Jack was taken aback because of the sudden transformation back into the human form. This caused him to react late when he sensed an incoming attack. Luckily, his cloak covered him and slapped Marcus' hand away. Jack noticed then Marcus' hand was glowing an eerie light.
"That's the Hand of Death!" Peniel exclaimed. "Don't get touched by it! It has an instant death effect."
Jack sensed something from underneath at the same time. Marcus had cast another spell when he was reaching for Jack with his Hand of Death.
Jack jumped away. Several tentacles of light came out of the ground as he jumped. His super jump let him jump very high. Yet, it was not high enough. The tentacles extended at an incredible speed and Jack was snatched by them in the air. His Lightning God Suit was also dispelled by Zara's greater dispel so the tentacles successfully attached themselves to his body.
He used his race skill, Willpower. The tentacles were blown off for a fraction of a second but they returned incredibly fast. Jack used his sword art to try cutting the tentacles but they regrew instantly. He was bound again soon after. He was then pulled powerlessly to the ground. The spell was from a mythical grade nine levels above him. Without the Strength of Hope, he couldn't resist the power.
Marcus' shining Hand of Death came again as Jack landed back on the ground. The Hand of Death was a spell with a duration. Its duration had not run out yet.
Jack couldn't move due to the light tentacles. The cloak's automated defense was also still on cooldown, but he was not out of options yet.
Before Marcus' glowing hand touched Jack, the air underneath Jack shimmered. An exceedingly sharp black light pierced out of the ground. This sharp energy cut through the tentacles while making its way up and accurately struck Marcus' approaching hand.
"Aarghh…!" Marcus yelled in pain from the sudden strike while a damage number appeared above him.
Jack's Nine Yin Phantom Sword was unable to wound Marcus' hand, but the pain it caused was still severe. His hand was also thrown upward from the collision. As for the light tentacles, they didn't regrow this time. The nine yin's cold energy seemed to not only sever their forms but also devour the mana that sustained them.
Jack used the chance to attack Marcus who was still stunned by the pain, but a large ominous gate suddenly came in between. His swords clanged at the hard surface of the gate.
Jack recognized this was Warlock's Hell Gate. The gate was starting to open. Jack jumped back before it completely opened and unleashed hellfire. Five hellhounds ran out of it.
It was the female vampire, Zara, again. She was the one who protected Marcus using this Hell Gate.
While fending off the hellhounds, Jack retaliated at Zara by casting Tracing Beams. Zara erected a large magic shield while casting another spell. The tracing beams swerved away before hitting Zara's magic shield.
Jack used mana manipulation on the spell. After constantly using the Nine Yin Phantom Sword during battles all this time, Jack's mana numbness after using the ancient art had greatly reduced. It now only lasted an instant. He did not doubt this had something to do with his mana affinity talent. He could now even execute Nine Yin Phantom Sword every ten minutes.
Controlled by mana manipulation, the tracing beams moved as Jack wanted them to. The beams zoomed at high speed and turned at sharp angles several times before hitting Zara on the back. She stumbled forward and whatever spell she was casting was canceled.
Marcus had recovered by then. He cast a spell and a giant light bow was constructed in his hand. He used that light bow and shot arrows made of light energy. These arrows didn't travel in a straight line. They swerved as they chased after Jack.
At the same time, Isaac and the other vampires came from behind Jack.
Jack activated Asura and Dances of the Brave. He also cast Time Realm and Accelerate. With the increased speed and the enemies being slowed, he fended off the arrows, the hellhounds, and Isaac's group using his extra limbs and swords. He also used Beast Command to take control of the giant blood bat among Isaac's group and turned it against its previous comrades.
However, he was forced to move further away from Marcus. Without the Strength of Hope, he couldn't defeat these many powerful opponents, much less get to Marcus.
But he was not going to just lie down and give up. He cast another spell which was completed very fast due to acceleration. His body split into three. He then ran in three different directions. This forced Isaac and the hellhounds to also split up.
The light arrows were still chasing after Jack. But now that his pursuers reduced in number, he could make the time to deal with them. With the accuracy and reflex from his Sword's Heart, his swords struck these light arrows. The arrow's damage didn't eclipse three times his power, so the arrow he cut didn't cause him any damage.
Marcus continued to fire the light arrows. They just came without any sign of ending soon.
Throughout the fighting, Motherboard stayed behind. she didn't stay idle, though. Even if she was here not by her will, she was still Marcus' ally. She played music using her violin and rapier, which further boosted the power of Marcus' camp.
*
Leavemealone tried to charge through the dead vampires' barricade as Jack did, but he didn't have something as powerful as the Strength of Hope. He also didn't have the combined strength and speed of three classes like Jack had. However, he didn't get hit by the Greater Dispel as Jack did. He still retained his beast form and Fire God Suit. He also activated his bloodline skill, Wrath of the Beast, and his special class skill, Tiger Soul. Hence, he could still go toe-to-toe with the opponents.
His main opponent was one of two level 80 mythical vampires, one named Xenos Maxius. Leavemealone was level 71, so this opponent was too strong for him. But luckily, this opponent used fist weapons and his movements were not so refined, so Leavemealone could still cope using his superior expertise in martial arts.
He accurately read his opponent's punches and reacted accordingly, sending counterattacks afterward using the white tiger claws.
However, he didn't fight only one opponent and his opponent didn't just use normal punches all the time. The red-furred werewolves came to flank him. While they did, Xenos' body split into multiple images which then punched at him from multiple angles.
Leavemealone blocked the punches with much difficulty. He received damages from the blocks. Luckily his Fire God Suit mitigated much of the damage.
Cain's red smoke came to his rescue then. Cain took on the bulk of the enemies. His red smoke form produced multiple giant tentacles that fought lots of enemies at the same time. Therras and Jack's spirit weapon also came to his sides. Unlike Jack who was behind the enemies' line, he fought with comrades out here.
Still, the enemies seriously outnumbered them. If they couldn't penetrate through this barricade and assist Jack in taking down Marcus. The enemies would slowly wear them down.
