Chapter 121: 111. Become Number One (I)

When Mike was nine, his mother took him to see their extended family in New York. Mike’s grandmother was having her seventieth birthday. His mother would only allow Mike to see his extended family under her careful watch.

He didn’t understand why at the time until one dark moment when Mike found himself separated in his uncle’s Manhattan penthouse where the birthday was held. His mother’s least favorite sister pulled him aside as if she wanted to hear more about Mike.

His aunt had a lot to drink already. She kept drinking as Mike talked excitedly to family who seemed interested. Then his aunt cut Mike off.

She said his mother should’ve aborted him so he wouldn’t have ruined her promising life. His mother was working like a peasant because of him and his unreliable father.

This was two years before his father’s car accident on the way to getting groceries. Right when his parents were finally getting serious in tying the knot and having Mike’s father hang around more and be an actual father.

The hits had come and went in Mike’s life plenty of times. The only times that seemed the most pure were back in daycare, but looking back at those days had a way of hurting Mike, too.

He still remembered how YoAnna would follow Jay around in daycare even though Jay was more focused on finding the latest and greatest stunt. Mike might’ve been the first to realize YoAnna, even at four, seemed special. His crush for her bloomed then. But if the four of them weren’t together, Mike would end up entertaining Lilith who struggled to play with the other kids because of her health. 

This wasn’t always the case. The four of them would switch around in pairs. The moments Mike ended up with YoAnna felt fun and special, especially when they shared PB&J’s and talked about aliens.

Thinking about that made Mike hurt these days. It made it harder for Mike to approach YoAnna on his own, even. The crush he had for her still lingered.

His annoyance toward YoAnna’s seemingly cold indifference to them during high school had worsened that. Then Mike had to contend that he was second-fiddle to Jay just like most people when it came to YoAnna’s attention.

But unlike most people, Mike had always been second fiddle. He occupied a spot behind Lilith most of the time, which annoyed his mother despite their good relations with the Hernandezs. Mike had been the second best singer in choir when his mother had forced that upon him. He fell into second place in even video games.

He fell quickly into Jay’s shadow as soon as they started dungeon crawling, too. Mike didn’t think it was an issue at the time since Jay threw himself into the unknown with wanton abandonment that was pure reckless. Mike couldn’t help but be an observer and find it all fascinating.

But things were rapidly changing. Mike was struggling to keep up, wondering if he was doing enough. He wondered if he was truly challenging and changing as per the themes of YoAnna’s divinity. Was he truly worthy as a Champion of Challenge and Change or was he a tagalong attached to the daring Jay and the apocalyptic Lilith? 

When he had fought by himself in the Yoroachian Battles, he nearly died as if he could never truly be more than support. This led to him dropping school to work on himself as a [Mage]. But he was second to last in the current power ranking with only Dennis right below him. Even amid the weakest of the Champions, Mike found his usual position.

Would he always be second?

This question confounded him even as Mike stood in the most dangerous and life-threatening situation ever.

“Did I shock you so badly you can’t even speak?” asked the Brainsorceress, a female and Level 36 [Freak] derivative. 

“I had a few things on my mind,” Mike said, catching up to the situation as if he’d been concentrating on the [Freak] derivative’s words the whole time. “Forgive me if I’m a little distracted. You’ve separated me from my team. I couldn’t help but recall what has led me here and some of my regrets.”

“It’s laughable that a child can recall life and have regrets,” the Brainsorceress mocked. “But I suppose it speaks well of your wisdom since you’ll be prey to me.”

Mike sighed. “I don’t know if I’ll become your prey. But this could be the end of my life if I solo you.”

She snorted derisively.

Mike removed his glasses and looked around. The Brainsorceress had phased them from normal reality into a special pocket reality embedded into their world, like using a domain of sorts. It was both dreadful and fascinating.

Everything around Mike’s position at the northeastern start of the Junkyard looked to have a blue tint to it. It was as if the Brainsorceress covered their world with a blue optical lens, which Mike quickly observed through a combination of his [Deep Magic Analysis] Skill and [Analyze] Talent.

