The mention of spies immediately caught the attention of the mages, and their heated argument subsided. Their gaze turned towards the mage with fiery-red hair. They shifted from frustration to concern.

  Mage D stepped forward and asked, "What do you mean by ‘spies,’ Elite Mage Alan? Are you suggesting that there might be infiltrators among us?"

  Alan gave a wry smile. "Oh, I'm not suggesting anything. I just happened to overhear some 'interesting ' conversations while I was away. You see, not everyone is as loyal to the Magical Academy as you might think. I couldn't believe what I was hearing myself when I stumbled upon their little gathering. They were talking about sharing information with that Dr. Kintovar. “

  The revelation about potential spies sharing information with Dr. Kintovar sent shockwaves through the group of mages. Their looks shifted from concern to deep worry, and anxious murmurs rippled through their ranks.

  Behind the thick foliage, Risebelle’s sharp eyes met Roselle’s. she tapped her fingers against her palm in a series of gestures— it was silent language known only to those trained to read it.

  Roselle squinted and caught some of it. "Stay low. Distract them after. Don't..." The rest blurred into unfamiliar signals, leaving her tilting her head slightly in confusion.

  Runebelle leaned in to whisper softly in Roselle’s ear, “She said to keep still and let her handle the first move. And don’t mess it up.”

  Roselle smiled softly but then Runebelle caught Risebelle’s last signal and whispered Risebelle’s last word, ‘Idiot.’

  Roselle frowned but gave a silent nod.

  Risebelle adjusted her cannon, activating the silencer with a soft click. She aimed through the scope with her finger steady on the trigger. The chaotic gathering of mages made them easy targets.

  Her first shot hit true—a mage in an ice-covered robe dropped silently to the ground in a heap of blood before anyone noticed.

  The second fell just as quickly, and the third followed as muffled blasts whizzed through the air.

  Panic rippled through the remaining mages as one of them shouted, “Get to cover! We’re under attack!”

  The scene descended into chaos. Some scrambled for nearby trees, while others tried to conjure protective barriers.

  Roselle clenched her fists. She glanced at Risebelle, who continued to fire with mechanical precision. Her face was cold and unrelenting. Despite the growing confusion among the mages, her aim was absolutely precise. She took out several more mages without even blinking.

  The sight of their panic sent strange feelings through Roselle—guilt, relief, and a growing sense of power.

  Meanwhile, Alan stood in the midst of the chaos, unfazed. He casually side-stepped a falling mage. His emerald-green eyes scanned the forest. “Ah,” he muttered to himself, “so the little creations finally decided to make their move.”

  Risebelle’s next shot was aimed directly at him. She fired, but he moved right before it could hit him.

  Risebelle leaned over to Roselle with a whisper, "Roselle, can you distract the red-haired one? I need a clear shot."

  Roselle nodded. She moved stealthily through the forest to a position where she would be right infront of them. She fired her massive cannon, the deafening blast echoed through the clearing, and her shots hit their marks with deadly precision. Several mages fell. Their robes were smoking with gigantic holes in their bodies from the impact as they fell lifeless. The sudden attack sent shockwaves through the remaining mages who ran when they saw the size of her weapon.

  Meanwhile, the red-haired mage, Alan turned his attention firmly fixed on Roselle. His eyes widened with surprise at the size of the weapon, just like the other mages.

  Roselle aimed a Shot at Alan. Alan’s face shifted from surprise to a glare. He muttered a few incantations under his breath, and a fiery aura enveloped him.

  With a fierce growl, he unleashed a torrent of flames in all directions, creating a blazing inferno that consumed the cannon blasts and pushed back Roselle's attacks. The fire roared around him, forming a protective barrier that shielded him from harm.

  Alan’s raised an eyebrow at Roselle with a smirk glued to his face. “Whoa, where did you come from, kid? That cannon’s pretty hot—gotta give ya props for carrying it around like that. But you’re not gonna catch me off guard again.”

  Roselle remained silent. Her eyes narrowed. Alan tilted his head, expecting a retort. When none came, his smirk widened. “Not the talkative type, huh? "

  The moment he said that, Roselle’s finger squeezed the trigger to release another deafening shot. The sheer force of the blast sent a powerful ripple through the clearing as it tore through the air toward Alan.

