I raised my hand while focusing on the mana that was surging through me and unleashed an [Inferno Blast] toward the ambushers. A roaring jet of flames erupted from my palm in a sweeping arc as the angry orange-red blaze exploded forward with sheer destructive intent. This wasn’t a precise, pinpoint spell like [Fireball]; it was meant for pure, indiscriminate carnage.
It had a wider effective range, as a wave of flames basically erupted from my fingertips, burning anything and everything in its path at a 90-degree angle, but it was slower than a Fireball and also had shorter reach. The fire surged outward, catching the two tanks who ran at the front before they could react due to their cumbersome heavy armor and likely low Agility score.
They weren’t quick enough to dodge. Their protective armor might as well have been an oven, trapping the heat inside as my flames licked and gnawed at the metal. The two tanks screamed in agony and began their desperate thrashing movements as they tried to escape the inferno. But they couldn’t outrun the fire- it was inside with them now, cooking them alive within their armored coffins.
Still, even as their skin seared and blistered beneath the metal, they didn’t fall. They staggered, barely holding on, their bodies not giving in as quickly as I might have hoped. The acrid scent of burning flesh filled the air, but it wasn’t enough. These two weren’t going to die easily. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
‘Vitality is a mighty fucking stat, that’s for certain…’ I grumbled inwardly. Not only did it provide them with high HP, but also durability in the form of general resistance against anything threatening their lives, including burns and heat.
I felt a flicker of annoyance ignite within my soul. If the flames couldn’t finish them, I’d simply crush what was in my way. By drawing mana into my core again I reached out with my hand and invoked [Boulder Throw]. The ground nearby rumbled as a jagged rock that likely weighed nearly 1000 pounds (450kg) tore itself free from the earth and hurtled toward the closest tank. Find new stories at freewebnovel
He was still writhing in his glowing hot armor as he struggled to stay upright. He didn’t even see it coming. “Jared! Dodge! Fuck!” One of the four who dodged shouted while they were still in mid-air, watching helplessly as I was about to make a pancake out of their frontliners.
The boulder slammed into him with bone-crushing force. The impact folded the molten metal around his torso inward, causing the already searing heat to intensify as the armor compressed against his skin.
His scream was cut short as his body crumpled under the combined weight of the stone and his own collapsing armor with his flesh being torn apart from the inside as the heat continued to bake him alive with the assistance of his metal coffin being my greatest helper.
The second tank who was still busy trying to overcome the agony he was in the midst of experiencing as his charred skin peeled off in blackened strips, tried to drag himself away from the flames. His breath came in ragged gasps and his body was a mess of seared flesh and molten metal. He was barely hanging on, only thanks to the existence of the Vitality stat.
He had too much HP so he was slow to die.
I could feel my lips curl into a sneer. There was no point in letting him suffer longer.
With a casual flick of my palm towards the ceiling, I called upon the earth beneath him. “[Rock Spike]” I intoned, channeling the spell into the ground. The earth rumbled in response, and a crude spike of stone erupted from beneath him with great precision. It pierced through his broken armor and punctured his chest as it drove through his skin, muscles, meat, and bones with a horrid crunch sound.
Blood sprayed into the air as his body was impaled. His dying gasp just barely had enough time to escape his lips before his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
His corpse hung limply on the spike, lifeless at last. The heat still radiated from his twisted armor, but now it was just the remnants of a dead man’s suffering.
“Damian…! No…”
One less problem to deal with.
Now they wouldn’t be getting up. A group without its frontline was as good as done, which is why I was worried for Lucille. In a genuine 6v6 against a similarly strong group, she could prove to be our undoing.
The other four were quick enough to leap out of the way of my inferno blast, managing to avoid the worst of it. One of them, an archer, used her Agility- probably in conjunction with an acrobatic spell of hers- to jump high into the air. Her form was graceful as she levitated in the sky like a bird of prey. Her bow was already drawn and she reached for an arrow, aiming it straight at my chest.
I liked that move of hers. It looked very badass, and the girl was very pretty too. It was a shame, but I had to help her greet the Goddess earlier than a young lady like her rightfully should.
I responded in kind to the arrow she shot toward me through the air by sending out three [Air Slash] spells with three flicks of my wrist, which made me resemble a music composer while leading an opera. Well, in a way, I was doing exactly that, just a bit more of a bloody, medieval musical.
The first cut through her arrow mid-flight, shattering it into useless splinters. The second connected with her side, slicing across her hip and leaving a shallow gash. She faltered but managed to stay airborne. I had to give credit where it was due since despite her eyes being wide open with shock and pain, she began reaching into her quiver to attack me again.
Then, the third slash hit home.