Published at 8th of April 2026 6:54 am

Chapter 1660 Edward's Potential

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Back at the military outpost.

The last Mana Vortex Magus stood his ground. A dozen flaming blades hovered around him, his mana rising as he prepared to make a final stand.

Valerian moved first. A streak of gray light shot forward, circling the Magus instead of attacking him directly.

His movements were quick and erratic, just enough to pull the enemy's attention, forcing him to hurl the flaming blades at the wrong target, to react a moment too late.

That moment was all Ulric needed. Concealed by the young dragon's illusion magic, he closed in from the enemy's blind spot.

His grip around the twin axes tightened, his steps were silent and precise, and his eyes gleamed with a cold light.

The Haynam Magus suddenly felt a chill crawl down his spine. He turned to the source of danger. His flaming blades faltered under the sudden shift in focus.

At the edge of light and death, he quickly decided to shift his focus to Ulrich, who was almost upon him and now clearly visible.

With a swipe of his hand, the enemy guided the remaining flaming blades to shoot toward Ulric.

And the next moment, hot blood sprayed out as the fiery blades pierced through the axe-wielding Magus.

Ulric faltered in his footsteps, his weapons clattering to the ground.

"Damn it," he murmured. "Almost..."

But before the Magus could bathe in the momentary triumph of having killed his enemy, Ulric's body dissipated into gray smoke.

The Haynam Magus's eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

But it was already too late.

Valerian appeared right behind him and violently swiped his claw at his neck.

A sharp, sickening crack rang through the air. The Magus's neck gave way, nearly severed by the force. His body went slack, and his eyes quickly dimmed as life left him.

Without a sound, he collapsed to the ground.

Valerian stood over the enemy's corpse in all his glory. A moment later, Ulric stepped up beside him, his face pale from exhaustion and his axes hanging low at his sides.

All the enemies at the military outpost had finally been dealt with. All around them, the buildings lay in utter ruin, flames still raging despite the heavy rain.

The young dragon raised his chin proudly and snorted.

"They will sing of this day, of how Valerian the Strong deceived the foul cultists and burned everything to the ground!"

His topaz eyes shifted to Ulrich, who was panting excessively. He then added with a playful smirk, "They might mention you as well. Stand proud, human."

"I… I can't!" Ulrich collapsed to the ground. He couldn't stand at all. He had never felt so tired. His body ached, and he didn't even have enough strength to grip his weapons.

But he knew it wasn't over yet.

He turned weakly toward the distant flashes, where thunder rolled, and lightning kept striking from time to time.

"We should help him," he said with a wheeze. "Right?"

Valerian turned in the direction where Edward's battle still raged on. His eyes narrowed, and he said in a solemn voice:

"Brother said not to interfere with his fight."

He paused for a moment, then grimly added, "No matter what."

"What! Why?" Ulric couldn't help but blurt out.

Valerian remained silent for a long time, the raging inferno in the surroundings reflecting in his topaz eyes.

"My brother claims…" he began.

Though he still found it difficult to comprehend that Adam would even say such a thing in the first place.

"He says Edward's potential is greater than even his," the young dragon continued.

Ulric turned wide-eyed. "Greater than even the Dark King's?!"

Valerian solemnly nodded. "Edward needs to overcome this obstacle on his own. Otherwise, he would never be able to reach his true potential."

Ulric's mouth opened and closed several times. He found it utterly difficult to believe that there was someone whose talent surpassed even the Dark King — the most gifted individual to have ever emerged from Ulier.

"But what if…" He subsconsiouly gulped. "What if something happens to Edward? Isn't he the Dark King's sworn brother?"

"Nothing will happen to him," Valerian said with certainty. "He will make it out of this alive. I know it."

He then turned to Ulric and said in an even voice, "If Brother trusts him, then we should too."

Ulric deeply looked at Valerian and could see the concern in his topaz eyes. In the end, he reluctantly nodded. Orders had to be followed.

"Fine," he said, weekly rising to his feet. "We rendezvous with the rest of the lads then.."

Valerian nodded. Gray light flashed, and he transformed into a cat. He then nimbly climbed Ulric's shoulders.

"Let us go!"

With that, the pair left the military outpost behind, leaving only carnage and destruction in their wake.

***

Hundreds of meters above the burning military outpost, the Red Wind hovered in place.

It drifted above the sea of clouds, its presence hidden by the Dark King's magic. There was no shadow, no silhouette, no sign that anything watched from above.

Even Murphy, a Mana Core Magus, flew right beneath it without sensing anything amiss.

At the bow, Adam stood with his hand clasped behind his back. The winds made the hems of his robes flutter behind him. His gaze cut through the storm clouds below, seemingly fixed on Edward's fierce clash with the enemy.

From the beginning, he had his attention fixed on the battle taking place on the ground. But he didn't intervene. He didn't need to.

Although Murphy's sudden arrival was unexpected, he truly believed Edward would be able to deal with it and come out victorious.

As he watched his best friend carve a bloody path toward his true potential, Adam's lips curled into a faint, expectant smile.

You can do it, he whispered in his heart.

A few seconds later, his lips parted, and he whispered, "Blackfire."

Moments later, a figure appeared beside him.

Balthazar first looked in the direction of the intense battle taking place on the ground. Then, he turned to the Dark King, waiting.

Adam shifted his gaze to the horizon, the direction Murphy had come from. According to his intel, he knew another military outpost lay there.

And now, it stood without a Mana Core Magus guarding it.

He raised his hand and pointed.

"Burn that place to the ground."

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