Immediately thereafter, the flames erupting from the creature’s joints propelled the lion-like giant’s figure forward, delivering a powerful blow to Lennok.
Boom!!
The force of the impact was so tremendous that it wouldn’t be surprising if it caused the body’s internal organs to rupture upon a direct hit.
However, Lennok’s response was not to evade the attack but to counter with the frigid power emanating from his hand.
Crack!
In an instant, the solid mass of icy coldness materialized in front of them shattered upon absorbing the white lion’s assault. The scattered shield fragments deflected the now-weakened impact.
“That flame just now… it looks very familiar.”
Amidst the hundreds of ice crystals shattering and dispersing in the air, Lennok, with his purple eyes gleaming, remarked.
The art of ice-based creation magic.
[Crystal Explosion]
Boom!
The mana held by Lennok resonated with hundreds of ice crystals, causing them to detonate in mid-air.
While each individual crystal might lack the strength to scratch the robust body before them, when layered in the hundreds and unleashed in succession, it posed a formidable threat.
However, instead of retreating, the white lion swung the ax in his grasp with manic fervor, laughing uproariously.
“Hahaha!!!”
Using the flat side of his double-edged ax, he deftly deflected the crystal explosions that erupted right before him, continuing his relentless charge.
His attack was unrelenting, as though he had abandoned all caution.
Yet even Lennok, amidst this intense exchange, noticed something remarkable about the trajectory of the hefty double-edged ax.
In an instant, the white lion closed the distance once more, swinging his ax with enough force to cleave Lennok in two at the waist.
Whoosh!!
Flames billowed out from behind the ax, akin to a rocket booster, accelerating the massive iron weapon.
The pressure it generated felt as though it compressed the very air itself.
Despite the lethal aura that seemed to paralyze his entire body, Lennok casually flicked his finger.
Simultaneously, as lightning illuminated the darkened sky, a brilliant blue bolt of lightning descended directly in front of Lennok.
[Thunder Calling]
Boom!!
The lightning, striking from the heavens to the earth, collided perfectly with the blade of the white lion’s ax, piercing through the creature’s entire form and coursing down the heavy steel shaft.
“That…!!”
Lennok had not anticipated the white lion would merely absorb the blow, let alone launch a counterattack before Lennok’s own assault landed.
An excruciating pain, akin to the burning and withering of every muscle in his body, engulfed Lennok. But the white lion pressed on, undeterred.
Crunch!!
With bloodshot eyes, the lion-like giant clenched his teeth as though attempting to shatter them, and swung his arm.
The colossal ax blade, once more propelled by its fiery booster, sliced through Lennok’s entire frame diagonally from below.
Crack!!
Five layers of shields shattered instantaneously, pulverizing Lennok’s limbs that stood beyond them.
Ice fragments exploded into shards, scattering amidst the remnants of Lennok’s frail, torn-apart body.
Amidst the hundreds of smooth ice fragments, each akin to a mirror, both the white lion and Lennok’s forms were reflected.
Among these reflective surfaces displaying the shattered visage of Lennok, one particularly sizable ice fragment presented an intact image of him.
“Aaaaah!!”
It was only then that the white lion realized he had been ensnared by an illusion magic employing the reflections of the crystals.
Lennok, unscathed amidst the twinkling radiance of the ice crystals, continued his relentless motion.
Utilizing his unique lightning-based magic.
Property Change: Disperse
[Constant Thunder]
Boom!!
In his hand, a sphere of violently whirling lightning formed.
Harnessing the control of six distinct streams of mana simultaneously, Lennok fused them into a singular sphere, setting it into rapid rotation to generate an immense surge of lightning.
Lennok’s exclusive magic, condensed to its utmost limits within his grasp, erupted directly before the white lion.
Boom!!
A vivid azure lightning illuminated the night sky, coinciding with the shattering of half of the levitating stone slab.
It emitted an intense heat capable of searing the soul and a blinding brilliance that threatened to scorch the eyes.
Thorben Tower’s distinctive magic, unrivaled in terms of instantaneous firepower among all elemental powers, enveloped and engulfed the entire frame of the white lion.
