Reinventing Magic: An Inventor's Tale-Chapter 55: Battle of the Fifth Class Magicians

A tense silence gripped the battlefield, broken only by the distant clash of steel and the murmuring winds carrying the scent of scorched earth. Keira stood firm, her hands trembling not just from fatigue but from the weight of responsibility. She completed the final words of her incantation, a surge of fiery determination propelling her spell forward.

Livius, reveling in his taunts directed at Kael, sensed the shift in mana almost immediately. A smirk curled on his lips as he turned his head slightly. "Hold on a moment, will you?" he said, raising a finger to pause their conversation. "I’ve got an uninvited guest to deal with."

Kael’s eyes narrowed as he watched the flames hurtle towards Livius.

Livius chuckled softly. "Oh, nothing too alarming. Just a minor interruption. Honestly, it’s a bit rude to interrupt our conversation like this, don’t you think?" Without turning fully, he raised the Veilbreaker Staff, his smirk widening as a translucent barrier flickered into existence, nullifying the attack effortlessly. The flames dissipated harmlessly against the arcane shield.

With an amused chuckle, Livius twirled the staff, his crimson eyes locking onto Keira with a predatory gleam. "That was cute," he sneered, raising the staff skyward. "But come on, you can do better than that, right?" The air crackled as dozens of flaming orbs materialized around him. "Let’s see how you handle your own spell."

With a flick of his wrist, the stored 3rd-tier Fireball Barrage exploded toward her, painting the sky with fiery death. The ground trembled as the barrage descended, each orb roaring with destructive power. This time, it was the very spell Keira had painstakingly stored in her staff, now twisted against her by Livius’s malevolent hand.

Kael’s instincts kicked in. Utilizing the blink spell he had analyzed from Alice’s pre-recorded sequences, he vanished in an instant, reappearing beside Keira just as the barrage reached them. With a wave of his hand, a shimmering barrier enveloped them, the force of the explosions sending waves of heat rolling outward.

"Keira, you need to rest. I’ll handle him," Kael said, his voice steady despite the situation.

Keira’s eyes widened in alarm, her voice trembling with urgency. "Young Master, you don’t understand! That spell—that first spell he fired—it was a 5th-tier spell! Livius is at least a 5th-class magician or higher. You can’t beat him with your current power!"

Kael turned to her, his eyes steely and unwavering. He exhaled slowly, determination etched into his features. "He is not the only one who is a 5th-class magician," he declared, his voice resonating with unshakable resolve.

Livius, who had been watching their exchange with an air of disinterest, let out an exaggerated yawn. "Are you two done? Because I’m starting to get bored. Seriously, you guys are like a bad theater act." He spun his staff casually, nearly dropping it in the process. "Oops. That was close." A manic grin spread across his face, followed by a bout of unhinged laughter. "Maybe I should give you both some acting lessons after this."

Kael frowned. This man was arrogant—perhaps even idiotic—but undeniably dangerous. He needed to end this quickly. Victor still needed his help.

Turning to Keira, he said once more, "Stay back and watch." Then, channeling mana into his gauntlet, he propelled himself into the air, stopping just meters away from Livius.

Livius raised an eyebrow as he observed Kael. "You know, I’ve been wondering... that gauntlet of yours—does it have the same enchantments as this staff?" He lifted the Veilbreaker, twirling it between his fingers. "I mean, wouldn’t it be hilarious if you were just waving around some glorified metal glove?"

Kael narrowed his eyes. "Why should I answer that?"

Livius chuckled. "You don’t have to. I’ll just find out for myself." Without hesitation, he unleashed another Fireball Barrage.

Kael blinked out of existence, reappearing behind Livius in a flash of azure light. He extended his palm, energy gathering into a searing white-hot beam. The charge time was four seconds—just long enough for Livius to notice.

With a smirk, Livius activated his Phantom Shift Ring, vanishing just before the attack could be unleashed. He reappeared a safe distance away, arms crossed. "Hey, that’s cheating," he said, voice dripping with false indignation. "You’re not supposed to fight back. It’s like you didn’t even read the script."

Kael scowled, but his mind was already working through the problem. He had assumed Livius’ teleportation functioned like his own blink spell, but that was clearly not the case. Unlike his, which could be used consecutively at the cost of exponential mana consumption, Livius’ ring seemed to have a cooldown period.

Livius was stalling, using chatter to buy time. He was waiting for his ring’s cooldown to reset.

Kael flexed his fingers, channeling mana through his veins. Every time he attacked, Livius either evaded or countered. His spells were strong but predictable. If Kael wanted to win, he needed to force Livius into a situation where dodging was impossible.

Then, an idea formed.

Kael’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Let’s finish this."

He extended his left hand, conjuring a vortex of compressed wind. The air twisted violently, forming a gravitational well. The ground beneath them cracked as debris spiraled into the storm. Livius’ expression shifted ever so slightly—his smirk faltering as the vortex’s pull became undeniable.

Keira gasped. "A singularity spell? Young Master, that’s—"

Kael clenched his fist, compressing the vortex further. The gravitational force intensified, dragging everything toward its core. Livius’ body tensed as his boots slid across the ground, his smirk now fully gone.

"Shit," Livius muttered.

Kael vanished again, appearing directly in front of him. With a single, mana-empowered punch, he sent Livius hurtling toward the vortex.

Livius spun wildly, his body caught in the gravitational pull of the singularity. He struggled to regain control, summoning every ounce of his mana to counteract the force. Sweat poured down his face, and his expression twisted with desperation.

Kael hovered in the air, his eyes locked onto Livius, ready to strike again if necessary. "It’s over, Livius," he called out, his voice firm and resolute. "You’ve lost."

Livius let out a guttural growl, defiant even in the face of defeat. "You think this is over?" he snarled. "I still have one last trick up my sleeve."

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