First Light of a New Age

Chapter 90: Absolute Mana Control

Polyphemus found himself wary in spite of himself.

His heartbeat slightly spoked up and he felt saliva gathering in his throat as it itched.

A cold pressure enveloped him, like tiny icicles piercing his skin and fusing him to back off.

The ebony cyclops could not ignore these feelings

And so, he raised his massive club and asked the masked stranger who had already shown miraculous feats before him. In a voice tinged with suspicion, he asked only a simple but pertinent question that mattered.

"Who... are you?"

The man in the mask was a mystery. According to the intel he had received, the strongest in the ExRump Corporation, other than their leader himself, was Yuri.

There were also a few other notable individuals strong in the ExRump Corporation, but none matched the description of the man who stood before him.

There had been no mention of anything about this guy, which meant he wasn't in the group, or perhaps wasn't simply regarded as strong.

But now that Polyphemus was staring at him now, he could tell without a doubt...

'He's stronger than that Yuri girl!'

Despite how Polyphemus looked and acted, he was actually a very logical individual.

Being dismissed for his brutish exterior, he prided himself on his sharp mind, the ability to think and make sensible decisions alongside the power to pummel down his enemies.

His intelligence was looked down on by the other Eight Heads, but he knew he had the makings of a master strategist.

'This man is strong. But... is he stronger than me?'

So far, everything Polyphemus had witnessed him do a bunch of things that shouldn't have been possible by normal standards. The masked figure had healed a girl instantly, teleported her to her group, and even shielded them with a barrier, a high-level array of skills that should demand intense specialization.

'There was no way he could have all of them at once, talkless of using them freely,' Polyphemus reasoned. 'They must be one-time skills or have extensive cooldowns. Or perhaps they're the effects of powerful artifacts, consumable and finite.*

Yes... yes, that's definitely it!

Convincing himself, Polyphemus pushed the thought of the stranger's strength aside. There was simply no way this masked man could outmatch him.

"My name is Polyphemus! Warrior of Blood and Iron, and a proud member of the Eight Heads of Destruction!" he bellowed as his eyes fixed on the silent masked figure. Upon seeing that the masked man didn't respond, Polyphemus decided he'd have to make himself heard by taking the initiative

As he spoke, he reminded himself just how powerful he truly was.

'I'm a big deal, you know?'

Broadening his lips, he bared his fanged teeth in a grin so savage, it could have been mistaken for that of a wolf beast.

"The Great Polyphemus is asking you a question. You'd do well not to waste my time and answer me!"

He smashed his club's head on the ground, triggering a small explosion of pressure that reverberated through the area.

His men erupted in cheers into the air, chanting his name in roaring praise.

"Hehehe... hahahaha!" Polyphemus laughed, savoring their admiration. To him, all of it was music to his ears. But to his opponent, it had to symbolize danger.