?The trace of blood was scant, a mere thin line of red amidst the tumultuous high-speed chaos.

Though meager, this streak of crimson still served as a beacon for Ali.

The air, compressed at the forefront of her fist, formed a cone before explosively expanding with a thunderous roar.

In that instant, Ali shattered the sound barrier, her ears filled with nothing but a faint buzzing.

Her focus sharpened further, and the phantom figure before her finally became clear.

Red Eye’s face bore a faint, cold smirk.

He opened his mouth, uttering something.

Ali discerned the shape of his words, and then, a wall of air materialized before her in an instant.

Goodbye.

Ali drew her arms back in defense, colliding with the air wall without slowing, her clothes and skin torn to shreds by the violent air currents, blood spraying forth.

Silent, Ali steadied herself, but Red Eye’s second assault swiftly followed.

The shattered air wall did not dissipate but was instead tightly controlled under Red Eye’s mana web, spinning rapidly.

Ali landed, scanning her surroundings.

Everything outside was obscured by the air vortex, reduced to a blurry whiteness.

Dozens of mana orbs emerged in the air, stretching into needle shapes within a breath’s time.

It was a trap, and Ali was unsure when Red Eye had laid it, but the technique was beyond her comprehension.

Setting a mana web while in rapid motion required not only a high degree of precision in mana control but also a substantial mana flux from the controller.

Was there any escape?

Watching the air coil around the mana needles, emitting a low moan as they spun at high speed, Ali shifted her gaze to the grey-white air wall.

Passing directly through it might be an option, but without knowing what Red Eye had prepared on the other side, it would be akin to walking into a trap, possibly into even more perilous arrangements.

Yet, staying put was certainly not a viable option.

Although the current intensity of the attacks seemed manageable, Red Eye would undoubtedly escalate his mana output, trapping her eventually.

Ali dodged the mana needles that burst towards her, attempting to expand her mana perception.

However, it was futile.

The air vortex, imbued with Red Eye’s mana, scattered her expanding mana upon contact, making it impossible to break through.

Looking up at the vortex above, Ali pondered the feasibility of breaking through from there while dodging a second wave of mana needles.

Though the speed of the long needles remained the same, their number had doubled, signaling an ominous development.

Red Eye was increasing his mana input.

How could a Level 3 magus manage such precise control over this scale of mana while further increasing the output? Maintaining a mana trap of this magnitude should be quite taxing for a Level 3 magus’s mana flux.

This made Ali recall the fate of Sorovo and the performance of Antalya, as well as Red Eye’s sublime control over mana.

How could this be the capability of a mere Level 3 magus?

The precision, the scale of control, and the further escalation of mana output were beyond what should be possible, hinting at a depth of power and strategy that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

At this moment, Ali finally realized that the enemy before her was not merely a simple Level 3 magus.

“This is really, quite unfortunate,” Ali sighed, a hint of despondency in her voice, yet her gaze remained unchanged.

“To think of challenging the level barrier, everyone must believe I’m insane.”

In the world of magi, while crossing levels isn’t deemed impossible, the alignment of time, place, and harmony is essential because the gap between levels is referred to as a “barrier.”

A barrier that separates life from death, so formidable that it often strips away the courage to confront it.

As her palm brushed over her eyes, the artificial lenses she wore fell away, revealing faint golden irises that lit up the somewhat dim air.

In this world, deities exist, not as the omnipotent beings of fantasy, but as tangible entities with authority beyond human comprehension.

The first god, named Nid, is widely regarded as the creator deity, whose awakening brought forth the land beneath.

Nid possesses no gender, no tangible form, appearing more as a concept or an entity on par with concepts, omnipresent.

Nid’s offspring are known as godchildren, who are the deities worshipped by the Spirit Church today.

But apart from the thirteen godchildren, Nid has other progeny.

The Nid race, directly birthed by Nid, remains a mystery to many, with few understanding the original purpose behind their creation.

Yet, the honor and nobility of being directly descended from Nid have not been forgotten.

Among them, the advanced elves are a part of the Nid race.

