Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill Chapter 489:The Hunter Is Being Hunted

A low chuckle escaped the mage's lips.

"You're swift, I'll grant you that. Yet, speed is utterly useless if you cannot even touch me."

Ethan touched down with surprising grace, his stance unwavering.

He let out a slow breath. Then, his fingers began to dance.

Wind coalesced around him.

Lightning crackled to life.

Light and shadow intertwined, twisting in the air.

Multiple elements began to form concurrently, swirling and coalescing into a formidable power.

A flicker of surprise crossed the mage's face.

"...Multiple elements... what is this?"

"I thought you were a swordsman?"

A hint of a playful grin touched Ethan's lips.

"And who stated such a thing?"

He subtly raised his hand.

"Unleash."

In the subsequent instant, a tempest descended.

Gale-force blades surged forward, followed swiftly by spears of solidified water. Bolts of lightning rained down from the heavens, while lances of pure light pierced the sky. Simultaneously, tendrils of darkness writhed beneath the mage, ensnaring his position.

The assault rained down from every conceivable angle.

BOOOOM!

The very firmament seemed to shudder from the onslaught.

The mage's smile evaporated as he rapidly tapped his staff.

"Spatial Shift."

The fabric of space around him folded, and his form flickered as he moved. He managed to evade the majority of the incoming attacks, though not every single one.

CRACK!

A bolt of lightning seared his shoulder, and a razor-sharp wind blade slashed across his arm.

He faltered momentarily before finding his footing once more.

His eyes hardened, growing colder.

"You are more than just a mere brute, it seems."

Ethan advanced deliberately, his gaze fixed and unwavering.

"I never claimed to be."

The ground beneath him fractured as his aura surged anew. This time, a subtle golden luminescence mingled with encroaching shadows enveloped him, projecting an aura of uncanny potency.

The mage lifted his staff once more.

"Let's observe how long you can sustain this."

"Spatial Domain."

A low thrumming sound resonated across the entire battleground.

The space enveloping Ethan suddenly grew dense and warped. Each movement felt sluggish, as though an unseen force was actively impeding him.

Ethan's brow furrowed slightly.

"...A domain..."

A faint smile graced the mage's lips.

"You now find yourself within my realm."

He pointed his staff directly ahead.

"Collapse."

The space surrounding Ethan violently contracted inwards from all sides. Immense pressure closed in like unseen walls, and the very ground beneath him began to crack and subside.

CRACK! CRACK!

Ethan's muscles bunched as he extended his hand forward. Several streams of elemental magic manifested and rapidly condensed within his palm.

"Let's test this."

BOOM!

A colossal wave of raw energy erupted outwards from his very being.

Lightning flickered from his outstretched hand while the wind shrieked around him.

Flames blazed forth. Instead of releasing the energy, he compressed it to its absolute limit.

The oppressive force surrounding him shattered as fissures spiderwebbed through the intangible domain, tearing it asunder piece by piece.

The mage's expression shifted instantaneously.

"Wh—"

Before he could even process what was happening, Ethan moved.

His figure vanished completely from sight.

In the next moment, a voice echoed from behind him.

"Don't get too self-assured."

SLASH!

A blade forged from pure, condensed light and lightning materialized in his hand, slicing through the air with terrifying velocity.

The mage barely managed to contort his body.

The blade grazed his chest, ripping through his robes and leaving behind a searing burn mark.

He recoiled instantly, propelled backward through the air as his breathing grew noticeably heavier.

For the first time, the composure he had maintained began to falter.

A tense silence descended upon the battlefield for a fleeting moment.

The middle-aged mage staggered backward through the air, his breaths ragged as he fought to regain his equilibrium. The burn mark marring his chest still pulsed with a faint glow, and the arrogance that had previously defined him was beginning to crumble. His grip tightened on his staff as he forced himself to retreat further.

Yet, Ethan remained stationary.

He stood there serenely, his gaze locked onto the retreating mage. That unwavering stare alone caused the mage's heart to falter slightly. It felt as though he was being observed by something far more formidable than he had initially anticipated.

"...Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

He repeatedly manipulated space, attempting to establish distance, but regardless of how far he propelled himself, Ethan's presence persisted, clinging to him like an inescapable shadow. There was no space to recover, no opportunity to reset the engagement.

"You damned bastard..." he cursed under his breath.

Then, his gaze shifted.

It landed upon Rathlos, who stood motionless near the horse.

The mage narrowed his eyes, attempting to gauge his strength. From what he could discern, Rathlos felt like an early-stage Legendary.

"Hah... mere fodder," he scoffed, and a malevolent notion swiftly took root in his mind.

A sinister smile contorted his features.

"Let's see how you fare against this."

In the ensuing moment, while keeping a watchful eye on Ethan, he abruptly warped space and vanished.

SWOOSH!

Without any prior indication, he materialized directly behind Rathlos. His staff was raised immediately, and his voice cut through the air with sharp intensity.

"Void Chains!"

An uncountable number of chains erupted from the warped dimensions, ensnaring Rathlos's form with formidable grip. The chains fastened with a resounding metallic clang, rendering him completely immobile and shackling every single movement.

"Kekeke…" The mage let out a laugh, a bizarre blend of relief and sheer madness coloring his tone.

"If you wish for your comrade to remain alive… be swift and kneel… hahah—pfff!"

BOOM!

His laughter ceased abruptly as his body convulsed with extreme force.

For a fleeting moment, he couldn't comprehend what had transpired.

Then, his gaze slowly drifted downwards.

A lengthy blade forged from darkness had plunged directly through his throat.

"What…?" His words emerged fractured and feeble.

The blade emitted a subtle throb, and tendrils of dark energy began to inexorably seep from the wound.

"Tsk… it didn't find the heart…" he uttered, his voice quivering.

Even in this dire state, he compelled himself to maintain awareness.

His eyes shifted once more.

They settled upon Rathlos.

The chains remained tightly bound around him.

Yet, an unsettling sensation permeated the atmosphere.

"…How?" he inquired, his voice saturated with disbelief.

Rathlos observed him with an unruffled demeanor.

His expression was devoid of any panic; instead, a subtle hint of contempt was present.

"Did you truly believe I was mere fodder?" Rathlos questioned softly.

In the subsequent instant..

BOOOOOOM!

An awe-inspiring torrent of power detonated from Rathlos's physique. The chains that had bound him vibrated violently, and fissures began to spiderweb across their surfaces. A profound and ancient pressure saturated the environment as Rathlos's aura ascended dramatically. His back split open, unleashing colossal wings that erupted forth. His body became adorned with scales, serving as formidable armor, and his entire presence underwent a radical transformation.

"Mythic rank… ahhhh!" the mage shrieked, his eyes widening in sheer astonishment.