Heir of Synthesis: The World Mage

”Priam, didn’t I tell you that someone with foundations as pathetic as yours would never stand a chance? Do you believe me now? Hahaha!” Walhart’s unrestrained laughter echoed throughout the battlefield.

Priam stared coldly at those five Mages.

All of them had been recruited during the final entrance test, but none had been chosen to receive the first batch of potions. On top of that...

He could sense a faint aura coming from their bodies. Based on the knowledge the system had given him earlier, he understood immediately.

It was mental power.

He let out a cold snort, his eyes burning with barely restrained fury. Just by looking at their mocking expressions, Priam already had a good idea of what kind of people they were.

The five belonged to the same race and most likely possessed Bloodlines specialized in mental power. They had used that ability, whose most basic application was clouding the fluctuations and senses of the people around them.

Because of that, not even Flaris or Dandara had realized they were traitors.

Without a doubt, they hadn’t been traitors from the beginning. During the sect’s welcoming ceremony, they had genuinely joined the large group of dissatisfied disciples, mostly because they had been influenced by the crowd.

The Elders of Law almost certainly had some level of contact with certain races outside the sect, allowing them to secretly reach Priam’s soldiers.

Then, when those five—who thought far too highly of themselves—realized they hadn’t been selected to receive the potion...

That became the spark that pushed them into becoming traitors.

Priam took a deep breath, hatred burning in his chest. He pulled two pills from his spatial ring and swallowed them without hesitation.

Unfortunately, Dandara and Flaris had only spent one month with the army.

If they’d had more time, he was certain they would’ve instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

One month was simply too short. And with high-level mental power involved—something Flaris, who came from the Mortal Plane, had never encountered before, and Dandara, who was barely an average Mage, couldn’t possibly defend against—they never had a chance.

If anyone deserved the blame...

It was Priam himself.

He hadn’t personally paid much attention to the army during that month. He had left everything in Dandara’s and his Generals’ hands while searching for opportunities to make them stronger.

The whole thing had lasted only five seconds.

At that moment, Priam ignored everything else and rushed toward Dandara.

The Mages from the other factions all retreated to their respective leaders. Priam’s faction, however, remained completely frozen in place, their faces filled with disbelief and hatred.

”Why?!”

”No... that’s impossible...”

Many shouted or muttered while staring at the five traitors from afar.

Just moments ago, they had all fought side by side, each trusting the others with their lives.

What had happened was completely unforgivable.

Flaris, Shione, and Lumiere were undoubtedly the ones hit the hardest.

All three stood motionless, clenching their fists with all their strength while keeping their heads lowered.

They felt anger...

But above all, shame.

They had seen Priam prioritize every resource available. He had given half the army something that should’ve been impossible to obtain, along with priceless knowledge, fulfilling his role as a leader beyond anyone’s expectations.

Meanwhile, all they had been responsible for was growing stronger and helping take care of the soldiers.

Never, not even for a second, had they imagined that some of those people would betray them.

That hurt them far more than simply losing the faction competition.

It felt as if someone had driven a knife straight through their hearts.

Far away, atop the mountain peak, even the Elders were stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Because of that, they took a little longer than usual before making the announcement.

”This has gone too far! Our sect cannot tolerate traitors!”

The ordinary Elders cursed in fury.

This was supposed to be an honorable, open competition, but it had been turned into a game of betrayal.

That went completely against the sect’s purpose in training its disciples.

Back in the desert, Priam quickly reached the center of it all.

Dandara was still kneeling, trembling on the sand as it rapidly absorbed her blood.

Scarlet liquid continued pouring from her wounds, but she didn’t seem to care about the physical pain in the slightest.

To her, the pain of having the flags stolen by the very people she’d trusted was a thousand times worse.

The weight of failing the entire faction was crushing her.

When she saw Priam’s shadow approaching, she immediately lowered her head, unable to bring herself to face him.

”I’m sorry, Boss...” Her voice cracked, choked by tears. ”I should die... I couldn’t complete the mission. I ruined everything you built...”

The tears finally overcame her resolve, running down her face mixed with dust and blood.

A sharp pain gripped Priam’s chest.

Seeing that girl reduced to such a miserable state broke something inside him.

”Don’t blame yourself for any of this,” Priam said, his voice firm yet gentle. ”The final responsibility is always mine.”

Dandara slowly raised her eyes.

Priam swallowed hard as he saw her face twisted by pure agony and humiliation.

”No... I failed!” she sobbed loudly like a helpless child, curling herself against the ground and hiding her face between her knees.

”I’m useless... Useless even at the only thing I thought I was good at... If I’d just been a little stronger... If I hadn’t been so blind... None of this would’ve happened. Please... just let me die...”

Priam gently knelt beside her.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the rage he felt toward the traitors, he activated his power of nature.

