Team Ashtarh was advancing in the Thunder Region.
As one of the six regions of Theodra, Thunder Region by itself was as vast enough to be called a continent.
If they had to explore it fully and find the flag, never mind 3 hours, even 3 weeks wouldn’t suffice.
Thankfully, the rules of the competition were clear and gave the participants a chance of victory.
[1. The flag in Thunder Region is in Thunder Plains. Thunder Plains is the first area you step into once you set foot in Thunder Region.
2. You are only allowed to move in the Thunder Plains. If you move out, you are are disqualified.]
Thus the three blurry silhouettes stopped on a rather barren plains. They were already reaching the core area of the Thunder Plains.
Thunder Region had a rather gloomy sky with thick and dark clouds. Thunder Plains was no exception.
Along the way, they came across and fight creatures that wielded the power of lightning.
There were even plants and trees emitting the lighting mana.
The lightning mana rich environment made them a force to reckon with.
Across the hundreds of plans and animals they had seen in the Thunder region, the only common point was they all had lighting and…
Zap!
Zap!
Every place was bombarded by lightning frequently.
Maissa snapped her fingers and teleported to the distance.
Lighting bolts with the thickness of a bucket struck her previous position.
Boom!
The lighting broke the earth and raised thick dust into the ground.
Despite perfectly evading the lighthing, Maissa wasn’t pleased. With her space sense, she was able to clearly feel the amount of damage the lighting had done.
The shockwaves were enough to injure a level 3.
The direct attack itself was enough to instantly disarm a level 4.
“The intensity of lighting is steadily increasing.” She said with a solemn expression and looked at her two teammates.
Ashtarh, being level 6 controller simply dodged.
Whilst Tiama, the level 6 Lightning Awakener let the lighting strike his body. He even seemed pleased each time the lightning struck as his lips curled up wildly.
“…are you a masochist?” She couldn’t help but ask with caution.
“What? No! Why did you even think of that?” The golden haired youth seemed hurt as he looked at her with sad eyes.
Ashtarh shook his head and patted Tiama while made a lip movement to Maissa.
‘Tiama is hyperactive…alright, he tends to get emotional.’
Maissa understood his words and coughed slightly. Looking at Tiama sad face, she felt like she was a bully.
“I’m sorry. You enjoyed the lightning strikes. As far as I know, Lightning Awakeners don’t really improve with those strokes, am I wrong?” She asked with genuine curiosity.
Tiama regained his cheerful expression and raised his head in pride. “You’re partly right. We, Lightning Awakeners don’t directly improve with lighting strikes.
But as a genius, I can use my lightning sense to deeply analyze their workings. As they say, nature is the best teacher. And I always try to be the best stud—”
“Yeah. Yeah. She gets it. Let’s get going.” Ashtarh patted Tiama and said.
Tiama looked at Maissa to confirm. Only after she nodded did he pat his chest and smile.
Under his lead, they quickly travelled thirty miles and reached the entrance of a large valley covered by mountains on all sides.
The team of three prepared to meet their first challenge and as the strongest, Ashtarh took the lead.
This was the so-called Thunder Shrine.
The valley’s entrance was filled with a thick fog coated with lightning mana preventing them to see anything.
Despite that, Ashtarh’s senses alerted him. The even breathing, friction of metal cutting the air and friction of scales rubbing…scales?
Ashtarh gripped his spear and hurriedly looked up. His eyes narrowed and he said.
“We have a situation. Sixty degrees up.”
Maissa and Tiama spread their special senses and gasped in surprise.
Almost three miles above the ground, five griffins were gazing down at them. Their wings were made of golden scales as they shone with lightning mana.
Seeing that they were found, the golden griffins exerted their aura and a huge lightning circle under them.
“This…” Maissa opened her mouth and was about to ask Ashtarh if this was normal.
“Back off! Back off!” He said quickly and back flipped.
Tiama’s body flashed and he pushed himself away with lighting mana.
Maissa’s hair stood erect and she appeared a mile away.
The next moment, a flash of light passed and the surroundings went silent.
Then all of a sudden, the ground shook and Maissa tumbled down.
“Wha—” Her words were caught in her mouth as she saw a huge pit in the position they were previously standing.
“These are not normal level 6s.” Ashtarh appeared beside her and said in a solemn voice.
His gaze never left the huge golden circle under the griffins.
Tiama’s voice sounded from a distance. “You’re right. That circle combines their powers with a good efficiency and attacks us. That attack is slightly stronger than a peak level 6.”
“Screech!” The griffins screeched and the golden circle lit up in a second.
Ashtarh didn’t hesitate and said. “Maissa, teleport me and Tiama to their top.”
Maissa grabbed Ashtarh’s hand, teleported to Tiama’s side and looked up at the griffins.
“Leave one for me.” She said cooly.
Rumble!
The huge lightning struck down once again and right when it was about to hit them, the trio disappeared.
“Screech!” The griffins in the air sensed three new presences and quickly scattered.
Their skin shone with a brilliant gold as lightning mana covered every inch of their being and created a solid defense.
But—
Ka!
Ka!
Ashtarh’s sword flowed like a dance as it cut through the lightning armor and cleaved the mighty creature into two.
Without a pause, he kicked into the air and his body shifted a few hundred meters just before another griffin.
Kacha!
His foot landed on the head of a griffin and blasted it to pieces.
“Two down. Three to go.”
His eyes locked with another griffin a few hundred meters away from him.
Rumble!
The griffin’s eyes dilated for a split second and its survival instincts kicked in. With a screech, it shot a lighting bolt at him.
“Hmph!” Ashtarh snorted and kicked the air.
Boom!
With the force, he evaded the lightning and rushed towards the beast.
“Screech!”
The griffin’s wings stiffened and it was about to flee.
Right then, the space around its wings compressed and then suddenly, burst.
Pa!
Its wings were broken and its flesh and blood were scattered in all directions.
Ashtarh sensed Maissa behind him and shook his head.
“Two more.”
Suddenly, he heard a loud thunder clap behind him.
Turning around, he saw Tiama’s lightning spear crack open the griffin’s defense and pierce its eye, all the way to its skull.
“And the fifth one?” He asked, during his speech, he was already descending down towards the ground.
“Here.” Maissa appeared beside him with an eagle head in her hand.
“Your strength doesn’t lose to mine.” He narrowed his eyes and said sharply.
Maissa clenched her fists and the space around the head in her head compressed, crushing the head into a mush of bone and flesh.
“Maybe.” She replied vaguely and touched his sleeve.
In the next moment, the trio were once again in front of the valley entrance.
“Alright, no more griffins. We’re good to go.” Ashtarh carefully sensed and nodded.
The trio walked through the white fog and entered the area of ‘Thunder Shrine.’
“Wha—”
Maissa’s eyes widened as she opened her mouth in shock. The hair on her neck stood erect as she gulped down.
Standing in front of them were thirty strange humanoids dressed in golden armor.
And in the sky were….thirty griffins.
“Oh boy, this is going to take a while.”