Magus's expression remained calm as he continuously unleashed Acid Splash spells.
Each strike was aimed precisely at the Black Scale Lizardmen of Knight-level strength.
In just over ten breaths, seven of the creatures had fallen beneath his magic.
Already pressed to the edge, the Lizardmen's formation began to crumble. Magus's intervention pushed them further into chaos. The scales of victory gradually tipped toward Blackstone City.
Then—
"Roar!"
A deafening bellow split the air.
The Black Scale Lizardman Chief had finally noticed the source of his warriors' destruction. Furious, he charged straight for the human who wielded such strange, deadly power.
But before he could reach his target, a tall figure stepped in front of him, sword gleaming.
"Lizard head—your opponent is me!" Rune sneered, swinging his blade in a blinding arc.
The strike of a Peak Knight—augmented by the Brute Force Potion—ripped through the air with a piercing sonic boom.
The Lizardman Chief's pupils contracted. He dared not meet the blow head-on. With a hiss, he twisted aside, retreating several steps and losing his chance to close in on Magus.
"Jilulu waji…" the Lizardman Chief snarled in a harsh, guttural tongue.
Rune thought it was just a roar of frustration. He was about to press the attack when a strange feeling pricked at the back of his neck. He spun sharply toward Magus's direction—
A massive shadow loomed behind the battlefield.
Out of nowhere, something enormous surged forward, its bulk cutting through the chaos like a living avalanche.
Brede saw it first. He shouted a warning, spinning around and slamming his black stone iron shield against the oncoming darkness.
"Bang!"
The impact was thunderous.
Brede was hurled backward, flying through the air like a kite with a severed string, crashing hard onto the ground.
The black shadow only staggered back a few steps before shaking its head and resuming its charge.
Magus's eyes narrowed as he finally saw its true form.
A Great Lizard—seven or eight meters long—covered in overlapping black-and-red scales that shimmered like forged metal under moonlight.
He clicked his tongue. "Didn't expect those lizard heads to pull a feint."
Still, there was no hint of panic on his face.
He had sensed the creature's presence before even Rune or Brede noticed—and had already prepared his next spell.
Magus raised his hand and cast a Sleep Spell.
The Great Lizard lurched mid-stride, its head wobbling slightly, movements sluggish—as though it had suddenly grown drunk.
"Lives up to that variant bloodline," Magus murmured. "He can even resist Sleep."
Without hesitation, he pulled out a rolled parchment—the Summon Monster scroll—and tore it open.
A luminous hexagram array flared to life on the ground a few meters ahead.
Light rippled outward like molten gold, and from within it emerged a creature less than a meter tall—its form surrounded by searing flame, its outline vaguely human.
It opened its mouth and laughed—a bright, childlike sound that danced through the air.
"A Fire Child," Magus said, lips curving into a smile. "Lucky."
The Summon Monster spell could call forth otherworldly beings to aid the caster in battle. The summoned creature's power depended on the spell's level, the caster's spiritual strength—and, most of all, on luck.
Creatures drawn by this spell usually ranged between Intermediate Knight and Primary Grand Knight in strength.
The Fire Child, born from the Fire Elemental Plane, possessed the might of a Peak Knight.
He wasn't the most powerful being the spell could call—but he was more than strong enough.
Under Magus's silent command, the Fire Child giggled and shot forward, a streak of blazing red.
Before the Great Lizard could recover from the spell's haze, the little elemental embraced him.
Instantly, the Lizard's thick scales sizzled and warped. The flesh beneath shriveled, blackened, then turned to charcoal.
Flames burst to life across its body, burning with a furious hiss.
The Great Lizard roared in agony, thrashing wildly. The pain jolted him fully awake, and he rolled frantically across the dirt, snuffing out the worst of the flames.
Then, eyes blood-red, he lunged and snapped at the Fire Child.
His jaws closed—yet met no resistance. His teeth passed through the elemental's body as though through air.
Instead of crushing his foe, he seared his own mouth, bellowing again in torment.
The Fire Child laughed, twirling in midair, then threw himself back into the fray.
He possessed two innate abilities: Burning and Fire Aura.
The first allowed any creature he touched to suffer intense flame damage—so fierce that even metal would melt into slag.
The second let him radiate a constant field of scorching heat; every living being within ten meters endured unceasing burns.
Simply put—the Fire Child was a walking inferno.
Without a magic item capable of isolating heat, anyone who approached him faced relentless scorching.
The Great Lizard had no such defense.
His proud scales, forged by variant blood, could not withstand elemental fire.
Under the Fire Child's relentless pursuit, the enormous beast stumbled and fled, his earlier ferocity reduced to sheer desperation.
Brede, who had only just managed to stand, froze at the sight. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"What… what kind of monster is that?" he whispered. "It's overpowering that thing!"
