Chapter 128: Fierce Battle (Part 1)

"Absolute Zero!"

With a flick of her hand, Mage Relis activated a white scroll. Absolute Zero was a Level One defensive ice spell, instantly dropping the temperature around the caster to a chilling degree. Any attack entering this freezing field would be significantly weakened.

*Hiss.*

As the dark ray passed through Relis's Absolute Zero field, it lost much of its strength. Yet, a small portion still broke through, striking her right shoulder.

Another ray shot toward Lorinka.

Lorinka felt a surge of dread but stayed calm, raising a tan-colored shield inscribed with mystical runes—an artifact she'd spent a considerable number of contribution points to obtain from the Tower of All. She hadn't anticipated needing it during this mission, but now, faced with a life-or-death situation, the rune shield was her last resort.

*Bang!*

The impact caused the runes on the shield to flicker before fading entirely. Cracks quickly spread across the shield until it shattered into fragments. Even with its protection, Lorinka was gravely injured, barely staying conscious.

In an instant, the situation had shifted—Relis and Lorinka were both injured and rendered nearly helpless. Staying alive itself was a testament to their preparation.

It wasn't that Relis and Lorinka were weak; they had received extensive training in the Dark Spirit Realm, and their spell models were stable. They were among the best of their peers compared to independent spellcasters. However, they faced a creature halfway through its evolution into a Blood Bat King. Its dark rays carried power close to a Level Two spell, so it wasn't surprising that they struggled to defend against it.

"Ha! You two will make a perfect feast for my precious..."

The silver-haired elder, pleased with the Dark Blood Bat's display of strength, chuckled wickedly. He had spent over a decade constructing blood pools in secret, evading one spellcaster organization after another. Every time he stirred suspicion, he fled immediately.

Through years of hardship and cunning, he had brought the Dark Blood Bat halfway through its transformation. Now, if he killed these Dark Spirit Realm spellcasters, he could relocate, build another blood pool, and possibly finish the bat's transformation into a full-fledged Blood Bat King.

*Crash!*

The bat demolished Holmes' Earth Cage and then charged directly toward him with a red flash, picking up speed.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The bat disregarded all spells cast against it, its relentless collisions gradually overwhelming Holmes' protective robes. While the enchanted garment was durable, each impact chipped away at its defense. All spell artifacts had their limits, and as the bat's repeated hits dimmed the runes on Holmes's robes, he began to falter.

After another vicious impact, Holmes staggered back, dazed and battered, unable to land an effective blow on the Dark Blood Bat.

*Whoosh!*

Merlin's figure blurred as he used Gale Speed to pull Holmes to safety.

"Mage Holmes, we must combine all our strength, or we're all doomed," Merlin said gravely.

Holmes looked shaken; he had never been in such a precarious situation, and the Dark Blood Bat had left him with no options.

"Merlin, do you have a plan?"

The proud Holmes finally had to admit that Merlin might be their last hope.

Merlin cast a firm look at the Dark Blood Bat and then touched the pendant around his neck. If only the pendant still held numerous Fireballs, the battle wouldn't be so one-sided.

But Merlin quickly suppressed these thoughts; he was much stronger now than he'd been before. "Holmes, I need your enchanted robe," he said firmly.

Holmes hesitated. This robe was his last line of defense; without it, he'd be in significant danger. Yet Merlin's determination suggested a final gambit. Gritting his teeth, Holmes removed the robe and handed it over.

"Merlin, if this fails, we're all done for."

Merlin nodded solemnly, donning the robe. Instantly, he felt its protective power surround him. However, the bat's repeated attacks had weakened the runes, and the robe wouldn't hold out for long.

"The Dark Blood Bat is nearly impossible to kill outright, but eliminating the one controlling it—the silver-haired elder—is achievable!"

Merlin's gaze flickered to both the bat and its master. This half-evolved Dark Blood Bat was exceedingly tough; even Merlin's Greater Freeze spell barely scratched it.

The only way to survive was to kill the silver-haired elder. As a ritual shaman, his power over the bat was absolute. If the shaman died, his control would collapse, and so would the creature. This vulnerability was the greatest weakness of a ritual shaman.

However, Merlin knew the elder would command the bat to launch an all-out attack. Whether he could withstand that onslaught was uncertain—hence his need for Holmes's enchanted robe.

*Whoosh!*

Merlin sprang into action, summoning a surge of wind element around him. He unleashed his spells without holding back, pouring every last bit of his magic into them.

"Fireball!"

One Fireball after another pelted the bat like a hailstorm, interspersed with massive, explosive fireballs. Merlin's mental power had reached such a level that his casting speed was nearly instantaneous, releasing more than forty fireballs in one go.

With his current resources, he could cast fifty Fireballs or Ice Freezes consecutively. In an instant, he drained much of the Fireball model's magic.

"Explode!"

The cave roared with explosions, waves of heat filling the air. Merlin knew that none of these fire spells would harm the Dark Blood Bat, but they served as a distraction, buying him precious seconds.

In addition to the Fireballs, Merlin cast an enhanced version of Thunder Web, followed by a barrage of Ice Freezes, bombarding the bat with spell after spell. The cave seemed filled with a tempest of magical fury; even Holmes was left slack-jawed at the spectacle.

At that moment, Holmes finally grasped the true gap in strength between him and Merlin.

On the high altar, the silver-haired elder watched the onslaught in shock, but his worry was fleeting. He knew these attacks posed little threat to the Dark Blood Bat.

"Ha! Waste your magic all you want; it won't matter!"

But as he laughed, the elder noticed something unsettling—Merlin was smiling, and he had already turned to sprint straight toward him.

"Not good! He's coming for me!"

Realizing Merlin's intent, the elder quickly commanded the bat to gather dark energy and prepare another Dark Ray.

*Whoosh!*

Merlin's speed surged, his wind elemental aura reaching its peak. This was the first time he used an enhanced version of Gale Speed, intending to catch his foe off guard at this crucial moment.