Chapter 185 - A Powerful Enemy
The forest was plunged into utter chaos, overwhelmed by the uncontrollable fury of nature. Roots and tree trunks had twisted grotesquely, creating a wild ocean of wood and earth, a scene of sheer devastation and disorder. Each step I took crushed broken branches beneath my feet, their sinister cracks echoing through the dark surroundings. The air was dense, shrouded in an opaque mist mixed with dust from the battle, turning the forest into a desolate and claustrophobic setting, where even the ground seemed to groan under the weight of the conflict.
I moved forward slowly, my eyes as sharp as blades, scanning for any trace of the earth mage. My instincts were on high alert, whispering that he was still nearby, lurking like a wounded beast. But I knew I couldn’t activate the Soul Aspect; disabling the elemental power of my special eyes at such a critical moment would leave me far too vulnerable amidst the ongoing battle.
Suddenly, a noise broke the oppressive silence—the muffled sound of shifting stones. I quickly turned, focusing my senses in that direction. Amid the debris, still soaked from the recent devastation, I saw the mage slowly emerge. His stone armor, which had once seemed like an indestructible fortress, was now reduced to scattered fragments on the ground, exposing deep gashes and gaps that revealed the extent of his injuries.
His body was covered in deep cuts, some so wide that bone was visible through the torn flesh. One of his arms was nearly destroyed, with stones hanging precariously, while the other trembled violently, barely able to support its own weight. Blood oozed from multiple wounds, staining the ground around him with dark red, mixed with dust and shattered stone. His face was marred by bruises and cuts, his left eye nearly swollen shut from the brutal impacts of the battle.
Every breath came with a painful wheeze, his lungs clearly struggling, and he stumbled with each step, his legs barely able to support his ravaged body. Fragments of his stone armor still clung to him, but most had shattered, exposing raw flesh, splintered bones, and bloody muscles.
And yet, his eyes still held a stubborn glimmer of determination—a final spark of defiance that burned even in the face of imminent defeat. His breathing was labored, each breath heavy and ragged, as blood and dust coated his skin. He was standing on the edge between life and death.
“Well, is this the man hired to kill me?” I asked, settling on a high branch to assess the situation.
He stepped back, keeping his distance. In one swift motion, he pulled out a vial with red liquid from his storage bracelet.
“A healing potion…” I murmured, standing up to get a better look.
So, the healing potion story was true...
"Only a noble can buy a healing potion. It requires a special license. These things need so much paperwork that even the black market has no access to them. Even I can’t freely buy a potion without signing documents, and I'm a high-ranking noble," I continued, jumping to the ground as he finished drinking the liquid.
“A hired assassin and now a healing potion… Someone from the nobility wants me dead…” I analyzed, pondering the possibilities.
Could it be someone trying to steal my special eyes? If the contractor wanted to kill me personally, perhaps it was to keep the existence of the eyes a secret, hidden even from the assassins themselves.
He threw the glass vial to the ground, sighing in relief.
Stolen story; please report.
The existence of these eyes is known only to my family... and to Director Victoria... there’s also the Elven Majesty. Would they try something like this? Hard to believe, after all, Adrihna is almost like an aunt to me and has known about my powers since I was 11 years old.
“You almost killed me, boy,” he said, now walking slowly in my direction. “At the last moment, I had to bury myself, but the impact pressure still managed to hurt me.”
He kept approaching.
“Why did you wait for me to drink the potion?” he asked, still surprised.
“Because you altered the ground around you. If I approached, I’d be caught in your trap. If I attacked from a distance, you’d dodge it, and attacking would’ve achieved nothing,” I answered calmly.
He laughed, surprised by my response.
“Not to mention you could’ve drunk the potion while underground. Someone of your level would never lower their guard without reason.”
He clapped his hands in acknowledgment, still laughing.
“You’re clever,” he admitted, and then fell backward. The remnants of his stone armor crumbled away, breaking into pieces.
I took a step toward him, assessing his condition.
“Your mana is depleted, and you’re practically half-dead. You survived by a miracle. Consider yourself lucky,” I said, forming a yellow sword in my hands, merging it with lightning until it glowed a vibrant blue.
“Time to die,” I declared.
Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed through the area.
'GZZZZZZ!' Flames began erupting violently from beneath me. More fire geysers burst across the terrain, rapidly exploding throughout the area.
"Looks like I’m not the only one with tricks up my sleeve..." I observed, stepping back as I reassessed the new situation.
More geysers erupted around me, and I started running, dodging the columns of fire rising from the ground. As I moved, my mind raced through the possible options. I looked up at the sky, which was clear and bright.
Should I use that? No… it’s not the right moment yet.
I glanced at the Earth Mage, still lying on the ground. He seemed defeated, his body utterly exhausted.
Sustaining that armor must have drained almost all his mana. Even I don’t dare to use the Thunder Mantle for more than a few seconds. He’s a talented mage. This guy really used everything he had to try to kill me.
Then, a deep roar rumbled through the arena, echoing across the battlefield.
‘ROOOOOOAAARR!’
The sound was so powerful that the ground shook beneath my feet.
The mage, still on the ground, lifted his head with a dark smile. "Hahahaha, good luck."
What was that? I thought, feeling a rising tension in the air.
At the center of the arena, a large cloud of smoke began to rise. The sound of heavy footsteps mixed with the smoke, which slowly revealed the massive figure behind it. The heat in the air increased, and it wasn’t long before I understood what lay behind the smoke.
“You've got to be kidding me…” I muttered as the creature formed before me.
A massive, flaming red salamander, at least 15 meters tall, stared at me with eyes full of rage. The heat radiating from it was suffocating, and the realization of what I was facing hit me like a hammer.
A Soul Golem…
A Summoner’s mana was alive, allowing them to create elemental golems as servants. Powerful Summoners could go beyond that, creating sentient golems—beings that not only existed but also thought, reasoned, and felt emotions. These sentient golems were not mere puppets; they were living beings with a consciousness of their own.
However, there were Soul Golems, considered the pinnacle of a Summoner’s mastery. When a Summoner reached this level, they could personify their Mana Gem through a Soul Golem. This golem was far more than a simple servant; it acted as the guardian of its master, carrying the full power of the Summoner's Mana Gem. A true monstrosity, the Soul Golem was the embodiment of its creator's very soul.
Every Summoner had a dormant Soul Golem within them. Awakening this creature required a rare and unique talent, a skill that only a few could achieve. Training a Soul Golem was similar to training the bestial form of a demi-human; the dormant creature inside the Summoner had a will of its own, and the Summoner had to learn to control and guide it.
Chloe, for example, only resorted to her Soul Golem as a last resort due to the level of destruction that creature could unleash. The release of a Soul Golem was not something to be taken lightly.
Now it made sense why Eliza had disappeared during the battle.
She was summoning this monstrosity.
'ROOOOOAR!' The salamander roared again, its sound vibrating through the arena, nearly shaking the ground beneath me.
"And now, boy. Shall we finish our little encounter?" Eliza's voice rang out as she appeared, sitting atop the massive red salamander, a malicious grin on her lips.