his Super Galaxial Bomb.

Most of them did not know what happened next as their eyes could not handle the dazzling light. Only a few of them managed to see it when a person descended on top of the monters burnt body.

"Tsk, even with such power, its still wasn't enough to kill it." They heard muttered the words. Right they noticed the Demonic monster breathing heavily. Perhaps it was on death's door already, but it was commendable that it was still alive, as expected of a Demonic beast. It wasn't easy to kill.

Aside from that, they were more curious of this mysterious person. He was able to defeat such a beast!

After the mysterious person, that is Yman, landed on top of the monster, he weild a dagger and enveloped it with magical aura. Then he pierced the back of the beast. However, he stopped when he heard a moan coming from the two humanoid on top of the monster. Currently, they were a few steps away from him.

Yman spun the dagger between his fingers. He slightly narrowed his towards them. "I see." He muttered, seemingly understanding the situation.

He then returned his gazed below him, to where he saw the wound he caused on the monster's back. He dug his hand in it. The monter tried to struggle by wriggling its body. But it was so weak by now.

He wrinkled his forehead when he could not find the thing he as looking. He weilded the dagger once again and did a stronger slash, creating a wider wound. Just then, a smile returned on his face when he saw a gleaming object with metallic luster, though it wasn't made of metal. After he took it, the monster's body lost its vigor.

Aside from the Inner Core, he also noticed a Magic Cryst. Finally, after so long, he was able to get a Magic Cryst once again. He thought so.

Yman glanced at the two humanoid figures on top of the monster. He shook his head. Looks like he was right. They were the two Senior student from Ascension Department of Alchemy. He wondered how these two found themselves in such situation.

"That Demonic beast used the negative energy from these two as its convenient fuel."

He suddenly heard the voice of the Demon of Possession. "I see, so it feeds on negative energies?"

"Yeah."

When everyone's vision return to normal, they only saw the back of a leaving figure.