A soft green light enveloped Dandara’s body.

Within seconds, the deep wounds in her sides closed completely, leaving her skin flawless.

But Priam knew the worst hemorrhage wasn’t physical.

It was in her mind.

”Hey...” he murmured.

But she remained motionless, refusing to move or accept any comfort.

At that moment, Priam was overwhelmed by a feeling he couldn’t put into words.

It wasn’t just a leader’s sense of duty.

It was a visceral need to protect her from her own mind, an overwhelming desire to pull her out of that darkness, no matter the cost.

Without hesitation, he let his body move on pure instinct.

Priam reached out with both hands toward her face.

His fingers trembled for a split second before making contact—the ghost of his natural aversion toward women tried to warn him—but he ignored it and continued.

The moment his hands touched the soft, trembling skin of Dandara’s chin, the world seemed to fall silent.

His senses relaxed completely.

There was no disgust.

No rejection.

Only a deep sense of calm.

With incredible gentleness, he lifted her face, making her look at him.

Dandara froze.

Stunned by the unfamiliar touch, she stared at him with red eyes and trembling pupils. They were so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

Priam brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, trying to wipe away her endless tears, though they kept falling.

”Dandara, didn’t you once tell me you’d devote yourself to me with your body and soul?” he asked, never taking his eyes off hers.

She stayed still for a moment, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it echoed across the entire desert.

Then she gave a timid nod.

”Good. I don’t blame you for what happened. Honestly, I feel like I should’ve done much more to foresee this move,” he said, a gentle smile appearing on his lips. ”But nothing changes the past, and I don’t waste time regretting what’s already happened.”

The intensity of Priam’s gaze sent an unfamiliar, electric tension running down Dandara’s spine.

In that moment of complete vulnerability, he wasn’t just her leader.

He was her anchor.

”If your words weren’t empty...” Priam continued, lowering his voice slightly.

”Then know this—for me, your life is worth far more than any flag or ranking in this damn sect. No one can take you away from me. And no matter what happens, no one replaces my vice leader. Understood? Now, lift your head.”

His words struck Dandara’s soul.

Her tears finally stopped.

Her eyes widened, filled with a mixture of reverence and innocent admiration.

She felt utterly unworthy of being valued so highly.

”I... I don’t deserve this, Boss...”

”Enough.” Priam cut her off, authority returning to his voice without losing its warmth. ”I made mistakes too, and I’ll learn from them so I can grow stronger. You’ll do the same. That’s an order. Or... are you planning to betray me too?”

Dandara swallowed hard.

The panic instantly erased every trace of depression from her face.

”No! Never! I’ll learn... This will never happen again, I swear!”

All of that had happened in less than a minute after the final gong.

Around them, the faction was still trying to process its defeat.

”Good. Get up. You’re the face of my army. You can’t look weak in front of everyone else for too long.”

Priam stood up gracefully before extending his right hand toward her.

Dandara remained frozen for two whole seconds, her gaze shifting between his confident face and the outstretched hand before her.

A chaotic storm of emotions overwhelmed her: the shame of defeat, the relief of having been healed, and a new feeling—deep, reverent, and quietly taking root in her heart.

When she noticed Priam narrow his eyes ever so slightly in a playfully impatient gesture, she snapped out of her daze.

She grabbed his hand, and he pulled her to her feet with a single firm motion.

Priam smiled faintly, satisfied.

Deep inside, a spark of excitement ignited in his chest.

For the first time, the touch of a woman who cared about him—and who wasn’t his mother—hadn’t triggered his instinctive revulsion.

’Maybe it was just the heat of the moment... Her vulnerability broke through my defenses before I could think rationally,’ Priam thought as he slowly let go of her hand. ’But either way... it’s a great sign.’

That feeling didn’t last long.

The moment he released Dandara’s hand, he turned forward.

Priam let out a cold snort, focusing on the figures standing in the distance.

Traitors...

If he accepted this quietly...

He felt it would become a thorn buried in his mind.

Something he’d never be able to pull out.

Thanks to the pills he’d swallowed earlier, he felt a little Ether begin flowing through his veins again.

Slowly...

Priam walked toward the traitors.

”Lord Priam? Don’t take it personally. We’re grateful for everything you’ve done, but in this kind of competition, anything goes,” one of them said calmly.

Another tilted his head with a mocking grin.

”You think it’s unfair? Life isn’t fair, and you know that. But you can always try to get revenge next time.”

Priam was still about fifty meters away when he stopped.

Everyone around watched the scene in silence, expecting him to say something in a fit of rage.

But...

”!”

Priam vanished.

The very next second—

*Rumbling Heavens*

He appeared directly above the five traitors, his full power erupting all at once.

**BOOOOM!**