Mike noticed this domain had a sharply increased volume of Mana particles available. This was something that his [Owl Boon] Talent would gladly make use of. His [Scholar of Magic] Title would quickly make note of this situation and push Mike to research and improve upon what he’d witnessed as magically enthralling. The Title also empowered his Intellect Attribute and overall magic power.

By all means, he should be the most dominant creature here from the onset. But that would be foolishly simple of him to assume. This place was not of his own creation.

This belonged to the Brainsorceress and her Skill set. She hovered fifty feet away from him, manipulating mana for her to sit upon. She had a monstrous body matching some of the reports Mike had acquired from MPC detective work and government satellite observation of Rebel Angel activity.

The Brainsorceress had once been a simple STEM teacher with bad drug habits and a felon of a boyfriend. She’d gone to extreme lengths to overcome her humble beginnings and sit as one of the more powerful gangsters of the Rebel Angels and their Unregulated people.

The question on Mike’s mind was why she would stay here when she clearly had enough abilities to escape past the blockade. She was monstrous, however, so that could make life on the outside difficult.

A brown carapace covered her ginormous cranium that would sometimes glow blue under its shell. Six bug-like arms moved jerkily as if she was stringing mana around with her stick-like fingers that made unconscious twitches and curious gestures. Her legs had fused into an insectoid abdomen that also glowed blue as another container for Mana.

She had a lot of Mana to spare and gather. She may be monstrous and unable to hide properly, but she could be nearly unstoppable outside of this place.

“Why stay?” Mike asked. “What does the Roach King have that’s keeping you here?”

She smiled fiendishly with a hungry glint in her dark eyes. “The Yoroachian Lair entrance at the center of the Junkyard is a nice feeding ground. It’s done enough for me to gain this much power. But I know I’ll grow even greater if I feast on more interesting meals. Of quality.”

“Me?” Mike asked.

“And the other great nerds of your oh so stellar school,” the Brainsorceress said with a hint of anger. “They wouldn’t accept me because of certain personal marks on my record. I could’ve changed for the better as a Central High teacher. I could’ve cultivated young minds such as yourselves. But no. I had to waste away at a subpar school a pitiful distance from Junkside.”

The Brainsorceress licked her sharpened mandibles. “But that’s fine. I’ll get what’s due to me from Central High now. First I’ll have you and your delicious brain as an appetizer. I’ll be empowered enough to take on Lilith and consume her brain as the main course. I’ll save Hailey as dessert before I leave this trashy place for good and rule as queen elsewhere.”

“Why am I an appetizer?” Mike asked, his grip on his glasses tensing.

The Brainsorceress laughed. “Oh, Second Place Michael Zhou, we’ve all heard of your constant positioning behind the great Lilith Hernandez. At least Hailey held her third spot while ruling as an elite of your school. On top of managing events that would break the most overachieving students.”

The Braincorceress shook her head as she bumbled up and down on her seat of swirling mana. “My goodness gracious, just knowing that I was wasting away at a mediocre school while hearing the fables of the greatest high school minds you can find in Central Florida is excruciatingly aggravating.”

She looked sad for a brief moment. “I really did want to be your teacher. I could’ve molded you into someone that’s beyond ivy league worthy. We could’ve done great things together, Michael.”

The sadness sounded genuine.

Mike didn’t care.

“We’ve all dropped out,” Mike said, tapping his glasses on the breastplate to his Mystic Lionguard Armor Mk 1. “We’re busy fighting to save the universe. And you’re in the way of that.”

“Foolish, but convenient.” The Brainsorceress’s elongated tongue peeked out again with the tubular tip pointed at Mike. She certainly had the mouth of a brainsucking teacher. “Fate has brought you to me, oh delicious appetizer. And what better way than to convince you of your place as my starter meal than an old school wizards duel. Something I've always dreamed of from my younger years.”

