In the forest, as Renauld received the green light from Sven, a fierce battle raged under the radiant glow of the full moon.
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Lilithia's laughter reverberated through the forest, a chilling symphony that seemed to freeze the very air around them. "So... who dares to attack my minions?" Her voice dripped with venom, each word laced with malice as she fixed her gaze on Jung. "I don't mind having fine minions under me. Maybe, if you apologize and kiss my feet, I'll let you join me." Her offer was steeped in cruelty, a twisted invitation to submission.
"I am Jung, Head Chief of the Scouts. I bow before no one." he declared, his stare unwavering in the face of Lilithia's hostility.
"Also... Who gave you permission to gaze at me?" Lilithia's hand danced with arcane intent, though only a faint scratch appeared on Jung's cheek.
"Tch!" Jung instinctively dodged, his reflexes saving him from harm.
"Not bad," Lilithia conceded, impressed.
"Hmmm... A concealed attack, likely a blade. She must possess invisibility," Jung deduced silently, his senses heightened as he focused his energy.
Jung scoffed, his laughter a defiant retort to Lilithia's intimidations.
"Your laughter is pathetic as your resistance. You'd be more entertaining if you bled a little more!" Lilithia snapped, her voice dripping with malice as she gestured as if manipulating something unseen.
Instantly, Jung sprang into evasion, exerting every ounce of his strength. Yet, his efforts were futile; he soon found himself immobilized, trapped in an invisible vice. "Damn it!" he spat, frustration boiling in his voice as he strained against his unseen bonds.
"Now, Head Chief Scout Jung... do you still doubt my aspirations for Eldoria's throne?" Her voice dripped with mocking confidence as she approached, a whip in hand. With playful cruelty, she struck the areas perilously close to his most sensitive regions.
Jung snarled, channeling his energy into his eyes. With a fierce intensity, he glanced left, then right, scanning the surroundings with heightened focus.
As Jung assessed the situation, a chilling realization dawned: his opponent wielded a formidable power – xeno-arcanery, weaving threads of consciousness. With a sharp twist, Jung transformed his armor into jagged edges, attempting to sever the invisible bindings. But the threads resisted, tightening their grip.
"Xeno-arcanery, thread consciousness," Jung murmured, awed and fearful. He lunged forward, muscles straining, only to find himself ensnared again. His eyes scanned the arena, thick layers of webs surrounding him, crafted by his opponent's power.
Every breath felt like a struggle against suffocation. With each passing moment, the grip tightened, threatening to crush him. But Jung refused to surrender. With determination burning in his eyes, he prepared to break free from the suffocating web.
With a swift motion, Jung commanded the metal armor enveloping him to transform. The once smooth surface now bristled with jagged edges, gleaming with deadly intent. As Lilithia's invisible threads closed in, Jung's armored form became a blur of motion, slicing through the minuscule strands with effortless precision.
"Xeno-arcanery, thread consciousness, truly a frightening power..." Jung muttered, his relief palpable as he broke free from the incapacitating threads. Yet, his triumph was short-lived as Lilithia advanced once more, her confidence undiminished.
"Ha ha ha! Indeed, my power is terrifying. So, what will you do now?" Lilithia taunted, her voice ringing with certainty as she unleashed thick layers of razor-sharp threads toward Jung's abdomen. Each strike felt like a sickle slicing through flesh.
Jung coughed blood, the agony searing through him. Desperate to shield himself, he once again transformed his body into unyielding metal, lessening the impact but not the pain.
"This is bad," Jung muttered through gritted teeth, assessing the dire situation unfolding before him. "I can't reach her, not with these long-range attacks." His mind raced, weighing his limited options against the relentless barrage of Lilithia's assaults.
"Fortunately, I have a potion," he thought, his hand fumbling for the vial secured at his waist. "But I have to make good use of it, it won't last long," Jung realized grimly, steeling himself for the inevitable confrontation ahead.
With a decisive shift, Jung transformed his body into a whirling vortex of slicing metal once more, the sharp edges cleaving through the threads that ensnared him. As the invisible bonds fell away, he wasted no time, surging toward the surrounding trees with a determined ferocity.
With a single mighty punch, he shattered the nearest tree, sending splinters flying in all directions. Then, tapping into his immense physical strength, he rained down a barrage of rapid thrusts, his fingers sinking into the trunk with relentless force. The once-solid wood splintered and cracked, yielding a multitude of pointed stakes.