“Hahaha!!!”
Despite the agony that made him scream, the beast was consumed by manic laughter.
It was the ecstasy of battle, the intoxication of slaughter that had driven the creature to madness, echoing through the ash-filled night sky.
Boom!!
Emerging from the tempest of lightning, the white lion retreated for the first time, his once-lush mane now in tatters.
However, his eyes still gleamed menacingly with a murderous intent.
The flames gently cloaking the lion giant’s entire form had somewhat shielded him from the onslaught of Lennok’s Constant Thunder.
Lennok regarded him with a slight furrow of his brow.
“Man-eating lion… I thought it was just a disgusting taste, but there was a reason behind it.”
“……”
“Can you use the mana of the humans you’ve consumed as prey?”
The flames employed by the white lion were not an innate ability of this lion giant. Rather, they bore a structure more akin to the unique magic of the Blaiver Tower, as Lennok had previously sensed.
While using flames as a booster, injected between joints or infused into weapons, was one thing, Lennok had not anticipated the lion wrapping his entire body in flames to withstand the onslaught of Lennok’s lightning and then retreat.
Such a level of application was beyond the capabilities of mere artifacts or relics.
It would only be achievable if he had directly employed the mana of the Tower elders he had consumed as his prey in this pit.
Realizing that his capabilities had been exposed, the white lion finally wiped the drool from his mouth and offered a smirk.
“Huh… Surprising, isn’t it?”
“……”
“Taking the power of your prey is a predator’s privilege. And I am, by far, at the top among all predators in the world.”
Lennok responded with a wry smile to his self-indulgent statement.
“I thought you just had a disgusting taste, but your thoughts are no different from a beast’s.”
“What?”
“You think the power stolen from others is your own? I wonder how you’ve survived this long with such a mindset.”
“……”
“If it’s a cannibalistic ability, it’s probably a skill created by altering Gias. And if you can immediately use the power of your victims, it’s not even a permanent theft. What makes you so arrogant?”
Cornered by Lennok’s incisive critique, the white lion found himself at a loss for words.
Lennok, who had faced numerous superhumans in countless battles, possessed an acute understanding of the various types of adversaries he had encountered.
Among them were formidable individuals who had achieved their status through legitimate means, but also numerous others who had forcefully enhanced their powers through substances or temporary constraints.
Although their encounter had been brief, Lennok had already surmised how the white lion had come into possession of his power.
While the white lion’s level was undoubtedly at the 7th level, the power within his microcosm was markedly distorted.
Could an ability rooted in cannibalism truly compare to the law-bending abilities of Antares or Evelyn?
It would be more fitting to liken him to the head of the Cartel, Girard Ojette, who had uniquely manifested his twisted psyche as a magical property change.
A cold, taunting grin curled at the corner of Lennok’s lips.
“You call yourself a predator, but you can’t even follow the footsteps of a Croken… It’s a pity that you, in the form of a lion, can’t even catch a crocodile.”
“……”
Overwhelmed by Lennok’s incisive taunt, the white lion hung his head low.
It wasn’t that Lennok’s words were beneath response; quite the opposite. His barb had struck precisely where it hurt the lion giant the most.
A low growl rumbled from the lion’s throat as he shouldered his double-edged ax and crouched down.
“Geonis. Join the fight.”
“…I know.”
“We can kill this vermin here and now. Such an opportunity won’t come easily.”
Despite the seemingly evenly matched battle, the white lion instinctively recognized the advantage he held, driven by his primal instincts.
With a numerical advantage of 2 to 1 and their ability to engage effectively in close combat, they possessed a well-rounded formation with both front and rear protection.
Furthermore, the scorching volcanic terrain favored a fire mage, with the unstable, floating stone slabs beneath their feet providing an advantageous platform.
No obstructions, and, on the contrary, tower survivors to distract Lennok.
It would be a disgrace to retreat with such a favorable set of circumstances.
Thick saliva dripped from the lion giant’s jaws, moistening the earth below.