Mike nodded along as his 125 Intellect came to the best solution he had to stave against the worst possible scenario that would come to pass with his death. He was a Level 26 No Affinity [Mage] up against a Rank 3 monstress with ten levels on him. The magical power he could see within her was enormous and overbearing. This domain gave her the advantage since she had conjured up such a place. Even if Mike could use the voluminous Mana here, she would gain even more power here than him.

Worse yet, if she moved beyond Mike, she would have his brain to intensify her power levels and turn that against Lilith and Hailey. If she ate from their brains and gained even more power, what was to stop her from hunting the rest of the Champions to sate her appetite for high schoolers?

It would obviously snowball from there. Jay might get eaten in the end. And because of the nature of Mike’s Pantheon Leader and childhood friend, YoAnna would most likely sit on the sidelines and watch her Champions get eaten as the price of bearing her style of godly concepts. It would certainly destroy YoAnna, who had mental issues just like the rest of them.

The world would be doomed. The universe would be doomed.

Mother Zhou would be doomed.

His mother aggravated Mike so much. But she sacrificed her rich inheritance for her son. The son of a thrill-seeking but unreliable man. A son that should’ve been aborted.

Mike snapped his eyeglasses in half and tossed them aside.

The apparel were fashioned to replicate his father’s pair before he died.

Breaking the eyeglasses had nothing to do with his father. Mike still liked the guy, even if he’d been unreliable. Breaking the glasses had everything to do with Mike himself.

The challenge was set.

Mike knew what he’d have to do to change.

“May I prepare myself?” Mike asked reasonably. “Let’s end this in one go when we’re both ready.”

“I figured you ask for such,” the Brainsorceress said sinisterly. “Go on ahead. Prepare. I’ll just sit and charge my [Supreme Astral Stream] as you do. The longer you take, the more potent my Skill.”

Her thin insectoid arms twitched rapidly and spun a tiny blue-green bead into existence. It steadily grew in size and intensity.

“And do not fret,” she said. “I’ll strike far below the neck so your head will remain. After my feast, I might even keep the skull as a trophy to remember you goodbye. You, Lilith, and Hailey will be the start of my delicious teen collection.”

“Wow, you are leaning into this villainess role hard,” Mike said, fishing for some key items in the pocket of his leggings.

“I’ve tried being nice. It didn’t work. I’ll learn the ropes behind my new identity in due time. Or I’ll just gobble the brains of whoever thinks they can criticize me.”

She laughed into one of her insect hands like a proper Saturday morning villainess. It was very kind of her to take that position in the narrative, but even that wouldn’t give Mike much in his mission to overcome the Brainsorceress.

Unlike [Fighters], the [Mage] Class didn’t get exceptional Chance Status cheats that would break far past the base limits. Mike could feel that his Chance was higher than normal, but it was nothing great.

The System was not super kind to [Mages], but Mike could understand why. He had enough tools at his disposal to break the System if he applied himself more than he’d ever done before.

Mike popped an alchemical pill that would increase Mana regen. He drank a vial that would intensify magic power at the risk of Health damage via some slight brain hemorrhaging. Then he stuck between his lips a rolled substance that had to be administered orally through inhaling the smoke.

“Drugs, Michael, really?” she said. “I shouldn’t browbeat, but I would hate for your beautiful and savory mind to get ruined by the habit.”

“I might die, lady. Give me a break,” Mike said.

“Gosh, I’m glad I arrived right on time to intervene and save your delicious brain. It will never get abused by you again.” She made herself sound like a saint.

Mike sighed. He lit up.

One hand snapped his fingers and sparked the alchemical mushroom inhalant. The other hand slipped under his helmet, removed it, and dropped it before combing through his hair wildly.

Mike sighed again. He smoked.

He combed through his hair some more and threw it into disarray. His brain started to whirr faster and hotter than ever before. The inhalant added a touch of relief from the mental strain, and would help defend against the inevitable damage he would suffer to his own Health via mental damage.

