Shadow Invulnerability was a very special spell, for it was one of the rare few spells that did not have a fixed spell rank, but evolved with its user rank.
These types of spells were called Innate Spell Modules and were naturally highly sought after.
As for the abilities of this particular formidable spell, well the name gave it away, didn’t it?
At lower levels one could hide in the shadows and become invisible, while at the high levels, you could literally meld into the shadows and be transported to the spirit world, thus avoiding a lot of the damage inflicted on you in the real world.
Of course, a total immunity to damage was not possible, hence that watcher was injured, though its injury was possibly exacerbated by the fact the other two had likely transferred their own wounds to it.
But even if that were not to be the case, it was still an insanely valuable spell and one whose display had really left Master Parntheos shaken.
For it could be said to be a complete counter to his own sneak attack strategy.
Master Parntheos had never fought the Grand Iudex of Stosleria Empire before and only knew him by his reputation- which was that the man was the most gifted clairvoyant in the entirety of the Manush Realm, if not the entire dimension.
So, even though Master Parntheos knew the man was touted as the second most powerful man in the whole of this Exalted Realm, he thought the title came not from raw power but through influence and strategic insights he could provide the court to aid in the governance of the huge kingdom.
After all, that was what scryers were famous for.
And in an ironic twist, Master Parntheos himself was one such example, as his true fame did not come from his battlefield accomplishments, even though they were not too shabby, but from his ability to produce powerful artifacts for other people, a highly sought after skill indeed.
Hence, using himself as a standard, Master Parntheos had assumed the Grand Iudex to be similar or even worse than him in combat, since the latter should have as much experience as him.
A notion that had been by now resoundingly destroyed as Master Parntheos was made to face some of these moves.
“Are you happy now? Have you vented enough? Can we calm down and talk?” As the duo emerged from their stealthy dimension, Rhegnight once again offered his peace offer, though by now he sounded much more irritated and impatient.
There was a limit to one’s patience, and Rhegnight was never one a patient person to begin with as he threatened,
“Look at you! This battered up even when the Grand Iudex has not even shown his most feared branch of spells. The spells that can literally seal your fate.”
Boom!
But if those words were meant to intimidate the man, then it had spectacularly failed, for again, Master Parntheos would not be Master Parntheos if he could be reasoned with so easily.
And this was how he replied to Rhegnight's warning.
And this time, his mana surge was far more different, as if the wolf had finally revealed itself and came out of the sheep’s clothing.
If before Master Parntheos's mana was thick like rising water vapor, now it appeared solid but more astonishingly incorporeal!
Like the mana waves had not come out of him, but had always existed here in the first place.
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And his body seemed to become one with the surroundings.
And seeing this Rhegnight for the first time called out in alarm, cursing in an engaged tone,
“Old senile fool! Have you truly gone mad? Are you really trying to really utilize the powers of Erminsul here?”
“Are you really going to be breaking the treaty so blatantly? Does your Profound Architect Sanctuary really want to go to war without our Stosleria Empire? Or do you think we are just that easy to push around?”
By now, after the repeated, blatant disregard for his peace offer, the blonde Rhegnight had finally lost his temper and so throwing that ending out of the window, he too began to access the natural laws he had mastered!
“Heh! Break the treaty? It was you two who broke the treaty first!” Regarding Rhegnight’s tough rhetoric, this was what Master Parntheos had to say, as he flung the accusation straight back, pointing out,
“Otherwise how could you have dodged my attack without a single morsel of damage? Do you deny it? Do you think I'm blind?”
To this revelation, Rhegnight’s response was very frank,
“Because you were attacking us! It was for self defense. The treaty clearly states we can utilize if under hostile attack.”
“But you are using it to attack us!”
The tone in his voice was very incredulous like he could not believe he was having to explain this basic stuff to the other party.
“Bah! Pedantics!” And towards Rhegnight’s reasonable argument, this was Master Parntheos’s spitting remark, as he attempted to add, “I….
“*Bang!* Enough!” But was suddenly interrupted by this heavy smack of wood hitting the ground, followed by the Grand Iudex’s regal shout.
And was all attention was drawn to the man, whom they now saw holding a magnificent, blue thin scabbard in his hand, while the mana around him, which up until now had been silently bubbling like hot magma exploded in a giant eruption.
“Rhegnight, now!” The man then immediately ordered.
And getting this coded message, Rhegnight's heart thumbed a bit, causing him to mumble to himself, ‘Weren’t you the one said to take it easy on the man? Are we really doing this? Are we going to reveal one of the biggest trump cards?’
‘Are you sure the old man can take it? I don’t want to go to war with Profound Architect Sanctuary over this!’
The move the Grand Iudex wanted Rhegnight’s aid in executing was a killing move, a very potent move similar to Master Parntheos’s sneak attack that the pair had used multiple times to obtain victories.
It once even managed to grievously wound a Tier 8 Berserk Tarrasque when they were exploring an ancient ruin, forcing it to tuck tail and run.
So its might could only be imagined not determined.
But such hesitations only flickered in Rhegnight’s mind for an ephemeral second, as he was an instant later reminded that the mad dog named Master Parntheos was staring them down.
And as evidenced by how the man had repeatedly spat at the idea of a truce, the other party had made it abundantly clear that unless he was put down to the point he could no longer get up, he was not going to surrender.
Thus Rhegnight moved, even faster than Master Parntheos who had had a head start, for he truly was far more skilled in combat than the latter.
And pointing his index finger the old man, cast - “Arcane Dissolution!”
“Ahhhh!” And no sooner had he uttered these words, for the first time since the duel, Master Parntheos let out this pained howl, as he squeezed both his eyes shut and two bloody tears began to run down his cheeks.
The reason- His eyes had burst!
Arcane Dissolution was a Level 7 spell that usually destroyed all Level 6 or lower artifacts while damaging or in some specific cases even destroying Level 7 artifacts.
And if one will recall, Master Parntheos eyes were a type of biological artifact, hence the result.
A consequence that was repeated along all other parts of the old man’s body too, as the luxurious robe he wore lost all its luster for the runes stopped glowing as did the armor he wore beneath it, becoming a simple mortal tunic, while his feet heavy as the engraved movement enchantments there wore off.
This was just one of the many reasons why Master Parntheos would usually go to battle garbed head to toe in his custom made Level 7 artifact set, to offset exactly these types of attacks that risked crippling him with just one strike.
But alas, Master Parntheos did not have those with him, neither did he take the high road that was so graciously provided to him.
And he had no time to regret it either, for the Grand Iudex this time would not allow him the time to try and recover.
“Astral Shattering!” In concert with Rhegnight, the Iudex grandly shouted this, as the third eye on his forehead burst and an instant later, Master Artificer could smell the imminent stench of approaching death!