I was just about to push my magic further when a sudden sense of danger jolted through me.

  Without hesitation, I summoned my seven Red Globes, their crimson light illuminating the darkened forest.

  At the same time, I threw myself to the right—instinct taking over.

  “Boom!”

  A blast of magic energy slammed into the tree where I had been standing just moments ago.

  The bark exploded, sending shards of wood flying in all directions.

  I landed on one knee, immediately raising my gaze toward the direction of the attack.

  That’s when I saw them.

  Three figures.

  They stood about twenty meters away, emerging from the thick foliage like shadows materializing out of the dark.

  They were humanoid, but something about them was off.

  Their skin was grayish-blue, with long limbs and sharp, angular features.

  Their eyes glowed faintly, filled with a strange, eerie energy.

  They weren’t humans.

  But they weren’t exactly monsters either.

  They were something else.

  A new kind of enemy.

  This was a battle.

  And I had no intention of letting them take control of it.

  "Attack!"

  The moment the thought passed through my mind, my seven Red Globes moved.

  Three of them shot forward, each one targeting a different enemy.

  The remaining four stayed close to me, circling defensively.

  At the same time, I gave another command.

  "Sacril—move back and forth, be a distraction!"

  The wolf-like creature let out a low growl before vanishing into the shadows, moving between the trees with incredible speed.

  I knew that if Sacril could create openings, I could end this quickly.

  But my enemies weren’t fools.

  One of them raised their long, thin arms, conjuring a barrier of dark energy just in time.

  The Red Globe’s attack slammed into it, causing a crackling explosion of red and black light—but the shield held firm.

  The second enemy moved swiftly, dodging the incoming beam entirely. Their body flickered like a shadow, moving almost unnaturally fast.

  The third one counterattacked immediately.

  They extended their palm, and a wave of force erupted outward, slamming into one of my advancing Globes and blowing it apart.

  "Damn."

  That was the first time someone had destroyed one of my Globes.

  I clenched my teeth and quickly reassessed the situation.

  These weren’t just mindless attackers.

  They were intelligent. Coordinated.

  And worse—they were magic users.

  "If they can destroy my Red Globes, then I need to be faster than them."

  I immediately adjusted my approach.

  Instead of sending my Globes one by one, I focused on attacking from multiple angles at once.

  "Scatter and attack!"

  The remaining six Globes split into pairs, each group targeting a different enemy.

  This time, they didn’t attack from the front—they curved through the air, striking from the sides and above.

  At the same time, I launched my own spell.

  With a sharp movement, I conjured an Energy Bolt, aiming it at the one who had destroyed my Globe.

  "Let’s see you block this."

  The moment I fired my spell, Sacril struck.

  He darted from behind a tree, lunging at the enemy on the left, his claws glowing with a faint magical sheen.

  The humanoid mage barely had time to react.

  They turned—just as one of my Globes fired a red beam at their blind spot.

  Direct hit.

  A burst of red energy slammed into their side, sending them staggering.

  But they weren’t down yet.

  The middle enemy, the one who had blocked my first attack, suddenly clapped their hands together—and the air trembled.

  A surge of dark magic erupted from them, spreading outward like a shockwave.

  My Globes wavered, struggling to maintain their form.

  "They’re trying to disrupt my magic!"

  I narrowed my eyes and pushed back, reinforcing my control over the Red Globes.

  They trembled, but they held their shape.

  Then, I saw my chance.

  The enemy who had just released the shockwave was wide open.

  He had used up his magic for that attack, leaving himself vulnerable for a brief moment.

  A brief moment was all I needed.

  "All Globes—attack him!"

  Four of my remaining six Red Globes immediately turned their focus toward him.

  The beams fired in unison.

  The humanoid mage tried to raise another shield, but this time—

  He wasn’t fast enough.

  Boom!

  The combined attack tore through him, sending his body crashing into the dirt.

  There was not much of left to him that I can see with ease.

  I didn’t wait to see if he would get up.

