The sky didn't just rain fire; it rained 'Nullification Bombs'.
As the first explosion rocked the crystalline forest, the blue trees vibrated in agony. These weren't ordinary bombs—they were designed to drain the mana out of the air itself, leaving magic-users powerless.
"Ray, get back!" Elara screamed, her hover-bike skidding as she tried to find cover.
But Ray didn't move. He looked up at the sleek, black bombers circling like vultures. His violet eyes were cold, reflecting the falling fire. "They think they can starve me? They don't realize I am the Source."
Mother Gaia raised her staff to create a shield, but the nullification field was too strong. Her golden light began to flicker and fade.
"Mana Circuit: Sub-Zero Void!" Ray roared.
He didn't try to stop the explosions. Instead, he reached out his hands and 'froze' the very air molecules around the falling bombs. Using a forbidden technique from his past life, he converted the heat of the explosions into kinetic energy.
The bombs didn't detonate. They turned into pillars of ice in mid-air, crashing harmlessly into the forest floor.
"Impossible..." a voice crackled from a dropped radio near a fallen sentinel. "Subject 402 is... manipulating thermal laws?"
Ray didn't stop. He turned his gaze toward the shadows of the forest. He felt it—a group of elite mercenaries was approaching on foot. They weren't from the Council; they were from the 'Underworld Syndicate', the criminal organization that traded in illegal tech and stolen mana.
"Come out," Ray commanded, his voice echoing with a low, magical hum. "I know you're not here for the Council. You're here for the bounty on my head."
From the glowing bushes, a man with a cybernetic eye and a jagged scar across his throat stepped out. He held a 'Phase-Blade' that shimmered with unstable energy. "Smart kid. The Syndicate pays better than the Hexagon. Alive or dead, you're worth a billion credits."
Ray smirked, a dangerous, predatory expression. "A billion? You're underestimating me."
In a flash of violet lightning, Ray disappeared from where he stood. Before the mercenary could even raise his blade, Ray was behind him, his hand glowing with a concentrated sphere of mana.
"Lesson one," Ray whispered into the man's ear. "Never bring a toy to a god's playground."