VERSATILE MAGE: RISE OF A LEGEND

The stone gates trembled violently, sending vibrations through the underground chamber. A deep, guttural slam reverberated, followed by a low growl that filled the air with a sense of impending doom.

*Boom!*

The Blood Mark Colossal Rat had clearly slammed into the gates. Dust fell from the ceiling, and Lin Yuxin's face paled as the noise echoed ominously. She glanced at Light, who was seated not far from her, still in the midst of his cultivation, unaware of the gravity of their situation.

"What happened?" Light asked, startled as the ground beneath him shifted slightly. A lingering fear settled in his chest, his senses screaming that something terrible was about to happen.

"If you don't want to die here, then come with me!" Lin Yuxin snapped. Her voice was filled with urgency; she had no time to explain everything in detail. The walls around them shuddered again as if to emphasize her point. She grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him toward the exit.

All of Bo City had descended into chaos. The sewers, once hidden and ignored, were now crawling with Magical Beasts. The creatures had planned this attack, a coordinated, ferocious assault on the city's vital source — the Underground Holy Spring.

Up above, the city's Magicians were fighting a losing battle against the waves of Magical Beasts surging toward the city's heart. The Underground Holy Spring had already come under surprise attack, and no reinforcements were coming. Light and Lin Yuxin were alone, relying on their wits and strength to protect this sacred resource.

"How do we leave? This is basically a cell!" Light shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of attacks from the Blood Mark Colossal Rat. He stared at Lin Yuxin, who was sweating profusely as she frantically searched the room for a way out.

Without responding, Lin Yuxin ran her finger along the edge of the altar, searching for something. Suddenly, she found what she was looking for — a small, hidden button. She pressed it, and a gurgling sound came from behind them. The Underground Holy Spring, once circulating calmly, was now draining rapidly into a small hole.

Within seconds, the spring had disappeared entirely, not a drop left in the stone ditch that had once held its sacred waters.

Lin Yuxin hurried over to a small compartment revealed beneath the altar. Inside was a blue bottle, glowing faintly with the clear waters of the Underground Holy Spring. She carefully retrieved the bottle, ensuring the sacred liquid was secure before turning her attention back to Light.

"This is the emergency protection plan for the Underground Holy Spring," Lin Yuxin explained hastily, her voice tense. "There's another passage in this cell — it leads to the back mountain of your school, Tian Lan Magic High."

Light blinked, trying to process what she was saying. "It leads to the back of the school's mountain? Miss, can't you tell me just what exactly has happened first?" he asked, his voice rising with anxiety.

"You'll know once we're out. For now, just follow me. Their target is the Underground Holy Spring. We can't let it fall into their hands," Lin Yuxin snapped, clearly unwilling to waste any more time. Her gaze hardened, and Light could sense the urgency in her tone.

"Leaving this place is our priority," she added, grabbing his wrist again and pulling him toward a dark tunnel hidden behind the altar. The air in the tunnel was stale, the darkness almost suffocating as they plunged deeper into the mountain.

"This tunnel isn't necessarily safe," Lin Yuxin said, her voice echoing in the narrow space. "The Black Vatican may be after me, but you'll carry the Underground Holy Spring. You *must* protect it."

Her words stunned Light. "Me?" he asked, incredulous. How could he be the one entrusted with something so important?

"Yes. If we encounter members of the Black Vatican, they'll focus on me. You're a student — they'll overlook you. But as long as we protect the Holy Spring, there's still hope." Her words carried a sense of finality, as though she had already accepted her fate. Light swallowed hard, realizing the weight of the responsibility now resting on his shoulders.

Light couldn't keep his frustration contained any longer. "Can I trouble you to just tell me what's going on?" he demanded.

"Blood Alert," Lin Yuxin replied, her voice grave.

*Blood Alert?*

A heavy weight pressed down on Light's chest at those words. The mere mention of a Blood Alert was enough to send waves of panic through him. He had learned about these events in his studies, but hearing it now made his blood run cold.

The Magical Beasts were after more than just Bo City — they were targeting its most precious resource, the Underground Holy Spring. These resources, crucial for human survival and cultivation, were often coveted by the Magical Beasts. And when the Magical Beasts attacked, the world's Magic Associations had no choice but to raise an Alert, dividing them into levels depending on the danger.

"An Orange Alert is when Magical Beasts are spotted near the city's boundaries," Lin Yuxin continued, her voice strained as she hurried along the tunnel. "A Blue Alert is much worse — it means a large-scale attack is imminent. But a Blood Alert…"

A cold shiver ran down Light's spine. A Blood Alert was the highest level of disaster. It meant the city was facing utter destruction, a massacre at the hands of Magical Beasts. The battlemages wouldn't be enough to defend against such an onslaught, and the beasts would tear the city apart.

"Blood Alert means Bo City will be turned into a river of blood," Lin Yuxin said grimly, her face pale. "The corpses will pile up… and the city will become a slaughterhouse."

They ran through the tunnel, Lin Yuxin leading the way with a pace that suggested they were running out of time. When they finally emerged at the north side of the mountain, Light could feel the panic setting in. The heavy rain poured down relentlessly, soaking them within seconds. The sky was a dark, oppressive gray, casting a shadow over all of Bo City. From somewhere in the distance came a roar that echoed through the city, vibrating in their very bones.

Light turned his gaze in the direction of the sound, his heart pounding. His eyes widened in shock.

*Bloody red.*

The city, which usually resembled a painting with its beautiful southern charm, was now a scene of horror. A deep, eye-catching red blanketed the skyline, staining the once-serene landscape.

Then, a colossal roar erupted again, this time shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Light turned, his breath catching in his throat at the sight before him. Above Bo City, perched atop the Silver Commerce Tower, was a massive shadow. Its wings, one of them half-unfurled, covered several floors of the building, while its tail stretched across the dome.

"That… That's a…" Light stammered.

"Darkwing Wolf," Lin Yuxin said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Commander-level Magical Beast. It can summon hundreds of Magical Beasts with just one howl. Only the Chief of the Army, Zhankong, could survive an attack from that thing."

"Commander-level…" Light repeated, his mind reeling.

The Blood Mark Colossal Rat was a Warrior-class creature, and it had been terrifying enough. But a Commander-level beast like the Darkwing Wolf… it was on an entirely different scale. It was no wonder the city had descended into chaos.

"Why are there suddenly so many Magical Beasts attacking Bo City?" Light asked, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"It's the Black Vatican," Lin Yuxin answered, her expression darkening. "They created a counterfeit version of the Underground Holy Spring — the Violent Spring. They've used it to drive the Magical Beasts into a frenzy."

Light's stomach churned. The Black Vatican had orchestrated this entire disaster. They had poisoned the very skies, waiting for the rain to act as the catalyst for the beasts' rampage.

"Their goal is to destroy Bo City," Lin Yuxin said bitterly. "If more Commander-level beasts show up, there won't be anything left of Bo City to save."

Light's hands clenched into fists. The enormity of the situation weighed heavily on him, but he knew what he had to do.

"Light," Lin Yuxin said, stopping to face him. "You need to do two things. First, protect the Underground Holy Spring. Second, survive. No matter what happens, you *must* survive."

She locked eyes with him, her expression deadly serious. Then, without another word, she turned and disappeared into the rain, her figure swallowed by the downpour.

Light watched her go, his mind spinning with everything he had just learned. He clutched the bottle containing the Underground Holy Spring tightly, his heart racing.

*Survive… and protect the Underground Holy Spring.*

With those words echoing in his mind, Light turned and began running toward the safety zone. The rain pelted down on him, the sounds of distant roars and the cries of battle growing louder with each passing moment.