I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World-Chapter 43 - 45 The Defensive Stand

Marcelo, a wielder of lightning, endured the relentless electric storm. It wasn't easy—having a lightning affinity only meant that his magic was aligned with that element, not that his body was immune to electricity.

His frequent use of lightning had conditioned his body to withstand its shocks, but he was far from unscathed. Still, survival was paramount. If he could endure, he could wait for the perfect moment to strike when his foe let their guard down.

He lay motionless, hidden beneath the cover of dust and debris, every muscle tensed as he suppressed the flow of his magical energy.

His enemy must not know he was awake. However, this opponent wasn't just any ordinary sorcerer—this was a high-ranking mage. Marcelo knew this because Rigen Hael, a third-circle mage of decent prowess, had been rendered helpless and humiliated by this same foe.

The stakes were clear: one mistake would mean certain capture and torture. Marcelo clutched a narrow blade concealed beneath him, every nerve on edge.

He had overheard the sorcerer's communication spell earlier.

Reinforcements were on the way. Time was running out.

'Now,' he sensed it—despite his eyes being closed, he knew the enemy was near.

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Every instinct screamed in warning.

With a powerful surge, he coiled the strength in his legs and launched himself from the ground. The blade in his hand shot forward like a silver streak, aimed straight for the sorcerer's heart.

But something was wrong.

His strike was sluggish, as if the air had thickened into a viscous fog.

It was as though his blade was trapped in invisible resistance.

He met the sorcerer's eyes—cold, calculating—and saw the smirk forming on his lips. The realization hit him like a thunderclap.

His opponent had been aware of his condition all along.

Gritting his teeth, Marcelo poured his remaining energy into the strike.

Crackle!

A surge of lightning coursed through his arm, arcing down the blade in a desperate bid to pierce through.

Sparks flashed brilliantly, but then, without warning—fizz!—the lightning dissipated, extinguished as if someone had flipped a switch.

His heart sank.

"A lightning affinity, huh? No wonder you lasted this long," the sorcerer, Gin, remarked with amusement. He calmly traced a sigil midair, a magic circle forming and breaking apart with eerie precision.

Tiny particles of magic rained down like ethereal dust, enveloping the entire area.

Marcelo felt an overwhelming drowsiness seize him.

His body crumpled to the ground as he succumbed to enchanted sleep. Around him, others who had already been unconscious sank deeper into a comatose state.

Gin inspected the vehicles and his subdued adversaries once more, ensuring there were no surprises. Nothing remained worth salvaging.

"This could have been more interesting if they had planned better," he muttered in disappointment. A true battle would have required the ability users to block the frontline while their mages worked support from the rear. Instead, they'd fallen like puppets with cut strings.

Gin shook his head in exasperation. "What kind of mage charges headlong into the fray, anyway?"

Moments later, an operative named Jay arrived with a cleanup crew. Gin gave a brief nod and quietly departed. It was time to prepare for the next phase of defense.

Elsewhere, Roderic, a director at Merentil Pharmaceuticals, was fuming.

"Idiots! Every last one of them!"

He had taken extraordinary measures to ensure the success of this operation. The most skilled security team, Team One, had been assigned, along with Rigen Hael.

Multiple smaller guilds had been contracted to provide additional ability users. Yet, despite all precautions, they had suffered a complete and utter defeat.

Not a single operative had returned.

Under normal circumstances, they would have launched a large-scale search for the missing personnel.

But Roderic already knew who was behind the attack—Astra Pharmaceuticals.

Still, it made no sense.

Astra lacked both the resources and the manpower for such an assault, especially since they had no capable mages in their ranks.

It was this weakness that had made them vulnerable to Lorien Vareth's aggression in the past.

Desperate for magical support, Astra had been scrambling to recruit even novice mages. Yet somehow, they had orchestrated this devastating strike.

Roderic suspected there was more at play here. Perhaps it wasn't Astra as a whole, but rather one of their directors—Joseph—who had pulled unseen strings.

Restless, Roderic paced by the massive windows of his office on the 23rd floor.

Merentil Pharmaceuticals occupied a towering 25-story building, and the city stretched below him like a living, breathing entity.

The view always helped calm his nerves, though today the tension in his chest refused to ease.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door.

"Director, your guests have arrived," his secretary announced.

Roderic turned to see three figures enter the room: two ability users and a mage. He gestured for them to sit on the sofas arranged at the center of the office.

Once they had settled, he took his seat at the head of the arrangement, crossing one leg over the other with practiced ease.

"You've been briefed, I assume?"

The mage,Ruben, gave a curt nod. "Yes. I heard it was a clean sweep."

"Correct. Not a single trace left. They even repaired the road before vanishing."

Roderic's gaze hardened as he studied the trio.

Ruben was a key asset to Merentil, a mage whose importance could not be overstated. The other two were leaders within the company's security division and external operations.

They had no room for further mistakes. This time, they would be prepared.

Roderic's gaze sharpened as he turned to the officer in charge of external recruitment.

"Any issues procuring additional personnel? We invested a great deal in manpower during the last transport."

The officer shook his head with confidence.

"None whatsoever. We sourced this batch separately from the previous group. However, if you want to increase our force, more funding will be required."

Roderic nodded decisively.

"Consider it done. Secure the additional manpower."

"It will be prepared to the highest standards."

If the enemy had drawn their hidden blade, it was only fitting to respond with equal force.

Roderic shifted his attention to the head of the security division.

"What about the individual we discussed earlier?"

"He agreed, provided one condition is met."

Roderic leaned forward, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"What condition?"

"We need to acquire the Claw of the Warden."

Roderic's expression darkened. The Claw of the Warden was a rare magical material, known to imbue extraordinary properties in both potions and enchanted artifacts. Yet, its rarity posed a significant obstacle.

"Is it even possible to obtain?"

Ruben, the mage, interjected with a casual air.

"Possible? Certainly. The challenge is the price."

Roderic frowned.

"Why would a non-mage be interested in such an artifact?"

The head of security quickly answered,

"It seems he's gained access to a rare opportunity for artifact crafting."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the room. If that were true, it meant he had connections to one of the upper noble houses.

Roderic quickly regained his composure and addressed Ruben.

"Then acquire it. Funds will be no issue."

"Consider it done," Ruben replied smoothly. He had heard rumors that several Claws of the Warden had recently surfaced in the black market. A few swift calls today could secure them immediately.

With this, Roderic's tension eased slightly.