  But once the fiery inferno dissipated around him, Alan propelled himself forward with a burst of flames that surged from his feet, acting like thrusters to launch him straight at her and around her blast with startling speed.

  “I get it!” he shouted. He managed to close distance between them in an instant. “You’re all about action!”

  Roselle barely had time to react as Alan’s flame-infused fist came crashing toward her. She swung her cannon upward to block the blow, and the two forces collided with a resounding clang. The impact sent her skidding backward several feet.

  Roselle’s eyes widened in surprise. Her arms trembled slightly from the vibration of the hit.

  Alan grinned and ran a hand through his fiery red hair. “What, surprised? I like to think I’m pretty strong, y’know? So what I’m saying is—” He pointed at her cannon with a flick of his finger. “--That’s a compliment. You’re no ordinary copy mage like the reports suggested. You’ve got some real firepower with that cannon there.”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Roselle stayed silent but the grip on her cannon tightened.

  Alan clapped his hands together. “Fine, then. Let’s play.”

  He ignited both fists in flames. His emerald-green eyes locked onto her. “Let’s see how long you can keep up.”

  Risebelle and Runebelle meanwhile dashed over to reach the Mana Extractor, which was still surrounded by its magical barrier. Risebelle placed her hands gently on the barrier and began attempting to unlock the magical barrier as Dr. Kintovar had trained them briefly to do.

  With a deep focus on her objective, she whispered to herself, "Unlock the door, disrupt the flow of mana, and set it to our magic..."

  She could feel the flow of mana within it, like a web of intricate threads. With a deep breath, she channeled her own magic into the barrier, seeking to disrupt its control.

  Runebelle placed her hand on the barrier as well, adding her own magic to the effort.

  The synchronized efforts of Risebelle and Runebelle yielded results. The barrier surrounding the Mana Extractor showed visible signs of destabilization as their magic flowed into it.

  Suddenly, a system message appeared in their minds:

  System: Ability Unlocked: Hacking Magic: Digital Thread

  This ability allows you to manipulate and disable magical barriers and systems by using your own magic to override the barrier.

  Risebelle and Runebelle exchanged surprised glances. With the new ability, Hacking Magic: Digital Thread, it was like their magic had found a key to the lock. Risebelle visualized the barrier as an intricate network of threads, and she skillfully unraveled them one by one.

  Finally, the barrier shattered into harmless motes of energy that scattered into the air.

  Risebelle exhaled sharply and let her hands fall to her sides. “Barrier’s down,” she announced with a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Guess we’re better at this hacking thing than we thought.”

  Runebelle tilted her head. “... The system said this was something we unlocked. Maybe…we were always meant to do this?”

  Risebelle gave her a sideways glance. Her smirk softened into a small smile. “Fate or training, doesn’t matter. What matters is we’ve got the Mana Extractor.”

  At the same moment, Roselle faced off against Alan. The Elite mage unleashed a torrent of flames, pushing Roselle back and knocking her massive cannon out of her hands. He then closed the distance between them. He struck out with his fists on fire, aiming to land blows on Roselle.

  Roselle dodged and weaved. She used her yellow lightning to aid in her evasion against Alan's fiery punches.

  Risebelle shouted “NOW!!!!” loudly. Risebelle’s shout echoed through the clearing. Roselle knew that the moment had arrived from that shout alone.

  Alan's fiery fist shot forward again, but Roselle twisted her body and back flipped over the searing strike with an elegant burst of yellow lightning coursing through her. Her gaze became locked onto her massive cannon lying just a few meters away.

  She sprinted for it and then slid to a halt while scooping up the weapon. Instead of firing, she smirked and gripped it tightly before tossing it directly at Alan like a battering ram.

  Alan cocked his head and laughed mockingly. “What are you even trying to pull, kid? Tossing your cannon at me? You must think I’m some kind of idiot!”

  He raised both hand and unleashed a fiery inferno of fire at the oncoming cannon. The weapon became engulfed in flames as Alan sneered, watching it begin to disintegrate. “Let’s burn that mistake to as—wait a minute...”

  A streak of yellow lightning zipped around him, fast enough to blur. His eyes widened in realization. “No way...!”

  It was too late. Roselle had already used the distraction to tumble toward the now unguarded Mana Extractor. She landed firmly in front of the machine with her cannon somehow only barely scorched by the flames.