The inhalant also served as a muscle relaxant, releasing unnecessary tension that may hinder his thought process as his mind accelerated further and further. Mike wanted no speed stops as he combined his [Incredible Intellectual] Talent, [Owl Boon] Talent, [Status Overflow: Mana] Talent, [Scholar of Magic] Title, [Prodigy of Monster Slaying] Title, and [Young Virtuoso of Violent Ballads] Title. The last Title rose in prominence at a gradual pace the closer Mike got to the climax of this wizards duel.

A combination of his [Deep Magic Analysis] and [Counter Magic Prowess] Skills would set the game plan. He would use his [Manapusher] and [Mana Manipulation] Skills as tools to craft a never before seen spell. He’d save his [Deconstruct and Reconstruct] and [Duplicate Spell] Skills for when they were needed most.

But everything had to start with Mike using the one Skill he’d normally reserved for everyone else other than himself. And he’d have to make good use of the gear the others of Team Magic R&D had made in secret for him despite their limited resources. This was a struggle for Mike since he could feel himself breaking past the chains he’d placed on himself and take center stage.

“[Mana Hype],” Mike said, casting it on himself despite the large cooldown that would follow. The cooldown was smaller when used on others because it had Mike share his mana supply and regen to aid another Champion with their mana. By casting it on himself, Mike doubled his mana and added a percentage more based on its Skill level, which was considerable since he and nearly all the Champions had maxed out their Skills at Level 30 before this battle.

Then Mike tapped the fingers on his gloves in a purposeful sequence. The Young Magus Gloves (Great) was a gift from Team Magic R&D to Mike since he’d taken leadership and all the responsibility it bore. He worked as hard, if not harder, than everyone else to account for all the magic discoveries in the main workshops, in Lilith’s personal labs, or in the archives of the [Mediums]. The girls forced the gloves onto him despite its horrific cost to produce. They had to use the Great Adaptive Workbench and its monstrous appetite for their limited monster cores.

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The left glove had an earth manipulation mode. The right glove had an ice manipulate mode. Both gloves had a second mode for facilitating pure manabending, easier magic stencil writing for spellcraft uses, and just adding to his overall magic power when pushing and controlling pure mana.

The gloves had sleek colors of black, gold, and dashes of blue instead of white that was in honor of him. This even had YoAnna’s approval for some reason.

And the gloves stacked plus +50 Intellect on Mike. It would be a shame that they would probably burn out when Mike finished.

Ah, well.

Mike’s fungi inhalant lessened his worries over the ordeal. He kept it burning in the corner of his mouth, a reddish gray trail of funky smoke drifting past his wild black hair. Every word he spoke from here would release clouds as he worked with some of the spellcraft rituals Hailey had helped him learn.

Soloing a boss level threat as a supportive [Mage], incoming.

“Store,” Mike inscribed and cast a first circle spellcraft with the tip of his gloved finger. He formed it behind him with his right hand. Continuous mana gathered at the spot, formless but dense and usable. 

“Lens,” Mike inscribed and cast another first circle spellcraft. He did this with his left hand in front of his face. A bluish see-through lens formed over his right eye.

“Mana Ball.” Mike inscribed and cast this with his left hand again, leaving the Lens spell on his face by itself. As long as he maintained Lens with an uninterrupted link of mana and concentration, it would hold just fine.

The first two spellcraft rituals were of the basic variety. They only required a single circle of runes for Mike to trace into creation with the tip of his gloved finger. By adding another phrase of meaning to the spell, some rituals became more complex.

Team Magic R&D had once judged spells like items: basic, good, great, superior, and so on. But the team had decided to change the nomenclatures to first circle, second circle, third circle, and so on as depicted in the archives. This served as a reminder of the increasing margin of error with the rise of complexity.

It was almost like programming, but with otherworldly math. The rise in complexity to spellcraft was multiplicative by a factor of two if you were lucky, or three if you weren’t, or four if you were absolutely insane.

Mike had to keep the exact runes and diaphragms in mind when crafting these spells. He had to maintain the exact energy output each spell needed as he conjured them into existence around him and hold them in his concentration.

“Inverse,” Mike inscribed and cast on the Mana Ball. He cheated with his Skills to create something akin to a third circle spellcraft without doing the burdensome runic work.

