Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1737  Real Pain (Part 1)

The arrow hadn’t simply been fired back. Idore had added mana to it, pouring far more energy and power into the shot than it originally possessed. It was part of the special bow’s effect, combined with the Whisper of Instructions, an extremely high-tier item created by Idore himself.

When Idore had caught the special arrow before, that too had been the effect of a high-tier item, the gloves. They allowed him to touch and manipulate any form of energy with his bare hands. The Pagna warriors were about to learn why Idore was known as the greatest enchanter in the world.

Idore was a nine-star mage and considered the head of the Grand Magus. In terms of pure fighting skill, Trubin had always been given that title. Yet no one doubted that if the two of them were ever to truly clash, Idore would emerge victorious. The reason was simple.

His enchanted items.

The arrow, following Idore’s whispered instruction, cut cleanly through the air. It arced upward, heading toward the rooftop as it locked onto its target. Seeing this, Forma quickly pulled out her bow and fired another arrow in response. Her aim was flawless.

Her arrow crashed into Idore’s.

For a split second, the two forces collided in midair, but the difference in power was clear. Forma’s arrow shattered instantly, breaking apart as if it had never stood a chance.

Using her Qi, she attempted to move out of the way. She shifted her body, pushing herself with every ounce of speed she had left. But then she saw it.

The arrow was adjusting. It was moving. Just like hers. A guided arrow.

Realizing that, something inside her stilled. There was nowhere left to run.

With it tracking her every movement, she felt as if all she could do was accept her fate. She kept her eyes open, forcing herself to watch as the arrow came closer.

‘I felt the pain of everyone I shot with my arrows,’ she thought. ‘But just the pain. I never experienced what it was like to be chased by something you can’t stop. Is this what they felt like in the moments before their end? Maybe… because of everything I did… I deserve death.’

The arrow closed the distance. Time seemed to slow. Then suddenly, A figure leapt into its path. A man.

His arm stretched outward as if to shield her. The arrow struck him.

A massive explosion erupted on the rooftop, energy tearing through stone and structure alike. The blast destroyed the rooftop entirely, collapsing the area beneath them. Debris rained down in every direction.

Forma fell with the rubble, crashing into the building below. Pain shot through her body, but she quickly began pushing away the debris that had landed on top of her.

“No… no, no!” she muttered frantically. “What was that? That idiot… did he really do that?”

Her hands trembled as she threw broken stone and shattered beams aside. Dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe. She dug through the rubble desperately until finally she found him.

Fixteen.

Or at least, the upper half of his body.

The arrow had pierced him and exploded, tearing him apart. The lower half of his body was gone, lost to the destruction.

Yet his eyes were still moving.

He looked at her.

“Forma… you’re okay,” Fixteen said in a weak voice. His lips barely moved, yet somehow he forced the words out. “I’m glad to see that you’re not hurt. Otherwise… I would have been blasted for no reason.”

“But you’re not okay… you’re not okay!” Forma shouted, her voice cracking. “Why did you do that? Why did you jump in front of that arrow? Why would you give up your life for me?”

Fixteen slowly lifted his hand. Even that small movement seemed to take everything he had left. He placed it gently against the side of her face, a faint smile forming on his lips.

“I don’t know,” he admitted softly. “Maybe I’m just one of those types… drawn to helping people. Maybe that’s why I helped the young master Dame for so long as well.”

He coughed weakly, blood staining his lips.

“And when I saw you were in trouble… I just had to reach out and try to help you. I guess I’m just a selfish person in the end… trying to satisfy my own desires.”

Forma shook her head violently as tears blurred her vision. She pulled his half body closer, cradling him as if that alone could keep him from slipping away.

“You idiot,” she sobbed. “How could anyone ever call you selfish when you’ve just done this? You’re such an idiot… you’re such an idiot.”

Fixteen’s smile widened faintly despite the pain etched into his face.

“I just didn’t want to see such a beautiful girl… have such a sad face anymore,” he said quietly.

His breathing grew shallower. Forma could feel it, the life leaving him.

Without thinking, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held him there, as if trying to give something back. In that moment, she took his final breath as it escaped him, then gently laid him down onto the broken stone beneath them.

“You idiot,” she whispered hoarsely. “Now without you… did you ever think how much sadder I would be?”

For a moment, she sat there, letting the pain swallow her whole. The world felt distant. Muffled. Empty.

But she could still hear it. The fighting. The sounds of destruction. The screams of pain continuing outside.

Slowly, she reached out her hand. The bow began to form within her grasp, energy shaping itself into its familiar design. She lifted her head, her tear-streaked face no longer filled with despair, but with something far darker.

“I’ll kill them,” she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her body. “I’ll kill every single last one of them, no matter what happens to me. I don’t care anymore.”

In that moment, something shifted within her.

Idore’s actions had not just eliminated a threat.

They had unleashed a monster onto the battlefield.

***