Chapter 1068: The Great Sage's Magic

There I stood, amidst the ruins and the fallen, the energy of the Nether pulsing and rippling around me like a living entity.

I lifted my hands, fingers splayed wide, feeling the pure, unbridled power coursing through my veins.

I could feel the surge of ecstasy rippling through me as I realized - I was about to use Magic, for the first time ever.

"HUUUUUUUUUUUU..." The black marker monster, undeterred by the spectacle, extended a gnarled hand, summoning from the depths a host of vile creatures, each more grotesque than the last.

They lumbered toward me, monstrous forms silhouetted against the foreboding darkness. I should have felt fear or despair.

I should have felt the crushing weight of failure and anxiety.

But I didn't.

No.

Right there and then, only one feeling coursed through me, invading me down to the marrow of my bones, coursing through every vein in my body, and reaching the very recesses of my soul.

I only felt a thrill of anticipation.

"Let's see... Let's see..." I murmured to myself, my gaze falling on the myriad of creatures that the dark entity had summoned from the abyss.

They were grotesque, their bodies twisted and malformed, their eyes glowing with an unholy light.

I focused my energy, feeling the Nether respond, thrumming in time with my heartbeat.

"[Ethereal Cascade]," I whispered, and the energy erupted from me in a wave of shimmering light.

The ground beneath the creatures' feet exploded into a field of luminous spires, impaling them with beams of condensed energy.

Despite the successful attack, I didn't pause.

Time seemed to slow, the world around me existing in a surreal, dreamlike haze. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing with the surge of magic.

"[Dark Vortex]," I called out next, and a swirling whirlpool of energy appeared in the midst of the remaining creatures, tearing them apart with its sheer, unyielding force.

"Whoa..." I found myself muttering, staring in awe at the destruction I had caused.

The euphoria of it all was intoxicating, heady, a rush of adrenaline and power that left me giddy.

But there were more of them, and I wasn't done yet.

"[Gale Barrage]," I shouted, and the air around me solidified into razor-sharp blades of wind, slicing through the enemy ranks like a hot knife through butter.

More creatures spawned from the darkness, attempting to overwhelm me with their sheer numbers. But I was on a roll now, my confidence soaring as I engaged in the thrilling dance of battle.

"[Ethereal Chains]," I bellowed, and the remaining creatures were ensnared in glowing binds of energy, rendering them immobile.

My eyes focused on the dark entity, the black marker monster, now standing alone amidst the destruction.

I was panting, my chest heaving with exertion, but I felt invincible, the taste of power on my lips.

"Now for the big finish," I whispered to myself. "[Black Nova]..."

I could only watch, mesmerized, as a ball of condensed Nether energy formed in front of me, growing larger and larger, pulsating with pure, raw power.

"Haa..." With a final push of will, I released it, watching as it barreled toward the remaining horde of monstrous entities, growing larger and brighter until it consumed everything in its path, culminating in a brilliant explosion of magic and power.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~

For a moment, there was silence - a deafening quietude that followed the blinding flash.

I stared at the smoking crater left behind, the remnants of the once formidable monster.

I let out a breathless chuckle, my lips curving into a satisfied smile as I muttered to myself.

"Magic... it's really incredible."

It was one thing to develop theories about it.

It was another to use Magic Items to utilize the effects.

However... nothing... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING trumped the sublime feeling of using Magic with my own power.

"Now, then..." My barely audible voice echoed in my ears as I lifted my gaze.

As the silence echoed in the devastated chamber, I found myself standing face-to-face with the final adversary.

The black marker monster loomed over me, a behemoth that defied comprehension. Its form was an abyss, a darkness so profound it seemed to suck in the surrounding light.

'No matter how many monsters I kill, if I don't defeat this one, they'll just keep appearing.' My eyes narrowed down on it.

The problem was that this creature seemed difficult, if not impossible, to kill.

'Still, I have to do it.'

This was the endgame. The battle that could define my very existence.

I called forth the energy once again, the Nether roaring into existence around me.

"[Grand Whirlwind]!" I shouted, the words tearing from my throat.

~WHUUUUUUSSSSSHHHH!!!~

Gusts of raw power erupted from my hands, crashing against the monster.

But it stood its ground, unyielding against my onslaught.

Its counter-attack was swift and brutal.

