CHAPTER 530: DESPERATE ESCAPE (1/2)

The two combatants, Ferti’nier and Karlston, charged at each other without exchanging a word. Countless shadow figures burst forth and launched themselves at Karlston, yet the skeletal mage could control the density of the toxic fumes within his Territory.

He swiftly focused his fumes into an almost viscous state, dissolving any flame-clad shadow that leapt his way. As a result, his own Territory had shrunk significantly. What was once a two hundred meter diameter Territory was now merely ten meters wide.

This battle had only just started, but both sides roughly had an understanding of the other now. Simply put, Karlston’s Territory was a direct foil to Ferti’nier’s own.

Naturally, Ferti’nier’s real Territory was stronger than Karlston’s, but this wasn’t her body she was using. It was a temporary one handed over to her when Mo Ke fled to the abyss of his soul. That also meant that this body would eventually start to reject her.

While she had only been in control for a short duration, she was already starting to feel the strain on her control. Since taking over, she had been fighting non-stop. And even with all the souls she had devoured thus far, the fierce opposition Karlston put up had upped the rejection from this body a level.

At this rate, this wasn’t going to work, was what she quickly realised. However, Karlston’s Territory was too powerful for her to end the battle quickly. Situations like this where two Territories directly countered each other actually weren’t that rare. While there might be an endless variety of Territories in the world, there were still broad similarities that had counters to them.

Karlston was a skeletal mage that specialised in long range magic. Ferti’nier, on the other hand, performed well in both melee and long range. But because Karlston had strengthened his own Territory’s corrosive strength by tenfold when he shrunk it, even Ferti’nier wasn’t able to gain an advantage over him in close range. At the same time, her long range attacks were hampered by her current body.

Territory countered; magic restricted; Ferti’nier was beginning to find herself at a disadvantage.

Karlston, on the other hand, was very confident in his own strengths, especially in his condensed toxic Territory -even an ordinary demigod wouldn’t be able to get out of that unscathed, let alone this Fallen Angel who only had her strong Territory going for her. With his enemy’s weakness firmly in his grasp, he pressed ever forward, peppering her with his spells till she did not even have the chance to mount a counter-offensive.

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(TL: I’ve decided. I’m capitalising Territory. Would make it easier to read, especially when I actually use the word territory to describe land…)

There was no time for hesitation anymore. With her priorities sorted out, Ferti’nier summoned the Devil King Idol.

At the same time, Karlston fired off his third beam of toxic fumes, only to find that the skies above him had darkened all of the sudden. A gigantic golem was descending from the skies, and its target seemed to be him…

Thanks to Ferti’nier’s timely decision, the green beam ended up fizzling harmlessly against the Devil King Idol. Finally operated by an overlord, the Devil King Idol’s defenses had risen to that of a proper demigod. The greenish beam that had terrorised those before her now seemed more like a child’s water gun -harmless and ineffective.

Failing his special attack, Karlston hurriedly evaded the Devil King Idol’s attack. A deafening boom rocked the area. Just as the Devil King Idol touched down, it immediately leapt off the ground, causing a mini-earthquake.

While Karlston might have avoided being turned into a pancake, Ferti’nier had no intention of letting such a powerful foe off the hook so easily either. Driving the Devil King Idol relentlessly forward, she quickly sent another stomp his way. Caught off guard, the skeletal mage could only scramble once more to evade the attack.

Now that his strongest attack was ineffective, he was truly out of cards to play…

In order to live, he had no choice but to turn tail and run. As he did so, he cursed incoherently to himself. Ordinarily, this invasion of Sable Radiance should have been a done deal. The fact that someone as powerful as Ferti’nier even existed in such a backwater was a miracle in of itself. In fact, never in his wildest dreams would he have expected to bump into a Devil King Idol here, where the laws of the world weren’t even complete…

In order to speed up his escape, he extended his Territory to its fullest. Bearing no heed to the costs, he charged ahead in a straight line, all the while dissolving any creature in his way, Undead or otherwise.