"What a poignant scene..."
Archbishop Anthruk's figure materialized at the other end of the channel, closely trailed by a massive spiritual guard.
As Aubrey and Dove were swept towards the exit by the swift current, Anthruk showed no intention of intercepting them, after all, the wizard before him would not allow it, his memory still fresh from the hellish scene he encountered earlier.
If it weren't for the certain circumstances, this almost would have been a reenactment of the Battle against Kelu in Nordland...
"I believe you may have misconstrued something..." Lynn turned around, his eyes lit up like flames, glaring at Anthruk standing at the end of the channel. He extended his right hand and the remaining white phosphorus on the surface of the storage bag was extracted under the influence of [Mage's Hand].
'First, we must record....'
Lynn's mind raced as he remembered Aubrey's story, and he instantly activated his zero-ring magic - [Elementary Matter Deconstruction]! The fine white phosphorus powder rapidly disintegrated, returning to its fundamental molecular state...
Then comes magical mimicry! A vast amount of magic flows into the palm, similar to cell division, the white phosphorus multiplying and expanding until it burst forth in a massive fireball.
The process of Deconstructing and Recording an element, followed by using magic for mimicry, was the essence of a formal wizard's ability to cast spells without materials. However, normally it would take several weeks or even months to record and master an element, but with the massive computing power of 071, Lynn was able to accomplish this in just three seconds.
In a short moment, a new rune was etched in his mind -[White Phosphorus - Fireball]! As Lynn ignited the fireball in his hand, Anthruk froze in his tracks. He, who had experienced the terror of white phosphorus fire, naturally dared not underestimate it and used the strongest protective divine technique - [Dawnbreaker Barrier]!
The spell, "Dawnbreaker Barrier," was a thing of beauty to behold. As it was cast, the air around the caster shimmered and pulsed with a soft, golden light. Streaks of sunlight seemed to dance and weave through the air, coalescing into a protective barrier that surrounded the Archbishop on all sides.
The barrier was almost ethereal in appearance, with wispy tendrils of light that flowed and undulated like a gentle breeze. Each pulsing glow seemed almost alive, as if it were a living, breathing entity that was determined to protect its creator.
As the barrier took shape, it began to radiate an intense heat, as if it were fueled by the very rays of the sun itself. It was almost too bright to look at directly,
The majestic light screen was like a sturdy city wall in front of him, but the white phosphorus fireball thrown by Lynn, arced through the air, trailing a bright white trail of light behind it. As it neared its target, it began to glow with a fierce, incandescent heat, as if it were a miniature sun come to earth.
When it finally struck the barrier, the explosion was nothing short of catastrophic. The air was filled with a deafening roar as the fireball erupted, sending shards of white-hot shrapnel flying in every direction. The ground shook with the force of the blast, and a wave of heat and light washed over everything in its path, accompanied by a burst of firelight. The entrance behind and the surrounding area had already been enveloped by the terrifying white phosphorus flame yet the holy barrier remained.
Inside the majestic holy barrier, Anthruk's expression froze, and after comprehending Lynn's meaning, his face immediately became extremely livid.
It was obvious that the wizard in front of him did not just want to cover his companion's escape but also sealing off his own retreat means that he is preparing to kill him here!
"Very well!" Realizing this, Anthruk growled, the burning anger ignited in his heart, and the massive spiritual guard beside him stepped forward heavily and charged.
The body composed of huge stones pulsing in glowing in incandescent holy lights was extremely heavy, and as it stomped on the broken ground, it left obvious marks...
Lynn, standing before the spiritual guard, resembled a mantis attempting to obstruct a speeding bus.
However, Lynn's countenance remained serene, exhibiting no desire to evade, simply silently counting within his mind.
'Three... two... one...'
[Liquify]!
As the spiritual guardian advanced, swinging its massive fist, Lynn jumped back to avoid it and pressed his palm to the ground.
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The solid earth instantly transformed into soft mud, and the heavy giant stone statue lost its balance as it stepped and its fist crashed on it, tumbling and crashing into the tumultuous water behind, causing huge water splash.
The gigantic water splash that exploded had not yet landed when it coalesced into dozens of crystal-clear ice blades.
Utilizing the advantage of the splashes, Lynn employed second-ring magic for the first time - [Mass Frost Blades]!
With a flick of Lynn's wrist, a dozen frost blades were summoned, each one shimmering with a icy, ethereal light. They hovered in the air for a moment, seemingly suspended in time, before rushing towards the holy barrier with a deadly precision and incredible speed. The blades cut through the air, with a sharp, slicing sound, leaving a trail of frost in their wake.
The reversal of offense and defense transpired in an instant, and Anthruk was entirely unable to react. The spiritual guard sank into the water, and the flying ice blades struck the [Dawnbreaker Barrier] directly.
How could a second-ring offensive magic triumph over a third-ring defensive divinity spell? Lynn provided the answer swiftly.
