Chapter 282 (1/2)

With his timeline sped up by his opponent’s lack of charm, Randidly was forced to burn another 5% of his mana pool, smashing Drak with more attacks of Spearing Roots. It wasn’t that they weren’t effective, he was clearly feeling sore and tender in some spots from the hits. It was just that they were called Spearing Roots, not Hammering Roots, and Randidly left every trade feeling like he had spent too much for too little.

But, to be fair, that feeling might be mutual, after all of the annoying things Randidly had pulled. Well, it was the semi finals, and this was the last opponent that Randidly really planned to fight. But in his heart, he knew he could push Drak just a little further. His mouth spread wider in a grin.

Everything went into this. But Randidly needed a bit more time to do what he had planned, to shatter Drak’s confidence and force him to reveal the true trump card of his Style. The interference of the Spearing Roots was important but…

Randidly’s eyes flitted across the battlefield, even as he felt his Health, Mana, and Stamina tick slowly downward. The problem was he just didn’t have time. The strength of the image that Drak was conjuring-

Pausing, Randidly ruminated on that idea, or at least he wanted to, but he was forced to scramble backwards as Drak finished just bulldozing his way through the spells and arrived in front of Randidly. At this point, Randidly held no misunderstandings about his own ability to cope with Drak in a frontal attack. His spear skills were so far above Randidly’s that it was disgusting.

Drak practically acted as though his spear wasn’t there, and had left his initial spear broken, his arm shattered.

Dodging to the side, a realization hit Randidly, making his heart sink. In that moment, that attack that had wounded his arm… Drak probably could have ended the fight, even killed him. But he hadn’t. He had broken his weapon and main arm, then kept coming. It had been a ploy to break and hurt him, regardless of how the outcome of the fight would have gone.

Drak Wyrd hadn’t taken him seriously enough to finish when he had the chance.

All that rage and fear that Randidly could have been killed crystallized in his chest, forming an icy cold core, even while his bones began to burn, with increasing intensity and heat. Drak lashed out again, his spear a flash of light, the giant rising sun above them rumbling, forcing Randidly to use Phantom Half Step, sending himself backwards.

Grunting, this time Drak thrust, his spear becoming a burning light that left Randidly blinded.

Randidly’s breathing slowed his senses at their peak. The Aether in his body roared, swirling wildly, growing and building, seemingly furious at being cooped up so long within his body.

And Randidly felt it too, that Drak’s attack just kept extending, a thrust, targeting the fact that Phantom Half Step could only retreat in a straight line away from the force. Randidly’s body trembled as he tested it. Gritting his teeth, Randidly let his breathing slow further, smashing Drak with a directed attack of Anguish.

The spear slowed somewhat, but did not falter. But that was all the extra time that Randidly needed.

It had to be perfect timing, or-

His mana dropped precipitously low. Ash to Ash.

The spear had already drawn a drop of blood, sinking its tip into Randidly’s chest when he activated the skill, so his body immediately exploded in a cloud of hot and acrid ash. Instantly, Randidly reformed behind Drak, raising his spear.

His right arm twitched painfully, raising and gripping the shaft gingerly.

With a speed that didn’t seem fair Drak twisted around, his spear hitting the spot where Randidly had been at the waist. Luckily, Randidly was already ascending to the sky, utilizing Pierce the Skies, Shatter the Earth to move rapidly out of the way, without the predictability of Phantom Half Step.

Less than 10% mana, 19% Stamina, although that was rising rapidly with Second Wind, and only 24% Health. Really getting down to the wire.

But of course, Randidly had a 4th resource, one that he still had in a large supply.