Manaless Mage-Chapter 314: Dark Gas

Harry clicked his tongue.

’Ugh. Cultists and their drama. Will it kill them to talk normally?’ He thought, feeling a bit nostalgic since he experienced something similar to this in Leon’s memories.

"Why are you trying to... protect that girl?" The masked leader said, lowering his hand slightly. "Just surrender her to me... all of this is pointless anyway..."

Harry blinked.

Then he tilted his head slightly.

"Wait..." he said. "You mean her?"

He jabbed a thumb back at Miranda, who was still standing frozen, trembling slightly behind him.

"You want her?"

The leader said nothing.

Harry smiled wider.

"I see..." He muttered, letting out a low sigh.

"...Sorry, but I’m not surrendering her to a bunch of psychos."

Crk!

A spark of lightning danced across his shoulder.

And then—

Swoosh!

Harry vanished in a flash of blue light.

The air exploded where he had been standing, and a sonic boom cracked through the clearing as his figure shot forward like a thunderbolt.

The cultists barely had time to react.

The lead one raised his arm—

Too late.

CRACK!!

Harry’s fist slammed into his ribs like a battering ram, sending the taller man flying backwards into a tree with a thunderous

CRUNCH.

Bark exploded, the tree snapping in half as the figure coughed up blood through his thick black hood.

Two others lunged forward, blades drawn from beneath their robes.

One swept low.

The other aimed for Harry’s throat.

CLANG!!

A streak of blue light flickered as Harry unsheathed one of his daggers, deflecting the low blade while twisting his body to avoid the second.

Then—

ZRRRRT!!

He surged lightning into his off-hand and jammed it against the second cultist’s chest.

BOOM!!!

A bolt of compressed lightning exploded point-blank, sending the man hurtling backwards in a flurry of smoke and sparks.

Another cultist leapt from the trees above, casting a black net of energy down at Harry.

But before it could land—

FWOOOOSH!

A powerful gust of wind ripped through the clearing as Miranda finally moved, summoning a wide arc of wind magic that shredded the net and scattered the shadows.

Her eyes were still wide, still trembling—but they burned with determination now.

"I don’t know what you people are..." She muttered, voice shaking slightly. "But don’t think I’m letting you escape from me!"

Harry grinned without looking back. "Took you long enough."

"I was having a moment, okay?!" She snapped.

Harry snorted.

Then his eyes narrowed again.

More cultists began to emerge—ten, fifteen—each cloaked in the same deathly aura.

Miranda stepped to his side, radiant white light flickering at her fingertips.

Harry cracked his knuckles.

Then slowly, he grinned.

"Well..." He said. "Guess this turned into a real fight after all."

[Be careful Harry, these guys... they have really strange powers.]

’Yeah, I know that.’ Harry replied, a sharp glint flashing across his eyes.

Meanwhile, the leader stirred.

His fingers twitched against the shattered bark beneath him as he slowly rose to his feet, bones cracking and robe fluttering with each strained breath.

The air around him began to warp slightly, growing heavier, darker.

Thick tendrils of black smoke oozed from his body—slow at first, but then spreading rapidly like a living mist, writhing with unnatural hunger.

His eyes—still hidden behind the thick, black hood—narrowed.

’That was... a strong hit,’ He thought, flexing the fingers of his right hand. His ribs were cracked, he could tell.

The force behind that punch... it was far more than he’d anticipated. ’This one... he’s different.’

The arrogance he once held began to waver, replaced with a grudging sense of respect—and caution.

The cultist staggered a step back, observing Harry more carefully now, as though reassessing a threat he had once deemed negligible.

Behind him, the two other men Harry had struck also began to rise.

Just like their leader, dark smoke began to ooze from their bodies, dripping into the ground like oil. The scent was sharp and foul, like scorched blood and something worse.

The leader didn’t even glance back at them.

He only stared at Harry.

"You’re strong..." The man said quietly. His voice rasped, slightly hoarse, but still audible over the now-still clearing. "I didn’t expect to meet anyone this strong in the tournament. Not... unless it was one of those adventurers."

Harry said nothing.

He remained perfectly still, standing with his arms relaxed at his sides, eyes fixed on the man before him.

Behind him, Miranda shivered again.

’The smoke. That smoke... It is getting thicker.’ She mumbled inwardly, softly biting her lips.

She felt like she could see the smoke curl along the ground, slithering around her boots, reaching upward in gentle coils like tendrils trying to taste her skin.

Her heart pounded, her breathing faltered, and her eyes remained fixed on the black mist.

She had seen this before.

However, she didn’t want to remember that incident, because of the pain it caused her.

The leader turned sharply to the side, his arms snapping wide as his voice suddenly cracked into a near-shout.

"But it won’t be enough!"

His words echoed across the field, laced with a rising note of desperation.

"You’re strong—but trying to resist us... to resist our great mission is futile!"

His hands rose high, fingers stretched as if trying to embrace the heavens.

"Any disturbances... ANY... that interfere with our mission..."

His voice deepened—distorted now, laced with something unnatural.

"Must be eliminated immediately!"

BOOOOOOOM!!

A violent surge erupted from his body.

An explosion—not of flame, not of lightning—but of pure, undiluted darkness.

The smoke burst outward like a black tide, flooding the area in a tidal wave of shadow. It consumed the light, blanketed the sky, swallowed the clearing.

The vibrant colors of the forest dulled instantly—greens faded to gray, browns became charcoal, and even the light from the sun dimmed into a sickly hue behind the veil of darkness.

Harry’s eyes widened as his vision instantly turned pitch black.

He couldn’t see anything—not even his own hand.

[Warning: A powerful debuff gas has been detected!]

[Negative status effect neutralized by Host’s passive immunity.]

The glowing notification flickered in his mind like a beacon, and Harry instinctively gritted his teeth.

’Tch... so this was his plan.’

He snapped his head toward Miranda—

Only to find her already swaying, her legs buckling beneath her as her eyes rolled back.

"Miranda!"

Harry shot forward, catching her in the blink of an eye just before she hit the ground.

Her body was warm, but trembling violently. Her breathing was shallow, and dark veins had begun to spread faintly across her exposed skin, the effect of whatever foul toxin this smoke carried.

Even if it didn’t affect him—it was clearly trying to corrupt her.

"Damn it..." He muttered, lowering her gently to the ground behind a scorched boulder and shielding her with his body.

[You need to get her out of the smoke, or else... it could get even worse!]

’I know.’ Harry thought, gnashing his teeth.

However, his instincts suddenly tingled, and his eyes widened slightly.

He swiftly moved to the side, carrying Miranda along with him.

Bang!!

The moment he moved, a large spear struck the ground he was previously on, leaving a deep crater on its surface.