Chapter 78 - The Desert Warrior, A New Target
POV: Rudeus Greyrat
In the relentless desert, everything around was devastation. The ground was scarred by fire and ice, and several stone walls rose seemingly at random, silent witnesses to the battle that had taken place. In the center of that arid landscape, Rudeus Greyrat was on his knees, his hands dug into the hot sand, panting. His world was spinning, his breath was ragged, and his arms trembled with exhaustion. A curved, ornate sword rested against his neck—cold and unyielding.
His staff had been thrown far away during the fight.
A hoarse laugh cut through the desert silence.
"You're getting better with every attempt, brat." The voice was deep, filled with arrogance and amusement. "You almost got me that time."
Behind him, Larax, the leader of the mercenary group Tyranny Storm, stepped back, walking with his usual relaxed posture. His body bore the marks of combat. On the left side of his chest and arm, burns still smoldered, but he didn't seem to care.
"Little Sylphy! Heal!" he ordered bluntly.
A white-haired, long-eared girl, no older than eight or nine, approached with a visibly annoyed expression. She huffed softly before raising her hands and casting advanced healing magic without incantation. Her hands glowed with a greenish light, restoring Larax's scorched flesh.
She always mentally thanked Vidette for teaching her. The demon-race mage might not know Saint-level spells, but she had mastered nearly all magic schools up to the Advanced level—except barriers and divine attacks. From what Sylphy understood, Vidette was much older than she appeared.
Once she finished, Sylphy crossed her arms, still frowning. Larax noticed her expression and let out a booming laugh.
"Are you sulking over your little boyfriend's loss?" He turned to Rudeus with a mocking grin. "Relax, he got out of this without a scratch! Spent the whole fight running around with magic—that's why we call him the Glass Cannon!"