Observing Jung's actions, Lilithia remained confident in her superiority. "With his power, he won't stand a chance against me," she thought with a smirk. "I suppose I'll indulge him for a bit longer," she mused, content to prolong the confrontation and revel in her opponent's futile resistance.
"Do you believe victory is yours simply because of your advantage in ranged attacks?" Jung's voice crackled with intensity, his words laced with determination. "I will show you why individuals like yourself will never reign over Eldoria."
With calculated precision, Jung gathered the splintered remnants of the tree in one hand, while his other hand transformed into a razor-sharp blade. As he meticulously fashioned the pointed spears.
"Aghhhh!" Jung's roar ripped through the air as he propelled the pointed spear of wood toward Lilithia with staggering speed. In a heart-stopping moment, she managed to halt its deadly trajectory just in the nick of time, her power manifesting as an invisible web suspending the spear mid-air.
With wide eyes agape, Lilithia's expression shifted from surprise to frustration as the gravity of the situation sank in. The tension hung thick in the air, a palpable reminder of the perilous dance they were engaged in, each move carrying the weight of potential victory or defeat.
"Look at you," Lilithia's voice dripped with venom, her eyes narrowing with disdain. "With your judgmental gaze and your false facade of righteousness. It sickens me, enrages me. Playtime is over, Jung!"
With fluid grace and deadly accuracy, Lilithia unleashed her web-like powers to soar around Jung, a whirlwind of malevolent energy. Jung retaliated, hurling multiple pointed spears at her, but she deftly evaded each one with effortless agility.
"You can have those back!" Lilithia taunted, her control over the spears evident as she redirected them all in a single lethal onslaught toward Jung. The air crackled with tension as the projectiles closed in on their target.
With each spear hurtling towards him, time seemed to slow, the threat growing ever more imminent.
Evading a few by mere inches, Jung's heart pounded with adrenaline-fueled urgency. One he managed to shatter with his metallic hand, the clash reverberating through the forest like a battle cry. Yet, despite his efforts, a couple found their mark, piercing through his defenses with chilling accuracy.
The agony searing through his veins, Jung's resolve faltered. With a groan of pain, he yielded to the overwhelming force, sinking to his knees.
Mmm… He is getting slower, plus I didn’t think the wooden spears would deal much damage to him, especially since he can turn himself into metal. I guess the damage he is suffering from is internal, probably a side effect of his power. Still I myself have to be carefull, I still have to save up my energy and if this gets drawn for too long, my threads will become very weak.
"Oh, dear," Lilithia taunted, her voice dripping with mock concern as she positioned herself between two trees, resembling a spider poised in its web. "What's the matter? I thought you were eager to end me!"
"I can turn myself into metal, however, it has some side effects. My blood gets corroded because of the high concentration of metals. Maybe I should use the potion now. Nah… I have to destroy these trees first, then aim for her fall. I'll keep my ace hidden, for the perfect opportunity!"
With a swift motion, he surged forward, his footsteps echoing like thunder as he descended upon the trees with relentless force, shattering them one by one.
"What the?!" Lilithia's voice wavered with disbelief as she watched her web-like structure begin to crumble under the assault. Panic flickered in her eyes. "Tch! How annoying!"
With a sudden jolt, she plummeted towards the ground from her elevated position, the distance enough to cause considerable damage. Yet, in a desperate bid to mitigate the impact, she wove her threads to absorb the shock, the strain evident in every fiber of her being.
As Lilithia’s feet met the earth, a sudden darkness loomed over Lilithia, startled, she raised her gaze to find a colossal tree hurtling towards her, a grim omen of impending danger.
"Tch! Persistent fool," Lilithia growled, her voice tinged with frustration as she unleashed her threads like razor-sharp blades, reducing the towering tree to rubble in a frantic flurry of motion. But before she could exhale a sigh of relief, a new threat emerged.
Huge tree spears descended upon her with lethal precision, prompting Lilithia to act swiftly. With a desperate flick of her palm, she summoned multiple threads to intercept the onslaught, the air crackling with tension as she transformed the deadly spears into mere rubble.
“you damn fool!”
"You damn fool!" Lilithia's words dripped with venomous ire, her composure barely concealing the rising panic within.
