"Who dares?!" Essirie shouted as she investigated her surroundings. However, right as she spoke, a beautiful crystal appeared on her foot. When Essirie peered down and saw the unknown substance, she quickly attempted to break it. But, before she could do so, the crystal rapidly expanded, encasing her inside from head to toe!
"This presence… Is it his doing? He shares that woman's recklessness." Aurie said to herself as she sensed a familiar presence.
"You seem to be in a tough spot, Commander. It just so happens that I have a need for some extra contribution points—I hope that you will not object to my interference." A carefree voice echoed from behind Aurie.
"Do you have any idea what you have just done? Your actions are too rash." Aurie sighed.
It was an unspoken rule that as long as those in the lower ranks did not interfere in a fight between the higher ranks, they would not be directly targeted.
Of course, this had to do with the fact that the majority of the time, those with lower ranks would simply be in the way. But, its primary purpose was different. Neither of the higher ranks could afford to be distracted when fighting someone who was their equal. Now that this young man had attacked not one but two Earls of Malentansium, they were bound to be fuming with rage at the thought of being looked down upon. This young man was, of course, Izroth!
Izroth arrived at the scene using Shadow Movement when Aurie crippled Norebua. Then, just as Salokin and Essirie had their undivided attention on Aurie, Izroth used the Lightning Cage skill attached to his Sword of The Storm to trap Salokin and paralyzed his movements.
As for Essirie, Izroth utilized the Crystallization effect absorbed into his Apparel of Insatiable Transcendence to imprison her within the magic crystal. However…
'These skills won't be able to hold them long.'
Just as that thought entered Izroth's mind, not even three seconds had passed before Salokin shattered the Lightning Cage. Following right after, the crystal around Essirie cracked before crumbling into a powdery substance.
Right now, if looks could kill, Izroth would have died one hundred times over. Salokin and Essirie were infuriated! Those restraints were too easy to break through; therefore, they immediately knew that human was not on the same level as them and yet had still dared to interfere! He was asking for death!
"Good, very good! Even a mere insect dares to bite!" Salokin stated coldly.
"If I'm correct, you must have been poisoned. There is a black liquid flowing through the bloodstream in your left arm." Izroth stated as he faced Aurie and completely ignored Salokin. Although he said liquid, in Izroth's eyes, it resembled a flame. At the moment, he was using his Energy Vision Sense and noticed the dense black flame coursing through the bloodstream in Aurie's left arm. While the black flame was successfully contained and isolated in that area of her body, it showed no signs of clearing up.
Aurie was taken aback by Izroth's words. She knew that he had some type of powerful observation skill at his disposal, but to be able to peer into her bloodstream. Just who was this young man?
Aurie sighed and responded, "You are not mistaken. I carelessly let my guard down. This is merely a result of my own incompetence. Unfortunately, this poison is too aggressive for my usual resistance to handle alone."
'Incompetence?'
Facing three Skounae Earls alone at night when they were at their strongest after being ambushed and poisoned, Aurie still managed to wound one of them critically. If this were considered incompetent, then everyone else on the battlefield would never be deemed adequate!
"If you had the assistance of a grade three pill, how long would it take you to remove the poison?" Izroth questioned.
Izroth still possessed a handful of the Evil Cleansing Pills he crafted before entering the Great Sea Palace raid a second time. Upon consuming the pill, it granted one the Evil Cleansing passive. When poisoned or caught in an illusion, all negative effects would automatically be cleansed from their body. However, Izroth was unsure how or even if player-made pills worked on NPCs in the same way they did players.
"A grade three pill?" Aurie furrowed her brows.
She then replied, "If it's a grade three pill, while the effects are not that strong, I should be able to clear the poison in thirty seconds as long as there are no interruptions. Unfortunately, that is not a luxury I can afford at the moment."
"Thirty seconds? I see. Then, I will take care of both your problems at once, Commander. I hope that you will reward me properly once everything is over." Izroth said with a carefree expression as he stepped forward.
"Don't be rash! Fall back now, Captain! That's an order!" Aurie ordered. How could a Captain hold back two Skounae Earls empowered by the night for thirty seconds by himself?! Even the average Amaharpe Commander would struggle with such a task, not to mention a General Support Unit Captain!
Woosh!
Aurie instinctively lifted her hand to catch the object that Izroth threw towards her. When she opened her palm, a refreshing medicinal scent filled her nostrils. Without a doubt, this was a grade three pill!
"That Evil Cleansing Pill should suffice in aiding you to absolve the poison," Izroth said as he walked towards Salokin and Essirie, despite Aurie's command.
He then continued, "Besides, have you forgotten? As a member of the GSU, your orders hold no official power over me, Commander. Take this as me doing as I please."
When Salokin witnessed the blatant disregarded by the human brat and Commander as they leisurely chatted, his rage increased tenfold. First, a young brat still wet behind the ears attacked him, and now had the audacity to ignore him? Not only that, but that same human brat was talking about holding him back alone? Arrogant! Absurd!
"Audacious! Essirie, remove that trash from my sights! The battlefield is not a place for inexperienced brats!" Salokin ordered.
Even though Essirie was also an Earl, in the Malentansium kingdom, strength was determined by bloodline, and bloodline defined everything. Since Salokin held a superior bloodline, while they were technically the same rank, he was above her in terms of status.
"Detestable human! You dared to lift your hand without knowing your place?! You can regret it in your next life! I will let you experience a slow and painful death! Silver Valley Noxious Rain!" Essirie motioned the palm of her hand forward as silver droplets emerged from her fingertips. She lightly waved her hand as five silver droplets sailed towards Izroth!
In the middle of its flight, the silver droplets split and multiplied itself until there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of them! This made it appear as though a small rainstorm had emerged out of thin air.
The Silver Valley Noxious Rain was a much weaker version of the poison Essirie utilized to incapacitate Aurie's left arm. After all, the more potent version was not easy to create and was prepared explicitly for Aurie. But, even if she had not run out of it earlier, it was not something she would waste on a random human nobody.
"Careful, she specializes in poisons!" Aurie warned. She understood that Izroth had no intention of heeding her command, and so, she could only caution him of the potential dangers.
After briefly yet meticulously examining the pill Izroth handed her, Aurie consumed it. Upon doing so, she felt an immense flood of energy race into her left arm that was filled with purifying characteristics. The pill's purity amazed Aurie, as its effects were no weaker than an entry-level grade four pill. Thirty seconds? At its current rate of devouring the poison within her, it would only take about two-thirds of the time she estimated initially!
Aurie closed her eyes as she concentrated on expelling the poison. Twenty seconds—if it was twenty seconds, it may be possible for him to hold them off until she regained the use of her left arm. If it failed, then so be it. She would have to give up getting rid of the poison and continue the fight with one arm. Even if she had to sacrifice a limb or two, Aurie was sure of one thing—she would never give these Skounae a chance to slaughter those under her command!
'Poison?'
