Earth's Greatest Magus

The godly-level beast was not only immensely strong, but the alchemists were fighting in its lair—a confined space that severely limited their movement. Worse, the swarm of smaller spiders, numbering in the thousands, poured from every crevice, their grotesque legs clicking against the cavern walls. Each one of these lesser spiders was a Desolate-level creature, far stronger than a typical beast, making them an overwhelming threat even in small numbers.

“Reinforce the seal! Reinforce it now!” shouted Horus Kreed, his voice edged with panic.

It was clear he had come prepared, bringing along two formation experts. One of them, a young man with intricate tattoos glowing along his arms, swiftly wove an energy barrier, a shimmering dome that pushed back the encroaching swarm. The second, a middle-aged woman with sharp features, cast a powerful recovery spell, a soothing golden light spreading over the fighters, ensuring that wounds did not fester from the relentless onslaught.

Emery quickly realized that the young noble of the Kreed family had set his sights on this cave from the very beginning.

Ivaris took the lead in the fight, the older brother of Baldoni proving himself a competent combatant. He tossed a vial of shimmering red liquid into the air before casting a fire spell, igniting the airborne mist into a raging inferno. The explosion burned dozens of the smaller spiders, their charred remains crumbling into ash, while the flames licked at the massive godly beast, leaving scorch marks along its obsidian-like exoskeleton.

The monstrous spider shrieked in response, an ear-splitting sound that sent tremors through the cave walls.

“We need more power!” Ivaris growled.

“What kind of godly beast is this?! Wasn’t this in your notes?!” he barked at Horus.

The handsome noble hesitated, his confidence unraveling. “No… it can’t be…” he murmured. “The notes said Level 5… this… this is a Level 7 godly beast!”

Ivaris’ face twisted in fury. “Damn it, Horus! That note is three hundred years old!”

Kaelyn Silverleaf’s piercing voice cut through the chaos. “Enough! Stop bickering and focus on the fight!”

Despite the rising panic among the group, the silver-haired fey remained eerily composed. With a swift motion, she unfurled her hands, and golden vines of energy burst forth, writhing like living serpents. They wrapped around the incoming swarm, crushing spiders mid-leap and reinforcing the barrier against the lethal miasma that filled the chamber. Meanwhile, her two fairy companions flitted around her, casting additional spells to shield her from harm.

Emery watched with fascination. The sight almost compelled him to step in and assist, but against such a colossal beast, even he had to admit his limitations.

The Tartarus Realm measured godly beasts on a scale equivalent to cosmic experts. A Level 7 godly beast was on par with a Stage 7 Cosmic Expert or, in Magus terms, a lower-stage Three Cosmos Grand Magus.

“We can handle this!” declared the third noble alchemist. He was a rotund man carrying a large wooden gourd. With each sip he took, he spat forth searing flames from his mouth, the intensity far surpassing Ivaris’s potions. His confidence soared as he stepped closer to the monstrous spider, emboldened by its visible retreat under his attacks.

“Hahaha! It fears my flames! Mine!” he laughed, arrogance dripping from his voice.

But his laughter was cut short.

With terrifying speed, the godly spider shot a golden web, the silk gleaming with deadly energy. The web latched onto the alchemist’s hand, yanking the gourd from his grip and flinging it across the cavern.

“No! My Heaven’s Tears Gourd!” he cried, chasing after it in a blind panic.

It was a fatal mistake.

A second strand of webbing shot out, this time wrapping around the noble alchemist himself. His eyes went wide with terror as he struggled, but the sticky substance was unbreakable.

“Help me!” he screamed.

The others tried to react, but the chaos was too overwhelming. Within seconds, the spiders swarmed over him. His screams turned to gurgled cries as razor-sharp mandibles tore into his flesh, dismembering him with horrifying precision. In moments, he was gone—ripped apart before their eyes.

The gruesome sight drained the color from Horus’s face. In fear, he abandoned the fight, retreating toward the cave entrance. His formation experts followed their energy barrier shrinking as they withdrew, allowing more spiders to encroach upon the remaining combatants.

“HORUS, YOU BASTARD!” Ivaris roared in fury.

The battlefield was collapsing into chaos. Emery tensed, ready to intervene if necessary. But then, he sensed something—a shift in power.

Kaelyn’s body began to change.

Her silver hair darkened, rippling as it elongated. White silvery fur sprouted across her skin, her eyes turning into slits of predatory focus. She hunched forward, her nails extending into gleaming claws. Her transformation was both mesmerizing and terrifying—a seamless fusion of human and beast.

Runes burned to life across her skin, their ethereal glow pulsating with primal energy. The sheer force of it struck Emery’s mind like a hammer, sending a shiver down his spine.

“She really is a fey wolf,” he whispered in awe.

The transformed Kaelyn let out a deep growl before lunging at the godly beast with inhuman speed. Her claws raked across its exoskeleton, leaving deep gashes that oozed dark, viscous liquid. The monstrous spider recoiled, letting out a piercing shriek, but she was relentless, slashing and tearing through its defenses with feral precision.

Ivaris took advantage of the opening, throwing another enhanced fire potion at the beast’s head. The explosion sent flames bursting across its body, forcing it to stagger backward. The combined assault was finally making an impact.

Unfortunately, Kaelyn’s feral beast transformation meant she could no longer maintain her poison-protection spells. Without her barrier, all the other alchemists around her began to weaken under the effects of the spreading venom.

The longer they took to finish the spider, the worse their situation became.

“If that damn Horus hadn’t escaped, we could have won this! Bastard!” Ivaris shouted in frustration. Unfortunately, his anger distracted him—before he could react, a strand of the spider’s web shot out and ensnared him. His face turned pale as he struggled, panic filling his eyes as he was dragged closer to the monstrous beast.

At that moment, a sudden blur of movement cut through the web, severing it with precision and freeing Ivaris from his doom.

“Thank you, my friend… thank you—” His words trailed off as he turned to see his savior. His face twisted in shock as he recognized the man, but not as much as Kaelyn’s, whose expression mirrored sheer disbelief.

Before them stood Emery—transformed, his form eerily similar to hers.