The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

"He blocked it?!"

"And he's completely unharmed?!"

"How is that possible?! He's just a Level 1!"

After Yoru intercepted Riveria's attack without even a scratch, a wave of disbelief rippled through the crowd. Everyone widened their eyes in shock at this seemingly impossible scene.

A Level 1 versus a Level 6—it should've been like heaven and earth. Everyone believed this battle would be completely one-sided. Yet, Yoru slapped reality in their faces.

With only Level 1 strength, he stood firm and unflinching against Riveria, a Level 6. Even though the attack may have just been a test, the sheer impact silenced the entire crowd.

They couldn't help but admire Riveria, known as the Nine Hell, the most powerful mage in Orario. The moment she acted, it was truly overwhelming.

The cheers and gasps from the outside audience were completely drowned out inside the arena. Yoru clearly wasn't paying attention to them either—his focus was elsewhere, drawn to something even stranger.

Riveria's recent attack wasn't anything extraordinary—just a sequence of spells she frequently used during their many days of training.

Their typical magic lessons always began with a barrage of attacks from Riveria. Sometimes fire, sometimes lightning, or blades of wind.

But what puzzled Yoru this time was his wand—a plain, worn-out rod that looked more like a fire poker than a proper staff.

Just now, all of Riveria's fire-based spells were completely absorbed by this unassuming stick. It was almost greedy in its consumption, startling even Yoru.

He had studied the wand for quite some time, but it yielded little progress. The only thing he confirmed was that it had an absurdly high affinity for magic. Casting spells through it made them far more efficient.

Normally, no matter how much mana he poured into it, the wand remained passive. But this time, it reacted hungrily, devouring the fire magic.

Wait… could it be due to elemental affinity? Perhaps this staff is only interested in fire-element mana?

While Yoru pondered that, on the other side, Riveria finished her test assault. She didn't dare to let her guard down. She summoned a blazing barrier before her, then began channeling mana once more, chanting an intricate magical incantation.

This was the most direct and visible reason why elves surpassed humans in their command of magic: the ability to compress and refine mana.

Spells that required complex, drawn-out chants in human language could be cast in just a few syllables in Elvish. This gave elves overwhelming advantages in both mana condensation and casting speed.

It was a natural gift—something no other race could replicate. Even though contracts allowed other races to access magic, they could never rival a true elf mage.

For most people, mastering one or two spells was a big accomplishment. But elves like Riveria? She commanded all elements.

Within moments, a graceful and melodic Elvish chant was completed. Instantly, Yoru felt a scorching heat rising from the ground beneath his feet.

He recognized this spell well—it was one of Riveria's favorite openers: Flame Burst, a technique that gathers fire elements beneath the target and erupts in a fiery explosion.

There was typically a 0.5 to 1 second delay from activation to explosion. Someone with fast enough reflexes could evade the strike in time.

For example, if someone like Ais were fighting Riveria, she'd be able to dodge and counter within that split second.

But Yoru didn't have that kind of agility. His physical capabilities had not improved much. There was no way he could dodge the imminent flames.

Instead, he used a far simpler and more direct method to suppress the attack.

He stomped on the ground.

Immediately, a wave of white frost burst out from beneath him, freezing the entire arena in ice.

The halfway-completed spell was forcefully interrupted. Riveria felt a jolt through her body—her mana surged out of control.

"His mana reserves… they're bottomless…"

Riveria smiled bitterly. In just this short exchange, she had been utterly overwhelmed in terms of raw mana.

Her only real advantage was her superior understanding of magic and her wide repertoire of spells.

After Flame Burst failed, Riveria didn't hesitate. She immediately began chanting another incantation.

But even though Riveria's casting speed was fast, she still needed time to chant. Yoru, on the other hand, didn't.

Without any gestures, he simply looked up and raised one hand toward Riveria, who floated in midair.

In an instant, a massive vortex formed in the air—as if space itself began to spin. Riveria hadn't even grasped what was happening when her body was forcefully pulled toward Yoru. Her chant was cut off midway.

"This is… a Mana Vortex?!"

Riveria gasped and quickly tried to muster her mana to resist the terrifying pull.

But just as she activated her mana, a far greater force crushed it. She was stunned to realize that the magical power she prided herself on—at this moment—was as fragile as a child's. It couldn't even begin to compare.

How… how is this possible?!

Even after all their sparring sessions, where she had sensed his deep mana reserves—this kind of absolute dominance was far beyond anything she had imagined.

Riveria suddenly realized… there was no point in continuing this fight. Yoru wasn't fighting fair—he was bullying her. How was she supposed to compete?

For a mage, mana is everything. And Yoru's mana wasn't just deep—it was vast enough to form a vortex that could physically drag her in.

So what was the point of continuing?

At first, she thought the difference between them was like a cup and a bowl of water.

But now she understood—Yoru wasn't a bowl.

He was an endless ocean.

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