Sixth-level magic wasn't something even advanced mages could cast casually. Yet Thunder pulled it off. As his incantation ended, Maria glimpsed a faint spark—the telltale flare of an activated spell scroll.
The air temperature plummeted instantly, as if a blizzard had swept through. Jungle spiders trapped in the water-electricity combo slowed abruptly, their movements stiffening. Ice crusted their bodies, turning their frantic clawing into a dark comedy.
Thunder didn't pause.
"Endless earth, split open and devour!" he chanted. The frozen ground collapsed into quicksand, swallowing the trapped spiders.
Maria froze mid-spell, her eyes locked on Thunder. *Three elemental magics—ice, earth, water—all above fifth-level. How?* Even with scrolls, a junior mage shouldn't wield such power.
Freed from the webbing, Sisi and Eric gaped at the carnage. Over half the spiders were gone. The survivors scrambled back, lingering just beyond the firelight.
Thunder flicked two scrolls into the dark. "Wind Blade Array!" Gusts roared, followed by "Dancing Flames!" Fireballs rode the gale, igniting trees and spiders alike.
*Thwip!* A wind blade sliced a fleeing spider in two. Flames devoured the rest.
Thunder's eye twitched. Half his stockpile of high-level scrolls gone in one night. The pain was real.
"Put out the fire!" he barked, avoiding the trio's stares.
"I don't know how to put out fires," Sisi purred, sidling up to him. "Unlike *someone* who knows every element."
Eric crossed his arms. Even Maria watched, curiosity burning.
Thunder activated a water scroll, dousing the blaze.
Sisi traced a finger down his chest. "Thunder Bro… lying to your dear friends? That's *so* cruel." Her eyes glinted. "What else are you hiding?"
Eric cracked his knuckles. Maria hid a smile.
Thunder swallowed. "What if I said I'm secretly Grand Archmage Martin Douglas?"
"Bull," Eric snorted.
"Exactly! So I'm not!"
Sisi's nail pricked his collarbone. "My poor heart's breaking. Liars deserve… punishment."
The forest held its breath.
**What deadly game had Thunder started—and could he escape it alive?**