Ali, a half-blood advanced elf, might not be of pure lineage, but inheriting her mother’s Golden Cross Star, she too can be considered a member of the Nid race, basking in the glory that originates from Nid.

The privilege to directly commune with the mana sea! As the genesis of all creation, the mana sea harbors infinite miracles, capable of elevating someone to divinity itself.

However, with great power comes great responsibility; to receive is to give in equal measure, a principle that the mana sea adheres to unwaveringly.

With her mind intensely focused, Ali silently recites an ancient incantation, a rite of passage every advanced elf learns upon mastering chant, and a crucial spell every advanced elf magus must attempt.

Facing the mana sea, to witness the grandeur of the world and one’s own insignificance, is the only path to maintain a constant state of reverence.

As the incantation progresses, faint golden runes start materializing around Ali, and a soft golden aura of protection envelops her.

This is the mana sea’s safeguard, marking her as one of its emissaries in this realm, automatically shielded by the mana sea’s grace.

Time seems to stretch, and as the completion of the chant gradually ascends, a mix of familiarity and foreignness begins to surge.

Ali has completed this incantation before, yet not a trace of the associated memories remains.

This anomaly defies normalcy; while she can vividly recall memories from before she was five, the memories post the completion of that incantation elude her entirely.

These memories have been erased by an external force, leaving Ali uncertain whether the mana sea itself or the elders of her race were the culprits.

The incantation finally reached its conclusion, and Ali closed her eyes, only for a golden vision to unfold before her.

This was a golden space, directionless, akin to a transparent sea, with pale golden currents moving freely through colorless waters.

Brilliant starlight filtered up from below, the mottled light seeming to conceal something within.

Ali wished to look closer, but the surrounding environment began to shift unexpectedly.

Everything within her field of view blurred, and when clarity returned, she found herself in a vast, white hall.

Rows of towering, immaculate stone pillars stretched forth, supporting a dome that seemed to touch the clouds.

A young man, appearing no older than twenty, lounged on a grand throne at the end of the hall.

Thin and lanky, dressed in a loose white robe, he seemed more a misplaced monkey than a sovereign, dwarfed by the enormity of his seat.

“Quite a few people were calling me just now, dealing with those spam calls took up a lot of my time, even caused some lag in the network. It shouldn’t have affected you, though,” the young man lifted his eyelids to glance at Ali, then refocused on the unidentified device in his hand, “Just wait a second, the boss of this level is a bit tricky… but, I’m almost done! Hold on, hold on!”

Ali opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.

The identity of the young man before her was a mystery, but his connection to the mana sea was indisputable.

Any rash action could potentially lead to unknown and terrifying consequences.

Ali could only stand silently, observing as the young man on the throne clenched his teeth, his fingers frantically pressing on the pitch-black box.

Ali speculated that it might be some terrifying magical device capable of influencing the entire world, given the young man’s earlier remarks about something troublesome.

A formidable enemy, perhaps? An adversary of the mana sea, the source of all worlds? Was she privy to some dire secret? Could it be that this world has always been on the brink of enormous danger?

Faintly, Ali thought she heard strange noises emanating from the black box, some resembling thunder, but most were indescribable sounds, akin to the crack of splitting bamboo but more urgent and louder. .

There were also buzzing, roars of beasts, and human voices speaking in languages unknown to Ali.

It sounded like a chaotic battlefield.

Could it be that this deity was remotely commanding a battle? Where was this conflict taking place? On the other two continents outside of Avala Continent? Or perhaps in the endless void beyond the three main continents?

“Grenade!”

“Sniper, where’s the sniper?”

“Damage output, where’s the damage output? It’s going berserk!” .

“Dodge! Boss is using its ultimate!”

“Sniper, interrupt! What! The sniper’s dead?”

“Hold on! Quick, quick, quick! It’s bleeding! Phase two!”

“Good, good, good, the final ultimate!”

“Finishing move!”

“Empty! What’s wrong with the damage output!”

“Ahhh! We can’t hold on!”

“We’re dead…”

Suddenly, the young deity seemed to lose all momentum, coming to an abrupt halt.

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