My Muscle System in the Mage World-Chapter 418: Respect earned through Power?
"Keep quiet," the tallest of the four said with a tone of disdain. Then he walked forward with contempt and grandeur, his arms behind his back.
"Hmph," the shortest individual only snorted in response, waving his sleeves in anger.
Then they all walked into the portal without any hesitation.
As Tier Seven Wizards, there were not many things that could kill them, especially not in a dying world like this.
"Although this world might have been a grand place aeons ago, a home for many emperors and empresses, now it is just a mere shell under the power of time," the tallest person sighed, reminiscing and giving it the proper respect.
The shortest person snickered in response, without a care.
Soon, they entered the world and were greeted by a vast forest that stretched as far as the eye could see.
In the distance, there were two peaks: one of a volcano and the other of a mountain.
"Its resources have really been drained, huh?" the leader said, looking at Stella with a disappointed shake of his head.
"Why do these outsiders care about this world?" she thought to herself as she quickly flew into the sky to sense where Aur was.
"Since I was given orders by the master, I need to accomplish them well."
Her bald head shone in the sun, making her look very shiny and glamorous. As she closed her eyes to sense Aur, she suddenly opened them wide.
"What's he doing there?" A frown appeared on her face.
In the center of the volcano, deep underground, where magma was all that could be seen, there was a small patch of land with a throne made of gold resting on it.
In this throne sat a bulky youth casually wearing a black martial robe. His expression was indiscernible.
He remained there menacingly with a straight back.
"Master." Stella appeared and bowed in front of Aur.
"Hmm."
Aur merely nodded without a care. "Where are our guests?"
"They are coming soon, Master."
The moment she said those words, the four appeared almost instantaneously and stared at Aur, who was sitting on his golden throne in the middle of the magma.
"Brat, either you're a fool or you have guts as high as a mountain," the tallest one, roared loudly.
Even his voice sent a terrifying shockwave rippling through the surroundings, almost dislodging the golden throne from its place.
The earth trembled, soil was uprooted, and the golden throne was hurled into the air, with Aur still seated upon it.
"Hm."
Aur's gaze remained steady, calm, and detached, as if the golden throne melting in the blazing lava beneath him was nothing but an insignificant inconvenience.
"Show your respect to us!"
The shout carried an even more destructive force, unleashing a shockwave that shattered the golden throne into fragments and sent Aur plunging into the molten magma below.
And yet, from within the roiling lava, Aur's piercing eyes continued to stare, unyielding and silent, radiating an aura of unshakable defiance.
"You..."
The leader hesitated, his voice faltering. The surrounding mana churned violently, growing more chaotic with every passing moment. A crushing, oppressive force descended upon everything in the vicinity, suffocating all who dared remain.
The lava parted violently, compressed into dense, glowing streams, as the towering walls of the volcanic range crumbled inwards. The earth quaked under the force, the scene resembling the collapse of an entire world.
"You shall face the wrath of a Tier Seven Wizard if you don't speak, brat!" the wizard bellowed, his voice booming with mana-infused authority.
Beads of sweat dripped from Aur's forehead, sizzling as they evaporated into the superheated air. Even amidst the chaos, he remained unperturbed. Slowly, he opened his mouth, his voice calm and detached.
"How did you find me?"
The indifferent tone hung in the air like a blade, momentarily halting the Grand Tier Seven Wizard's fury.
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"What did you say, brat?" he growled, his composure slipping. "Is that how you address a Grand Tier Seven Wizard? We are immortals!"
"Are you?" Aur countered, his golden and crimson pupils glowing faintly, their piercing gaze unwavering.
The wizard's lip curled in anger. "I have lived for a thousand years and never encountered a Tier Four so audacious…" He glared down at Aur, the insult sharp on his tongue. "...like you, little Twerp."
Aur's expression didn't change, but the oppressive atmosphere around them grew heavier, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
"Now you have."
Aur's voice was steady as he slowly ascended into the sky, his arms outstretched, exuding an eerie calm. "I admire your vanity—this desperate attempt to demand respect through power. After all, that's all you truly amount to."
"Did I say," the towering man interjected with a sneer, "you could rise, little twerp?"
His booming voice resonated with a terrifying mana fluctuation that reached its apex, distorting the air and shaking the very walls of the volcano.
Aur's body convulsed violently as an invisible force began tearing him apart. His veins bulged and pulsed unnaturally as his powerful frame started to crumble.
Blood sprayed into the air like crimson rain, and deep, grotesque claw marks carved through his flesh.
It was as though an unseen beast was rending him limb from limb, its claws ripping him apart one agonizing second at a time. His skin was peeled away, revealing the raw muscle beneath. His chest and stomach were shredded in a nightmarish spectacle, his organs laid bare in gruesome sight.
"Tier Six: Thousand-Claws."
But just as Aur's body was on the verge of complete collapse, teetering on the brink of death, the man canceled the spell with a wave of his hand.
Aur's battered body descended in slow motion, plunging into the molten lava.
"You aren't the main character, kid. Stop acting like one," the tall man sneered, his laughter echoing eerily through the slit in his mask.
For a moment, the molten surface seemed to consume Aur, his body sinking into the fiery depths. But then, slowly, he rose again, his head lifting with an unsettling grace. The exposed inner workings of his skull glimmered faintly in the molten glow.
With deliberate movements, Aur floated higher, his skinless, muscular arms coming together. He bent forward in a formal bow, his head lowered with an almost eerie calm.
"I greet the four Tier Seven Wizards," he said, his deep, guttural voice resonating unnaturally. His exposed jaw and teeth made the words even more terrifying.
"Hahaha!" The tall man burst into mocking laughter. "Brat, you've finally learned to bow to power! Congratulations! This will be your first lesson in the real world—a lesson your parents clearly failed to teach you."
His voice dripped with ridicule as he stared down at Aur.
Aur remained silent, his head still bowed. He did not flinch, did not speak, and did not break his stance.
"Now, brat," the tall man began, his voice cold and sharp. "We can settle this in two ways—violence, or your cooperation. What will it be?"
"What do I have to do?"
"It's simple," the tall man replied with a snicker. "Transfer ownership to us, and you'll be allowed to live. A fair deal, don't you think?"
Aur remained silent for a moment, his head still bowed. Then, slowly, he raised it, exposing the grotesque sight of his skull stripped of skin.
All humans are ugly beneath the skin. This truth was undeniable. Beautiful or hideous with the skin on, without it, we are all the same: ugly.
"What is it?" the tall man asked, his frown deepening at the sight.
Aur's exposed eyes seemed to bulge as his confusion became apparent. "Tell me how you found me."
The tall man hesitated briefly, then sighed with a mocking grin. "Fine, brat. I'll fulfill your last little wish."
After saying this, the tall man waved his hand dismissively. One of the three figures standing behind him stepped forward, their movements deliberate and slow. With an almost ceremonial air, the figure removed their mask, revealing a face that was both familiar and haunting.
"You recognize me?" the man asked.
Aur's exposed jaw clenched. His voice came in a low rasp, disbelief dripping from every word.
"You... you are..."
