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Chapter 263 - Inevitable
🕑 Added 2024-12-26 16:16:50 +0000 UTCI had to recall who I was… I was someone who focused on efficiency. I had to if I wanted to make any real progress by myself and use all the skills necessary.
“They are here… you don’t look focused for whatever reason.”
“Just dealing with some doubts.”
“It is a terrible time for you to decide to second guess yourself.”
I couldn’t agree more. In any case, I couldn’t keep hitting myself with my own attacks if I wanted to be standing when this battle is over. So, I decided to put my desires aside and focus on what was really important.
However, instead of Elemental Convergence that was only at level one, I used Mystic Barrage. The arrows flew toward the monsters and they blocked them, but all exploded and increased the temperature in the area… the air began to vibrate and even the ice in the walls and ceiling began to melt. Before long, the Frost Sentinels began to be burned by the air itself.
“How do you want me to attack them like this?”
“I don’t want to.”
Roswald was baffled by my words, still that was within my plans… When dozens of enemies were agonizing thanks to the heat, I got several presents for them. A massive barrage of Great Fireballs.
“Yikes… the smell of burned flesh is too strong. Move away a bit, Glacien. I don’t have wind magic to deal with this.”
The intense heat served a dual purpose. It was not only burning the Frost Sentinels but also creating a barrier of intense hot air that kept the other monsters at bay. They remained in the area, unwilling to step forward, but I knew this wouldn’t last forever. The temperature was already beginning to drop, and once the air cooled, those creatures would advance.
I needed a new approach, one that would strike swiftly and decisively. Ice damage was out of the question; these monsters were practically immune to it. Fire had been effective so far, but relying on it alone would leave me vulnerable. Then, an idea struck me: lightning.
If I could shock them, it wouldn’t just stun the monsters, it would ignite the super-heated air around them. The chain reaction might be enough to take down even the tougher ones. It was a gamble, but in this situation, every second counted.
‘Wow, it is like fate also agrees with me that using only buffs is the best option…’
“Use that skill on me and then go for the legs of the monsters. While they are in pain, I will finish them off.”
“You will gain too much experience from it. I wanted all of it for myself instead.”
“Don’t be unreasonable. They are coming again.”
The frost Sentinels didn’t use magic until now, but now they were pointing their hands toward us and emitting a blast of cold energy to cool down the area. I truly wanted to hog most of the experience to get stronger, faster, but he had a point.
“All right, but you will owe me one.”
To make my next move more effective, I decided to use Power Shot. The arrows flew faster than before, slicing through the air with precision and power. They didn’t just reach the monsters in record time, they punched clean through their legs, leaving them immobilized and howling in pain. The Frost Sentinels flinched and their balance was thrown off as they struggled to remain standing on damaged limbs.
That was all the opening Roswald needed. Like a living shadow, he dashed forward, a blur of speed. One moment, he was on the wall; the next, he was leaping to the ceiling, then to the floor, his movements fluid and unpredictable. Every time he moved, a monster fell. His blade sliced clean through their necks, leaving no time for them to react or retaliate.
Watching him was like witnessing a dark storm that swept through the battlefield, leaving devastation in its wake. With the Frost Sentinels incapacitated and Roswald eliminating them one by one, I felt the tide of the battle shifting in our favor.
‘He can control Shadow Step… I can’t do that.’
I wondered if that would make him save mana as well. It was a neat trick if it could do that much. At this point in time, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was part of the Twilight Brotherhood and he was just waiting for the chance to slit my throat.
The Frost Sentinels tried to smash Roswald like a fly, but he was too fast… in the end, he also worked well as a diversion, and I used that chance to kill as many of them as possible.
‘I guess I should increase my health regeneration… the multiplier is decent, after all. At this point, I should be able to endure the changes.’
Whenever I increased my health regeneration, my thirst for blood would get stronger when I got hurt… the damn vampire physiology was truly annoying, even though I could get my nutrients from food, it still wanted the easy way out…
I might be able to handle it if I increase by fifty percent, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. In the end, I made my choice… before long, I was able to feel the thirst growing strong… my vision started to get red and Roswald soon stepped away while getting ready to draw his knives.
“... Are you fine?”
“You don’t look that worried by grabbing a knife while asking that… just give me a minute.”
I didn’t like to see people when my eyes were red… I could clearly see their arteries in their bodies pulsating with life, and that only made the urge stronger. After much effort and after taking deep breaths a bunch of times, my vision returned to normal.
“... I had seen your fangs, but I didn’t notice that getting stronger is also awakening your vampiric powers. This is quite… ironic.”
I couldn’t agree more… I was trying to obtain power to defend myself against the problems caused by my vampiric heritage, but gaining power was giving more impulse to what was causing me so much trouble.
I didn’t like showing this to Roswald, but I didn’t have any other choice since I wanted to maximize my gains in this situation. In any case, thanks to his help, I was able to finish the next waves of Frost Sentinels without suffering any setbacks. Now we just had to wait for the next group of enemies of the fifth section… Frost Wraiths.
Wraiths were already a nightmare to deal with in any battle. Ethereal and resistant to physical damage, they had a habit of slipping through even the most precise attacks. Their nature made them difficult to pin down, and their ability to phase in and out of existence left opponents hitting the empty air.
But Frost Wraiths were on an entirely different level of annoyance. These creatures didn’t just avoid damage like it was nothing; they manipulated the battlefield to their advantage. The surrounding air grew frigid, draining warmth and energy from their enemies.
Frost Wraiths had another cruel trick up their spectral sleeves. They could blend seamlessly with their environment. In an icy battlefield like this one, they were nearly invisible, their translucent forms camouflaged against the shimmering frost and snow. Even spotting them was a challenge, let alone landing a decisive blow.
‘I feel like the next enemies after them will be even harder… I am a genius or what for realizing that?’
“We did well in holding our ground without returning to the previous floors, but now this will be too dangerous. We will have to fight them while moving back to the entrance.”
I rubbed my chin while considering that… he had a point. The Frost Wraiths wouldn’t have much endurance, but what they didn’t have for endurance, they would make up in magic. We had to use more tactics against these kinds of beasts.
“Nah, we don’t have to. Just gather the mana cores before the monsters arrive.”
“Wraiths can float, they won’t activate your Arcane Traps.”
“No one said about using Arcane Traps.”
Roswald looked at me while waiting for an explanation, but I ignored him and just got to work. I already had some plates ready. Now I just needed to carve the right symbols onto them.
For mass production, it would be better to make molds of the amulets that I wanted, but I couldn’t make that for now, so I just did things the hard way. Before long, the temperature began to drop, so I could tell that the monsters were coming, but I was almost there.
Showing this level of tricks in front of someone like Roswald was bound to raise eyebrows. After all, I wasn’t a mage in the traditional sense, and my ability to wield so much magic was far from ordinary.
Even if Roswald tried to piece it all together, I doubted he would fully understand. The mechanics of my abilities weren’t something one could analyze and explain with logic alone. And reality was all that mattered right now. Whether he understood the “how” or “why” didn’t make a difference. Just understanding something like that wouldn’t grant him the power to stop me or my tricks.
Before long, the last of the Frost Sentinels arrived in the area, but disposing of it had been easy. The beast was able to block my arrow, but that froze them in the spot since they were shock arrows. While it froze them for only half a second, it was enough for Roswald to attack the beast two times and then move away.
It was a bit of a roundabout way for my style to deal with a monster like that, but at least it had zero chances of danger… it only took a couple of minutes for the beast to be brought down.
You received 8000 experience points.
Still, we didn't have time to waste since soon the new enemies arrived…