  I turned my focus toward the remaining two enemies.

  The one who had been struck earlier by my Globe and Sacril’s attack was injured, struggling to stay on their feet.

  Not much time later in just ten to fifteen seconds the one who is injured dropped on the ground too.

  It can be seen with ease that he is not in any shape to escape.

  The last one—the fastest of the three—looked at the fallen comrade, then at me.

  For a moment, I thought he was about to attack.

  But then—

  He made a choice and ran.

  I exhaled slowly, keeping my guard up for a few more seconds.

  Sacril growled, but he didn’t chase after the escaping enemy.

  I let out a breath.

  The fight was over.

  One enemy dead.

  One injured.

  One escaped.

  I looked down at the fallen humanoid mage, my mind swirling with questions.

  "Who were they?"

  They weren’t human, but they weren’t beasts either.

  And they had magic.

  That meant they weren’t just random creatures of the forest.

  "I need to find out more about them."

  But before that—

  I needed to decide what to do with the injured one.

  I stood there, staring down at the injured one and the lifeless corpse of the other.

  Their strange, grayish-blue skin, their unnatural movements, and most of all—their use of magic.

  This wasn’t just some unknown magical creature.

  They were sapient. Intelligent. Capable of tactics.

  Yet…

  I had never heard of them before.

  Even after studying countless books, reading through the fundamentals of magic, history, and even the darker, hidden knowledge,

  I had never come across any mention of humanoid entities capable of magic—aside from the known races that existed.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Why?"

  Why would something like this not be documented?

  Even if they were rare, even if they were a forgotten race, there should have been at least one mention in the books I had read.

  Yet, there was nothing.

  "This is strange."

  I crouched near the injured one, keeping a careful distance.

  They were still breathing—barely—but they made no attempt to move. Their eyes, faintly glowing, stared at me with what I could only describe as… resentment.

  They weren’t begging for mercy.

  They weren’t pleading for their life.

  They were simply watching.

  As if waiting for something.

  Before I could decide what to do with them, I heard footsteps.

  My senses sharpened immediately.

  I turned my head to the right.

  Three figures were approaching.

  They were human.

  Their magic was strong.

  I could sense it radiating off them like heat from a furnace.

  They weren’t just ordinary mages.

  Each one of them wore gray cloaks, their steps light, precise—like they were trained in more than just magic.

  The middle one stepped forward.

  He had short black hair, sharp eyes, and a composed expression.

  I tensed, ready to fight if needed.

  But instead, he smiled slightly and spoke.

  "Thank you for taking them down."

  I didn’t let my guard down.

  "And who exactly are you?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.

  The man in the center studied me, his gaze flickering briefly to my Red Globes, still floating around me in a defensive formation.

  "Just travelers," he said, too casually.

  I didn’t believe him for a second.

  His companions stayed silent, but I could feel them watching me closely, as if analyzing me.

  "Travelers?" I repeated. "You don’t seem surprised to see these creatures."

  The man chuckled softly.

  "That’s because we’ve seen them before."

  I narrowed my eyes.

  "Then maybe you can explain to me what they are."

  He tilted his head, considering my words for a moment.

  Then he smiled again.

  "Perhaps. But the real question is—do you truly wish to know?"

  I felt something off about his words.

  These three knew more than they were saying.

  Marsil

  I hesitated.

  Should I ask more?

  Or should I simply leave this matter alone?

  I had never heard of these creatures before—yet they existed.

  That meant there were gaps in what mages knew.

  Gaps in what I knew.

  That thought alone bothered me deeply.

  I took a deep breath.

  "I want to know," I finally said.

  The man smiled at my words, his dark eyes gleaming with understanding.

  He took slow, careful steps toward the lifeless body of the strange humanoid I had just killed.

  Then, without hesitation, he crouched beside it and spoke.

  "They are called Amorans."

  "Amorans?" I repeated.

  That name was unfamiliar.

  Not once had I encountered that word in any of my studies.

  The man nodded before continuing.

