Ryoma did not choose violent destruction. After all, that would easily alert the rats inside.
The magic power within him gently flowed from his fingertips, injecting into the intricate network of the barrier.
Buzz—
He felt as if he had entered a vast network composed of countless illusory spaces.
At the same time, tiny ice crystals scattered throughout the mine began to emit faint magic power fluctuations in sync.
These ice crystals and water mist would become his new eyes and ears. Through them, a complete model of the entire "sensory labyrinth" was constructed in reverse in Ryoma's mind.
A cold sneer appeared on Ryoma's lips.
The ability of this magic barrier was quite good. Unfortunately, it just happened to encounter him.
His mental power, like invisible threads, instantly covered the entire labyrinth through countless ice crystal nodes.
At this moment, the lightning and flames released by Luck and Magna were about to collide in the next instant.
However, just as the attacks were about to be unleashed, an almost imperceptible cold magic power silently attached itself to both of their perceptions.
In Luck's eyes, the trajectory of the giant flaming magic orb shifted ever so slightly.
In Magna's eyes, the lightning bolt rushing towards him also deviated from its intended path.
They dodged!
No! The opponent's attack missed!
This thought flashed through both their minds simultaneously.
Boom!!!
Boom!!!
Two terrifying surges of magic power almost grazed their bodies, slamming into the rock wall behind them.
The tremor of the entire mine was more intense than any previous one.
"Hmm?"
Deep within the mine, the spy leader, who had been monitoring the battlefield, let out a soft sound of surprise.
They missed?
How could that be?
How could such a basic mistake suddenly occur?
He stared intently at the image in the crystal grimoire.
In the image, the figures of lightning and flame, after a violent explosion, rushed out in different directions. It looked as if they were preparing to create distance for their next attack.
"Hmph, merely a dying struggle." The leader snorted, not thinking much of it.
In his "sensory labyrinth," the enemy's perception would be infinitely amplified and distorted, so any illogical action was normal.
He did not know that at this moment, in the illusions of Luck and Magna, the "enemy" engulfed in flames/ wreathed in lightning, after missing his attack, actually turned and fled deeper into the labyrinth.
"Trying to run?!"
"Stop right there!"
How could these two guys let their prey escape so easily?
Without thinking, they immediately chased after the "enemy's" escape route, pursuing him frantically.
A straight passage, one they had never taken before, suddenly appeared before them.
And behind all this, Ryoma stood calmly before the core node, one hand against the rock wall, the other gesturing vaguely in the air.
His fingertips were pulling countless invisible threads. The other end of the threads was connected to two perfect pawns.
He had opened an exclusive passage for Luck and Magna. This path, under the normal operation of the barrier, did not exist. But under Ryoma's deception, the barrier system itself made way for them.
Not only that, on the spy leader's crystal screen, the figures of Luck and Magna were still attacking each other in the original area.
That was an illusion within an illusion, created by Ryoma using ice crystals and water mist, combined with the power of the barrier itself.
A perfect smokescreen.
"Alright, the stage is set. Next, it's time for the protagonists to make their appearance."
Ryoma's gaze penetrated through layers of rock walls, accurately locking onto the hidden room.
"Boss! They're almost done for."
"Their mana is almost depleted. Hahahahaha!"
"The Black Bulls are nothing special after all."
Inside the secret stone chamber, a group of small fries watched Luck and Magna fighting to a mutual destruction on the crystal, letting out triumphant jeers.
The spy leader held the crystal ball, an elegant look of assured victory on his face.
"Foolish fellows, in the end, they will only become nourishment for my power."
He enjoyed the feeling of toying with his enemies.
Just then—
Rumble!!!
The rock wall behind him exploded without warning and debris flew everywhere.
"What?!"
The leader suddenly stood up from his chair, turning back in astonishment.
From within the dust, two figures slowly emerged.
One was wreathed in violent lightning, a crazed smile on his face.
