At that moment, Vicente and his companions gathered around the enchanted well into which Rory had descended hours earlier. It was in the heart of a scorching desert, nearby a pool of molten lava that emitted intense heat and mana associated with the element of fire.",
In this harsh environment, weak creatures or those susceptible to fire risked incineration if they ventured too close. Yet, for those who could withstand the intense heat, entering the lava pool offered a unique opportunity to immerse themselves, channel their fiery mana, and refine their abilities.
Rory was in the circular pool, which had a radius of one meter. His body, enveloped in orange flames of mana, was surrounded by three pentagrams, and he was completely bare, having lost all his hair to the fiery liquid.
Despite the loss of his long red hair, Rory considered the sacrifice worthwhile. Although visibly in great pain, his satisfaction was unmistakable as the first pentagram transitioned from red to orange. In just the past few hours, his mana had risen by 10%, approaching the threshold between an Earth Sovereign and a Sky Sovereign.
But he wouldn't make that breakthrough. Just as he reached the limit of how long he could stay in the well, Lina's expression changed as she used her ability.
"Get ready. Layla's target is close," Lina announced, opening her eyes and assuming a fighting stance. "Something will happen, and then Rory will emerge from the well. I just saw our group battling an early 5th stage Arcane Falcon."
Moments after Lina alerted her group, they all heard the distinct "ki-ki-ki-ki" call of a bird nearby.
Shortly after that, the well ran dry, and Rory opened his eyes.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Rory, get ready. Layla's target is close!" Vicente warned as everyone in his group scanned the sky, searching for the source of the scream they had just heard.
Unfazed by the recent development of his pentagram and the enhancements to his mana, Rory swiftly dressed in his clothes and donned his 4th grade robotic armor.
As he finished preparing, Rory looked up and saw not just Layla's target hawk but another bird as well. Both engaged in aerial combat.
"They're both Low-level Paragons," Casey observed, and asked, "How do we handle this? There are two enemies!"
"Perhaps not two enemies, but one enemy and one ally," Vicente suggested, noticing that the creatures belonged to different species. "Lina and Casey, you'll stay back and provide support like you did with the Mid-level Paragon. Layla, you'll join Onyx in the attack, and Rory, you're with me. Sarah, stay behind in case Lina or Casey need protection."
Having devised a plan, Vicente took off toward the two large birds locked in battle.
'Red-feathered friend, let my group assist you,' Vicente communicated telepathically to the red bird, which was fiercely battling with its talons and beak against the black and white-winged creature—the Arcane Falcon that had captured Layla's interest.
The red bird glanced away momentarily, noticing Vicente's group approaching.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})It quickly identified their target—the green pentagram of its adversary.
Under normal circumstances, this red bird would never ally itself with magicians, particularly those hunting for pentagrams, since it possessed a magical essence and had been hunted itself in the past.
However, the current adversary had devoured one of its eggs and was slightly faster than it. If it hesitated even for a moment, the enemy would escape.
This 5th stage bird realized that only the gray-haired woman was compatible with it. However, she seemed more interested in the pentagram carried by the Arcane Falcon.
'Let's cooperate, but don't overreach, human. I will turn against you if you cross me,' the red bird cautioned.
'We are solely interested in the Arcane Falcon. Let's work together to defeat it. My friend Layla will deliver the final blow,' Vicente responded.
'Okay.' The beast agreed, indifferent to who would ultimately kill its adversary.
Meanwhile, as the red bird clashed with the black and white feathered Arcane Falcon, it noticed the humans intervening in the fight.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})But before it could react or strategize, Onyx enveloped the area in black mist while Vicente conjured huge metal weapons that targeted the hawk's non-vital areas.
As weak as Vicente's group seemed, they were anything but simple. Also, the group wasn't fighting a 5th stage beast in its prime. The black and white bird was not at its best and was worried about not being seriously injured by the red bird.
As Vicente entered the battle and used his third skill to enter his opponent's mind, the Arcane Falcon felt the terror of being chased by a powerful group.
It missed its move, and without realizing it, the red bird severely injured one of its wings.
Immediately after, a giant hammer struck the top of its body, dropping it like a piece of meat with no will to defend itself.
Layla moved while being supported by Lina and Casey, seeing what could happen if she followed her original plan and then changing her actions to ensure a quick end to the creature.
One of Vicente's swords formed in front of her before she moved, disappearing from where she was, and then appearing face to face with the magical 5th stage beast.
Taking advantage of her speed and her opponent's vulnerability, Layla swiftly slashed at the neck of the black and white bird, decapitating the injured creature in an instant.
As its head fell, the bird, renowned for its agility, lamented its end but recognized Layla's swift movements. It regretted devouring one of the red bird's eggs before succumbing to death's eternal slumber.
Within less than a minute of the confrontation, the black and white bird lay dead on the ground, and Layla secured the pentagram much more easily than she had expected over the past few months.
As soon as the black and white bird was dead, the red bird departed the place. Meanwhile, Vicente gestured for Layla to seize the moment and absorb the pentagram emerging from the corpse of the black and white bird.