Meanwhile, Jung's labored breaths echoed through the battleground “It failed…” he thought, his body drenched in sweat as a searing heat radiated from him, casting his form in a dangerous hue of red and purple. With each passing moment, his strength waned
Seemingly at his limit, Jung stood on the brink of collapse, his body trembling with exhaustion. The air crackled with anticipation as Lilithia raised both palms, a surge of energy swirling before her. In a heartbeat, two scorpion tails materialized from threads, one coiling menacingly around her pelvic region while the other shot forth at breakneck speed toward Jung.
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Desperation etched across his features, Jung attempted to summon the protective embrace of metal, but his metallization faltered, leaving him vulnerable. With a sickening thud, the scorpion tail struck him squarely in the abdomen, sending him hurtling through the air in a violent whirlwind of pain and despair.
Jung crumpled to the ground, his body sprawled on the earth, face pressed into the dirt. "Ha ha ah! You're no match for me," Lilithia taunted, her voice dripping with superiority as she closed in on him, her hips swaying seductively in the tense silence.
As she drew nearer, Jung contemplated the opportunity, his mind racing with desperate calculations. "This is it," he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. "Now or never."
With a silent resolve, Jung fumbled for the potion concealed on his belt, his movements concealed and decisive. "Nice, come toward me," he willed, his breath caught in his throat as he waited for the perfect moment.
"Blurp,"
The potion slipped down his throat in a hasty gulp, a silent prayer for salvation as he braced himself for the impending confrontation.
"How does it feel to grovel on the ground, head chief?" Lilithia's taunting words sliced through the air, with a dance of her hand, she tilted her head, with a smirk, she reclaimed her whip.
Closing in on Jung, she unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes upon his back, each lash igniting a fresh wave of agony.
"Ugh!" Jung's anguished cry echoed in the stillness, his resolve tested to its limits as he fought to withstand the onslaught.
"I have to endure," he reminded himself through clenched teeth, his mind a whirlwind of pain and determination. "I can't risk revealing my weakness by metalizing my back. Just endure, endure."
"Ughh!"
Another pained groan escaped Jung's lips, a testament to the fierce struggle raging within him as he braced himself against the relentless assault.
Jung, with a defiant smirk, flipped onto his back, his eyes gleaming with a hint of defiance. With deliberate defiance, he spat at Lilithia's feet, a silent challenge amidst the chaos of their confrontation.
Lilithia's fury ignited like a flame, her face contorted with rage as she surged toward Jung. With a primal intensity, she unleashed a relentless barrage of slashes with her whip, each strike fueled by the seething anger that consumed her.
Now you're within my reach," Jung thought, a glimmer of strategy forming amidst the chaos. With a calculated move, he decided to play dead, hoping to lure Lilithia into a false sense of security.
"I'll wait," he resolved silently, "let her exhaust her energy in anger." his breaths shallow and labored as he awaited the perfect opportunity to turn the tables on his formidable foe.
"I told you not to gaze at me!" Lilithia's voice was a venomous hiss, her eyes blazing with unchecked fury. "Fucking dog! Fucking die, you miserable dog," she spat, her words dripping with malice as she unleashed a torrent of threats upon Jung. "I'll tear your heart and feed it to dogs, and I'll turn you into a zombie."
Suddenly, Jung's hand shot out, catching her whip in a swift and decisive move. With a strength born of desperation, he dragged her towards him, catching Lilithia off guard in the midst of her frenzy. Caught in the whirlwind of her own rage, she could have let the whip fall and escaped using her power, but she had not anticipated Jung's sudden defiance.
Jung metalized his hand in a flash of brilliance. Moving with lightning speed, he seized Lilithia around the waist, hoisting her up with a swift and decisive motion. Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, his footsteps echoing with purpose as he ascended a nearby tree with remarkable agility.
At the pinnacle of the tree, Jung executed a flawless suplex, the force of the impact reverberating through the forest with a resounding thud. Lilithia's body crumpled to the ground, rendered unconscious by the sheer force of Jung's assault.
"Shit! I underestimated him," Lilithia muttered, defeat etched across her features as she lay motionless on the forest floor.
The torn remnants of Lilithia's wings lay scattered beside her, a haunting sight amidst the aftermath of the battle. Once symbols of her power and dominance, they now lay broken and tattered,
As Jung collapsed near Lilithia's unconscious form, his gaze swept over her body, a mix of exhaustion and relief flooding his features. However, his expression quickly shifted as he noticed a subtle movement – her fingers twitching ever so slightly.
His eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and alarm, furrowing his brows in concern. Despite her apparent defeat, it was clear that Lilithia was not completely incapacitated. A sense of urgency surged through Jung as he realized the danger still lingering in the air, his mind racing to formulate his next move before she could regain her strength.
"What?! Okay, one more blow, then it's over!" With great effort, Jung struggled to his feet once more, determination etched in his features. As he approached Lilithia, his hand transformed into a hammer, ready to deliver a decisive blow.
"Die!" Jung's voice rang out with fierce resolve as he launched the hammer fist towards her face. However, to his shock, his fist was abruptly halted midway, and a cold sensation enveloped his entire body.
"Don't tell me I'm caught again in her webs!" Jung's mind raced with confusion as realization dawned upon him, his expression a mixture of frustration and disbelief. Despite his efforts, it seemed he had fallen into Lilithia's trap once again.
"How dare you strike my beautiful face!" Lilithia's voice seethed with rage, her expression twisted with fury at the assault on her pride and appearance.
"How did you survive that suplex?" Jung's disbelief was palpable, his mind struggling to comprehend how Lilithia had managed to endure his devastating attack.
"Another thing..." Lilithia's words cut through the air with chilling clarity as she slowly rose to her feet, a sinister smile playing upon her lips. "My threads have another purpose: to repair my body. You broke six of my bones and three tendons. You should've finished me when you had the chance!"
The battle was far from over, and he knew he would need to summon every ounce of strength and cunning if he hoped to emerge victorious against this formidable foe.
With a swift and deadly precision, Lilithia sent a piercing thread shooting out towards a mercenary positioned a hundred meters away. In an instant, the thread ensnared the hapless victim, drawing him closer with relentless force. With a sinister gleam in her eyes, Lilithia absorbed the mercenary's energy, a surge of vitality coursing through her veins.
"How?!" Jung's voice trembled with shock as he watched in disbelief, his mind struggling to comprehend the extent of Lilithia's power. In a matter of moments, she had replenished her strength, her formidable energy now restored to its full capacity.
"I can also absorb energy from weak people. It's over," Lilithia declared triumphantly, her eyes gleaming with malice as she formed a scorpion tail with her threads. With a swift and calculated motion, she launched it towards Jung like a deadly spring.
Reacting with desperate urgency, Jung split off his legs and shielded his abdomen with his steel hands. Despite his efforts, his left hand bore the brunt of the attack, crushed under the force of the blow. He was sent hurtling through the air, his body colliding with the trunk of a nearby tree with a sickening thud.
"Ohh! Please, baby, don't use your other hand to guard against this next blow," Lilithia taunted sadistically, her words laced with cruelty as she reveled in Jung's agony. "I still need your hands to be functional when I use you like a zombie when you die!"
"This… i-isn't over yet," Jung gasped, his entire body shaking with pain and exhaustion. His vision blurred, his eyes swollen from the relentless assault. Despite his resolve, he could feel his grip slipping, blood seeping from his wounds and staining the forest floor.
"I'll keep looking for a weak spot! Such is the spirit of Metal!" Jung vowed through gritted teeth, his voice strained with determination even as his body screamed in protest.
"Ha ha! Die!" Lilithia's laughter rang out as she directed her scorpion tail towards Jung once more. Yet, in a sudden twist of fate, the guardian wolves summoned by Alistar finally emerged from the shadows, their presence casting a new light upon the battlefield.
With jaws aglow in a brilliant blue light and eyes ablaze with determination, the guardian wolves wasted no time in springing into action. With swift and precise movements, they cut through the threads of Lilithia's scorpion tail, severing the deadly weapon before it could reach its intended target.
"What now?!" Lilithia's voice quivered with frustration as she watched the wolves darting towards her, their movements as swift as shadows. With a quicksilver agility, she manipulated her threads like a spider, evading a couple of wolves launched at her while simultaneously launching her own counterattack.
With the tide of battle shifting once more, Lilithia found herself locked in a fierce struggle against the guardian wolves, their ferocity matched only by her own determination to emerge victorious.
"I'll turn these stupid wolves into my minions. They'll make fine zombies!" Lilithia sneered, her voice laced with venom as she attempted to ensnare the guardian wolves with her threads.
However, to her astonishment, the threads evaporated upon contact with the wolves, leaving them unharmed and unaffected by her powers.
