Chapter 4027: Cleansing Ice (Part 2)

’That’s a matter for another day. I’m not leaving Lutia in defeat again.’ He needed a few moments to regain his focus and stabilize Shattered Moon. ’We’ve come here for Rizel’s family, and we’re just one dead wench away from finishing our job.’

The Blade Spell’s scattered mana gathered at the tip of his spear again, forming a luminous silver sphere as big as a house.

***

Blood Desert, Starry Lagoon village, at the same time.

"Get out of the water and fight, you coward!" Tista screamed in frustration.

The Jormungandr swam almost as fast as she flew and exploited the protection of the ocean to force a stalemate.

The Indech’s Swirling Wind neutralized Filos’ Frost Soul and allowed Tista to cast spells, but there wasn’t much she could do as long as the Jormungandr kept several tons of water between them.

Tista’s best spells lost most of their destructive power and speed long before they reached Filos, allowing him to dodge everything she threw at him without wasting one drop of his mana.

The female Indech’s equipment worked, whereas the Upyr’s was dead weight due to the constant release of Frost Soul, but that meant nothing as long as he remained out of her reach.

’I’m not vulnerable to cold in my evolved human form, but entering a Jormungandr’s natural element would be beyond stupid.’ Tista thought. ’I have no idea if I can keep Swirling Wind active without flapping my wings, and even if I could, I’d never be able to keep up with a sea serpent underwater.’

’How much longer does the Dead King still need?’ Filos couldn’t afford to emerge long enough to check on Nuron’s fight, but the sudden disappearance of Fire Soul didn’t bode well. ’If I deactivate Frost Soul or run away, Verhen will get to Lutia and Orpal will kill me.

’Yet if Nuron dies and Verhen and his sister come at me together, I’m dead anyway.’ Each one of Tista’s claw sweeps turned waves into steam and displaced hundreds of liters of water, but few forces on Mogar could split an ocean, and she wasn’t among them.

’What can I do? I’m open to suggestions.’ Tista asked via the mind link.

She had tried and failed to pinpoint Filos’ position with Life Vision, but her mystical senses were as blurred as her regular sight. Even her arrays rarely hit their target, and even when they did, the magical formations barely grazed the Jormungandr.

’I’ve got no idea, sorry.’ Solus pushed a mana pulse from the Watchtower, but it fell apart the moment it left the area of effect of Ryla’s Swirling Wind. ’I can’t find him either, or I would have already blasted him away with a Silverwing’s Annihilation.’

There was no point in consuming one of the few spells stored in the Cannon Vault without a proper target.

’Seriously?’ Tista conjured Raging Severance from her blue eye, and it froze the surface of the ocean for hundreds of meters, making the Jormungandr even harder to spot. ’How did you and Lith deal with water enemies in the past?’

’We didn’t.’ Solus replied. ’Aside from the trip on the Wayfinder, we never had to face aquatic creatures. On top of that, back then the whale-thing attacked us head-on. It didn’t waste our time playing tag.’

’In other words, I’m screwed.’ Tista said.

’Yeah, sorry.’ Solus telepathically sighed. ’By my Mom, if only either of us could use Jerak-’

Nuron’s death throes filled the air and cut her short.

’Never mind. Lith, use Jerak! It should be super effective!’

’At least say please. I’m not your Battlemon!’ Lith dived down from the sky and did as bidden. ’I would have waited to get closer, though. I’m curious to see how the scattered Cinder interacts with the corrupted water element.’

A barrage of small pillars of Zero streaked the sky before hitting the water below with little to no effect. The air above, however, was a different story.

Whenever Zero brushed against the Upyr’s corrupted life force, it would freeze it on the spot and spread through the rest of Frost Soul, forming a wide net of ice that cleansed the surrounding world energy of the corruption.

’Yes! I was right!’ Solus cheered as Menadion stared at her in confusion. ’Now do that again, but this time aim near the tower. Emphasis on near.’

’Good thinking.’ Lith nodded and conjured a second and thicker volley of Jerak.

The chore magic Zero spells formed a path that connected the tower to the ocean while also avoiding the merfolk and Lith’s friends. The ice net expanded into a domed, colossal spiderweb that encompassed the village and broke Frost Soul’s hold.

The merfolk thawed at a discernible speed, and Morok noticed the disappearance of the blue sparks of corrupted life force that marked the boundaries of his Swirling Wind. The world energy now offered him no resistance, almost doubling the area of effect of his bloodline ability.

"Anyone can use magic now!" The Tyrant said. "I don’t know how long this will last, so be quick and bring the injured to safety."

The merfolk trusted his words and conjured Float spells to carry their friends to Lith’s house three at a time.

The Indech released a volley of small Zero blasts, noticing that the frozen web kept expanding solely towards the ocean now. There were only a few sparks of corrupted life force left in the village while Filos kept emitting new ones.

Jerak detected and hunted them down like a hungry wolf, each new ice tendril getting closer to the Jormungandr than the previous.

’What are those things? What is happening?’ Filos moved fast, but Zero followed him as quickly as he released more Frost Soul.

The corrupted life force attracted the Cursed Element that devoured it in an instant and turned it into more fuel for the chase.

’There! I can see the enemy now.’ Solus said as the spreading net cleansed the world energy, allowing the Watchtower to pinpoint the enemy’s position. ’Can I kill him, or do I save the Annihilation for later?’

’Shoot him down and activate the defensive arrays at full power the moment his energy signature disappears.’ Lith replied. ’We can’t waste any more time nor risk that another Upyr lying in ambush cripples you again.’

’On it!’ A mere thought released the anti-Guardian spell.

The Annihilation crossed the hundreds of meters separating the tower from its target in an instant. The hepta-elemental beam punctured a hole in the ocean, evaporating water, flesh, and bones alike in its wake.

Filos died without even knowing what had hit him, and with his life, Frost Soul also faded away.

’Any more enemies?’ Lith scoured the oasis with his Tiamat Eyes but failed to spot anything.

’One second.’ Solus replied as the world energy flooded the tower and brought its enchantments back to life. ’Nothing. The Watchtower can’t find anyone except for us, the merchants, and the merfolk.

’I know we can’t perceive Vurdalak’s blood until someone turns into an Upyr, but I doubt Meln recruited insects and cacti for his army.’

’Check our communication amulets.’ Lith said. ’We can’t move until Grandma returns, but at least we can understand why Meln went to such lengths to keep us in the Desert.’

’No!’ The despair in Solus’ mind struck Lith like a punch to the gut.

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