Chapter 212: Standing On The Edge

Sage felt a chill wash over him as his gaze locked onto the silver blade hovering just inches from his neck. The edge was so close that he could sense its lethal intent pressing against his skin, like a whisper of death.

In that moment, time seemed to fracture. The chaos of the battlefield faded into a distant blur as his senses narrowed inward, leaving only one thought echoing in his mind with terrifying clarity.

“Am I going to die again?”

As memories surged unbidden, they collided violently within him. He saw flashes of his previous life on Earth, sterile hospital lights reflecting off the cold, unmoving body of his sister. Her lifeless expression was etched into his memory with brutal permanence; he felt the helpless rage,guilt and hollow grief of that moment all over again.

The memories twisted and shifted, merging into another, his own death. He recalled the sudden violence, the gunshot ringing out, and how everything turned black before he could even comprehend what had happened.

Then came fragments from this life: the cold stone alley where he first awoke, disoriented and alone; the moment when the system bound itself to him, its voice echoing in the emptiness of his mind; those first fragile steps toward building something meaningful from nothing.

He remembered the Adventurer Guild in its early days, a crumbling structure and the long climb that followed. He thought of the people he met: Pax’s unwavering presence, Gregor’s stubborn determination, Mina’s laughter and relentless energy, all weaving together into something he had come to call home.

The memories crashed over him like a storm, heavy yet strangely calm beneath their weight.

Bitterness rose in his chest as he realized with unsettling clarity that during his first death, he hadn’t truly understood what it meant to die. He hadn’t grasped its finality before everything simply ended.

This time was different. Death stood before him in tangible form, the blade poised and breath measured, each second stretching just long enough for him to feel everything.

So this is what it’s like, he thought with a hollow awareness threading through his fear.

Your life flashes before your eyes…what an experience.

In reality, it all lasted no more than a few milliseconds, a heartbeat suspended in time, but in his mind, it felt like an eternity lived and relived in a single breath.

The leader’s lips curled into a wicked grin as he murmured softly, “Got you.”

The blade shifted forward; killing intent sharpened to a lethal point and then five blinding streaks of light tore through the air from different directions. Each attack aimed ruthlessly at vital points, the leader’s head, throat, heart, eyes.

The sudden onslaught shattered Sage’s frozen moment and forced reality back into motion. Frustration flashed across the leader’s features as he gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. “Dammit…these weaklings are getting on my nerves.”

He found himself in a split-second dilemma: if he pressed on and killed Sage, the incoming attacks would strike without hindrance. Even he knew that five lethal blows aimed at him from such close range were too much to withstand.

Power was meaningless if it led to mutual destruction. Without a moment’s hesitation, he abandoned his killing blow, his body blurring as he vanished from behind Sage and reappeared at a safer distance, narrowly escaping the converging strikes.

Sage nearly buckled under the weight of relief the instant the blade disappeared. His body swayed as adrenaline faded; color drained from his face while an icy chill crept down his spine. Sweat soaked through his clothes, mingling with the blood already staining them.

His heart raced violently, each beat thundering in his ears as if it might burst free from his chest. For a brief moment, he couldn’t breathe or think, he could only stand there trembling, caught between the haunting echo of death and the shocking realization that he was still alive.

He forced himself upright, refusing to collapse despite his body shaking uncontrollably. The fear was raw and overwhelming, more intense than anything he had felt even during his previous death.

Just seconds away from death, he realized with crushing weight.

Just a few steps from hell itself. He took a deep, shuddering breath to steady himself, but the tremors persisted; his hands remained unsteady as he tightened his grip on his staff.

No one can truly prepare for the fear of death not even someone who has faced it before.

Not far off, their leader glared at the five Master Knights who had intervened. Each knight bled heavily; their armor lay shattered around them while exhaustion painted their faces pale.

They formed a loose circle around him, breathing ragged yet eyes sharp and unwavering. The leader cursed again, irritation flashing across his features before he blurred once more into motion, lunging forward to break through their defenses.

The Master Knights reacted instantly, moving like streaks of light as they intercepted him. Steel clashed against steel in rapid exchanges that shook the ground beneath them.

BOOM! BANG! CLANG!

The impact sent shockwaves rolling outward, scattering debris and splintered stone as combat reignited with violent intensity.

Now attacking with full force, the leader abandoned all restraint as he barreled through their formation. His blade sliced through the air in sweeping arcs that sent Knights crashing backward like ragdolls against shattered buildings and fractured walls.

Yet they rose again, bruised and bleeding but still determined to block his path.

Frustration twisted the leader’s features as he finally spotted an opening. His body surged forward at blinding speed toward Sage once more; aura flaring as he closed in on him in an instant.

This time, Sage was ready. Fear still lingered in his chest, but instead of paralyzing him, it sharpened his focus. He took a steady breath and slammed his staff into the ground.

Mana surged violently through his veins, the pressure immense and nearly unbearable as he activated a spell he hadn’t used since becoming an Apprentice Mage.

A Level 3 spell.

For a heartbeat, the world around him dimmed as a massive violet magic circle ignited beneath his feet. Runes spiraled into motion, crackling arcs of lightning dancing across its surface.

The energy felt unstable, far heavier than the Level 2 spells he had been casting relentlessly until now and it tore through his already strained reserves with brutal force.

The circle spun rapidly, lightning gathering at its core while the air vibrated with raw power.

“Level 3 Lightning Spell Tempest Step: Violet Rift.”

He whispered the incantation, the words swept away by the rising hum of energy.

Just as the leader’s blade descended toward him, a colossal bolt of lightning crashed down from above, striking the center of the magic circle with explosive force.

In an instant, a flash of violet light consumed Sage entirely; his body dissolved into crackling energy before vanishing from sight. The leader’s eyes widened in shock as his strike cut through empty air.

Before he could process what had just happened, a cold chill ran down his spine. Instincts screamed danger as he twisted sharply to one side.

A giant wind blade sliced past where his head had been, carving a deep trench into the ground and cutting through stone and debris with brutal precision.

The leader skidded to a halt, narrowing his eyes as he turned toward the source of the attack.

There stood Sage several meters away, battered and bloodied, with torn robes and a pale face streaked with crimson. The violet afterglow of the teleportation spell flickered faintly around his boots as he planted his staff firmly against the ground. His breathing was heavy but controlled.

Blood dripped from his ears and nose; his body trembled from forcing a Level 3 spell through reserves that were already pushed to their limits. Yet despite it all, Sage’s gaze remained steady, locked onto the leader with unwavering intensity.

For a moment, everything seemed to fall silent on that battlefield. Not true silence, steel clashed in the distance; debris continued to fall; distant cries echoed but in that narrow space between predator and prey, everything felt still, the air thick with anticipation.

The leader studied Sage carefully, irritation replaced by something sharper, a cautious reassessment of this newfound threat before him.

Sage met that gaze without flinching. His expression was cold and hardened by recent terror but also fueled by resolve.

He was still afraid, still shaken and bleeding but he was standing tall. For the first time since being targeted by this leader, it no longer felt like an entirely one-sided battle.

The wind rustled between them, sweeping dust and ash across the cracked plaza. The silence hung in the air, thin and delicate, as if it could break at any moment.

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