Chapter 23: Addict
Mitch’s magical senses tingled as he reached out with his consciousness, probing the ethereal currents that surrounded him.
The mana signature was unmistakable, a cold, predatory presence that cut through the ambient magical energy like a blade through silk.
It was drawing closer, moving with the calculated stealth of a trained killer. The signature felt different from ordinary magic users; there was something twisted about it, corrupted by years of violence and dark practices.
Drawing upon his, Mitch carefully arranged his features into a mask of bewildered confusion.
He let his shoulders slump slightly, allowing his eyes to dart around the room as if searching for an explanation to some inexplicable phenomenon.
His breathing quickened just enough to sell the performance, a man genuinely rattled by something he couldn’t understand.
But beneath this facade, his mind remained sharp and focused.
Power coursed through his veins as he raised his dominant hand, fingers splaying in the precise gesture he’d practiced multiple times.
Mana coalesced in his palm, forming a sphere of crackling energy that pulsed with barely contained force. The spell structure was simple but effective, raw magical energy compressed into a projectile that would punch through most defensive barriers.
With a mental command, he released the mana ball toward the approaching signature. The sphere streaked through the air, leaving a brief trail of luminescent particles in its wake.
The impact was immediate and devastating. The assassin’s invisibility spell, a complex weaving of light-bending magic that must have cost considerable mana to maintain, shattered like glass struck by a hammer.
Reality rippled as the magical concealment collapsed, revealing the would-be killer in all his lethal glory. The man materialized mid-stride, caught completely off-guard by the unexpected counterattack.