Magus Supremacy-Chapter 891
Chapter 891
In a strange, dimly lit cave....
The cavern featured a jagged opening at its peak that allowed sunlight to filter down from a sky that appeared fundamentally different than it should have.
Rather than the familiar, comforting blue expanse people were accustomed to, the heavens visible through the rocky aperture were a vibrant, bruised orange.
The air here felt heavy, laden with an ancient, earthy scent that clung to the lungs.
Outside the cave entrance, the structure was perched upon a high, rugged plateau, resembling a natural fortress atop a steep hill.
Multiple similar cave openings littered the landscape, each situated on high stone dais like the first.
Further ahead, a lush green forest stretched toward the horizon, its canopy appearing as an endless emerald sea that moved rhythmically with the wind.
Inside the first open cave, an ashen portal suddenly yawned wide.
Stepping through the shimmering rift, a crimson-haired individual walked out with a calm, measured stride, allowing the gateway to snap shut behind him with a sharp, electric hiss.
Scanning the interior of the cavern—which looked remarkably serene and untouched by the chaos of the outside world—the traveler inhaled deeply with his eyes closed, then exhaled with a faint, satisfied smile dancing on his lips.
"Ah... It’s been a while," Grey beamed as his eyes traversed the familiar rocky walls.
Touching his chest, he could feel the toll of his journey.
His mana reserves were totally exhausted from the grueling inter-world travel he had just performed.
While he could have attempted to tear open a portal directly back to Town Kiten, a nagging instinct warned him that his remaining energy wouldn’t be sufficient.
He had no desire to end up stranded in the void between realms or face an unpredictable spatial collapse.
The next safe option had been to anchor his jump to Bronze Land... the rugged home of the dwarves.
Even then, the transition from Vayun to this subterranean realm had devoured every single drop of his mystical power.
If it weren’t for the potent Ki now coursing through his physical frame, he would have been left entirely defenceless against any local threats.
This meant he would be forced to remain here for a duration, waiting for his mana to naturally replenish before he could even dream of opening another gateway back... home.
Thinking about home, a solemn shadow flickered across his face, nearly dampening his rejuvenated mood.
Now that he actually paused to dwell on it, he realized he didn’t truly have a home to return to anymore; his previous life had been largely reduced to ash and memories.
Before he could sink too deep into those dark thoughts, the sound of rhythmic footsteps echoed against the cave walls, signaling an approach.
Soon enough, two distinct figures walked into the light.
The moment their eyes landed on Grey, their mouths hung open in absolute, paralyzed shock.
"G—G—Grey?!"
****
The two figures who entered the cave—a male and a female—stopped dead in their tracks.
The man was short, standing at the average height of a human seven-year-old, but he possessed a stout, sturdy build.
He wasn’t excessively fat, but rather broad and solid, encased in heavy, weathered armour.
A well-maintained sword hung at his side, and several jagged scars marked his face like badges of honor from more battles than he could likely count.
Notably, the man possessed incredibly long ears that tapered upward, reminiscent of a rabbit’s.
His head had been scraped clean of hair on top, with only the sides maintaining a thick, round fringe that gave him a somewhat eccentric, almost ridiculous appearance.
The female beside him was ethereally beautiful.
A crown of vibrant green leaves circled her head like a natural diadem, contrasting perfectly with her flowing golden hair that framed her oval face.
She was dressed in a short, elegant green gown that reached her knees, swaying slightly as she moved.
Her almond-shaped brown eyes were wide with incredulity as she stared at the mage as if she were witnessing a ghost manifest before her.
She, too, possessed a pair of long, pointed ears, though they were far more delicate than those of her companion.
Grey simply beamed, his expression radiant as he observed the two stunned figures.
"Randin, Elara. I trust you are both doing well," he said, his voice steady and warm.
The two non-human companions remained stupefied, their minds racing to reconcile the legendary figure standing in their cave with the friend they had long thought absent.
The short man—Randin—was a dwarf.
He was someone Grey had encountered in this world under some rather chaotic and immature circumstances.
Now that the mage looked back on it, he realized just how reckless and careless he had been in those early days.
The female, Elara, was an elf. She was a soul who had chosen to follow him, driven by the fervent hope that she would grow stronger under his tutelage.
Her devotion had led her to leave the elven community over a year ago to pursue a path at his side.
"It—it—it really is you... but—but how?" Elara stuttered, her voice thick with confusion at his sudden, spectral appearance.
For months, neither of them had laid eyes on the mage.
After he had dropped Elara off in the dwarven realm to stay with Randin—promising to check in on them whenever possible—he had seemingly vanished.
As the weeks turned into months without a single visit or word, the duo had begun to harbor a gnawing fear that something catastrophic had befallen him.
Now, seeing him standing vibrantly in front of them, they were utterly stupefied.
Regaining his composure faster than his companion, Randin didn’t immediately relax.
Instead, he drew his stout sword and began to close the distance with slow, cautious steps.
Grey lifted an inquisitive eyebrow at the dwarf’s defensive posture.
"Careful, Elara, don’t fall for a potential trap. It—it could be the—" Before Randin could finish his warning, his keen eyes fell upon the distinct pendant hanging around the mage’s neck.
He halted mid-stride, his breath hitching.
He recognized that craftsmanship instantly.
After all, he had forged that very pendant with his own two hands, gifting it to the mage as a token of gratitude after Grey helped him eradicate the goblin remnants the Otherworlders had left behind to hunt the dwarven survivors.
"It’s really you. Yo—you are real!" Randin shouted, the shock finally breaking his guard.
The sword slipped from his calloused grasp, clattering loudly against the stone floor of the cave.
Before the dwarf could even take a step forward, Elara erupted into motion.
She dashed forward with blistering speed, blurring across the distance before leaping into the mage’s arms.
"Thank goodness you are safe! Yo—you are actually alive! Oh, I missed you so much!"
Elara sobbed loudly, her tears dampening his tunic as she squeezed his shoulders with an immense, desperate grip—as if afraid that if she let go, he might dissolve into mist once again.
Randin, though visibly relieved, wasn’t quite as sentimental as the elven girl.
His mind was already turning toward the rational implications of this return.
"What happened to you? For months, you didn’t grace this place even once. What is happening over there in the other realm?"
Grey forced a bitter, weary smile as he gently patted the elf’s back, doing his best to soothe her frantic sobbing while the weight of his recent trials settled back onto his shoulders.
"It’s a long story," he whispered, his eyes dark with the memories of Vayun.
"An incredibly painful one."
