My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 199

Chapter 199: Instant Part 5
She steadied herself and helped the facilitators lift her friend back above ground, focusing on the immediate need to get her to safety.

Above.

Asher remained seated, his gaze steady as he watched the facilitators lift Thenara from the depths of the crater.

He let out a faint smile. She did not provoke him before, so he had no reason to kill her. Instead, he actually saved her life.

During the moment of her inevitable death, he had cast a protective spell over her body, shielding her from the worst. He even healed her, ensuring she wouldn’t die from the backlash of the artifacts she used to temporary boost her power.

‘Is it just me, or is everyone too reliant on external power?’

He disliked the idea of sorcerers relying too much on artifacts, knowing they could only offer so much and, in some cases, hindered real growth.

Artifacts should be used to supplement one’s power, not override it, as doing so defeats its purpose.

But he kept his thoughts to himself. He wasn’t a local in this world, and it wasn’t his place to question their ways.

—

—

—

Back in the stands, the air was thick with whispers and heated discussions.

“Do you think they’ll postpone the tournament?” one spectator asked, her eyes scanning the wreckage of the arena.

“It’s impossible to fix this in time,” another muttered, shaking his head. “They can’t go on like this.”

“Why bother? Sorcerer Ashal already won,” a third voice interjected confidently. “Look at how powerful he is. No one else stands a chance now.”

“Hold on,” someone else countered, leaning forward in his seat. “Just because he wiped out one person doesn’t mean he’s unbeatable. He’s used up a lot of energy already. What happens if he’s drained in the next round?”

“But he still has to be the the top contestant, right?” the first speaker argued. “He’s shown what he can do. I don’t think anyone else is getting past him.”

“Maybe, but you saw how powerful the last attack was. What if he’s burned through too much power already? He might not make it to the end if the seeded participants work together,” another person said, eyeing Asher with a hint of skepticism.

Just as the murmurs grew louder, a sudden gust of wind swept through the arena, picking up speed.

In the blink of an eye, a massive cyclone appeared in the center.

The swirling winds intensified, and when it burst apart, a figure emerged—a woman with fiery red hair and a horn protruding from her forehead, resembling Lucia and her family members.

She raised her hand and muttered an incantation. The earth trembled beneath her, and the enormous crater began to heal, the edges closing and the ground restoring itself, until the arena was once again whole.

“Elemental Sage! Liara!” The crowd gasped in awe, recognizing the legendary sorceress.

“She’s back? I thought she was on the expedition with the other named sages and the sorcerer king?” someone in the crowd pointed out.

Almost as if to answer their confusions, three figures appeared beside her, their presence sudden and unsettling.

Their appearances were concealed beneath heavy veils, but there was no mistaking who they were. The aura surrounding them was familiar to everyone—the remaining three named sages.

With their arrival, all six of the tournament’s most powerful sages had now gathered.

CRACK!

“What’s happening now?” someone in the crowd shouted, jumping to their feet and pointing upward. “Look above us!”

CRACK

The ceiling fractured in a spiderweb pattern, shards splintering like glass and dissolving into thin air.

A figure emerged from the dark rift, and the space behind him sealed shut once he had fully passed through.

His long blond hair fell over his shoulders, catching the light as he scanned the arena. A dark purple cape with golden edges fluttered gently behind him, the fabric moving as if stirred by an unseen breeze.

He wore a green robe, intricately patterned with gold, which glowed softly, as though the designs themselves were alive.

At his chest, a pale blue gem gleamed with each subtle movement, drawing attention to his composed and regal presence.

Though he said nothing, his presence alone filled the place with pressure.

“S… Sorcerer King!” The crowd erupted in cheers as the most powerful being in the world finally appeared.

He smiled at them and waved his hand, looking amicable and kind. But when his green eyes met Asher’s, they glinted, and in the blink of an eye, the Sorcerer King vanished from his spot.

Feeling threatened, Asher quickly activated all his protective artifacts

SWOOOSH!

An attack struck him from behind, but he quickly reacted, turning around to catch the Sorcerer King’s hand.

The exchange shocked everyone, because only few people were capable of blocking a surprise attack from the king himself.

Julius smiled. “You’re really strong. Tell me, why is someone of your level wasting time with these children?”

Asher met his gaze without hesitation. “I’m not sure what you’re implying. I’m here to win this tournament and become a sage.”

“Become a sage?” Julius almost laughed. “If those words hadn’t come out of your mouth, I would have assumed you were coming for my position.”

His words echoed through the platform, shocking everyone.

The implication that Asher might have the ability to challenge his position as Sorcerer King left everyone speechless.

What did it mean to challenge him? The immortal ruler whose power was so immense that not even the six named sages could compete with him.

“Give me your strongest dragon core, and I’ll leave this place—and you’ll never see me again,” Asher broke the silence.

He knew blending in was no longer an option, now that he had been found out.

“Our strongest dragon core?” Julius paused, before letting out a chuckle. “What if I don’t want to give it to you? What are you going to do? fight me?”

Asher narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like where things were heading—it seemed Julius was looking for trouble.