Dark Magus Returns

Rayna stood in front of Raze and pushed the doors open. He could tell that she was using Qi to do this task, and yet the doors still had a great weight to them.

It wasn't flung open, and with each step she took, she had to push off as if she were performing a special technique.

The things that Raze had seen in here so far, and what he had witnessed members do from the last time he was here, showed they trained harder than they did at the Dark Pagna Academy.

'I wonder if all clans are this intense with their bases and training, or if it's just the Neverfall Clan…'

'It's no wonder that pupil we saw from before was steps above those from the Dark Faction. I somewhat see why they had decided to go through with desperate measures for this martial arts tournament of theirs.'

'But just because I know their reason for doing something, doesn't mean I agree with it.'

When a crack of the door was open, an intense heat flooded Raze right in the face.

He had to react fast with his own ice magic so he wouldn't be affected.

'I didn't think the heat could get much more intense.' Raze lifted his hand, covering his eyes.

He could feel it even through his magic for a bit, but if he used too much of his magic, it would be obvious that something was up.

Once again, Rayna looked back, concerned at what was happening, but she had to continue forward and fully opened the doors.

"Are you okay?" She asked, deeply concerned, until she could see Raze standing there fine, and not only that, but the mask had been removed from his face, and she could see it.

She could see what Raze looked like. Before, when she had been saved, he was wearing the specially made robe that covered his face.

When she met him again in the Neverfall Clan base, he had the special mask of one of the other members who were currently a part of the Neverfall Clan, so this was the first time she could see him fully.

His well-toned body matched his glowing face. A well-defined jawline, and hair that was vibrant and full of life, but the color was the polar opposite.

As if all life had been drained from it, the hair was a dark white close to an ash grey.

"You look fine," Rayna commented, both on the fact that he was still standing and on his actual looks. "And you look a bit young."

A great alchemist was a person who had to have a lot of knowledge and experience, so she had expected the Dark Magus to be older than her.

On top of that, she could tell he was either a stage 4 or 5 warrior. Unless he was a main disciple of one of the top clans, for someone to reach that stage so quickly, she or others would have known about it.

His name would have been spread just like Ricktor's in the Dark Faction, or the White Dragon that was recently being spread as well.

"I just look young, trust me," Raze said as he approached her.

Raze took a peek inside, and all around, like an arena, he could see several different levels.

All of them filled with large strange metal containers that had large flames coming out of them.

There had to be around 4000 containers with flames in the room, and Raze could sense it.

'These containers, and the flames themselves, they don't seem to be ordinary. All of the equipment has some sense of magical power.'

'Just like the items from other dimensions. It's creating an even more intense heat in this room.'

There was a clear path on the ground. It reminded him of a red carpet runway.

It went on and on until it reached the end, a more open oval area, and in that area, was a single man, with no shirt on.

His body covered in sweat, his muscular refined back facing outward away from them.

Rayna walked forward, and just before they reached the large oval area, she went down and sat on top of her legs, bowing down and placing her head to the ground.

She looked at Raze and gestured for him to do the same. In this situation, he decided to follow.

'I can tell, just from a glance, just from not even making eye contact with him. This man is like the principal. He's close, he's close to going onto the Divine Stage.'

It made Raze wonder, was this what it was like for others who set their eyes upon him in the past.

When they saw and could feel that he was a nine-star mage. Or when people knew of his arrival.

Right now, all thoughts of trying to escape in front of this person or attempting to hold off for a while had escaped his head.

"I greet the Clan Master," Rayna said. "I have done as you asked and have brought the one known as the Dark Magus to see you."

The man let out a breath, and oddly it had turned into a type of steam, like one would on a cold day.

Slowly he turned around, and Raze had made eye contact with him for the first time.

The two of them stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, not looking away.

Meanwhile, the Clan Master Belil, got into a more relaxed position. He lay on the ground sideways, with his legs spread looking at them.

Raze never knew such a relaxed position could feel so deadly.

"I am Belil Narfous, the leader of the Neverfall Clan," Belil claimed. "I thank you for adhering to my request and coming to visit me. I must say you look younger than I thought you would, are you really an alchemist?"

"That is what people call me," Raze replied. "But in reality, that is something that I just dabble in."

It was the truth, although Raze was great at making enchanted items. That was only because he was a nine-star mage.

Among the other nine-star mages, he would be considered subpar. Someone like Idore was far better at enchanting than him.

If anything, too many times Raze would have to rely on the gamble and luck of Dark Magic.

"Everyone wishes to know you because of your alchemist abilities, and yet that is something you just dabble in."

Belil couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"You are interesting, very interesting. It makes me wonder then, if alchemy is something you just dabble in and are that good, what your main focus is."

Raze's eyes contracted a little. Since coming to Pagna, his focus had never faltered, and it was revenge against the Grand Magus.

"You see, I heard a rumor that you managed to beat a Middle stage warrior from the Behemoth Clan. That you aren't just great in alchemy but are actually quite strong as well."

"But you see, I hate rumors. I know how exaggerated they can get, which is why I wanted to test you out for myself, to see just how strong you are!"