"The spell you used earlier was Phantom Passage, right?"

Selena was the first to snap out of her reverie. A hint of respect lingered on the curse mage’s otherwise vicious face.

"Yes."

Rhys saw no reason to lie. Phantom Passage wasn’t a special spell. In fact, it was one of the most commonly chosen Adept spells in MSFRM. Its popularity came from its dual function as both a movement and defensive spell.

Although the mana required to fully utilize its defensive properties was quite high, making it less efficient than dedicated defensive spells, it was invaluable in emergencies for mages with long casting times.

"But you haven’t even advanced to Adept yet," she muttered under her breath. "A fake Adept, and you can already use Phantom Passage’s defensive properties. Just how high is your mana capacity?"

Rhys blinked in surprise before inwardly chuckling. Their appraisal had probably identified him as an Apprentice Mage.

Still, he had cast an Adept spell.

An Apprentice using an Adept spell wasn’t particularly extraordinary. It usually meant they were only a step away from gaining recognition from the System and ranking up.

Learning spells from the next rank was a common method for mages preparing to advance. However, they typically chose spells whose mana requirements were close to their current rank since few possessed enough mana to sustain higher-ranked spells.

Phantom Passage was one such spell.

Yet activating its defensive properties required nearly double the mana, and Rhys had relied on that function repeatedly while rescuing them.

’How high is his mana capacity?’

The two women exchanged glances, the same thought crossing their minds.

’Mana? Compared to what he used, that’s such a primitive form of energy...’ Her master’s mocking voice echoed inside Yuki’s head.

’Master, you mean he’s using a different energy than mana? Like you?’ Yuki struggled to hide her surprise.

Mana was the simplest form of energy, derived from the Origin, the source from which everything began. Beyond it existed higher forms of energy that no one in this world even knew about.

Her master wielded one of those superior energies.

Yuki had never believed anyone else in this world could use anything beyond mana. The world simply lacked the capacity to contain such energies.

Her master’s existence was an exception. And so was her power.

Then...

Was he wielding the same energy as her master? Was that why her master had sent her on this mission? To observe this man?

’The same energy as mine?’ Her master sounded amused by the naive assumption.

’What he wields is far beyond Origin itself. Something far more delicious than the humans here. Mm... I can barely restrain myself. So, Yuki, continue acting as you have been. At least until this mission is over. Though, I do hope it never ends...’

Yuki swallowed hard at the intoxication in her master’s voice.

The very being the entire Systemverse feared would unite with its counterpart was now sounding utterly captivated by a human.

Her gaze drifted toward Rhys. And she found herself wondering what kind of energy he truly wielded.

Rhys activated Phantom Passage.

The spell allowed him to move through the train’s walls, eliminating any need to leave the carriage.

He darted between the compartments at remarkable speed.

The mages inside sensed nothing more than occasional gusts of wind as he slipped past unnoticed. Everyone’s attention remained fixed on the arrows raining from outside.

Watching them, Rhys nodded inwardly.

Most had positioned themselves carefully inside the carriages, ensuring they wouldn’t be directly struck if arrows managed to punch through the walls.

Some compartments had even barricaded their windows with luggage and seats. The survival instincts of these people far surpassed those on Earth.

After learning they were facing enemies as terrifying as Dark Elves, even the arrogant young masters had fallen silent and followed the mages’ instructions without a single complaint.

* * *

The eighth carriage faced fewer monsters than the ones at the front, so they suffered no casualties. With support from the mages in the seventh carriage, every monster was swiftly dealt with without Malric ever needing to join the battle personally.

"Malric, what should we do now...?"

He had thought the fighting was over and there was nothing left to worry about. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected terrifying abominations like Dark Elves to appear.

The image of the mage who had come to support them flashed through his mind. The poor man had died with his body riddled with arrows.

"Malric..."

"Just shut up."

He snapped at the young man beside him, making him immediately clamp his mouth shut. Everyone in the carriage looked at him as though he were their last hope.

Normally, Malric enjoyed those looks. Ever since people learned he was an Outer Disciple of the Azure Lotus Sect, they always gazed at him with admiration and respect.

But faced with a genuine life-and-death situation, he cared about none of that.

All he wanted was to survive.

How was he supposed to escape when those bastards wouldn’t stop firing arrows? Shouldn’t their quivers have run dry by now?

Malric screamed inwardly, struggling to maintain a confident expression.

"It’s just a few Dark Elves. What is there to worry about?" he declared in a haughty tone. "Once their arrows run out, they’ll be easy to deal with."

Of course, even if their arrows did run out, he had no intention of hunting them himself. He remembered the mages from the seventh carriage mentioning three powerful mages.

Surely they would handle the Dark Elves. Since they were strong, wasn’t that their responsibility?

Malric had chosen to become a Wind Mage precisely because it allowed him to stay away from danger. If his father hadn’t forced him onto this path, he wouldn’t have dared become a mage in the first place.

"Panicking won’t help anyone. It will only make the situation more complicated," he added, trying to sound calm and detached.

A sudden clap echoed through the carriage. Malric’s chest swelled slightly.

It seemed his words had worked. But when he glanced around, nobody was clapping.

Then who was it?

A chill crept down his spine. Slowly, he turned around. A man stood behind him. Malric was certain that man hadn’t been inside the carriage moments ago.

Nor had anyone entered through the door.

Then...

His throat went dry.

Did he come through the wall?

Malric nearly fainted on the spot.

"So you’re the Mind Mage." The man wasn’t asking. He was stating a fact. Malric desperately maintained his composure.

"Yes."

"Good. Let’s go."

"Wait! Wha..."

Malric never got the chance to finish. A calloused hand seized his forearm. The next instant, his vision blurred.

The world around him streaked past as he was dragged through carriage after carriage in the blink of an eye.

When his sight finally cleared, three beautiful women were staring at him with varying expressions.

"This is the Mind Mage," the man announced.

"Oh..."

The three women mouthed in unison, their eyes sweeping over him in a judgmental gaze.

"Hope he’ll be enough," one of them muttered, her voice dripping with menace.

"If he isn’t, I’ll beat him until he is."

"Can you two stop scaring the poor boy?" another woman said with a sigh. "Don’t forget we need him as the catalyst to hunt those Dark Elves."

Malric’s eyes rolled back. This time, he didn’t even bother maintaining appearances. He simply fainted on the spot.