Chapter 0056: The Explosive Mage Shows Her Power Again

Upon hearing the chaotic cooing, Di Ping immediately felt a chill run down his spine. He thought, This is bad!

He had been too focused on dealing with the mutated cat earlier, forgetting that there was a group of mutated shrikes still in the sky. As he moved from the cover of the trees and grass, he had exposed himself in the middle of the open road, making him highly visible.

The sound of the cat's agonized cries had echoed far and wide. Unless the shrikes were both blind and deaf—which was highly unlikely—they were sure to have heard it. The moment he heard their urgent calls overhead, he realized the danger. There was no time to cover everything.

"Gina, get down!"

Di Ping shouted urgently, not having time to think further.

He looked up and, as expected, the shrikes that had been flying overhead moments ago were now circling in the sky. With the rising coos, dozens of them suddenly dove from above, descending like bombs. Di Ping's heart skipped a beat.

These were no small number of shrikes. Thirty or more of them, coming at once—handling that many would be a challenge. Even if they weren't too difficult to kill, a couple of sharp pecks would be painful. Their hooked beaks alone made it clear that they weren't as harmless as they seemed.

"Why aren't you moving?"

Di Ping, just about to look for shelter himself, turned to see Gina standing motionless. A surge of frustration hit him. Didn't I tell you to hide? Why are you just standing there?

"Master?"

Gina, standing still, looked at him with a wronged expression but seemed to have no idea where to go. Her gaze scanned the area helplessly.

"Damn it."

Di Ping cursed under his breath, suddenly realizing there was nowhere to take cover. The open road offered no protection, and the nearby elevated bridge was useless. Its height, about ten meters, would provide no cover against so many shrikes. He glanced around in frustration, with only small trees offering minimal cover.

"Fine! Looks like I'll have to cook a few shrikes for dinner!"

With no place to hide, Di Ping stomped his foot, gritted his teeth, and declared. He tossed his sword sheath aside, gripped his sword with both hands, and stared sharply at the sky.

"Gina, hide behind a tree!"

Without looking back, he gave Gina a quick command.

The shrikes were fast, like arrows falling from the sky. With the sound of their cries and the whistling of their wings, they were upon Di Ping in an instant. His hands gripped the sword tightly as he steeled himself for the attack.

"Whoosh…"

Suddenly, Di Ping saw a dozen small fireballs shoot out from behind him, trailing smoke like rockets, heading straight for the descending shrikes.

The shrikes seemed to sense the threat, flapping their wings furiously to slow their descent.

The sky erupted into chaos as the shrikes collided mid-air, scrambling to avoid each other. Their frantic flapping only made things worse, and it was too late for them to escape.

"Boom…"

With a deafening explosion, the fireballs detonated, creating a dazzling display of sparks and flames. The shrikes were trapped in the explosion's center, wings severed, feathers scattered. The flames adhered to their bodies like poison, igniting them and transforming them into fiery birds. They flapped their blazing wings, turning the sky into a field of burning red.

The crackling sounds of flames were accompanied by the shrieks of the shrikes, a heartbreaking and brutal scene.

"Whoosh…"

"Thud…"

The shrikes, like birds shot from the sky, fell to the ground, flames still burning as they plummeted. The air was filled with the smell of charred flesh and burning feathers. Di Ping could hear the constant sound of them hitting the ground, followed by the sizzles of fire consuming their bodies.

Within a minute, the last shrike fell to the ground, reduced to a pile of ashes. The road was now covered in blackened remains, still smoldering, while the once noisy environment had fallen into an eerie silence. The only sound left was the occasional hiss from the still-burning carcasses.

The smoke from the fireballs slowly dissipated into the air. Di Ping stood frozen, his sword held high, motionless. He was in a state of shock, his gaze fixed on the smoldering pile of shrike remains on the ground, unable to process what had just happened.

If the fireball that killed the mutated cat had shocked him, this display of magic completely shattered his understanding.

He hadn't expected that a mage would have such devastating power in reality. The use of elements was far beyond ordinary physical strength. Di Ping knew he could kill these mutated shrikes with his own strength, but it would be impossible to do so without taking some damage. He hadn't yet reached the level where he could fight without getting injured.

Killing thirty of these shrikes would take several minutes, and he was fully aware of his own limitations. In this post-apocalyptic world, failing to recognize one's own strength could lead to death faster than anything else.

Yet, the mage's simple spell had eliminated all the shrikes in seconds. Di Ping recalled that the spell was called Ignition in the game, essentially a group version of Fireball that released multiple fireballs to create chain explosions, causing both explosive and fire damage. In the game, it had always seemed like just a set of data. He never imagined it could be so terrifying in reality. Di Ping regretted his decision to choose the warrior class.

He had chosen the warrior because of its direct combat style—every strike filled with power and bloodshed. The idea of a heroic, exhilarating battle seemed exciting. But after seeing the mage's devastating spell, the warrior's skills seemed plain and outdated by comparison. He regretted it deeply.

Looking back at Gina, who stood quietly behind him, Di Ping's heart was a whirlwind of emotions. Gina seemed to sense his gaze, and her face turned pink. She lowered her head, embarrassed, unwilling to meet his eyes.

"Oh my god…"

Di Ping smacked his forehead in disbelief. So this is the female mage who can annihilate dozens of mutated shrikes with a mere wave of her hand?

He couldn't even believe it himself. The seemingly shy and delicate woman before him was actually capable of such devastating destruction.