"Oh! So all you rats were hiding here."
The other held raging flames in his hand, his eyes fierce enough to devour people.
"Finally found you bastards."
The Black Bulls!
How could they be here?
The minds of the leader and all the small fries instantly went blank.
They subconsciously looked at the crystal.
On the screen, those two figures were still fighting to the death in the original spot.
What was going on?
An illusion?
No!
The terrifying magic power rushing towards them was real.
"Not good! Quick..."
The leader's warning hadn't even left his mouth when Luck and Magna had already made their move.
In their eyes, this room full of enemies was the "leader" and his subordinates they had been chasing for half a day.
Lightning Magic: Thunderclap Crumbling Orb!
Fire Magic: Explosive Fireball!
They gave no time to react.
Lightning and flames intertwined, transforming into a destructive storm that instantly engulfed the entire room.
Boom!!!
The screams lasted for less than a second before abruptly ceasing.
A group of small fries, without even having time to open their grimoires, were blown head over heels, instantly losing their combat ability.
Only the leader, at the last moment, barely managed to activate a defensive spell, clumsily blocking the aftermath of the attack.
"Damn it... How did you..."
At the same time, a strong mental fluctuation erupted from him.
Mental interference magic!
He wanted to throw these two intruders into confusion as well.
However, just as his magic power surged, a bone-chilling cold struck him from behind.
A hand silently rested on his shoulder.
"?!"
The leader stiffened, he hadn't even sensed anyone approaching
He turned his head with difficulty.
What met his eyes was the young man he had dismissed as a "rookie".
"You..."
Crack!
A crisp sound of freezing rang out.
Bone-chilling ice, starting from that hand, instantly spread throughout his entire body. Along with the grimoire in his hand, he was frozen into an ice sculpture.
Ryoma casually pulled out the frozen grimoire.
At the same time, the barrier covering the mine instantly dissipated. The distorted light returned to normal, and the chaotic magic flow subsided.
Ryoma retrieved the stolen confidential documents from a box next to the frozen leader. Then, he picked up the crystal that had fallen to the ground. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, and its internal magical structure was incredibly intricate.
"So it's an item for amplifying and solidifying magic..."
Ryoma analyzed its principles.
"It can amplify the caster's magic, forming a fixed barrier. During this time, the caster cannot move and needs to continuously supply mana."
"Oh, it can also absorb the enemy's mana within the barrier to replenish and strengthen itself."
Interesting.
But the limitations were too great. Being unable to move was a major drawback.
"I wonder if there'll be a bonus for turning this in."
Ryoma casually put it away, beginning to ponder some more practical matters.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room.
Luck and Magna stood frozen in place.
The illusion had vanished.
They looked at the true enemies sprawled on the ground, half-dead from their attacks. Then they looked at the leader frozen into an ice sculpture.
Finally, their gazes dully turned to Ryoma, who was counting the spoils of war.
Their minds were blank.
What were they doing just now?
Weren't they chasing down enemies?
They seemed to have been fighting each other the whole time?
So, from beginning to end, they were just pawns used by this guy, perfectly executing a surprise attack?
"Damn it!!!"
Magna was the first to react, his face flushed red, but seeing that the enemies were already dealt with, he immediately fulfilled his duty.
Fire Restraining Magic: Flame Rope Solid Binding Formation!
Several ropes of fire flew out, tightly binding the unconscious small fries.
Luck, however, had a completely different reaction. He hadn't had a satisfying fight, and he was very displeased. He felt like a toy being controlled by someone, fighting a baffling fake match.
His eyes, flickering with lightning, stared directly at Ryoma.
Whoosh!
A flash of lightning passed.
Luck instantly appeared before Ryoma, a smile of extreme excitement mixed with a hint of dissatisfaction on his face.
"Hey, Ryoma."
Around his body, electric arcs began to crackle again.
"That fight just now was no fun at all."
"So..."
"Fight me!"