“Just thinking about chewing off the limbs of that arrogant brat and taking just his head to that old man… It’s an exciting thought.”
“I’ll go for a large-scale spell. Avoid it on your own.”
“Of course… Geonis!”
Boom!!
Simultaneously with those words, the white lion propelled himself forward, exerting pressure on the stone slab beneath him.
In an instant, as the slab tilted slightly, the gap between Lennok and the white lion diminished at an alarming rate.
At the same time, Geonis commenced the incantation of his unique magic.
Heat-based unique magic.
[Wheel of Fire]
[Flame Arrival]
He harnessed the ceaseless heat emanating from beneath the crater, transmuting it into flames.
In a flash, dozens of fiery wheels materialized in mid-air, then sped across the stone slab, etching a colossal ring of fire.
The blazing wheels illuminated the acrid atmosphere, each one spinning and pulverizing the stone slab into fragments, which were subsequently incinerated and scattered into the night sky.
Utilizing these dispersed fragments as stepping stones, the white lion altered his trajectory dozens of times while airborne, ultimately bringing his ax down directly above Lennok’s head.
Thud Thud Thud Thud!!!
“Haaaa!!!”
The towering giant, standing at a height of three meters, moved through the air as though gravity held no sway over him.
The double-edged ax, slashing along the shortest path at a diagonal angle, split into four trajectories, gleaming in mid-air as it aimed for four crucial points on Lennok’s body.
Even if Lennok managed to foresee and counter this savage assault, he would still have to contend with Geonis’ ferocious onslaught.
Dozens of fiery wheels hurtling toward Lennok divided into hundreds of spear-like projectiles mid-air, twirling in place.
Then they descended upon the stone slab, setting the sky ablaze with crimson.
Boom!!
Ironically, what facilitated this audacious joint attack was the lion giant’s formidable combat prowess, roaring defiantly before Lennok.
Endowed with innate physical prowers and untamed wild instincts, coupled with the assimilation of magic from the Tower elders he had devoured, the white lion displayed an uncanny ability to synchronize seamlessly with Geonis’s magic.
Could there be a more favorable environment for the two to eliminate a mage?
The relentless onslaught of firepower and pressure, capable of reducing a human to mere dust, continued without respite.
Crash Crash Crash Crash!!!!
A melding of physical force and sorcery.
A ferocious assault that left no assurance of survival, even if it were a formidable warrior standing in the wizard’s place rather than Lennok.
“Hahaaa!!”
For the final time, the lion roared voraciously, bringing his ax down with the force of a throw, causing the blade to erupt in towering flames.
The stone slab, spanning several meters in radius, teetered precariously in mid-air.
Creak!!!
As Geonis, grasping the tilting slab, adjusted his position, the white lion, spinning roughly mid-air, touched down directly before him.
Growl!!
“Geonis!! What’s taking so long! I clearly told you to keep bombarding him with magic!!”
Thuran’s deafening roar left Geonis frowning.
“Thuran, calm down. We need to conserve our mana.”
A booming voice, unable to tolerate a moment of silence, vented its anger.
Concealing such power within the Tower was virtually impossible, with countless mage eyes scrutinizing their actions.
That’s why Geonis had returned to the Tower, subtly influencing public opinion from within, and brought in Thuran under the guise of being deceased.
“It definitely felt like I had him!!”
“It’s not about the battle. We need to conserve strength to move the furnace.”
Geonis sighed deeply.
“Remember, I’m cooperating with the spellbreakers because they said they could lift my restrictions. Follow my lead in this matter.”
“Heh, what’s the problem if we’re low on mana?”
Thuran laughed with a menacing aura.
“If need be, we can just consume a few more mages from the Tower.”
“……”
“Oh? Don’t tell me you’re now saying we shouldn’t eat any more.”
A smug grin crept across the lion giant’s lips.
“I’ve fed you dozens for this moment today, haven’t I? Once you’ve been given prey, you’re responsible for it.”
“……I know. I have no regrets.”
Geonis gritted his teeth and lifted his head.
“My time of dedication to the Tower is over. Now, I live for myself.”
