Chapter 204: The Intruders

"Not good, we need to leave—now!"

Seeing Mage Hermann's cold gaze and recalling the conversation these mages just had, Mage Golan instantly understood their intention: to eliminate all other mages who had entered the first floor of the ancient tower.

Alena and Mage Kalen, not needing further warning, quickly turned and tried to escape. However, Hermann and the other three mages moved even faster, and their alchemical creatures seemed to turn into mere shadows, encircling Golan and his companions in an instant.

"You want to leave? Too late. Kill them!" Hermann's cold laugh filled the air as he gave the command, and the four alchemical creatures rushed at Golan and his allies.

"Scorching Flame!"

Mage Golan took a deep breath. Seeing the alchemical creatures closing in on him, his eyes narrowed, and a fierce wave of fire elemental energy began radiating from his body. The temperature of the entire first floor seemed to rise, with faint, nearly invisible flames floating in the air.

"Whoosh."

One of the alchemical creatures, wielding sharp claws, lunged at Golan. But as it reached the searing flames in the air, it was immediately enveloped, igniting in a powerful blaze.

"Bang."

At the same time, Golan felt a sharp impact at his back—a second alchemical creature had snuck behind him and struck. Fortunately, his robe, an enchanted artifact, absorbed most of the force, but Golan still paled slightly. In just a moment, he realized the frightening strength and speed of these alchemical creatures. They were likely crafted by second-level mages, meaning their creators—his attackers—were also second-level mages.

Golan's face showed a hint of anxiety. Despite his own strength as a four-element second-level mage from Flame City, taking on five other second-level mages alone was a daunting challenge, even for him.

Hermann watched with a glint of curiosity as Golan unleashed his Scorching Flame and other powerful spells, yet his expression remained dismissive. "You do have some skill. But you're still doomed!"

He spread his fingers, and a gust of wind surged forward, instantly binding Golan, Alena, and Kalen in place. With their opponents immobilized, Hermann's allies released more spells, coordinating with their alchemical creatures to assault Golan's group.

Golan's robe of protection could barely withstand the relentless assault, leaving him in a dire situation. As for Alena and Kalen, neither were second-level mages. Alena wasn't even at the first level; both were barely managing to hold on with the help of their enchanted items. Even so, they were on the brink of collapse, their situation more precarious than Golan's.

"This isn't working! At this rate, we'll never get out of here!" Golan's eyes turned red as desperation grew within him. Deep down, he began to regret entering this ancient relic. He could have stayed safely in Flame City, steadily advancing toward third-level, or even fourth-level mastery.

But now, tempted by the treasures rumored to be hidden within this ancient site, he had taken a reckless risk. He'd underestimated the competition here. The mages who made it this far were anything but simple.

Just then, a sharp cracking sound echoed through the chamber, halting the battle momentarily.

"Ha-ha! It's cracking! Keep going, my creation—break down that stone door! Behind it lies the treasure we came for!"

The shout came from Mage Etran, one of the five attackers. His alchemical creature, tall and muscular, was built for raw power. It had been repeatedly slamming into a thick stone door on the first floor of the ancient tower. Now, finally, a crack had formed.

"Come on, break it open!" Etran's face flushed with excitement as he drove his creature to strike harder.

Suddenly, the entire tower seemed to shake, causing all of them to freeze in surprise. Etran narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the stone door, suspecting that the sound had come from behind it.

"Could there be something behind the door?"

Just as Etran began to wonder, another loud thud reverberated, this one even more intense. The mages on the first floor felt the vibrations as they looked around in bewilderment.

The pounding continued, the sounds intensifying until finally, with a tremendous crash, the stone door shattered, and a large black shadow burst through, moving so fast it sent Etran's alchemical creature flying.

"What is that?"

Everyone stared in shock at the shadow that had emerged from behind the broken door. Towering and imposing, it was even taller than Etran's alchemical creature, and its entire body was clad in black armor. Despite its imposing presence, the shadow seemed slightly disoriented, having been forcefully thrown forward by an even greater power.

After a moment, the shadow shook off its daze and stood up, glancing down at the crushed alchemical creature beneath it. Etran, regaining his composure, quickly assessed the situation. This figure might have come from behind the door, possibly having already claimed the treasures within.

"Kill it!" Etran shouted at his creature, pointing at the mysterious figure in black.

"Thud."

The alchemical creature's fist struck the figure's chest with a dull thud, but instead of injuring it, blood dripped from the creature's fist as the black figure's armor remained unscathed.

"Intruder, eliminate."

The black figure turned, speaking in a distorted, mechanical voice. From within the armor, its empty eyes glowed a faint green—a chilling sight that revealed it was neither human nor alchemical creature, nor any living being at all.

Without further warning, the black figure's powerful hands gripped Etran's creature, tearing it apart with ease, spilling blood across the floor.

"What… what is that thing?"

Etran gasped, his face drained of color. His alchemical creature, known for its strength and resilience, had been effortlessly ripped in two. Even high-level spells would struggle to break it in one blow. Yet this ominous being had done it without breaking a sweat.

But the black figure was far from finished. It scanned the room, its vacant, glowing eyes settling on each mage, then turned back to the shattered stone door, where another figure—a mage in a black robe—stood.

A chilling voice cut through the room: "Magic of Pandora, Icy Finger!"

A rush of bone-chilling air shot from the other side of the door, reaching the black figure in an instant.