Not far away, Rune exhaled deeply, relief softening his tense features.
"As expected of Magus," he murmured. "Always full of surprises."
For the Black Scale Lizardmen, targeting Magus for a sneak attack had proven their worst mistake.
Across the field, the strange duet of laughter and wailing echoed—the Fire Child's glee mingling with the Great Lizard's screams.
Even when the giant beast dodged, the surrounding heat from Fire Aura blistered his flesh.
In moments, the Great Lizard's body was a ruin of scorched scales and raw burns.
Finally, after extinguishing the flames once more, the creature's strength broke.
Panting heavily, he crawled a short distance toward Magus, then collapsed to the ground. His great head bowed low, amber eyes gleaming with something almost human—pleading, submissive.
Magus raised a brow. "Quite a spiritual one."
He hadn't expected a variant with such awareness.
It would be a waste to kill him outright.
He gestured, and the Fire Child halted his pursuit, circling back obediently.
Magus cast another Sleep Spell.
This time, the Great Lizard had no strength left to resist. His eyelids fluttered, and within seconds, he sank into a deep, heavy slumber.
Still cautious, Magus patted the Black Rock Leopard standing beside him. "Keep him down."
The beast padded forward, placing a heavy paw on the Lizard's neck.
Then Magus pressed his own hand to the creature's flank and released a Touch of Fatigue.
A pale ripple spread across the Lizard's body. His muscles slackened, his breathing slowed. All traces of vitality ebbed away until the massive form lay completely still.
Only then did Magus relax.
He turned his gaze back to the battlefield.
What he saw there made even the hardened soldiers of Blackstone City tremble.
The remaining Black Scale Lizardmen stood frozen, their scales bristling in terror.
In their horrified eyes, the tiny flame spirit—cheerful and blazing—turned toward them with a delighted shriek and charged.
The air shimmered with heat.
Every step the Fire Child took left faint tongues of flame licking at the earth.
The Lizardmen screamed, scattering in panic, their formation breaking completely.
Rune seized the opening. "Now! Push forward!"
The Blackstone soldiers roared in unison, driving their blades into the disoriented enemy ranks.
Steel clashed, smoke rose, and the battlefield became a furnace of light and sound.
Magus watched quietly from behind, his eyes reflecting the glow of the Fire Child's flames.
Moments ago, chaos had threatened to devour them. Now, victory burned bright.
Beside him, Brede limped closer, wiping blood from his forehead.
"Magus… that thing you summoned…" he began, voice trembling slightly.
The Fire Child turned its head at the sound, smiling—a pure, innocent expression despite the destruction surrounding it.
Magus chuckled. "A friend from another world. Don't worry; he burns only what I tell him to."
Brede stared for a long moment, unsure whether to feel reassured or more afraid.
Across the field, Rune's sword flashed once more, cutting down the last of the Lizardmen warriors.
The cries of battle faded into crackling fire and the low hum of wind over scorched ground.
When it was over, Rune walked back toward Magus, his armor stained with soot and blood, but his grin fierce and bright.
"You really know how to make an entrance," he said.
Magus shrugged. "I prefer to call it problem-solving."
Rune laughed, sheathing his sword. "Problem-solving that nearly burned half the battlefield."
Magus glanced at the Fire Child, who was happily chasing embers across the dirt. "Collateral illumination."
Rune snorted but didn't argue. "What about that giant lizard? Dead?"
"Sleeping," Magus replied. "For now."
Rune's eyebrows rose. "Planning to keep it?"
"If possible," Magus said, his tone thoughtful. "A creature with Dragon Lizard bloodline could be… useful."
Rune shook his head with a helpless smile. "Only you would think of taming something like that."
Magus didn't deny it. His gaze lingered on the Great Lizard's massive, slumbering body.
Somewhere deep within that beast's bloodline lay power—a key to something greater.
He would not waste the opportunity.
The Fire Child returned to his side, flames dimming slightly as the battle's energy faded.
Magus knelt and placed a hand on the elemental's head. "Well done."
The small being giggled softly, eyes glowing like molten gold. Then, as the summoning spell's duration expired, his body dissolved into light and embers, scattering into the air like falling stars.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Only the faint scent of smoke lingered, mingling with the night wind.
Rune exhaled. "You know, Magus, you make it very hard for the rest of us to look impressive."
Magus smiled faintly. "Then you'll just have to train harder."
Rune laughed again, shaking his head. "Let's finish cleaning up. The city's defenders will want to see that this field is ours."
Magus nodded. His eyes drifted once more toward the sleeping Great Lizard, then to the dark horizon beyond the battlefield.
The flames flickered in his reflection—sharp, bright, and full of hidden promise.
Tonight, Blackstone City had survived. But Magus knew this was only the beginning.