Magus Supremacy

THE NEXT DAY!

Yawnnnnn!

A loud, drawn-out yawn echoed through the cave as a sleepy young man slowly rose from the hard ground, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms. His face still bore the marks of exhaustion, though a hint of energy was beginning to creep back.

"Mehn! I miss my bed back at Yami's. Sleeping on rocks is way harder than I remembered," Grey yawned, turning his head to glance at Thalos, who was quietly practicing a few sword swings with precise, disciplined movements.

"I can survive," Thalos said calmly, his sword cutting through the air with measured, precise motions, each swing mirroring the last with perfect repetition.

"But how are you going to survive without food? Don't you need to eat something?" Grey asked, raising an eyebrow.

Growl!

As if answering Grey's question, his stomach rumbled loudly, causing him to hunch over and clutch his abdomen with a groan.

"Yup. You are kind of right there," he muttered with a sheepish grin. "Good thing I planned ahead." He chuckled as his pendant glowed softly, and instantly, something appeared in front of him with a faint thud on the rocky ground.

Glancing over, Thalos noticed a plate neatly wrapped in a polythene bag, the contents securely sealed to prevent any spills.

"What's that?" the gargoyle asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Food for me, since you said you could survive," Grey replied with a wide grin. He tore through the plastic with little effort and began devouring the contents greedily.

Thalos, on the other hand, continued his sword practice with disciplined focus, throwing the occasional sidelong glance at the ravenous Grey.

"You want some?" Grey mockingly asked, stretching out a spoon toward Thalos, who merely scoffed and continued his training without acknowledging him.

Within five minutes, the plate was entirely empty. Grey leaned back, patting his belly in contentment and letting out a loud, satisfied belch.

"Mehn! That hits the spot. This pendant is really helpful," Grey muttered, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Tch!" Thalos scoffed, his expression unchanging.

"Wait! You didn't eat yet? Oh right!" Grey facepalmed with a chuckle, remembering Thalos' earlier claim. "You said you could manage."

"If you don't keep your trap shut, I'm going to poke you with my sword. Don't test my patience," Thalos warned, his glare sharp enough to make Grey shrink back slightly.

"Whatever," Grey scoffed, dropping into a cross-legged position. His pendant glowed faintly as the magic book hovered into his hands. Time to practice the flight skill. But how do I start though? This book isn't explaining properly, he thought with a frown.

Grey stood up, flipping through the pages of the book repeatedly, finding no clear instructions. With a deep sigh, he decided to improvise.

"Let's see," he muttered, swirling his hands through the air as the wind whipped around him, howling loudly in response.

Ever since I awakened my wind affinity yesterday, using it has become much easier. I have an idea for a combined technique, but I need a strong test subject to try it on, he thought inwardly. Taking a deep breath, he leaped into the air, forcing the wind to carry his weight.

The wind responded, but not enough. He barely lifted off before almost plummeting to the ground. Grey caught himself at the last second, landing on his knees and scraping against the hard, jagged rocks.

Curses, he groaned inwardly. Let's go again.

He leaped once more, forcing the wind to whip around him, holding his weight in the air. This time, he managed to stay aloft, but the next second, he was flung aside like a ragdoll, crashing violently into a nearby wall.

"Argh!" he groaned, sliding down the wall before landing face-first on the ground.

"Kek, Kek, Kek. Buhahahaha!" Thalos initially chuckled, then erupted into full-blown laughter as he watched the human slowly rise from the ground, grimacing in pain.

"Yesterday, he was acting all high and mighty, calling himself the Supreme Magus, and now look! The Supreme Magus struggling to perform a basic skill. Kek!" Thalos laughed loudly, shaking his head in disbelief as Grey finally stood upright, brushing the dust and rocks from his robes, a mix of frustration and determination flashing in his eyes.

With determination blazing in his eyes, Grey attempted the same movement once again. For the second time, he was slammed brutally into a wall, the impact reverberating through his entire body.

Refusing to give up, he pushed himself upright, gritting his teeth, and repeated the same motion over and over again. Each attempt ended in the same result, and without fail, Thalos' laughter rang out loud and clear, echoing off the cave walls.

"Ugh." Grey groaned, his body aching all over, but he rose again, refusing to yield. He prepared to repeat the motion yet another time.

This time, however, he altered his approach. Instead of leaping fully into the air, he lifted one foot while summoning the wind around it, forcing it higher and higher. Then he did the same with his second foot, and slowly, Grey began to levitate off the ground. A wide smile crept across his face as Thalos stared, momentarily shocked.

Then suddenly—

WOOSH!

BANG!

THUD!

Grey was flung violently into a wall with a resounding crash, sliding down with a heavy thud at the bottom. As always, Thalos burst into laughter, even slapping his knees in sheer amusement.

"Mehn! You are cracking my stony ribs up. Keep it up; this show is really entertaining," Thalos grinned, barely able to contain himself.

'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! What am I doing wrong? Fifteen tries, all ending the same way. Why is this not working?' Grey thought, frustration and exhaustion bubbling inside him. He rose once more, battered and tired, yet unwilling to give in.

"Ke…ke…keep calm and f…focus. D…don't lose your breathing."

A soft, eerie voice drifted into Grey's mind. He froze immediately, spinning around as his eyes scanned the cave in genuine shock.

"Di…Thalos? Did you say something?" Grey asked, voice trembling slightly.

"Did you hit your head so hard already? When did I speak?" Thalos replied, his brow furrowed in confusion.

'If Thalos didn't say that, then who did? Or am I truly going crazy?' Grey thought, his mind racing. He shook his head to dispel the confusion.

'Maybe I'm hallucinating, but that voice sounds eerily familiar. I'll follow what it said—keep calm and focus,' he resolved, closing his eyes while remaining upright.

He drew deep, slow, steady breaths, centering himself. The wind began to swirl gently around his body, responding to his concentration, lifting him gradually from the ground. Inch by inch, he rose, his body steadying as the breeze carried him higher.

In just under a minute, he hovered several meters above the ground, eyes snapping open in shock and disbelief at his own success.

'He…he actually did it?' Thalos thought, raising a brow and smirking at Grey's accomplishment.

"I actually did it!" Grey exclaimed, excitement bubbling in his voice. He felt himself flung slightly by a sudden gust, but quickly regained balance, spinning and maneuvering in the air as if he had been flying all his life.

At long last, his tireless efforts had paid off, and the wind now obeyed him as an extension of his own body.