Published at 25th of February 2026 7:06 am

Chapter 1534 Smoking Blade

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The tide of battle shifted at once.

Most battles between Mana Core Magi did not end quickly. Their vast mana reserves allowed them to fight for extended periods, trading spells and counters until the battle either settled into a stalemate or one side made a fatal mistake.

If the gap in strength was significant, the fight could end swiftly in favor of the stronger Magus. Even then, killing a Mana Core Magus was no simple task. Their defenses, artifacts, and sheer prowess made them notoriously difficult to finish off.

There were two reasons why Berger's battle got over so quickly. First, he used illusion magic, which was extremely tricky to deal with during life-and-death situations. Second, he had help in the form of Blackie, who himself was a powerful Mana Core-level being.

The two moved without a sound, slipping through the smoke and wreckage toward the clash between Shaw Jidu and Kenton Hastings. The atmosphere around their battlefield was thick with raw mana, and the ground was scarred and uneven from repeated exchanges.

Hastings was fully focused on Jidu, pouring everything he had into the fight. He never noticed them closing in.

Berger struck first, timing it perfectly as his attack disrupted Hastings' casting at a critical moment. At the same instant, Blackie lunged from the shadows, tearing into Hastings' defenses and breaking his balance.

Shaw Jidu didn't hesitate. His eyes narrowed as he seized the opportunity and unleashed a decisive blow, overwhelming Hastings before he could recover.

Moments later, the battlefield fell silent. Hasting lay still, his body impaled by several earthen spikes and a large chunk of his torso torn off. Blackie calmly strutted back to Berger's side, his tail wagging as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Jidu glanced at the gnome, then at the little puppy, then finally at the dead traitor.

"…Just like that?" He murmured in a slight daze.

Berger glanced at him and scoffed. "It's not over yet."

He turned to the final battlefield where Bowman and Yates were fighting. The gnome's eyes flashed with intense bloodlust. If there was anyone he wanted to truly butcher, then it was undoubtedly Uther Bowman.

After all, this scum was one of the reasons why Gerald Acadia had lost his life.

"Let's go," he coldly murmured as he began walking toward the final battlefield.

Blackie flanked one side, and Jidu flanked the other as they slowly closed in on Bowman and Yates.

But when they finally arrived, they were slightly taken aback…

Blackie flanked one side, and Jidu flanked the other as they slowly closed in on Bowman and Yates.

But when they finally arrived, they were slightly taken aback…

Uther Bowman, the proud Councilor of the Diplomats, lay on his knees, hands raised high in a show of surrender.

Meanwhile, Carlton Yates stood facing the old man, his hand glowing with the embryonic form of a spell, ready to fire at any moment Bowman made even the slightest suspicious move.

"He… surrendered?" Shaw Jidu asked in a stunned voice.

"Just now." Yates sneered. "What choice did he have once his allies were dead? Fight us alone? I'm afraid he's a little too old for that."

With a dark frown on his face, Berger stepped forward. He had wanted nothing more than to butcher the old man, but the situation had changed. Capturing him alive was more useful than killing him outright.

And yet… he couldn't stop radiating thick killing intent at the sight of the old man.

Bowman glanced at Berger, not at all phased by the bloodlust aimed at him, and asked, "Councilor Glynhorn, are you going to attack an old man who has already surrendered?"

He paused for a moment, his lips curling into a light smirk. "I'm sure Gerald Acadia has taught you better than that."

Berger's aura flared, and he was mere moments from driving his fist through the traitor's head. But at the last moment, he exhaled a long and heavy sigh.

Standing beside him, Blackie breathed a sigh of relief. The same went for Carlton Yates and Shaw Jidu, who were certain that Berger would kill the old man. Although they wouldn't have stopped him. After all, they knew the hatred he had for him.

But having Bowman alive was certainly far more beneficial to the Brotherhood, as they could extract answers from him.

Berger retrieved the long, wooden pipe and began smoking. Strangely enough, the thick smoke permeating the room actually started to dissipate.

"Your allies at the Council of Dawn are dead," said the gnome in a flat voice. "Your underlings in the Warden, Agent, and Accolyte ranks are also dead."

He stepped forward and blew a puff of smoke right at the old man's face. Berger's eyes narrowed, and he said in a cold voice, "And rest assured, the Elder from the Inner Circle will also be dead."

The moment Uther Bowman heard those words, his eyes widened, and his figure trembled. He looked at the gnome with eyes blazing with disbelief. "How did you—"

"I told you, didn't I?" Berger smiled coldly. "Your Cult isn't the only one capable of placing assets deep within the enemy's upper ranks."

Bowman was left stunned and speechless.

He had surrendered for two reasons. First, he knew he could never hope to stand against his enemies alone. Second, and more importantly, he had been confident in the Winter Lord's arrival.

Once the Elder entered the fray, no Councilor would be able to oppose him. When the dust settled, Bowman had planned to rebuild the Brotherhood from the ground up, with every enemy erased.

Forget Bowman, even Jidu and Yates were stunned by the revelation. Berger hadn't told them that an Elder from the Inner Circle was coming.

Just the title alone was enough to inspire fear.

"Berger, you… why didn't you tell us this earlier?!" Jidu couldn't help but ask, utterly shaken.

"We need to confront him immediately," Yates added in a grim voice. "All of us together!"

"You don't need to worry about that," Berger replied calmly. He cast a spell, and the smoke curling from the pipe sharpened, twisting into a sharp blade. "The Elder is already being dealt with."

"How—" Even before Bowman had finished his question, he had already realized the answer.

"The mysterious faction!" He blurted out in shock. "It was you! You were working with them all along!"

Berger's eyes narrowed. He didn't answer.

Instead, he moved.

The smoking blade swept out in a clean, horizontal arc.

Thud! Thud!

Bowman's pupils shrank. He lowered his gaze and saw his severed hands on the floor, blood dripping like raindrops from the stumps of his wrists.

And then, Berger's voice, cold and filled with malice, echoed in his ears:

"Let's see you cast spells now."

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