As they neared the barrier, they seemed to swirl and dance, almost as if they were alive. Dozens of precisely aimed Frost Blades struck three designated points with their icy edges, ripples emanating from the surfaces of the holy barrier at an accelerating pace. Initially, a fissure formed, swiftly expanding until the barrier flickered...
This is the tactic of attacking through a weakness! A concentrated and continuous attacks! Adding the phosphorous fire's explosive damage, the barrier crumbled!
Anthruk's countenance changed entirely, involuntarily taking a step back as he brandished his staff, unleashing the second third-ring divinity spell -
[Divine Light of the Holy Spirit]!
A brilliant white light begins to emit from his outstretched hands, growing in intensity as the energy within his reaches its climax. With a fierce cry, his unleash the "Divine Light of the Holy Spirit", a semi-circular wave of pure, holy energy that cascades outward from his body.
The dazzling light waves exuded a deadly aura begins to emit from his outstretched hands, spreading semi-circular wave of pure, holy energy that cascades outward from his body.
[White Phosphorus - Inferno's Hand]!
The air around Lynn begins to shimmer with heat. He lifted his hand, the terror-inducing white phosphorus flames reigniting and coalescing into a giant ancient demon's clawed hand several meters in height, the white phosphorus flames danced and twisted, illuminating the battlefield with an otherworldly light. The heat is intense, almost palpable, and the sound of the burning flames fills the air. It's as if the very hand of a demon has reached out from the underworld to smite his enemies. This ordinary first-ring magical spell erupted with unimaginable power in Lynn's hands!
When the flaming claw collided with the dazzling light wave. A resounding majectis roar erupted.
"BOOOM!!!"
The scorching fire and holy lights soared in the entire space, the entire castle convulsing and trembling violently. A huge impact of explosions and shockwaves was felt through the entire mansion!
......
After almost a 3 minutes passed and just when everything started calm down. Inside the white smoke, shards of fiery burning ground and stones, Anthruk saw something glinting in the air, barely discernible. When he approached, he realized it was a sword, and the wielder, Lynn, was now close at hand.
"Hmph!" The Archbishop snorted and immediately fought back.
The sharp, long sword and the gold-encrusted scepter clashed against each other with a sharp, earsplitting noise.
What is the most effective way to combat a priest with access to divine magic? Close combat, of course!
However, Lynn quickly realized that his accumulated experience from playing games and reading novels was futile in this situation, as Anthruk easily fended off his full-strength attack with just one hand wielding a scepter...
Could this be the mythical close-combat priest of legend? Lynn's forehead was slick with cold sweat as he lowered his head and jumped back to evade Anthruk's heavy strike.
Feeling the sound of the scepter slicing through the air above him, Lynn roughly estimated that the attack contained at least 1.5 tons of impact force.
This reminded Lynn of the wizard hunter he had encountered previously.
Is it possible that everyone in the Holy See is a human-shaped tyrannosaurus rex?
The two of them silently faced off on the dusty battlefield, their weapons drawn and ready. Lynn, a lean and muscular young man, brandished his blade with a fierce determination in his eyes. Across from him stood the Archbishop, a wiry and agile middle-aged man nearing his later years with a staff clutched tightly in his hands.
"Rahh!"
Lynn charged forward with a fierce cry, his sword flashing through the air. The priest nimbly danced to the side, dodging the blade and countering with a quick strike of his staff. Lynn parried the blow, the metal of their weapons clashing with a ringing sound.
The two men circled each other, each searching for an opening in the other's defenses. The young man swung his blade in a wide arc, his muscles straining with the effort. The Archbishop darted in and out, using the reach of his staff to keep his opponent at bay. He moved with a grace and precision that belied his unassuming appearance, his staff a blur as it struck and parried.
After a few skirmishes, Lynn calculated the scepter's trajectory in an instant, skewering it with his sword at a sly angle and carving a fierce gash across Antwerp's chest.
Enraged, Anthruk counterattacked without hesitation, unleashing a second-ring divinity spell - "[Holy Light Shock]"! The dazzling white light burst forth and both Lynn and Anthruk, who were at close range, were simultaneously blasted away by a massive surge of force.
Lynn, who had a somewhat weaker constitution, was sent flying more than ten meters away. Luckily, at the moment the spell was cast, he temporarily conjured an ice shield to mitigate most of the impact force and avoid tumbling into the tumultuous river behind him.
On the other side, Anthruk took the full force of his own spell head-on, his magnificent golden robe becoming tattered and torn, and the narrow, ferocious wound on his chest tearing open once more.
"[Light Shield]," "[Divine Blessing]," "[Dispel Fear]," "[Sanctum Barrier]," "[Wall of Shadows]"...
Under the successive threats to his life, the panicked Anthruk didn't even attempt to heal his injuries first, but rather cast a series of protective divine spells, almost turning himself into a turtle shell.