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“Shwoosh—”

A spatial rift appeared within the Polar Night Demon Tower, precisely positioned to enter the so-called “Death Hallway.”

Staring at the lingering toxic 【Cloudkill】 filling the hallway, Langpu smiled knowingly. The tiny skull pendant on his chest emitted a magical glow.

It was just a second-circle spell, but it was perfect for this situation—

【Dispel Smoke】

It quickly dispersed both natural and magical smoke in the affected area.

A gentle breeze swept through, dispersing the deadly 【Cloudkill】, restoring Langpu’s view to clarity.

At the end of the hallway, a heavy iron cage slowly opened. Countless monsters clawed at the cold bars, eager to be released and tear apart the approaching enemy.

But Langpu simply raised his staff, yellow-gray light—representing earth—glimmered.

【Wall of Stone】

With a rumbling noise, the ground trembled, and a thick stone wall rose suddenly, blocking all the monsters on one side of the hallway.

The rampaging draconic monsters were relentless, pushing against each other, using the bodies of their companions as steps, trying to overcome the stone wall by sheer force of numbers.

But Langpu had no intention of giving them that chance, raising his staff again.

【Grease Spell】

A large quantity of sticky grease appeared on the ground, soaking the bodies of many draconic monsters, causing them to lose friction. Those climbing over others slipped and fell, with monsters rolling and tumbling chaotically at the base of the stone wall.

But it wasn’t over yet. A wicked grin spread across Langpu’s meaty face.

“Mere mindless beasts…”

“And you dare try to eat me?”

His staff glowed with searing flames, releasing a powerful burst of elemental energy.

This was a fourth-circle spell—

【Wall of Fire】

A burning wall of flames suddenly sprang up, pressed tightly against the stone wall, devouring hundreds of draconic monsters in its fiery maw.

“Awoooo—”

The monsters were immediately set ablaze, their grease-covered bodies acting as fuel that made the fire even more intense. Though some escaped the fire wall, their oil-soaked bodies continued to burn, sizzling and crackling. They howled in agony, writhing and struggling amid the flames.

Seeing his chance, Langpu ended the spell with ease.

The stone wall slowly descended, revealing a hallway littered with charred corpses.

Sniffing the roasted scent wafting through the air, Langpu’s eyes glinted with greed, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips, drool dripping from the corners of his mouth.

But, in the end, the ogre mage, who had held high office for years, resisted his primal impulse.

He wiped his mouth, growling angrily,

“Damn it, if it weren’t for the master’s mission, not even your bodies would remain.”

“Such a waste of food.”

Langpu hurried down the hallway, mumbling complaints as he went.

A heavy metal door loomed ahead, sealed by 【Arcane Lock】, covered by a black shimmer.

But Langpu was ready for this as well, tapping the door confidently with his glowing staff.

【Knock Spell】

With a soft “bang,” the shimmering membrane shattered into countless shards before fading away.

The metal door swung open with a thud.

Langpu stepped inside.

Just then, the floating 【Cataclysmic Dragon Eye】 beside him began displaying a hazy vision.

A man in a black robe appeared, striding towards Langpu—the Dragon Eye had predicted the future.

“Finally coming, are you?”

“The so-called ‘Dragon-Mad Black Mage’.”

Langpu’s meaty face broke into a look of anticipation, his palms sweating as he tightly gripped his staff, ready to cast a spell at any moment.

As expected, black, claw-like rifts tore through the fabric of space, forming a portal right before Langpu.

Wagner, robed in black, stepped out from within.

“You’re different from the irritating flies that came before.”

“You’re strong.”

“And you lack that inexplicable out-of-place feeling.”

His raspy voice echoed through the hallway like a lingering specter.

Wagner raised his head, staring deeply at Langpu, a chilling smile spreading across his face.

“You’ll make a fine experiment, won’t you?”

But Langpu wasn’t some fragile human. He had feasted on flesh, conducted countless experiments on his enemies, and as an ogre mage, he felt no fear—only a strange sense of camaraderie.

He merely let out a cold laugh, raising his staff:

“Heh, we’ll see if you have what it takes. I think your head would make a fine addition to my collection.”

Wagner didn’t show any anger, continuing to gaze at Langpu, his eyes filled with hollow negative energy.

In that instant, his eyes transformed into a black hallway lined with teeth, a gaze that resembled an abyss, drawing one into an endless void.

【Enthrall】

But not only did the Dragon Eye provide foresight, Langpu was also prepared.

He conjured a mirror-like luminescent barrier in front of himself, moving along with his vision without obstructing his sight.

This was a second-circle spell designed to defend against gaze attacks—

【Veil of Gaze】

Wagner’s 【Enthrall】 reflected back upon him, striking his own body. The black shimmer covering him blocked the effect, but it caused his body to stiffen for a brief moment.

Even his own sixth-circle spell wasn’t so easy to endure.

And in that moment, Langpu was ready.

He swung his staff with all his might, his eyes blazing with fury. Balls of scorching fire erupted and launched towards Wagner.

Langpu knew that Wagner possessed 【Contingency】 and 【Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere】—essentially extra lives. His goal was to force Wagner to use up his “resurrection gear,” creating an opening for Cassius to strike.

But Wagner’s stiffness lasted only a moment before clarity returned to his gaze.

With a subtle movement, an invisible force field enveloped him, extending about half a meter around him. The fearsome fireballs never reached his body, disintegrating the instant they entered the barrier.

—That was 【Antimagic Field】.

“A coward hiding behind barriers, not a madman at all.”

“Just a coward.”

Langpu sneered, hurling another fireball. His years of practice had honed 【Fireball】 into his specialty spell, and combined with his red dragon lineage, its power could rival some fifth-circle evocation spells.

Wagner, with his experience, could easily see that Langpu had studied his spell repertoire.

In a battle between mages, knowing the enemy’s spell list made an enormous difference.

Mages of equal standing could easily dominate if they knew the other’s spells in advance.

Wagner smirked playfully.

“Heh, I see now. Though you’re not one of them, you’re on their side. You’re also among those who hide behind others.”

“You overestimate yourself. Do you think glimpsing a mere sliver of the iceberg means you can stand against me?”

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