For some reason, there was no ritual for the exact spell Mike wanted in Hailey’s chosen booklet of spellcrafts Mike had studied. He had to recreate what he wanted through sheer creativity while juggling everything he’d already done mentally.

With the foundations set for his main defense and offense, Mike prepared his heart for the next stage and allowed the Brainsorceress to gather power into her [Supreme Astral Stream]. It enlarged to the size of a watermelon and started to grow denser instead of wider.

“Those are not Skills,” she said, sounding flummoxed. “Are those the powers from your so-called goddess? Like real magic instead of this gamified point and click power?”

Mike held his silence since he had to concentrate on the next endeavor. This one required him to dig deeper than he’d thought was possible for him. Even going to church when he was younger hadn’t pulled out this level of devotion he would need. This was the height of spirituality from his understanding, a scary concept to invest in, but it must be done.

He couldn’t cut corners. Everything he and Team Magic R&D had started scratching the surface on must be used here to stop the Brainsorceress or she would eat the minds of children for power.

“Long have I shied from taking the mantle, long have I stood as a pillar to greater heroes,” Mike sang, basing the heart-thumping and air shaking incantation from an epic poem within the archives Brit had showed him. One that followed the origins of a heroic magician that became a wizard-god in the history of the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon.

“What is that? Now you’re singing out a prayer of sorts? Is this what you resort to in your gang of mischiefs?” the Brainsorceress shrieked in astonishment and apprehension. “Answer my questions, Michael, or I’ll start in earnest before you.”

Mike smiled a little. He didn’t need Jay’s [Eye of Venerated Madness] Talent to know the Brainsorceress weakened her Chance Status. She was giving the narrative power to Mike before they even started. And Mike kept the ball rolling and sang, “No longer will I delay, no longer will I hide, no longer will I sit in a shadow of my own making, for I am to be the shining spear that’ll pierce the heavens and spread its blood as light, [Deconstruct and Reconstruct].”

In truth, Mike’s 35 Conviction was a paltry thing compared to the [Mediums] and some others. But he didn’t need absolute power. He needed this incantation to bless the spellcraft’s form as his super Skill reshaped it. He had to use this incantation to shrink the margin of error and keep this juggling act from backfiring and killing him.

At the same time, Brainsorceress stopped waiting for him to prepare. She broke her agreement and fired her [Supreme Astral Stream]. The watermelon shaped Skill poured a bluish and greenish torrent that would crush Mike’s 55 Poise and Mystic Lionguard Armor. It would absolutely destroy him and possibly a majority of the area behind him if Brainsorceress didn’t cut it off to save Mike’s brain for her to eat.

This would not come to pass.

“What!” Brainsorceress screeched.

Her charged magic cannon slammed into a little bead hovering in front of Mike. Some of her power had leaked through and slashed apart Mike’s armor. Plates and materials ripped off. Blood flowed. Some bad burns arose from the sheer heat of such power rubbing against whatever physics could exist in such a place as the Brainsorceress’s domain.

But the result of Inverse Mana Ball getting blessedly [Deconstructed and Reconstructed] into its new form as Black Mana Hole gobbled more of the astral stream and intensified in power. Black Mana Hole grew and quickly improved its defense of Mike. It drank and drank no matter the seconds that passed as the [Supreme Astral Stream] Skill blasted at Mike’s position and utterly failed.

The Brainsorceress smiled hungrily.

“I will pay your teenage goddess a visit, Michael. After you and the others, I’ll force her to teach me these powers and then have her brain,” she threatened. “[Great Astral Rain]!”

No charge up this time. She didn’t want him to have an opportunity to counter her again. She even sacrificed her domain and her voluminous Mana to conjure blue green starlights behind Mike. 

The Skill shot down with compact but destructive power in each astral droplet. It was almost similar in power to the thwarted [Supreme Astral Stream] and would rain incredible annihilation.

The stream was moments away from giving out, too, but not quite yet. The Brainsorceress timed her second attack so Mike couldn’t swivel the Black Mana Hole around and defend his backside. No doubt, she’d planned for this to secure her victory. She even aimed all of these attacks below the neck so she could feast on Mike’s brain in the aftermath.