Dark energy swirled and congealed into enormous claws that slashed through the air, aiming for my heart.

~VWUUUM!~

I moved, a quick-step dance to the side, before launching another attack.

"[Void Torrent]!" I roared, invoking a violent surge of Nether that pummeled the monster.

Yet, it still stood, seemingly unfazed.

Each of my attacks, as devastating as they were, seemed to barely scratch this abominable foe.

I could feel the strain of the ongoing battle, the toll it was taking on my body, on my mind.

But there was no room for surrender.

I gritted my teeth, sweat trickling down my forehead. I could feel the energy within me, the Nether, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Rising to my feet once more, I swayed on the spot, my vision swimming as I stared down at the horrific entity.

"Haa... I'm going to beat you."

"[Mage Mode]," I growled, drawing upon the reserves of my energy.

My body ignited in a blaze of scintillating light, the power threatening to consume me.

The cavernous chamber was bathed in an eerie glow, casting long, monstrous shadows against the walls.

The black marker monster retaliated with a roar that echoed in my skull, its massive form lurching towards me with surprising speed.

Anticipating the attack, I quickly muttered, "[Mirror Echo]."

A shimmering wall of energy materialized before me, deflecting the creature's onslaught back toward it.

As the creature staggered under the force of its own attack, I seized the opportunity.

"[Maelstrom of the Void]!" I bellowed.

~VWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM!!!~

The air around me crackled and twisted, energy vortexes spiraling wildly in the midst of the chamber.

An ominous hum filled the air, the prelude to a cataclysmic symphony.

Suddenly, with an explosive force that rocked the chamber, a myriad of energy missiles surged forth from the vortexes, their brilliant trails searing across the darkness, homing towards the monstrous entity.

"RAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The creature roared in agony, the missiles piercing its dark form, causing it to convulse violently.

'It's still not dying. Its regeneration is too fast!' My thought echoed as I glared at the already recovering monster.

I had to strike it while I still could. I had just awakened, and while Adrenaline and Magic kept me going past my limits, I was running out of time.

'Need to... end this now!'

There was one more Spell, one that I hadn't used yet.

It was a risk. But I was out of options.

'I'll have to revamp it by meshing various elements to make it work.'

I would have to use Spellcraft to activate it, while using the last remaining strand of my power to gather as much energy as I could.

'Using the memories of the Arcanas I interacted with, I'll generate a spatial collapse that'll render its existence impossible with that mass, while attributing the concept of null by accounting for its seemingly unlimited regeneration...'

Calculating as fast as I could, combining various formulae and effects in my mind, I arrived at the simple answer.

"Let's see if you can handle this..."

This was it. The best Spell I could come up with under such a short amount of time. Something that would even kill this undying being.

"[OBLIVION]!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the chamber.

I felt the energy shift around me, coiling like a serpent preparing to strike. This was not just a Spell; it was the culmination of my will, my desperation, my fear, my hope.

And then I unleashed it.

The air itself seemed to freeze, before the world exploded in a blinding burst of energy.

The force of the explosion was cataclysmic, shaking the very foundation of the Labyrinth.

The chamber was engulfed in light, the destructive force tearing through everything in its path.

The monster let out a final, earth-shaking roar before its form disintegrated into nothingness, consumed by the ocean of energy that killed it over and over again, down to the tiniest fraction of its existence.

And then...

... Silent noise radiated forth.

'It is done...'

When the dust finally settled, the Labyrinth was no more.

All that remained was a barren expanse, a monument to the titanic clash that had occurred. The black marker monster... was gone, reduced to mere ashes by the devastating Spell.

I floated amidst the desolation, panting heavily.

Victory was mine.

But the cost... the cost was immense.

In the end, I was left alone, standing in the ruins of the entire region that I had shattered.

"I... I did it..." I whispered, the words sounding hollow in the aftermath.

I looked down at my hands, the hands that had wielded such terrible power.

And in that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion wash over me.

"You're next, Karlia," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the ringing in my ears.

"I'm coming for you."

Finally, the world faded into blackness as the exhaustion pulled me under.

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[A/N]

I really liked this fight. Epic, emotional, and we finally get to see the Great Sage really use Magic.

Now I'm sure some of you think this is asspull.

Well... I certainly hope you stick around for the explanation.