The blast sent countless stones and clouds of dust flying, but the instant the explosion erupted, Doranbolt had already teleported the others far away.
"Damn it! Who's there?! Stop hiding—" Setting Wendy down, Doranbolt immediately turned a grim gaze toward the spot where they had just stood. Amid the billowing smoke and flames, there was no sign of anyone.
Yet his eyes remained fixed on that direction—or rather, on a large tree standing there!
His fists clenched tight, Doranbolt stared unblinkingly at the tree. As an outstanding agent of the Magic Council, his sensory abilities were nowhere near Achill's, but they were certainly not weak! He had sensed a faint fluctuation of magic coming from that tree just before the explosion erupted! That was how he had managed to teleport Wendy and the two cats, one black and one white, out of the way in time—
Although he was certain the attacker was hiding inside that tree, Doranbolt's expression was exceptionally grave! His opponent's strength alarmed him. Before that sudden attack, he had sensed absolutely nothing unusual about the tree! That meant his opponent was not only exceptionally skilled at concealment, but also an extraordinarily powerful Mage—
"Oh? You noticed me? Just what I'd expect from one of the Magic Council's finest intelligence agents..." As soon as Doranbolt finished speaking, a rich male voice slowly emerged from the tree. Under their astonished gazes, the surface of its trunk began to warp. Then a man with brown, layered, barklike hair poked his head sideways out of the tree. His composed eyes swept over them before settling on Doranbolt. "Or perhaps I should say, just what I'd expect from the True God of Death's childhood schoolmate and close friend..." A barely perceptible note of surprise colored his voice. Clearly, he had not