Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

"You... you dare do this? I am the prince of the Dwarven Clan! If you..."

Mondo gulped nervously as he faced Meylan, but he still tried to muster up courage and finish his sentence, attempting to intimidate his opponent.

Before he could even finish, Meylan slapped him hard across the face, sending him flying to the ground.

Lying there, Mondo looked at Meylan in disbelief. "Did I really just get slapped?" he thought to himself. As the prince of the Dwarven Clan and the future ruler, he had grown up surrounded by reverence and flattery. He had never experienced such humiliation before.

"That felt amazing," Meylan said with a satisfied smile. He had finally vented his frustration, and it felt incredibly good.

Kaemi, though furious at Meylan's actions, knew better than to act rashly. Meylan was a Magus Emperor, and despite the anger, Kaemi had to think strategically. Otherwise, both he and Mondo were doomed.

"Your Highness, we... we should leave now," Kaemi said, attempting to help Mondo to his feet.

"Better to live to fight another day. Once our reinforcements from the Dwarven Clan arrive, we can seek revenge," Kaemi thought as he supported Mondo.

"Did I say you could leave?" Meylan asked with a slight smile, with just a thought, he used his spatial magic to stop them in their tracks.

"You... you..." Mondo, now more nervous than ever, swallowed hard, no longer as bold as before.

Kaemi understood that being a prince of the Dwarven Clan meant nothing now. If Mondo died here, it would be nothing more than a tragic footnote in history.

"Go ahead and summon your mount," Meylan said, his tone filled with indifference as he looked at Mondo, who was clearly out of options.

Dwarves had no natural talent for magic, but their skill with mounts was unmatched. Mondo's mount was legendary among his people, and the fact that Mondo had chosen it meant it was no ordinary creature.

"What? You... you want to eat my mount?" Mondo's eyes flashed with fear as he understood what Meylan was implying.

As a prince of the Dwarven Clan, Mondo's mount had been selected from the finest beasts available. It was the best of the best, and no other dwarf could compare to its strength.

But now, Meylan's casual words seemed to challenge the pride of the Dwarven Clan itself. Was he really daring Mondo to summon the beast, only to kill it?

"If I summon it and lose, I'm finished," Mondo thought. He knew that his people would never trust a prince who couldn't even protect his own mount.

There was a terrifying coldness in Meylan's eyes, which made Mondo tremble in fear.

"Impossible! If you dare, just kill me! My people will never let you go!" Mondo gritted his teeth and yelled.

Meylan sighed and shook his head.

"Why make this difficult for yourself?" Meylan asked.

Without waiting for Mondo to make the next move, Meylan activated his magic, causing a powerful spatial fluctuation to ripple through the air.

With a single gesture, Meylan used his magic to forcibly summon Mondo's mount.

A moment later, a towering figure began to emerge from the spatial tear created by Meylan's magic.

"No! You... you can't do this! Let me die! Don't hurt him!" Mondo cried out in panic as his mount was pulled into the fray.

To Mondo's horror, Meylan's overwhelming power was too much. He could only watch helplessly as his beloved mount was summoned against his will.

"Come forth!" Meylan shouted.

From the spatial tear appeared a gigantic creature, standing five meters tall and seven meters long, covered in a coat of golden fur.

It was a Royal Mammoth, its tusks measuring two meters long and glistening like two sharp blades in the sunlight.

"Oh? It's a Royal Mammoth... A creature that's nearly extinct!" Meylan exclaimed in surprise, glancing at the massive beast beside him.

On top of the mammoth's head was a crown-like formation of golden fur, marking it as one of the most powerful creatures of its kind.

"Karlo, run! Run now!" Mondo shouted desperately at his mount, his voice filled with fear and anxiety.

"Why is my luck so terrible?" he thought. "I shouldn't have provoked them. I just wanted to make a name for myself!"

Now, Kaemi was heavily injured, and his mount was killed. He himself was about to face an opponent far beyond his capabilities, and even his beloved Royal Mammoth was at risk.

If he could turn back time, he would never have gotten himself into this mess.

Despite Mondo's cries, his mount, Karlo the Royal Mammoth, did not retreat. Instead, its gaze turned cold as it charged toward Meylan.

Although it was only a seventh-rank magical beast, the Royal Mammoth was known for its unmatched strength. A single charge from it could destroy anything in its path.

"Impressive strength, but if it were an eighth-rank mammoth, maybe I'd give you some credit," Meylan said as he sidestepped the mammoth's attack.

With a flick of his wrist, spatial magic surged from his hands, slicing through the space around him.

"Spatial Slice!"

Sensing danger, the mammoth's body glowed with a golden aura, and a deep, painful groan echoed from its throat.

Despite the immense pain, the mammoth continued its charge, its roar shaking the ground beneath it.

"As expected from one of the strongest beasts. I've faced eighth-rank magical beasts, and even then, it was only enough to dent this guy's defense," Meylan muttered, looking at the numerous wounds covering the mammoth's body.

Although the beast was severely injured, it still wasn't dead. If they were at the same rank, Meylan knew the fight would've ended differently.

"Spatial Lock!" Meylan shouted as the mammoth charged again.

Suddenly, the space around the beast froze, and the Royal Mammoth found itself immobilized.

"This time, it should be easier to kill it," Meylan said with a slight sigh of relief as he prepared to unleash a massive spell to finish off the beast.

But just as he was about to strike, a crackling sound filled the air, and to his shock, the Royal Mammoth's tusks began to glow.

Under Meylan's stunned gaze, his spatial lock shattered within seconds.

"What the hell? This thing is insane!" Meylan shouted in disbelief.

It was only a seventh-rank beast, yet it had broken free of his powerful spatial magic.

The Royal Mammoth let out another roar and charged at Meylan once again.

Meylan's expression darkened, and just as he was about to use his spatial magic to dodge, a flash of red light shot out from the direction of the shop.