Chapter 909

"Ah.... Feels good to be back here." Grey heaved a heavy sigh as he looked at his friends.

Kael walked forward, and soon enough, he stood directly before the mage.

"But how are you even still alive? The Otherworlders confirmed you were dead."

Before Grey could open his mouth to explain—

"... He is the one and only Supreme Magus. How do you expect those fools to be able to touch him?"

They all turned around to see Amir walking toward them with a beaming smile on his face.

"Captain?!" they all shouted in unison. "What are you doing here?!"

Kael’s eyes lit up instantly in realization as he pieced the puzzle together.

"Oh. This was all your doing? The evacuation of the civilians, the ’mission’—and specifically asking us to go for this assignment despite knowing that it’s been a while since they all fought as one. You orchestrated this? So you knew Grey was back?"

"The first to know," Amir replied with a wide smile before pointing at the mage.

"And he was the one who asked me to set this all up and not reveal he had returned. He wanted to test for himself how far his friends had grown during his absence."

Amir tilted his head to stare at the Supreme Magus.

"So tell me, how are they?"

Grey sighed while rubbing the back of his head, his expression thoughtful.

"Well, they are stronger than the last time I left, but they still need work. They couldn’t even push me to use a single element. Forget my affinities; I didn’t even go all out with my ki usage."

"Hey, stop talking like you are that much better than us!" Greg shouted with a sharp glare.

"Isn’t he, though?" Jay whispered in his direction.

"Shut up, you!" Greg snickered, nudging the noble.

Amir sighed, his amusement fading into a more serious tone.

"Figured. Perhaps if they learn the Magus Dominion like you, they could be of much more help."

"Wait. Magus Dominion?! He has mastered it already?!" Raze shouted with wide eyes, looking back and forth between Grey and Amir.

Kael’s eyes shone with a dark, curious glee.

"Lemme see..."

Amir quickly shook his head, halting the request before it could be fulfilled.

"Trust me. You don’t want to see it. Otherwise, this whole town won’t survive and the civilians will have nowhere to return to."

’Is it really that powerful?’ Greg wondered inwardly, a chill running down his spine.

Turning to face him one more time, Scarlet asked the question that had been burning in her mind:

"But what really happened with you? According to your hometown, they said you were dead and your house was destroyed in a gruesome battle. Even the Otherworlders confirmed the same story. So how? How are you still alive and so much stronger?!"

"Why? Didn’t want me to return alive?" Grey asked with a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Scarlet frowned, crossing her arms over her chest before looking away.

"That’s not what I meant."

Kael sighed and turned toward the edge of the square.

"Whatever the story is, we can’t discuss it here in the open. Let’s head back to base."

"I agree," Captain Amir added, turning to lead the way.

"Uh... hang on. The base—is it still in the same location as I used to know it?" Grey asked, glancing at the others for confirmation.

Arthur nodded firmly.

"Of course."

"Then I know a way to get there much faster."

Waving his hand through the air, a massive ashen portal yawned open, its edges swirling with silver mist.

"Come on in," he urged, gesturing toward the gateway.

Kael lifted a brow at the shimmering entrance.

"This looks like my shadow portals but distinct. Yours is purely transportational?"

Grey nodded before ushering them forward with his hand.

One by one, they trickled in.

"This better not lead to a volcano of some sort," Greg snorted as he stepped through the threshold.

Soon enough, the Supreme Magus was the last to enter, with the portal snapping shut instantly behind him.

***

Two hours had already passed.

In a large chamber, a massive table could be seen with about a dozen chairs arranged around the circular meeting surface.

Cups of tea and jugs filled with steaming liquid were scattered across the wood, alongside various snacks.

Nine people occupied the different seats.

Even with all these appetizers available, those at the table were unable to touch a single morsel, much less drink their tea.

They had spent the full two hours listening to Grey’s harrowing chronicle.

What had occurred.

How his mother perished, and how he and the Otherworlder were teleported to a different realm—a world teeming with warriors.

The battle that followed, his loss of memory, his new family, the training, the sudden attacks, and his admission into a warrior academy.

He spoke of rivals, enemies, and escalating conflicts.

He narrated his adventures to regain his memories and affinities, his allies, the tournaments, the emergence of demons, the truths he uncovered, and how he eventually reclaimed his identity.

He detailed every single event up to how he became the new head of a faction in Vayun.

Then, he explained how a certain celestial warrior decided to test him and consequently dumped all his power into the mage, elevating him to the high warrior stage.

This was exactly the strength he had displayed during that brief bout a while ago.

Knowing the Yun warrior stages, the squad realized that Grey was now on an entirely different level.

Now they understood why he hadn’t even needed to utilize his affinities; there was simply no requirement to.

With just Ki alone, he could have easily demolished them, let alone using his elements, which would have been total overkill.

Furthermore, he had a breakthrough at his disposal and a domain as well—the most formidable power-up a mage could possess.

Based on everything they heard, even the Emperor stood no chance against Grey, even if he manifested his own domain.

The Supreme Magus was simply a supreme powerhouse at this point.

They finally comprehended why the Otherworlders feared him and why everything had transpired the way it did.

Who wouldn’t dread a youth who was seemingly approaching the threshold of becoming a cosmic entity?

A Demon indeed.

"Wait. Demons are actually real?" Amir asked with a shocked expression. "You never told me that."

Grey leaned forward, reaching for his cup of tea.

"Well, they are real, and I have a feeling we might encounter one sooner than we expected."

Scarlet squeezed her hands against her lap, tears welling in her eyes once more.

"Yo-you have been through a lot. Yo-you were enduring so much over there just to recall who you were and return home.

And here we are playing weaklings, drifting apart and wallowing in sadness daily when we should have been growing stronger to avoid dragging you down. We are so useless and weak."

Slurp—!

Grey sipped his tea, then lifted a questioning brow.

"Eh? When did I say you people were weak?"