  "It is said that they live on a different continent… but also in underground hidden places, nearly impossible to find."

  I frowned.

  "A different continent?"

  "Yes," he confirmed. "And here, they stay out of sight, avoiding humans."

  I stared at the corpse of the Amoran.

  Grayish-blue skin, unusual magical energy, and humanoid in form.

  They were not beasts.

  They were not normal magical creatures.

  They were a people.

  Yet, if what this man said was true… then how had no one noticed them before?

  I asked him just that.

  "If they live underground, that might explain why we don’t see them often… but how has no human ever noticed them before?"

  The man grinned slightly at my question.

  "Because," he said, standing up, "they possess a passive magic spell."

  "A passive spell?" I asked.

  "Yes," he nodded. "An ability that makes them appear as ordinary humans to anyone without magical energy."

  I narrowed my eyes.

  That…

  That was a terrifying ability.

  "Are you telling me that if they were walking in a human city… normal people wouldn’t even realize they were different?"

  "Exactly," the man said, a hint of amusement in his tone.

  "What about mages?" I asked.

  "Mages can sense their difference… if they are looking for it. But even then, the Amorans have ways of hiding themselves."

  I crossed my arms.

  "That explains why I’ve never heard of them before."

  If the majority of humans couldn’t even see through their disguise, then it made sense that no records existed.

  Only those truly aware of their presence would know.

  And I was just now learning about them.

  I turned my gaze back to the injured Amoran, still breathing but barely conscious.

  "Why did they attack me?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

  The man tilted his head.

  "That," he said, "is something I am also wondering."

  That answer didn’t satisfy me.

  The injured Amoran was smiling.

  Blood dripped from its lips, its glowing eyes dimming… but there was no fear.

  No regret.

  Just a slow, knowing grin.

  -

  While the injured Amoran smiling the captain of the three human group studied me carefully.

  His dark eyes held a calm intelligence.

  After a brief silence, he spoke.

  "Do you know of the Redglass Magic Society?"

  The question caught me off guard.

  I frowned slightly. "Yes, I do."

  He nodded slowly, as if that answer confirmed something for him.

  "Then I suggest you find a book there," he said, his tone smooth and deliberate. "A book called the Maglianor Compendium."

  "The Maglianor Compendium?" I repeated, unfamiliar with the name.

  "Yes."

  He glanced at the injured Amoran, who was still barely breathing, then looked back at me.

  "If you read it, you will learn much. Not just about the Amorans, but many things that most mages never question."

  That statement alone was enough to spark my curiosity.

  "What do you mean?" I asked.

  He smirked slightly, but he didn’t answer directly.

  Instead, he simply said, "You will understand once you read it."

  His gaze shifted once more to the corpse of the dead Amoran and the injured one struggling to stay conscious.

  A moment later, he turned to me and spoke in a business-like tone.

  "I will pay you 200 grams of magic stone for the injured one."

  I raised an eyebrow.

  That was a lot of magic stone.

  Enough to buy powerful spellbooks, advanced enchantments, or even rare magical ingredients.

  But more importantly…

  It was clear that these three mysterious mages wanted this Amoran for their own reasons.

  I looked at them carefully.

  They were all wearing gray cloaks, but something about them felt off.

  These were not ordinary mages.

  If they had truly wanted to take the injured Amoran by force, they could have.

  Even with my seven Red Globes, I had no doubt that fighting them would be dangerous.

  Accepting the deal was the logical choice.

  "Fine," I said after a brief moment. "The deal is yours."

  The man smiled slightly and snapped his fingers.

  One of the other two gray-cloaked mages stepped forward, holding a small pouch.

  He tossed it toward me.

  I caught it effortlessly and quickly opened it.

  Inside, I saw a collection of shimmering, condensed magic stones.

  Each piece radiated power.

  "You can count them," the man said, his tone amused. "But I assure you, I don’t go back on my word."

  I didn’t need to count them.

  The weight of the pouch and the energy from the stones told me it was accurate.

  "A deal is a deal," I said.

