Earth's Greatest Magus

The arrival of Galael, the Ember Sage brought an immediate halt to the battle.

Sensing the overwhelming presence, the fat elite alchemist swiftly called back his two cosmic expert assistants, who had been locked in combat just moments ago.

Despite arriving alone, the Sage commanded such authority that neither Graknar Blueflame nor Kukujin dared to take a breath too deep. Both of them knew exactly who he was.

Beyond being a renowned Grade 8 alchemist, Galael was known for his fearsome reputation in battle.

The elder’s piercing eyes swept over the scene. His face was calm, but an unmistakable weight of judgment loomed over the combatants.

His voice, deep and steady, broke the tense silence.

“What is happening here?”

The fat elite alchemist trembled under the Sage’s gaze. Beads of sweat formed on his round face as he quickly began to explain, stuttering through the details. Though his words tried to paint himself as the victim, his nervous demeanor exposed his guilt.

The others stood motionless, anxiously waiting for the Sage’s verdict.

Surprisingly, the first words that came from Galael were directed at the fat alchemist himself.

“You are a renowned alchemist, and yet you act like this? Shameful!”

The scolding struck like a hammer.

Kukujin’s eyes widened in astonishment as if he had just found an idol—a true sage of wisdom who stood against an outsider like him. For a brief moment, it felt as if justice had finally been served.

But the Sage wasn’t finished.

Turning his attention back to the fat alchemist, he spoke with cold authority.

“Your designated area is already rich with resources. You should share them properly… well, except for that precious mushroom.”

Then, as if deciding the matter himself, he turned to Kukujin and added:

“I detected some Tier 6 mushrooms about a hundred miles back. You may take those instead.”

A chill ran down Kukujin’s spine.

His body trembled as he clenched his fists, refusing to accept what was happening. His voice cracked with desperation.

“No… I was the one who found this first! This mushroom is mine!”

The battlefield turned eerily quiet.

Galael slowly turned his gaze back to Kukujin. The slight shift in his expression revealed disappointment as if he had given the man a chance and he had failed to take it.

Then, with a sharp exhale, the Sage let out a low, mocking chuckle.

“I see… It seems I am speaking to an uneducated person.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a tiny black flame flickered to life above his palm.

It was small—no bigger than a candlelight—yet the sheer intensity of its heat distorted the air around it.

Emery, still watching from a distance, instinctively narrowed his eyes.

“What kind of flame is that?” he whispered to himself.

Though barely the size of a spark, that black flame radiated an overwhelming sense of destruction. It was unlike anything he had ever seen.

Kukujin’s reaction was immediate.

His eyes filled with terror, his breath turned ragged, and his body recoiled as if he had just seen death itself.

“No… I was wrong! Please—!”

Before he could finish pleading, the black flame leapt from Galael’s hand.

It struck Kukujin’s body in an instant—and then the screaming began.

“AAARGHHH!!”

The flames consumed him like an unholy curse, spreading unnaturally across his form. His skin charred black in seconds, his flesh bubbling and peeling from the unbearable heat.

His two assistants, who had fought bravely by his side moments ago, could not remain still. Their eyes widened in horror at their leader’s suffering. Without a second thought, they lunged forward, desperately trying to extinguish the flames.

A terrible mistake.

A flicker of the black fire touched them, and in an instant, they too were engulfed.

“AAAARGHH!! PLEASE!!”

Their screams of agony filled the air, their bodies writhing as the cursed fire devoured them whole.

Emery felt a cold chill creep up his spine.

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He had considered stepping in earlier, but now… seeing the power of the Sage’s black flames, his instincts screamed at him to stay away.

This was not a fight he should involve himself in.

Not for the sake of someone he barely even knew.

Yet, Graknar, the giant, stepped forward.

Clenching his fists, the blue-skinned warrior glared at the Sage. His voice, full of anger, boomed across the battlefield.

“This is wrong! Stop this at once!”

The moment those words left his mouth, the temperature dropped.

The Sage’s calm expression hardened.

Then, he flicked his fingers—and a tiny spark of black flame leapt toward Graknar’s body.

It touched his skin, and despite his formidable defenses, the flame seeped through his body like a venomous curse.

Graknar staggered backward, clutching his chest, his massive frame shaking.

For the first time since the battle began… fear entered his eyes.

The Sage sighed deeply, then, without sparing another glance, he turned back to the fat alchemist.

“Situation resolved.”

The fat alchemist quickly nodded, his earlier arrogance replaced by nervous relief.

“Y-Yes, Sage… Thank you, Sage…”

But his grateful expression crumbled when he saw Galael walking toward the mushroom.

Without hesitation, the Sage plucked it from the ground and casually placed it in his pouch.

The fat alchemist stared in stunned silence.

Galael turned to him, “As I said… You should share.”

Without waiting for a response, he took to the sky and flew away, disappearing from sight.

The fat alchemist’s shock quickly turned into anger.

He spat on the ground, his face twisted in rage.

“Hmph! If it weren’t for you fools, that mushroom would have been mine!”

With one last glare at the burning corpses before him, he turned and stormed away.

As the dust settled, Emery finally stepped forward.

His eyes scanned the scene. Kukujin and his two companions were already dead.

Not just their bodies—the black flame had erased their very souls.

Only Graknar’s two assistants remained.

They stood frozen, alarmed by Emery’s approach, their eyes filled with exhaustion and fear. The giant himself was still writhing on the ground, his flesh still burning, though not nearly as intensely as the others.

Emery approached, “I mean no harm. Let me help him.”

#####

Author Note

I apologize for not being able to write as much as I should. Unfortunately, the year 2025 started with a lot of unexpected drama that affected my writing time.

To make up for my lower publication rate, I plan to keep the price the same for next month. However, I will be adding a new tier that comes with mass releases—no more promises; you will only pay more when the mass release is out.

I am forever grateful for your continuous support of the novel.

Next month’s spoiler: The alchemy competition and the revelation of Emery’s Fey identity.