Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives

Warlock Ch 301. Third Segment Complete!

Damian set Selena down gently. She slumped against the wall, breathing heavily.

"They're still coming," she rasped.

"Let 'em," Damian said, cracking his neck.

Across the street, Barik was limping toward them again, eyes wild, power surging in his fists.

Damian exhaled.

[Shadow Inferno Strike]

Dark flames ignited around him. He surged forward in a blur, shadow and fire trailing in his wake. Barik raised his fists to block, but Damian slammed into him with a force that shattered the pavement.

Barik's body hit the wall with a sickening crack.

Damian didn't stop. He summoned a spear and drove it through the man's chest.

The light left his eyes instantly.

The silence after was deafening.

Selena groaned softly.

Damian dropped to one knee beside her.

"Still breathing?" he asked.

"Barely," she whispered.

He looked around the ruined battlefield, heart still racing. There were only two of them now.

The distant rumble of collapsing structures faded into eerie silence, broken only by Selena's ragged breathing. The faint scent of burnt stone and scorched mana lingered in the air.

"Third Segment Complete!"

"Congratulations, Participants. Two remain!"

The words echoed through the shattered streets, disembodied and cold. Damian wiped a smear of blood from his cheek and glanced at Selena. She sat slumped against a cracked wall, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.

"Well, would you look at that," Damian muttered. "We made it."

"Yeah," Selena panted. "Barely."

The ground beneath their feet trembled again—not from collapsing stone, but from the teleportation spell activating.

"Here we go," Damian said, flexing his fingers. "Hold on, Princess. Next stop: mystery round four."

The world dissolved into darkness.

The disorienting, stomach-turning pull of teleportation spat them out into yet another waiting room.

Damian stumbled a step, caught himself, and exhaled. "Hate that feeling."

Selena landed more gracefully but immediately swayed. Damian instinctively reached out to steady her, but she stepped back, arms crossing over her chest.

The room was different from the previous ones. The walls were obsidian-black like before but hummed faintly with mana, casting a deep crimson glow across the polished floors. A single table stood in the center, laden with food and drinks. Fruits glistened with tempting juice; pitchers of water and wine sat beside roasted meats that steamed invitingly.

"Well, they really rolled out the red carpet," Damian said, whistling low.

"Final Segment is approaching. Thirty minutes of rest granted before the final challenge begins. Killing or harming each other in this space is strictly prohibited.!"

The voice vanished, leaving only the faint hum of mana in the air.

Damian let out a long breath and immediately activated his skill.

[Observation Activated]

[Food ---- Altered (Mana Disruptor)]

[Drink ---- Altered (Mana Disruptor)]

Damian shook his head. "Yep. Called it. Poisoned again."

Selena, who had collapsed into a chair across the room, shot him a tired glare. "Why am I not surprised?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Because we've been through three rounds of shady crap, assassination attempts, and rigged obstacles," Damian said, dropping into a chair with a grunt. "Trust issues are healthy at this point."

Selena rubbed her temples. "Can't even trust the water?"

"Nope." Damian pointed toward the pitcher. "Mana disruptor. Nasty stuff. If you're lucky, you'd just get dizzy. If you're not, well… let's just say spellcasting becomes a hot mess."

Selena groaned and leaned her head back. "Great. No food. No water. And we're supposed to rest here?"

"Yeah, well, I brought my own." Damian dug into his pouch and pulled out a small, dark vial with Evelyn's elegant handwriting scrawled across the label.

"Potion?" Selena asked, eyeing the vial with suspicion.

"Yup. Homemade, organic, free of poison." He popped the cork, sniffed it, and downed the contents in two gulps. The bitter, metallic tang coated his tongue before spreading warmth through his veins.

Selena exhaled heavily, shifting in her chair. "You really think they're going to make us fight each other?"

Damian twirled the empty vial between his fingers. "Dunno. Could be a duel. Could be some twisted teamwork exercise. Either way, it's probably not going to be pleasant."

Selena closed her eyes. "I should've taken the royal exam."

"Nah, then you wouldn't have had the pleasure of my charming company."

"Charming isn't the word I'd use."

Damian grinned and stretched his legs out in front of him, faking a wince as if his muscles hurt more than they did.

Selena opened one eye and noticed the motion. "What's with the leg?"

"Ah, you know," Damian said with an exaggerated sigh. "Acting. Figured it might throw you off."

"You're pretending to be injured to mess with me?"

"Yup."

She huffed, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the tension between them growing thicker. Damian could feel it—Selena's wariness mixed with curiosity.

"So," he said, breaking the silence. "Why so far away? I don't bite, you know."

Selena shifted uncomfortably. "We're opponents now. Or maybe we are. I don't know. Feels weird sitting next to you when we might have to fight soon."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "I mean, the next segment hasn't started yet, Princess. What's with the social distancing?"

She crossed her arms and looked away. "Just… being cautious."

"Cautious?" Damian let out a dry chuckle. "I saved your life, like, what? Five times today? Maybe six. I lost count."

Selena opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"And, really," Damian added, propping his chin on his hand. "If I wanted you dead, I'd have let those idiots do it. Or pushed you into that mana sinkhole. Or fed you the poisoned fruit. Lots of opportunities. I'm just saying."

Selena's cheeks darkened with a faint blush. "Okay, okay, I get it. You're trustworthy. Stop bragging."

"Bragging? I'm stating facts." Damian smirked and gestured toward the food. "Anyway, if you're still worried, go ahead. Eat something."

Selena glared at him. "Nice try."

"Figured it was worth a shot." Another pause followed before Damian spoke again. "You should take another potion to heal yourself. Or… do you need one?" Damian asked, his voice light but his eyes sharp as he studied Selena's pale face.