Chapter 242 (2/2)

Playing off that, Randidly would start a little below his max speed as well.

Or at least that was the plan, but…

Her fluidity was on par with Helen’s, but her speed and execution was a world above, at the line of an Artisan. In addition to the powerful movement, her strange, vicious devouring energy billowed outward, moving to engulf Randidly. His immediate response was to retreat, but he had seen how that ended for the people she faced. So, gritting his teeth, Randidly stepped forward and raised his spear.

Her whip spear disappeared, slashing left and right very quickly. Only with Haste and Empower, on top of the passive boost from Flexibility of the White Hunters, did Randidly squeak through unscathed, and he immediately used Idiosyncratic Cut. That seemed to catch her off guard, and she backed off, but now Randidly was just sitting in her pool of vicious energy.

Still, he would not retreat. With his eyes glowing emerald, he flexed his will, spewing energy of his own out into the air, neutralizing the damaging energy by flooding the air with his own Battle Intent. Vaguely, he could tell that he was on the losing end of the energy battle, but for now, it was a loss that he could handle, as long as it blunted the other energies corrosive effects.

Although Randidly was curious how his Vitality boost from Golden Roots of Yggdrasil would contend with the corrosive energy, but this was a match he couldn’t afford to lose. Not time to get scientific right now.

As Randidly closed in, Dian seemed to shift gears, her speed going up by a tick. Randidly countered by speeding up as well, using the active form of the Golden Roots of Yggdrasil to smash through her defenses. This seemed to catch Dian by surprise, because she seemed momentarily at a loss.

Yet there was a strange tickling on the back of Randidly’s neck that made him hop backwards, in spite of the fact that his offensive momentum was lost.

Just in time too, because a wave of energy exploded from Dian, scarlet where her usual energy was maroon, and much, much thicker and more caustic. It ripped through the ambient energy that Randidly had produced, and made his grasp of the Spear Phantom’s Embrace fuzzy, just by brushing against it.

Frowning, Randidly raised his spear and considered his opponent. Dian was definitely breathing hard after that expulsion, and she looked at him with narrowed eyes. It was something that took effort then, and not just another tool she had held back thus far. But still, it seemed that this was a much more concentrated version of the same energy, which was extremely dangerous at all times. The powerful force it created devoured images and skills. Flesh as well.

In the face of that, Randidly needed to overmatch the energy with his own, as well as overwhelming Dian with his physical capabilities and spear skills. Which, considering her abrupt reveal of her true strength, was something of a headache.

Still… no time like the present. Besides, truthfully, Randidly never intended to rely solely on his spear skills in this one. Her strength was too varied and smooth. If she was comfortable…

But of course, Randidly wouldn’t allow that. Reaching down, Randidly put his hands on the ground, channeling mana through him. Instantly, a dozen or so Root Spiders sprang into being, and then began to skitter forward towards Dian’s legs, their root fangs at the ready.

Obviously, this wouldn’t be effective on their own. But after watching how Dian used her energy, it seemed that it was pretty thick and acidic at the height of a human, and would eat its way through armor and weapons. But it had never eaten away at the ground, disturbing her own stance. Which meant that it was strangely selective, or that she controlled the amounts around her in different locations.

So after letting the threat of the Root Spiders register in Dian’s mind, Randidly rushed towards her, spear raised. Her eyes flashed upwards, and she decisively lashed out with her whip spear, destroying several of the Root Spiders.

Which was exactly what Randidly was waiting for. As Dian struck, Spearing Roots ripped upwards, aiming for her unprotected back. Although the tips of the spears began to sizzle and disintegrate, more and more came, and Dian twisted, gathering her weapon back to herself. Which she managed, but only just in time for her to block Randidly’s Sweep, which knocked her backwards a few inches.

But again, Dian upped the tempo, twisting and shimmying her way out of the way of most of the deadlier Spear Roots and scoring a long cut across Randidly’s forearm before she made it away from him, weaving through his strikes. It was infuriating, but…

He did inflict three cuts with his spear, where Flesh Eating Virus would begin to activate. And the Root Spiders had arrived.