  As I secured the pouch, the three gray-cloaked mages turned their attention back to the injured Amoran.

  One of them pulled out a strange metallic device, pressing it against the creature’s body.

  There was a faint hum, followed by a dim flash of light.

  The Amoran’s eyes flickered weakly, but it could barely move.

  It didn’t even try to resist.

  "One last thing," the man said, turning back to me.

  "Be careful in Redglass Mountain City."

  His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind his words.

  "Why?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

  "Because now that you’ve fought them… they will not forget you."

  Then he smiled to me again and said.

  “His name was Endrel.”

  I took a breath and answered.

  “I am Marsil...”

  And with that, he and his companions began to leave, carrying the injured Amoran with them.

  I watched them disappear into the trees, my mind filled with unanswered questions.

  Who were these Amorans, really?

  Why were they here?

  And why did these gray-cloaked mages know so much?

  I looked at the pouch of magic stones in my hand, then at the ruined battlefield around me.

  The pieces of the shattered rock, the burned trees, and the corpse of the dead Amoran.

  I had come here to train.

  Instead, I had discovered something far more important.

  A hidden race.

  A book filled with secrets.

  And a city where danger now awaited me.

  I clenched my fist.

  "Maglianor Compendium."

  That book was now my next destination.

  Captain Endrel - Pov

  The forest air was thick with the lingering scent of magic.

  I looked down at the injured Amoran, his strange, inhuman eyes flickering weakly as he struggled to remain conscious.

  Blood dripped slowly from the deep wound on his chest, a wound caused by that boy’s magic.

  I smiled slightly, glancing toward the direction where the young mage had left.

  "Interesting," I muttered.

  Beside me, one of my companions, a thin-voiced man named Raelis, followed my gaze and let out a small, nervous chuckle.

  "That boy," Raelis said, shaking his head. "He’s dangerous. If you weren’t here, Captain, I’m not sure we could’ve taken him in a fair fight."

  I raised an eyebrow and turned toward him.

  "Oh?" I asked, feigning surprise.

  "You, of all people, admitting someone else is strong? That’s new."

  Raelis let out a dry laugh and adjusted the gray cloak draped over his shoulders.

  "I don’t comment on every mage we come across, Captain," he said, his voice still carrying a faint note of disbelief.

  "But this one… this Marsil… he’s something else."

  I studied Raelis for a moment, intrigued.

  He was not a man who easily acknowledged the strength of others.

  For him to say something like this meant that Marsil had left a deep impression.

  "What exactly impressed you?"

  I asked, crouching down next to the injured Amoran and placing my hand on its chest.

  The creature let out a faint, pained groan, but I ignored it.

  Raelis hesitated for a moment, then sighed.

  "He took on three Amoran Mage at once and won," he said simply.

  I chuckled softly.

  "Yes, he did."

  My other companion, Dren, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke up.

  "It wasn’t just that he won,"

  Dren said and added.

  "It was how he fought."

  I glanced at him, waiting for him to continue.

  "He controlled those Red Globes like they were extensions of his own body," Dren explained.

  "Most mages would struggle to maintain that level of coordination. And yet, he didn’t just use them to attack. He used them to control the battlefield, to limit his opponents’ movements. It was almost instinctual."

  Raelis nodded in agreement, his expression still thoughtful.

  "He’s not just powerful," he said.

  "He’s smart. And adaptable. He figured out that he could use his Globes to sense the battlefield in real time—without anyone teaching him. Do you know how rare that is?"

  I did.

  Most mages spent years learning how to properly synchronize with their own spells.

  Yet Marsil had done it naturally, in the middle of combat, as if it was second nature to him.

  "He’s the type of person who will only get stronger the more battles he fights,"

  Raelis continued. "And that kind of person… is the most dangerous."

  I let out a small hum of amusement.

  "So," I said, grinning. "Are you afraid of him?"

  Raelis scoffed, crossing his arms.

  "No," he said. "But I’d rather be on his side than against him."