"What?! These stupid beasts are somehow immune to my threads?!" Lilithia's thoughts raced with disbelief as she grappled with the realization that her usual tactics were ineffective against these formidable wolves of ethereal light.
"These are Alistar's wolves, there is no doubt about it," Jung realized with a surge of hope amidst the chaos of battle. With a newfound determination, he formulated a plan to seize the opportunity presented by Lilithia's distraction.
Carefully reaching for the iron bolts concealed on his belt, Jung bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As Lilithia remained preoccupied with the guardian wolves, he focused all his remaining energy on aiming with precision.
With a steady hand and unwavering resolve, Jung waited for the opportune moment.
"These are no ordinary beasts," Jung declared with a sense of grim realization, his voice tinged with solemnity as he observed the guardian wolves in action. "These are beasts made from energy manipulation, a level even higher than the blinding lights."
With a heavy weight settling upon his shoulders, Jung continued, his words carrying the weight of truth. "Only three people in Eldoria are able to conjure beasts of these levels. And... Yes... They can resist energy attacks. "
"Shit! I was so close to finishing him off," Lilithia cursed under her breath, frustration evident in her voice as she grappled with the dilemma posed by the guardian wolves. With her threads proving ineffective against the resilient creatures, she turned to her whip as a last resort.
Using her threads to propel herself through the air, Lilithia deftly maneuvered around the nimble wolves, her whip crackling with energy as she struck out at them. Despite landing several blows, she quickly realized that defeating them with her whip alone would be a time-consuming task, and one that she could ill afford given her dwindling energy reserves.
"Tch! I would spend too much time if I am to finish them with my whip," Lilithia muttered to herself, her frustration mounting as she weighed her options. Sensing that the one who conjured the wolves must be nearby, she knew that time was running out and that retreat was her only option for now.
As she descended to the ground, a sudden searing pain erupted in her right calf as an iron bolt struck true. With a cry of agony, Lilithia stumbled, only to be assailed by a dozen guardian wolves launching themselves towards her with feral determination. Despite her best efforts to shake them off, she found herself overwhelmed by their relentless assault, her vision swimming as darkness threatened to engulf her.
Summoning the last of her strength, Lilithia unleashed a thread, connecting it to a nearby tree and propelling herself into the air, narrowly escaping the tightening grip of the wolves' fangs as she fled the scene, her mind racing with thoughts of retreat and regrouping.
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Near the cascade left to the wall of Eldoria, Renauld and Ongloid convened, their meeting cloaked in secrecy amidst the whispering winds.
"What? Aldeen?" Ongloid's voice remained calm, his black robe swaying with the breeze as he processed the news.
"Yes, he is temporarily disabled," Renauld replied, his fingers cracking with anticipation as he sat beside a chair surrounded by multiple cubes and a cargo filled with C-Gauntlets.
"However, we still need to find a replacement for Mark," Renauld continued, his gaze unwavering as he met Ongloid's eyes.
"Hmm... That is true, but it could wait until we accomplish our objective here," Ongloid mused thoughtfully.
"Yes! I have the green light from Sven; we will attack the lab tonight!" Renauld announced with determination, a flicker of excitement dancing in his eyes.
"Hmm... You know, aside from Aldeen, there are still plenty of strong fighters in Eldoria," Ongloid remarked, his tone tinged with caution.
"I know... the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory, my dear Ongloid," Renauld replied with a twisted smile. "As an orphan of war, I must say this... The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting!" His face filled with cunning and wit as he spoke.
Suddenly, a hurried mercenary came rushing to them, immediately bowing in front of the two commanders.
Renauld glanced at him, prompting the mercenary to deliver his report. "Here to report, Honored commanders, Lilithia's advancement is being delayed by a fight with Chief Scout Jung. She asks both of you to continue without her."
"Tch! Lilithia... You better not lose." Renauld remarked with a relaxed tone, though a hint of frustration lingered beneath the surface.
"Well... well... we won't need to face anyone on this mission. We simply need to stealth and destroy," Renauld concluded, his eyes gleaming with determination as he prepared to lead their covert operation.
"Let's play a beautiful symphony this night!" Ongloid exclaimed with a hint of excitement, his eyes shining with anticipation.
"Make sure you keep everybody awake; a party is best delivered at night," Renauld replied with wit and a relaxed tone, his confidence unwavering as they prepared for their mission under the cover of darkness.