Chapter 581: Incinerate (1/2)
Chapter 581 Incinerate
“Want to team up? You didn’t come back in time,” she said, still holding him.
Ilea displaced the both of them away from the quickly advancing machine.
The elf hissed, now flying next to her as the Praetorian ran up on magical platforms. “It would be more efficient, for our purpose here,” he hissed through gritted teeth, likely not from physical pain.
An arcane field appeared between them and the Praetorian, the creature stopped by the floating rune like apparition. Its silver body glowed before a blast of void magic tore through the field which shattered in an instant.
“Impressive,” Asay said in an intrigued voice.
“My spells will be mostly useless against this one,” Farthorn admitted, looking at the creature with apprehension in his eyes. “I shall inform Isalthar,” he said and vanished.
Didn’t expect him to back down that quickly, Ilea thought, appreciating the rational thinking.
[Executioner Praetorian – lvl ???]
Ilea displaced herself and Feyrair again to get away. The elf’s legs and armor had reformed by now. “It’s above level eight hundred,” she supplied.
“A worthy challenge,” Feyrair noted. “Be wary, it can recover from damage. I’ve thrown everything I had at it but it wasn’t enough to overwhelm it. And it learns, far faster than a normal version.”
“Let’s try together then,” Ilea said with a smile. “What’s your Void Magic Resistance at?”
“Highest second tier,” the elf said. “Can you hold it off while I rest a little?”
“Of course,” Ilea said and vanished.
She appeared close to the Executioner, her own reflection visible on its silver body. Ilea saw its head turn as it moved, its two green eyes shining bright.
It turned in midair, ignoring the ashen limbs that moved towards its body as it slashed at her with incredible speed, magic vibrating at the tip of its two curved blade arms.
Ilea moved her wings, barely able to get out of range as her ash hit a shimmering purple shield, spreading both fire and cinders. She watched the creature take another step, catching up with her and slashing once again. Her eyes opened wide when her precognition informed her about the incoming damage.
A smile blossomed on her face as she blocked the attack with her arm, the thin silver blade cutting through her armor in an instant, severing flesh and muscle alike before it bit into her bone. And she held, fire spreading onto her enemy as her ashen limbs continued to crash into its barrier.
She felt the void magic tearing at the fabric of her being, her hand extended to stop the second blade coming at her.
The Executioner moved its blade back, instead going for a thrust towards her stomach.
Ilea blinked behind it, her fist hitting once before the machine had turned again, one blade coming at her with a horizontal swipe while the other stabbed at her with precise and quick moves, the silver arm molding into a straight rapier like extension.
She simply let the attacks happen, several of her organs pierced by the blade that managed to punch through her armor. Ilea watched as her white flame shimmered on its shield, slowly burning through the powerful defensive barrier.
When the Executioner aimed for her eye instead, Ilea vanished again. She wasn’t sure if the thing could somehow pierce her brain but she wouldn’t want to find out.
Her wings moved as she circled the floating being, its steps sure and quick as it ran at her. A wave of void magic formed in an instant, precognition the only reason she managed to displace herself in time to avoid the spell. A set of intrusion and ash attacks crashed into the creature before it turned to retaliate.
Ilea had already blinked again but this time she found the being was already turning. Her ash slashed into the shield at the same time as her body was pierced by the thin silver blades, one of them narrowly missing her eye thanks to her movement.
“Be careful!” Feyrair shouted, still recovering from his extended battle with the creature.
“How did-” Ilea replied, teleporting twice to deliver a single blow, retreating a few meters again before she dodged seven quick thrusts. “...you survive this long,” she got out, spreading her flaming ash onto the being, gaps in its dense shield starting to show.
“It only showed up in the end, after I had destroyed the rest,” Feyrair said. “My changed form could resist the damage for longer.”
Are you telling me his armor is stronger than mine? Ilea wondered. She had dealt with the arcane lightning more efficiently. And his fire wasn’t much trouble to her but then again, she had her healing and insane resistances. Had she won their bouts thanks to her intrusion more than anything else? I mean he’s got a dragon related Class. You’d hope he’s resilie-
Her thought was interrupted by the Executioner, the creature closing the distance yet again.
“When can you change again?” she asked, dodging four blows before she traded the next three for a few punches, one of them hitting the steel itself, her magic spreading into it.
Her innards were pierced and slashed apart, her fists crashing against the shield and body of the creature. She teleported away to heal, forced to distance herself further with a second spell when she saw the being advance quickly.
Doesn’t even have wings, she thought, flying around it as they traded blows. The machine certainly learned and adapted quickly but Ilea had enough experience to match it in that department. She started to understand the void blades better as well, knowing now that they didn’t just pierce her ash but force it apart on a minuscule level. Enough to destabilize the integrity of her armor and push the silver blades through.
I need more ash density for this guy, she thought, intrigued by the way it applied its magic. Almost surgical, compared to the other void users she had faced before who seemed more inclined to use a brute force approach.
Ilea raised her hand, stopping the blade going for her eye as her reversed healing poured into it, most of its shield gone by now, unable to reform in the construct consuming flames. At least it knows that I don’t want my head pierced, she thought with a smirk, turning her head to the side to let the blade slam into her skull, stopped by her bone that apparently resisted the void more so than her ash.
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Feyrair stopped himself from jumping into battle, his changed form still not ready, let alone his mana. He needed more, focusing on the surrounding magic, dense and nearly fluid to his eyes. It rushed into him, filling him with power and purpose. The urge to shred the Executioner apart was great but he needed to focus on control.
It had proved to be too dangerous for him alone to defeat. If they wanted to stand a chance without invoking Isalthar, they had to work together. And he needed to trust the human who had demonstrated her superiority to him many times before.
Exciting really, to know that a human out of all the species he had faced could challenge him. Perhaps Ben had been right all along, and their worth was far beyond what they had thought. He grinned at the thought, more proof that the domains were nothing but arrogant fools, their ancient ways foolish and stagnant. He couldn’t wait for Ilea to reach the heights of Isalthar, or perhaps even that of the Oracles themselves.
Only for him to drop her in their midst. Let them go mad, he thought, laughing out loud.
Asay floated a little farther away, giving him a look as he hissed.
“You should be watching her instead, scholar,” Feyrair said without glancing over.
The mage grinned. “Oh, but I am,” he said. “Her displays of space magic are quite impressive.”
Space magic? Her fast teleportation? Feyrair questioned. He wouldn’t admit a lack of understanding to the old fool. Her ability to teleport even when they touch… that’s what he means.
Ilea moved around the massive being like an insect, her fists and moving ash stinging with powerful blasts of both intrusive mana and physical strength.
He had endured it himself after all. His mana was reaching acceptable levels and his spell was ready once again. “I could join, or wait a little longer!” he shouted to the human.
“It’s fi-” she got out, deflecting another set of attacks as her mana burned into the shieldless machine. “Recover.”
“She doesn’t need our help,” Asay said in a mocking tone.
Feyrair ground his teeth and suppressed a hiss. And how exactly does that not hurt your ego? How can you look so disinterested when she calls for us to show our power?
“I shall meet her challenge, when I’m-” his voice got stuck when he watched Ilea miss the last of a series of feints, her hand pierced and pushed aside when the second blade slammed deep into her eye.
Her body twitched, her left eye losing focus.
Feyrair watched as the Praetorian slashed through her body with its second blade, dozens of thrusts in mere moments, each ripping through the ash that moved to defend the disabled healer. Limbs of ash still crashed into the creature, moving wildly, as if in a panic.
“It is time,” Asay said.