Despite the many notifications rolling in, I craved for more. I’d set the perfect stage when I made these monsters lose their senses. It was time to make full use of it.
“I’ll come get you soon, okay? Hold tight.” I whispered to Iris, eliciting a dumbfounded look from her. She was still shocked by my display of personal might as she’d never seen me fight with my intermediate Elemental Sovereign spells, but I could now see a question forming in her head. Was I asking her to remain in the air by herself? “I can’t fly.”
“You don’t have to. Take a very deep breath.” She reluctantly did as I instructed. “Good. I truly appreciate the trust you’ve placed in me, partner. [Bubble Snare].”
Iris’s eyes widened as the shimmering water enveloped her, trapping her in a prison of my making. Her muffled shout of fury bubbled against the liquid, but she was completely sealed off – safe, suspended in the air like a glimmering gemstone. Her expression turned from surprise to one that spoke volumes of betrayal. Her furious glare bore into me like a thousand knives.
She could easily hold her breath for many minutes, just another benefit of the OP stat known as Vitality, so she wasn’t in danger of suffocating. Furthermore, she could climb out of it if she really wanted to. She had the strength to do so.
Bearing her glare didn’t feel good to my heart, but this was the fastest and easiest way I could think of to keep her safe from the destruction I was about to cause. For these spells to be effective, however, I had to get up close and personal.
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Thus with Iris secured, I could let myself fall from the sky without having to worry about me hitting her with my extreme AoE capabilities.
The wind rushed past me in a deafening manner as I plummeted through the mist. I could now activate my Primordial Eyes ability without it turning bright crimson. I’d managed to practice over time, letting me do so.
With the help of my enhanced sight, I could make out some details even while I was in the midst of the obstructing mist.
Many dozens of monsters clustered below – orcish champions rallying their kind, werewolves trying to find their safety by darting around like rabid dogs through the devastation, and ogres roaring their guttural commands as they tried to escape the carnage.
It was time to show them true despair.
*Boom!*
I slammed into the arena floor like a meteor. My landing cracked the earth beneath me, and thanks to my basic-tier spell, [Earth Armor], I bore no injuries from this aggressive landing of mine. The impact sent up a large amount of dust, and for a brief moment, everything went still save for the armor that crumbled from my exterior.
Then I intoned, “[Terraquake]”
Just like [Rockfall] was a more-or-less upgraded version of my basic-tier [Boulder Throw], [Terraquake] was a better [Quake Stomp]. Not all intermediate spells were replacements for the basic ones, evidenced by my earlier use of [Earth Armor] and [Bubble Snare].
The arena itself screamed.
The ground rippled outward in violent waves as if the earth itself had turned to liquid. Massive fissures cracked open beneath the beasts’ feet, swallowing some whole as they fell. Others stumbled with their weapons and limbs breaking apart as they were tossed like ragdolls. The sheer force of the quake sent many monsters flying into the air, making them crash back down into lava-soaked craters or sharp rocks that were formed as a result of my spells.
Some of the stronger monsters – like ogres, trolls, and high-level orcs – clung to the ruptured ground while growling defiantly.
“Some of you are still standing, huh. Monsters are truly no joke, I really want to see how your stat windows look. If you have one that is…”
I raised my hand to the sky and flames began coiling around my arm like a serpent ready to strike. Heat radiated outward as my mana surged.
“[Pyroclasm Burst]!”
The flames erupted violently from my core, expanding in a searing ring of crimson fire that swept outward in all directions. The shockwave detonated with a thunderous roar after which a tidal wave of flame rolled across the already devastated battlefield.
Monsters caught in its path were obliterated. The flames consumed everything – fur, flesh, armor, weapons – all reduced to ash in a heartbeat. The weaker beasts didn’t even have time to scream as I forcefully removed them from existence. The stronger ones fared just a little better. Those lucky enough to survive the flames were sent flying into molten pits or fractured craters.
The firestorm swept through a good portion of the arena in the form of a wave of absolute devastation. Even the contestants clinging to life on the fringes of my range were caught in the blast. Before they could die, however, the strange artifact of the Consortium blinked them to safety in flashes of light, leaving only their charred weapons or gear behind as evidence of them having been here.
I inhaled deeply with satisfaction.
The very air was full of residual heat. My half of the arena was unrecognizable – it was an infernal wasteland of molten stone and shattered ground. What few monsters remained alive staggered about helplessly with their injured bodies and their roars reduced to pitiful whimpers.
I stood in the epicenter with my eyes surveying the chaos I’d unleashed. I couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Now that was worthy of the title King of AoE.’
However, just then I saw a new group of monsters in the far distance, letting me know that there was prey to hunt.
I aimed at them and began intoning, “[Tidal-]”
I was rudely interrupted by a familiar voice.
“I’m sorry, Devil, but this big sis will have to ask you to stop.”
I suddenly heard Vex decree from behind me.
“What’s wrong? There are still enemies for me to slay.”
She grimaced at my statement. “That’s true, but you’re about to destroy the arena…”
