Two Days Later -


    "It seems like the murderer stayed in this house."


    Archvel thought as he looked around the abandoned house.


    He was alone, and after two days of work, he finally picked up a trail left by the murderer himself.


    Using his new spells and knowledge he gathered from the parchments left by the Dark Archive.


    "He or she only spent one day here at the very most. The leftover magical energy shows that."


    Archvel took a deep breath and then left the house for the time being.


    As he left, his heart started beating faster and faster.


    "Someone is watching me!"


    He exclaimed as he started looking around without making it too obvious.


    As Archvel''s keen senses picked up on the stalker, his instincts warned him.


    Seconds later, he saw two figures in front of himself. One of them was a female; one of them was a male. He could tell by their body shape despite the fact that they were wearing black robes.


    The two figures clad in black clearly not here for chatting.


    Not much time later, they started preparing to cast a spell on him.


    In response, Archvel swiftly summoned the dark energies that flowed through him.


    With a deft command, six skeletons materialized, their bony frames standing firm, ready to shield their master from harm.


    "Protect me."


    Archvel commanded as the skeletons formed a protective circle around Archvel.


    The green vines emerged from the hands of the mysterious assailants, snaking through the air with a


    Archvel''s eyes narrowed as he assessed the threat.


    He knew he couldn''t afford to underestimate these two, for their powers seemed rooted in nature itself.


    The skeletons moved with coordination, their punches penetrating through the air, striking against the encroaching green tendrils that tried to get close to Archvel.


    “So, the caster wants to use the vines to pass the protection of skeletons to harm, directly attacking me.”


    Bones clashed with vines to stop the vines from harming Archvel.


    The power of skeletons was increased a lot after Archvel had an increase in his level and skills.


    With each punch, parts of vines were destroyed.


    Archvel observed the ongoing struggle.


    Assessing the situation, he conjured a dark energy bolt in his hand. With precise aim, he unleashed the decay bolt towards one of the mages, aiming to disrupt their concentration and weaken their hold on the vines.


    "Decay Bolt"


    Archvel whispered as the decay bolt left his hands and targeted the female one, At that time, the woman spoke, guarding with her arm.


    "The Nature Shield."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    With the whisper of the woman, a green-colored, triangle-shaped shield manifests in front of herself and stops the decay bolt; the decay bolt vanishes after breaking the shield.


    "Tch."


    "Green Spear Volley."


    As the woman mage''s eyes glinted with malice, she swiftly conjured five deadly spears of vibrant green energy.


    With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed the projectiles, each hurtling towards Archvel with deadly precision.


    Reacting with urgency, two of Archvel''s skeletons moved to intercept the incoming assault, their bones clashing against the oncoming spears.


    The clash of magic and bone echoed through the air as the green spears collided with the skeletal warriors.


    The relentless force of the spears proved too much for the skeletal guardians to withstand.


    The powerful impact shattered their bony frames, causing them to crumble into a pile of dust.


    Two of the sentinels, skeleton warriors, were destroyed for the time being.


    With a deep breath, Archvel focused his energy and commanded his remaining four skeletons to engage the enemy mages.


    "These moving bones are a pain in the ass."


    The enemy man, with a clear, annoyed expression on his face, spoke as he puked on the ground.


    As the skeletons closed in, they started moving swiftly.


    They deftly dodged the initial strikes from the skeletons, relying on their agility and magical prowess to evade their attacks.


    "Too much energy is being wasted!"


    The woman mage shouted out to her friend.


    The mages are not the best when it comes to physical capability. Sentinels were faster and stronger when it came to close combat.


    Even if it is just for the escape, the magical energy needed for increasing the agility is still too much for the two mages.


    Archvel, aware of his limited resources and the need to conserve his magic energy, made a mental note to time his actions carefully.


    “I need to finish this battle quickly or escape to a safer place.”


    He knew that it would take him approximately ten seconds to gather enough energy to summon two new skeletons, and during that time, he needed to rely on the skills and abilities of his existing forces.


    "As long as I don''t get hit with a strong spell that would kill me, there should be no problem."


    Archvel thought.


    He tried his best to remain focused.


    He knew that every second counted and that he needed to make the most of his abilities to survive.


    Ten seconds may not be a long time in a usual sense, but in a battle of magic, where one mistake may end in death, it was a long time.


    But, deep down, Archvel felt something that he would not think he would feel.


    He had signs of it, but this time he was sure of it.


    "I feel good!"


    Archvel started feeling the joy of battle.


    He knows that his life is on the line, but still he is enjoying himself.


    Time seemed to slow as Archvel''s skeletons clashed with the enemy mages.


    With every passing moment, Archvel''s anticipation grew, and he counted down the seconds until he could summon reinforcements and turn the tide of the battle in his favor.


    Archvel''s confidence fueled his actions as he swiftly closed the distance between himself and the mage casting the Vine Magic.


    With a surge of power, he unleashed the Dark Burst spell, a concentrated blast of dark energy, directly at his target.


    The mage, taken aback by the sudden onslaught, stumbled backward, fear evident in his eyes.


    "Oh no, he is too fast!"


    Realizing the danger he was facing, the man shouted in his mind.


    However, before he could finish his plea, the destructive force of the Dark Burst engulfed him, leaving no trace behind.


    As Archvel''s attention shifted to the remaining enemy mage, he braced himself for the next encounter.


    "Against one enemy mage, I am confident that I will be victorious." He, he, he."


    Archvel thought. If others looked from an outside perspective, they would think that Archvel is the one who is a villain and attacked two friends to kill them.


    To his surprise, the woman quickly unleashed a forbidden spell known as Tree Guardian.


    The air around them seemed to tremble as a massive, sentient tree materialized, armed with a wickedly sharp and barbed dark sword.


    Archvel''s gaze hardened, understanding the gravity of the situation.


    "The air it gives is mixed with the calmness of nature and the cursed energy of the dark. This tree-like creature is stronger than I think."


    "I am not sure if I can take it."


    With his remaining skeletons by his side, Archvel assessed the situation, strategizing his next move.


    He acknowledged the strength of the Tree Guardian but refused to let fear overcome him.


    He searched for any weaknesses or vulnerabilities, determined to exploit them to gain an advantage.


    "I am not sure my six skeletons are able to deal with this creature. It makes sense to escape in this kind of situation."