  Alan turned with flames surging from his body. “DON’T YOU DARE!”

  But Roselle didn’t stop, and aimed her massive cannon squarely at the Mana Extractor’s core and unleashed a devastating yellow blast that struck the machine directly.

  The impact shattered the Mana Extractor’s structure which caused sparks and bolts of unstable energy to explode outward. Nearby mages were thrown back like ragdolls with screams swallowed by the explosion, while the others scrambled to shield themselves behind whatever cover they could find.

  Alan was thrown to the ground, his fiery aura flickering erratically. He pushed himself up with a growl. The Mana Extractor was nothing more than a smoldering heap of shattered magic components.

  He clenched his fists with the flames around him flaring briefly before fading. “Damn it!” he roared. “I’ve been had!”

  Through the smoke, Roselle stood tall. She glanced back at Alan with triumph. “You talk too much,” she said.

  Alan’s glared. “You guys are not just some copy mages with artificial magic, are you?”

  Roselle nodded. “I’m Roselle. We aren’t copies of anything. We’re ourselves.”

  Alan raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. “Roselle, huh?” He let out a low chuckle. “I can’t sense your power, probably because you’re machines, but... damn, you’re pretty lifelike. Honestly, I’m impressed with Dr.Kintovar. It’s kind of funny in a way.” Flames began to curl lazily around his fingers. “Looks like I’m gonna have to take my time with you.”

  Roselle turned fully toward him. A confident smirk crossed her lips. She aimed the massive weapon squarely at him. “Take your time,” she said boldly. “You won’t see when you’re planted into the ground.”

  Alan barked out a laugh. “I like your fire! Let’s see if it burns as bright as you think!”

  Before he could make his move, Risebelle’s rang out from the distance. “Roselle!”

  Roselle glanced over her shoulder to see her sisters and what was going on behind her. Risebelle and Runebelle had already taken down several mages, and the remaining ones were caught flailing in a slick water trap conjured by Risebelle.

  “What are you doing, you idiot?!” Risebelle yelled. “The Mana Extractor’s destroyed! You’ve got no reason to fight this guy! We need to get out of here—we’ve got three more to go!”

  Roselle hesitated for a split second. Her eyes flicked back to Alan. He stood there with a cocky grin.

  “Don’t keep me waiting, Roselle,” Alan said with amusement. “But if you do run, I’ll find you again. Mark my words, the interesting one’s are ones my flames don’t let themselves lose sight of.”

  Roselle paused, but then Risebelle shouted sharper this time. “Roselle! Get your idiotic ass over here! We’re leaving!”

  Roselle exhaled sharply. As much as she wanted to put Alan in his place, Risebelle was right. She dashed toward her sisters.

  Alan didn’t move to stop her. “After them!” he barked to his mages, gesturing toward the fleeing trio.

  But the moment he turned, he saw that his mages were either sprawled on the ground or flailing helplessly in the slick water trap that Risebelle had set up. A few managed to stand, only to slip and crash into each other.

  Alan pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “Oh yeah… they all kinda dropped the ball, huh?” he muttered to himself. His eyes scanned the disorganized mess and he shook his head. “Seriously, guys? Agh…This is what happens when you stay up all night under the Headmaster’s orders.”

  He folded his arms and barely concealed beneath his grin. “Honestly, she should’ve let you lot rest. But nooo, ‘Elite Team, you’re the best we’ve got,’” he said in a mocking impression of the Headmaster’s voice. “Best, huh? Look at us now. Absolutely killing it.”

  Alan raised a hand and made a small flame appear at his fingertips. He flicked it toward the water trap. The heat evaporated some of the water and freed his team members. “Alright, you sleepy idiots, get it together. We’ve got three troublemakers to track down, and if you don’t shape up, I’m dragging your asses by your robes. Let’s move!”

  Meanwhile, Dr. Kintovar ventured deep North into the forest. The dense foliage and towering trees seemed to present shadows around her, making her on high alert. Suddenly, two hooded figures emerged from behind the trees and blocked her path.

  One of them stepped forward and sounded muffled by the hood while they spoke. "Dr. Kintovar," she said hesitantly but resolute, "we've been expecting you."

  Project Mage