Chapter 921 (2/2)

But… this isn’t enough. Threats from the Ogre World, the Frogpeople, the other Zones looking for weaknesses… our enemies are mounting. You need to wake up. You’ve forgotten that we will die if you don’t keep moving forward.

Maybe that was the reason that Randidly had decided to challenge Donnyton. Because although he had this deep fear that even Donnyton wasn’t strong enough, he wanted to be proven wrong. He would have liked nothing better than to come out here and be struck down by the Squads of Donnyton.

Yet that hadn’t happened yet.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” Randidly said quietly.

The overseer in charge of this batch of squads was a broad-shouldered woman holding a greataxe. She nodded respectfully at Randidly’s words and then barked out a series of orders. Her voice seemed to cut through the whole arena, immediately banish all talk from the stands.

Everyone was intent on the action in the arena.

“First Position!” The woman bellowed.

Instantly, the eight groupings fractured into dozens of smaller groups, moving apart into a specific formation. The varying groups rotated around him a series of rings. Skills rapidly began to rain toward Randidly as the long-range attackers sought to keep him on the back foot with sheer numbers.

As ash spiraled slowly around Randidly, he watched the shifting formation in front of him with interest. Honestly, Randidly never had much experience with commanding troops. Even during the genesis of Donnyton, Randidly simply led by killing more monsters than anyone else. He never had any real grasp of strategy or tactics. So it was intriguing to see the different methods that they used to deal with him.

Although Randidly might not have any experience leading, Randidly had plenty of experience fighting against varying numbers of opponents. Instantly, his emerald gaze scanned the surroundings and arrived at a single conclusion: insufficient.

You correctly saw that my ash blades can only remain active within a certain radius of me, so you split into almost forty smaller teams so it will take me longer to eliminate them, Randidly thought with disappointment as the ash around him cut the oncoming Skills out of the air. Ideally, this time would allow you to tire me out…

A fine strategy, but… will it really be me that tires out first…? Randidly barred his teeth at the opposing commander, who measured him with a steady gaze. The entire while, she moved professionally with her small grouping, protecting a relatively powerful mage who through slashes of darkness toward Randidly.

A wind came then, pulling small flakes of dried blood left by the wounded and gathering them into the air. Slowly, a darkness came across the arena once more. It seemed their commander understood what was happening, at least, because she gave an order to increase the frequency of attacks.

Globs of poison, swords of darkness, lances of light, waves of frost, bolts of fire, huge masses of arcane energy, empowered arrows and javelins, bullets empowered with Mana… Projectiles came toward Randidly like drops of water in a rainstorm. The churning ash around him began to roil and seeth, more and more forming as Randidly fed the Skill a thread of Mana. Very soon, it seemed Randidly was standing in the eye of a whirlwind of ash.

As the projectiles increased, so did the blades Randidly used in his defense. He didn’t move, standing very still and looking out toward the arena. All the while, that strange wind continued to blow, gathering the dried blood from those that came before.

Slowly, that dried blood spun upward and joined some of the dissipated ash from the blades Randidly used in his own defense. More and more accumulated, forming into a tightly packed ball of ash, spilled blood, and resentment.

From that, the Ashen Phantom was born.

This time, when the Ashen Phantom roared and exploded outward into its form, the entire arena could hear the raw noise of it. This time, Randidly’s image was much more concrete. As its hideous screams rocked the arena, the rain of projectile’s faltered.

This time, when it released a breath, it spat out enough bloodlust that Randidly could tell the weaker spectators weren’t able to breathe.

Ash exploded outward in a wave. Once more, the iron-grey skeleton condensed while a haze of ash kept its body indistinct. Once more, it did not possess a lower jaw, and its upper teeth stabbed downward out of its maw. Its dagger-like fingers flashed, tasting the edge of its ash cloud.

This time, however, it was clear that the coloration of the skeleton shifted from the core toward its hands. The change was gradual, but the while the rib cage was grey, the phantom’s fingers were almost entirely maroon.

This was an image thoroughly stained with blood.

Rumbling clouds rolled overhead as the phantom bellowed again. Those constant waves of ash soon filled the entirety of the arena. Randidly grinned.

All at once, one thousand blades of ash condensed, covering the entire combat space. The leader of the Squad paled as she looked up at the darkly gleaming blades.

Now do you get it? With an image, this is possible. This will be much weaker than a Skill, but…

Without any warning, the blades began screaming down toward the Squad members.

...this isn’t something you can beat just by being dependable.