Mike smiled, knowing he was in for a world of pain. He would have to suffer and endure the pain to outwizard his Rank 3 foe.

“[Duplicate Spell].”

Everything Mike had done so far hadn’t budged his mana too much. His Mana Status and Regen were large and strong because of his Skills, Talents, Titles, and the alchemical stimulants Lilith had crafted for him. But he had to prepare for the sickening Mana dump that would occur when he recreated the current Mana Black Hole.

This was why he’d started off with inscribing and casting Store as his first spell. He piggybacked on the voluminous Mana Brainsorceress used. His powers in [Mana Manipulation] and some of his Talents yanked in as much mana as possible into the Store ritual. So when he duplicated the current Mana Black Hole, he could offer enough Mana to stabilize such a powerful fourth circle spell. It would still be a daring maneuver with only Mike’s Mana Status and the Mana gathered in Store if it wasn’t for the last piece that would make for the trifecta.

The Amulet of Wise Kumat, a Good Quality item haf Mike acquired at the beginning of the Toyrelver Dungeon. It could bank a percentage of Mike’s total Mana Status, which didn’t seem like much in these circumstances. But Mike was in a situation where he needed to use everything he had available to him.

Blood spurted from Mike’s nostrils as his brain burned from the huge, overwhelming dump of Mana. His mind wanted to blackout and shut down. The strain was too much. But Mike imagined the curse of staying as a pillar to prop up others. He thought of the shame of staying as a second to everyone where he existed in large shadows. He felt the burn of failing to exceed his mom’s expectations. Mike would love to shove his future greatness in the faces of his asshole family– a bunch of bastards who looked at his mom as a disgrace and at Mike as a mistake.

Mike powered through the pain and kept his mind on track.

He cut short the creation of the second Mana Black Hole to save himself the necessary Mana he would need for the next parts. The second Mana Black Hole didn’t arrive as fully empowered as the first. But it came into existence right on time where Mike needed it. The second Mana Black Hole sucked in all the projectiles from Brainsorceress’s [Great Astral Rain]. It grew stronger from there. 

Mike stood with two baseball sized and glutinous Mana Black Holes in each hand. He waited until Brainsorceress’s Skills had been thoroughly defeated before he swung his arms up like he was going to clap his hands.

He combined both Mana Black Holes above his head.

His Mana regen kept Mike from deep frying his brain. The sheer nature of maintaining this magic lifted him up a few feet off the ground. The weight of the spell curved space above Mike. It looked like an aerial whirlpool with a black center that was rimmed with a bright shimmering blue ring.

“Lady,” Mike called. “I got your appetizer here. Ready to eat up?”

“I believe I’ve lost my appetite and think it’s best I leave,” the Brainsorceress said, backing away.

Mike stuck out one hand. Mana Black Hole hovered in the palm of his other hand. He started to inscribe when he said, “Hit.”

“[Astral Step]!” The Brainsorceress cried, slipping back into her domain. To the mundane eyes, even with a high Perception, she would’ve gone invisible and intangible. But to Mike’s magic eyes enhanced by his Lens spell, she was faded but observable. As if she was submerged under shallow water instead of an alternate dimension of her creation slipping between the folds of reality.

She hadn’t realized she’d fallen for Mike’s feint, too. He hadn’t finished the ritual when he said hit. He held back with one rune left to write and ritualized just to see her third contingency. Mike figured she would have means to escape since she felt confident that she could sit, observe him, and commit a wizard duel while giving him preparation time.

He finished the ritual and cast, “Hit.”

Domain or not, the Brainsorceress existed as a source of magic the Mana Black Hole hungered for. The weight of its greed curved space as it shot through the air and struck her. It ripped the Brainsorceress back into normal reality and folded her inside so fast it was as if she vanished. She hadn’t even been afforded the time to cry from getting gobbled and instantly slain.

Mike hit the ground with a thud.

