One-Eyed Monster

Arnold was just the beginning. The Time Reflector was not merely a grand gift bestowed by Wizard Reed upon these individuals, but also an appetizer he had specially prepared for them.

The main course was yet to be served. When it was time for the main course, Wizard Reed would generously display his full strength, ensuring these people understood the nature of their defeat.

The essence of the Dark Arts lay not in taking shortcuts, but in how one could completely control these powers.

Wizard Reed intended to demonstrate to these people precisely how he controlled such forces.

He wouldn’t keep these powers hidden, nor would he flaunt them publicly. Instead, he would reveal them slowly, making these self-righteous individuals understand what it truly meant to be crushed by power.

Perhaps these people were experts among traditional Adventurers with Class. However, everything they faced with Wizard Reed was beyond their understanding. It was a power these traditional Adventurers with Class had never managed to control, nor even dared to.

And now, he was about to show them just how terrifying this power could be.

The first to appear, Arnold, was already under Wizard Reed’s control. His Time Trap proved ineffective against his own clone. Even if Arnold constantly jumped through the timeline, he was unable to defeat this identical version of himself.

Next to arrive was Simon, the Alchemist with the Devil’s Steps.

Wizard Reed wouldn’t use conventional methods against someone possessing the Devil’s Steps. He wouldn’t compete with Simon in speed, nor would he try to slowly disrupt Simon’s rhythm. His approach was unique: he intended to use darkness to transform Simon’s Devil’s Steps into Blind Steps.

Wizard Reed released Malice Spirit Entities, scattering them around Simon like so many mirrors.

Simon quickly noticed his targets. However, when these Malice Spirit Entities were crushed, the fragments were completely identical and then instantly multiplied. Simon activated his Devil’s Steps to attack, but each time he struck a target, it would immediately reappear on the opposite side, dividing. Two became four, four became sixteen, the numbers ever-increasing. Simon’s Devil’s Steps, no matter how fast, couldn’t keep up with the speed of these entities.

His Devil’s Steps could only follow the relentless, mirror-like division. Truthfully, Simon had no effective counter; he had clearly fallen into Wizard Reed’s trap.

The Power of Darkness leaves one unable to see the path ahead, devoid of any light or guide. Those who can walk freely in darkness perhaps possess power greater than an ordinary person; at least, in the dark, they can move unhindered.

Joela was the third to arrive. As an Alchemist holding a Golden Seat in the Alchemy Workshop, and one who deeply revered his Great Mentor, he had rushed to Moonflow Stream without a second thought upon sensing his mentor was in danger. This was despite having just defeated a troublesome Yeti.

Those Yetis had been Wizard Reed’s probing tools, each with a specific purpose. Though he had been momentarily confused by his opponents, causing the Yetis to lose their connection, the essential information had still reached him.

For instance, he knew Joela’s defining characteristic was his toughness. Nothing could penetrate him once he activated his Diamond Spirit Armor. He was an impenetrable shell; no weapon could pierce him. When faced with sheer resilience and strength, Diamond Joela was always undaunted.

However, Joela had an aversion to soft, yielding things and swamps.

Greeting Joela was a sword-wielding Swamp Folk, emanating a fishy odor and constantly dripping black mud. The sword in its hand was like a soft rope...

When the sword came slashing, Joela instinctively raised his diamond arm. But the blade didn’t shatter on impact; instead, it limply coiled around his arm. He couldn’t shake it off or throw it off, so he chose to attack the Swamp Folk with his diamond fist. However, his hardened fist became stuck upon impact and couldn’t be pulled free. Instead, the Swamp Folk began to crawl up Joela’s arm, seemingly intending to devour him.

This spell was half illusion and half reality. Wizard Reed had expended considerable effort to conjure such a being from the White Swamp in Moonflow Stream.

Wizard Reed had plunged these vanguards into fierce battles. Among them were individuals who also possessed immense power in the darkness.

Jemma was one such figure, gifted with exceptional Night Vision. He could see with perfect clarity in the dark; people said he possessed a third eye, one born entirely for the night.

Someone with such outstanding vision was typically the most difficult kind of opponent for Wizard Reed.

Initially, he had feared being seen through by those with keen perception. But over time, he had gradually grown accustomed to such scrutiny. Even so, he remained wary of those with powerful visual abilities.

Yet, before Wizard Reed, even someone with vision as exceptional as Jemma found no advantage. This might seem unbelievable. However, once one understood Wizard Reed’s method of counterattack, it became clear that even superior vision could be overwhelmed by intense light.

Wizard Reed’s method of attack was surprisingly simple: he used fire.

In the extreme darkness, he used sparks to attract Jemma’s gaze. When Jemma drew close enough, Wizard Reed suddenly ignited a massive flame. Eyes accustomed to darkness were suddenly assaulted by the brilliant golden blaze. It was hot, bright, and intensely powerful.

This sudden burst of power forced Jemma’s eyes shut. When he managed to open them again, tears welled in his eyes, a reaction to the flame’s searing heat. But in the darkness, he found it difficult to use his keen Night Vision again.

Wizard Reed’s counterattack was only just beginning; all the vanguards had been subdued by him.

The Power of Darkness displayed not only tremendous strength but also a vast realm of the unknown.

Wizard Reed observed these vanguards, mentally using the process of elimination. The currents of Spirit Power I’ve sensed so far are only four in number, he thought. This means the opposition is likely probing as well.

At that moment, Milo and Pedro suddenly sensed Joela’s rage. They knew this was not a good sign, as Joela rarely became angry. If he was, it signified an abnormal situation had arisen. At the very least, it strongly suggested Joela was facing a challenging predicament.

In such circumstances, Milo would usually send out an ant or two for reconnaissance...

Kevin also sensed the anomaly. Though he was often carefree and seemed rather flippant, he was capable of perceiving abnormalities at crucial times.

Kevin could sense Arnold’s deep resentment and Simon’s frantic urgency; these were not normal reactions. So, he immediately slowed his pace while trying to establish contact with Xiso.

After all, the situation at Moonflow Stream was becoming exceedingly unusual.

Wizard Reed’s counterattack had begun, but very few people truly realized it.