Michael summoned Prince without hesitation.
The wolf no longer seemed injured, but its body still bore marks from its encounter with that monster in the tower.
Take its tail, for example—
It was still missing.
Not wanting to get caught in the crossfire between two creatures far stronger than himself, Michael jumped onto his undead griffin and took to the skies.
Before leaving, he issued a simple mand to both undead.
"Fight each other, but don't destroy your bodies. Also, Prince, don't use your poison skills."
The reason was simple—
Using poison would only damage the environment and likely have no effect on an undead.
After all, they weren't alive to feel poisoned—
Unless it was something special.
This meant that, in a way, Prince was handicapped.
But Michael didn't really think so.
Deep down, he still believed Prince was the stronger one.
His mand took immediate effect the moment he left.
Prince moved first.
Thick vines erupted from the ground, twisting and lunging toward the Undead High Human Mage like serpents.
They moved with terrifying speed, their edges sharp as blades.
But the Undead Mage was already in motion.
Despite being a mage, its reaction time was absurdly fast.
With a burst of strength that no ordinary spellcaster should have, it pushed off the ground in a blur, evading the vines by sheer physical ability.
Michael's eyes flickered.
"Fast."
He had expected the Undead Mage to rely purely on magic, but it was clear now—High Humans weren't just gifted in magic.
It seemed like their bodies were naturally stronger than ordinary humans at the same level, though their physicality lagged behind their incredible affinity for mana and talent in magic as a whole—especially when considering their incredible mana pool.
Michael observed.
"I don't think even a Master Rank mage would be able to move this fast… except for the exceptionally strong ones. Perhaps only a Rank 4 knight should be able to do the same."
As the thought crossed his mind, Michael's focus remained locked on the battlefield below.
Prince, undeterred, sent more vines lashing out.
At the same time, the Undead Mage lifted a hand, fingers tracing glowing lines through the air—a magic circle.
Unlike instant-cast abilities, spellcasting required time. The more powerful the spell, the longer it took to form.
This was its weakness.
Prince took advantage.
Vines shot forward like a storm.
But the High Human Mage weaved between the attacks with terrifying agility.
Its white eyes remained calm, its hands still drawing the intricate circle.
And then—
The spell activated.
A massive Fire Spear materialized in the air, far larger than it should have been.
Thicker, hotter, deadlier.
The sheer amount of mana pressed inside made the very air around it shimmer.
Michael's breath hitched.
"That's… not normal."
The spell shot forward like a meteor, smashing into the oning vines.
A thunderous boom echoed as flames devoured greenery, scorching the ground below.
Prince leapt back, but it wasn't fast enough. A shockwave blasted outward, forcing the wolf to skid back.
Michael's grip on the undead griffin tightened.
The power behind that attack was absurd. He had seen Fire Spear before, but never like this.
So it wasn't just mana levels.
The sheer potency of High Human magic was leagues beyond a normal mage's.
"A superior race… it's really like that."
It made sense.
The mana of a mander Rank mage was fundamentally different from that of an Apprentice mage, and the same logic seems to apply to races.
For a brief moment, Michael couldn't help but wonder—what would dragon magic be like?
If this world followed the same principles as Earth, where dragons were considered supreme, then here… they would only be more terrifying.
Prince growled, eyes locking onto the Undead Mage.
The wolf wasn't done.
More vines surged from the earth, but this time, Prince didn't rely on just entrapment.
The moment the vines shot forward, its body blurred—moving alongside them in a perfectly coordinated attack.
The Undead Mage, still in casting posture, had no time to finish another spell.
So it did something unexpected.
It met Prince head-on.
A mage—punching.
Its fist slammed into the charging wolf with a force that shouldn't belong to a spellcaster.
Prince was sent crashing backward.
Michael's pupils shrank.
"No way."
A High Human Mage… was this strong physically?
Michael exhaled.
This was an entirely different level of undead.
And the best part?
He could have four more!
To be honest, if he was willing to let go of certain things, the only real limitation was his contract slots.
However, not all High Human undead would be the same.
For example, his four human undead hadn't even ignited a Life Seed—their skill states were pletely blank.
Evolving them wouldn't necessarily make them stronger than an undead who had already been a supernatural before evolving.
Several thoughts flashed through Michael's mind as he continued watching the battle unfold.
Prince shook off the impact, landing on all fours. Its claws dug into the scorched earth, embers still clinging to its fur.
But Michael wasn't looking at the wolf. His eyes remained locked on the Undead Mage.
That punch.
There was no technique behind it, no martial finesse—just raw, brute force. A direct, overwhelming strike.
And yet, it had worked.
"Ridiculous."
A mage shouldn't be able to do that.
But a High Human could.
Michael's mind raced.
Their bodies weren't as monstrous as their magic, but they were still leagues above ordinary humans.
It was clear that the race was best suited for magic, yet Michael didn't think being a knight as a High Human would be a waste. Their natural affinity with mana meant that progressing as a knight might not only be faster, but also more efficient.
After all, knights weren't limited to pure physical strength—they could use mana-infused techniques as well.
With that in mind, whether as a knight or a mage, a High Human would be terrifying either way.
Prince's growl deepened, its fur bristling as the embers scattered from its body.
The Undead Mage, unbothered, lowered its hand. There was no follow-up attack, no spell forming. It simply stood there, watching.
Michael narrowed his eyes.
Was it waiting?
No.
It was testing something.
And then he saw it—the faint flicker of mana around its body, thin strands of energy wrapping around its limbs.
Prince didn't wait.
The wolf lunged again, faster this time, its body being a blur.
More vines erupted from the ground, but unlike before, they didn't lash out in a straight attack. They twisted unnaturally, bending mid-air, reacting to the Undead Mage's movements.
Michael's pupils contracted.
It wasn't just controlling plants.
Prince was reading its opponent.
"It's getting smarter. He's adapting."
The vines struck from multiple angles, closing in like a living cage.
At the same time, Prince itself aimed directly for the Undead Mage's blind spot, its jaws wide open.
And yet—
The Undead Mage moved.
Faster than before.
No spell, no technique.
Just raw speed.
It twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the vines, and just as Prince lunged—
Its hand snapped out.
For the first time, the Undead Mage grabbed instead of evaded.
A loud crack echoed as its fingers clenched around Prince's front leg, stopping the beast mid-lunge.
Then it spun.
Michael barely had time to react.
With an effortless motion, the Undead Mage threw Prince.
The massive wolf flew.
It smashed through the vines, breaking through trees, tumbling across the ground before skidding to a stop.
Silence.
A cold wind passed through the battlefield.
Michael's heartbeat slowed.
That wasn't magic.
That was pure strength.
The Undead Mage lowered its hand, tilting its head as if evaluating something.
Michael exhaled slowly.
"…This is insane."
Michael's grip on the griffin tightened.
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