“That’s right. That’s the spirit……”
Boom!!
In an instant, as Thuran nodded with a smirk, his head was suddenly slammed into the ground.
A colossal ice pillar descended from the heavens, crushing the white lion beneath it. On the other side of the ice pillar, Geonis stared in disbelief at the mirrored reflection of purple.
“Cr, crazy……”
“Are you done talking?”
The shields and fragments of ice crystals behind Lennok vanished into the dust and ash.
“……!!!”
The duel with Geonis.
Having acquired ice magic capable of freezing and directly utilizing mana, Lennok’s combat style had evolved once more.
Unlike his previous approach, where he primarily relied on shields to withstand attacks, Lennok now actively engaged in combat by physically crafting objects through ice magic.
In contrast to the ever-expanding pyro-magic characteristic of the Blaiver Tower, the primary feature of ice-based creation magic lay in the extraordinary efficiency of converting mana into tangible form.
Lennok anticipated the impending onslaught, solidified the mana entirely, and fashioned the desired shield accordingly.
It wasn’t merely about standing one’s ground; even the shattered fragments were repurposed as shields, effectively thwarting all incoming attack patterns.
With his third eye selectively responding to the onslaught from the two superhumans, Lennok skillfully preserved his body amid the immense storm of firepower.
“You… how did you…”
Though his hair was lightly singed, and a trickle of blood traced a scratch on his cheek, could that be considered an injury?
The presence of only such minor scrapes served as evidence that Lennok had meticulously calculated every offense and defense, minimizing the extent of harm.
The notion of enduring such a relentless physical barrage in place seemed implausible, and Geonis, struggling to comprehend, trembled as he attempted to speak.
Crash!!
“Khaaaak!!”
As the ice pillar shattered like fragile glass, the white lion emerged from beneath it.
His eyes blazed a furious, bloodshot red.
“This bastard!!!! This time, I’ll slaughter you from head to toe!!”
“How similar our thoughts are.”
Lennok smirked, even as the lion threatened to eviscerate him.
“However… let’s change the stage a bit.”
“…What?”
Lennok refrained from answering directly.
Instead, an explosion erupted from below, sweeping aside everything in its proximity.
Boom!!
It wasn’t merely a simple explosion; it was a formidable strike that momentarily tilted the floating stone slab.
As Geonis, somewhat dazed, surveyed his surroundings, Thuran, who quickly discerned that something was amiss, shouted out.
“Geonis!! It’s from the southwest!!”
“!!!!”
Just as Geonis turned his head, a green streak streaked across the night sky at a velocity faster than sound.
Beyond the crater, near the expansive volcanic expanse, the streak struck the stone slab.
Boom!!
With another shockwave, the slab tipped significantly.
Finally, as Geonis caught sight of Lennok’s smiling countenance, his complexion drained of color.
“Wait, don’t tell me this is…!!”
“Caught on, have you?”
Lennok retreated with a grin.
“In our group, only one person can perform such long-range shooting.”
“…I’ve made a mistake.”
Geonis muttered darkly.
He had weighed the risk of being pinpointed by Evelyn during their previous skirmish.
However, rapid support of this nature would have been inconceivable without prior coordination.
The mastermind behind all this now stood before him, laughing.
“So after agreeing to scout the volcanic region, you were actually waiting for this moment……!!”
“If this is the game you’ve set up, I have no choice but to shatter the entire board.”
Lennok had previously witnessed the genuine worth of her exceptional archery skills during their past collaborations.
Her capability to cover vast distances with her bow implied that, regardless of Evelyn’s location, she could provide extensive long-distance assistance for Lennok.
From the outset, Lennok had contemplated this scenario, nudging Evelyn to depart from the Tower.
Unlike firearms, archery with arrows grew in strength and potency with distance and wind.
By combining Evelyn’s expertise and magical prowess, a single arrow fired from such a distance could have the impact of an explosive.
Rumble!!
Atop the gradually tilting slab, Lennok laughed.
“Let’s settle this on the ground this time.”
(To be Continued)