His Health was low from duplicating Mana Black Hole and trying to make a 1:1 clone. His brain was on fire from bouncing against his magic limits like a pinball in an arcade game. It hadn’t helped that he maintained concentration on multiple spells, Lens finally having dispersed when Mike received the slain notification. All that remained was the Mana Black Hole that would need to collapse and implode.

“Mike! Mike!” Dennis rushed across their junky battlefield and slid into a kneel. He helped Mike into a seat and offered a health potion. “Dude, are you okay? We’ve been looking for you everywhere, man!”

Mike waved the health potion away. He shakily fished from his pocket another alchemical smoke inhalant. This one would directly heal the damage caused by overtaxing his mind. Potion magic would generally target the most dire injury, but it still lost effectiveness as its power bled into other areas.

Lilith had crafted these alchemical smoke inhalants specifically for Mike along with the other alchemical drugs. They were one of a kind. Once he used these, Lilith would need more loot from actual dungeons unless the Yoroachian Lair had more usable ingredients. Mike would’ve hesitated before soloing the Rank 3 monstress.

Mike blazed without a care now. He sighed with pleasure and leaned back into Dennis’s arms.

Mike felt the healing magic effectively numb and cool the pain. He would heal slowly, no doubt, but at least he didn’t feel like he was fighting against a huge brain hemorrhage.

To further the good tidings, Mike found that the Young Magus Gloves had endured the intensity of his manabending of two massive spells combined into one even more massive spell without tearing apart. These Great-Quality gloves had to be high level, a really awesome gift. Mike would surely let the girls know they’d done great with crafting, magicking, and blessing these for him.

“What’s that?” Frank walked over and pointed his estoc at the space-warping Mana Black Hole hovering where the Brainsorceress had died.

That was the difference between casting Shoot or Hit, by the way.

Shoot would’ve had the spell keep going after impact until something worth a damn actually stopped it. Or until it erupted.

Hit would pause it in place after completing its objective. Then it would await further orders unless it erupted.

Mike liked using simple first or second circle spells and cheating for more power. He’d let Hailey cast bigger and more complex spells more consistently. She had the Skills and mentality that would mitigate the horrendous multiplicative factor.

“Hey, Mike? Mike? Are you still conscious or are you high?” Frank waved his estoc.

“Did Mike just solo that Rank 3?” Dennis asked.

“Yeah, it looked like he did. Good for him. But now we have a suspiciously strange black thing in the air. I need to know if it’ll fizzle out or has to be taken care of.”

“It will erupt,” Mike said coolly, “into a great spear of light and arise above the heavens.”

The Mana Black Hole lacked the necessary Mana to persist after consuming two massive Mana-based Skills, lots of voluminous Mana, and the monstress herself. Without the constant upkeep of a high Mana environment, it collapsed into itself and imploded as per Mike’s design.

A soft bluish white light washed over Mike, Dennis, and Frank. They would feel nothing more than a little quiver. All they could see was constant light almost everywhere. Unknown to the [Fighters], this grand and wide light was merely the giant shaft of a harmless spear shooting up into the sky, up through the atmosphere, and just about far enough to touch space.

Mike had designed all of that destructive energy to break down and release a light projection. He had gone a step further where the towering spear would break and dissolve into little motes of shining bluish white shards. Mike made it rain on most if not all of Central Florida with shiny luminescent mana lights that would last temporarily.

Frank and Dennis gaped, utterly dumbfounded by the raining mana lights. They shone like tiny stars. Dennis reached out and grabbed one. It disappeared upon contact, getting absorbed into his body as an abysmally small fraction of a Mana point. The shining particles of Mike’s creation would burn up Mana from merely existing and wouldn’t be much use to anyone. But they made the day sky look magical.

Mike stood to his feet woozily. His alchemical inhalant raised trails of red smoke with each draft. It streamed in front of his half-lidded eyes and shock of black hair that gave an Asian teen like him a suave but mad genius appearance.

He smiled softly, picked up his helmet, and hooked one thumb into a pocket. “Let’s go meet up with the other Champions, my friends.”