Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The three Icy Spears created a sharp whizzing noise when they were high up in the air.
It was definitely a planned attack.
Sarsen swapped the Lich’s Skeletal Shield with his own Elemental Shield. At that moment, the three Icy Spears pierced through the vault of heaven when the Lich was at its weakest.
And then…
Sarsan began reciting his spell again…
He did not even replenish his Elemental Shield, he just gripped onto his magical staff, and recited with a sonorous voice as powerful runes were produced rapidly. The tides of the magical elements tossed and turned in the air, and a gust of extreme coldness was spreading at top speed. Everyone knew that Sarsan was definitely going to unleash a very powerful and impactful spell.
Subsequently, the three spears pierced through the Elemental Shield, with Sarsen in charge of giving the last critical blow.
In Kayla’s eyes, the planned attack had been proceeding smoothly.
At this time, he even grinned triumphantly. How could he not smile? A monster of at least level-15 was going to be defeated by a team of four! If this were to be known to the public, who would dare to belittle him in the future?
He was going to get famous in just one battle. Maybe after today, he would become a man highly sought after by the higher powers and the man of the hour at the feast held by the nobles of Felan!!
He even felt grateful to Lin Li, the timid mage of Jarrosus. If it weren’t for his cowardice, how would such a good opportunity fall into his hands?
The three Icy Spears lined up together in the air. Amidst the cold and blue fluorescent light, a ghastly, chilly wind blew by.
Before that critical attack, the Lich only used a simple gesture to disperse Kayla’s daydream…
It raised its ghastly white skeletal arms into the air, and drew an arc across the sky. Everyone’s vision blurred at that moment. What followed was a series of shattering sounds when the three spears got struck at once. What waited for them was not a skinny Lich, but a Skeletal Warrior with a machete in its hands.
“Stand-in Puppet!” Kayla exclaimed out after seeing the rusty machete. It was too late for regrets. The three Icy Spears were already torn into pieces by the Skeletal Warrior.
Almost simultaneously, everyone’s vision blurred once more. That skinny figure of the Lich was as though a ghost that drifted above their heads. Then, after a moment of croaky and rapid recitation, a gust of strong and mighty mental strength came down from the sky like torrents, threatening to suffocate everyone else. Sarsen was only halfway through his recitation before he got interrupted by such a huge flood of mental strength.
“AH!” There was an excruciating cry. Before he could make clear of the situation, torrents of mental strength flooded into his mind. Under such pressure, he could not exert any mana. A level-13 Mage became like any ordinary human being.
“Mind Crush!”
Just when Sarsen was in a state of confusion and anxiety, the Lich waved his Skeleton Staff in the air, and unleashed a Mental Whip.
The “PAK” sound it produced was like a tight slap on Sarsen’s cheek, throwing him harshly against the crag again like a kite string that snapped. How could he block this level-10 mental spell with his mana totally suppressed?
Lin Li guessed it right. The Lich was indeed playing with Sarsen. From the beginning till the end, it did not put in all of its effort at all. It merely took two spells, namely Stand-in Puppet and Mind Crush, to resolve the simple crisis; as for the last Mental Whip, it was actually not necessary.
It was only then that the Lich in the sky broke out in a sinister laughter. “HUMANS, YOU HAVE PROVOKED ME…”
Kayla looked up into the air blankly; his ashened face was terrifying. He suddenly realized the foolish deed he had done. How was that a battle? It had been a prank all along! His interruption finally caused the Lich to lose all of its patience.
A chill went down their spines just by thinking of what would become of them…
But it was too late for regrets. After the Lich used the Mental Whip on Sarsen, it laughed hideously again. Then, it waved the Skeleton Staff in its hand gently…
“BAM!”
Soil particles flew into the air, and ghastly white bones surfaced from the ground. Those bones created an airtight cell almost immediately, and sealed the entrance of the cave.
“Hell Prison…” Kayla raised his staff and shot out two Wind Blades in panic.
Yet, the Wind Blades that had been sharp and deadly became so powerless now.
Those bone shards were like they were made of steel. When the sharp and firm Wind Blades fell onto the bones, there was not a single scratch mark, and only an ear-splitting noise in everybody’s eardrums.
“H-how…?” Kayla was horrified. Sarsen was gravely injured, and even if he could use the Recovery Potion to save him, it would take quite some time for him to recover. On top of that, since everyone was trapped inside of the Hell Prison, it would be extremely easy for the Lich to kill all of them with a few Archmage-level spells. Not only them—the Hell Prison and the cave would also become ruins. How could Kayla remain calm…?
“Wait,” Lin Li only said a word.
“…” Kayla knocked his head into the wall of the Hell Prison. He really wanted to ask what that Mage from Jarrosus had been thinking about. Like mice, we are all trapped in the cave now! Is he going to wait for an Archmage-level spell to crash onto everyone?
Luckily, he did not ask that…
Or else, Lin Li might really respond with a “yes”.
Seeing that the situation had deteriorated into the worst, apart from Orrin and Mason, who had a deep trust in Lin Li, almost everybody became hopeless. Sarsen leaned against the crag with blood flowing out from one side of his mouth and a gaze towards the sky that had lost its usual spark. The Mind Crush had not only caused him to lose his mana, but also his confidence.
Sarsen always had a lot of confidence in his abilities. He believed that although he was only level-13, with his deep understanding and knowledge of Magic, he had the capability to defeat anyone at the Archmage-level. The deadlock he had with the Lich at the beginning reaffirmed this confidence. When Sarsen felt that a level-13 could be on par with a Lich with at least level-15, he was full of pride.
However…
What followed the three Icy Frost transformed the battle into a complete nightmare.
Then, Sarsen realized how far were his abilities from the Archmage-level creature’s.
It was the distance of heaven and hell.
He had no strength to defend himself against the Mental Spell of the Lich at all. Just like a lamb in the slaughterhouse, he could similarly only struggle helplessly under the butcher’s knife.
Being entrapped in the skeletal prison, even with Sarsen’s previous arrogance, he had no other choice but to reach out for the Teleportation Scroll in his pocket…
Everyone could hear the croaky recitation through the chinks of the cell. The Skeleton Staff on its hand glowed, and when the Lich waved it in the air, what filled the air was black fog, and a pungent rotting stench that stole everyone’s breath.
It’s here…
Lin Li tightened his grip on his staff, and increased the force within the torrent of mana gradually.
The fog in the air got thicker and thicker. Under the pressure of the heavy Death Energy, the fog transformed into a gigantic luminous black sphere. A series of shrieks and screams sounded out from it, and shards of white bones circled rapidly.
“Sh*t…” Mason gasped even though he had confidence in his teammate. That was Death Sentence, a level-16 Dark Magic! It definitely would surpass that of an Archmage-level Dark Magic.
The Lich’s recitation was as though it came from hell. Every single rune carried a thick and deadly strength.
After the last rune fell from the sky, a strong wind blew onto the cave.
“Szzz… Szzz…”
The electric streaks that appeared on top of the black sphere gave everyone goosebumps on their scalps. Dark Magic elements stirred, and a great “BAM!” followed right after. Everyone’s hearts sank to the lowest point immediately…
“Let’s see who’s the judge!”
At the same time, the mana that Lin Li transferred into the torrents suddenly expanded.
