Chapter 299: Sovereign Of Elements
The battlefield had already turned into something that could no longer be called a battlefield, it was more like a broken land that had been crushed and torn apart again and again.
The ground was filled with deep cracks that spread like spider webs in every direction, craters of different sizes littered the area as if meteors had rained down endlessly, and the air itself was thick with the smell of burnt flesh, scorched earth, and that strange metallic scent of green blood that kept dripping from the bodies of the fallen wolf-ant beasts, and even though most of the swarm had already been wiped out, the pressure in the air had not reduced at all.
Instead it had grown heavier, sharper, more suffocating, because now what stood before them were the five Elite beasts, each one towering like a nightmare given form, their green scales reflecting the chaotic light of fire and lightning that still lingered in the air.
Their massive bodies easily reaching close to four meters tall, almost twice the height of an adult man, their limbs thick and powerful like tree trunks but still moving with unnatural flexibility, their wolf-like heads twisted with insect-like features, mandibles clicking softly as if tasting the air, and their glowing eyes fixed on Sage like he was prey they had already claimed.
Sage stood at the center of the broken land, his robe slightly torn at the edges, his hair messy from the constant bursts of wind and lightning, his breathing steady but deep as he slowly looked at the five Elite beasts in front of him, and behind him, Mina, Brutus, Gregor, Vanthrice, and the others were all in different states.
Some kneeling slightly, some breathing heavily, some gripping their weapons tightly with sweat dripping down their faces, and it was clear to everyone that they had already reached their limit, the earlier fight against the swarm had drained them more than they expected, and even though they had managed to survive.
It came at a cost, their bodies were tired, their mana was low, and their reactions were starting to slow down, and yet these five monsters had not even moved until now, which meant everything that happened before was just a warm-up, and this was the real fight.
Sage slowly raised his hand and then lowered it again as he let out a small breath, his eyes narrowing slightly as a faint glow flickered deep within them, and then without turning back he spoke in a calm voice that carried clearly despite the chaos around them.
"You all fall back... this part is mine," his tone was simple, not loud, not dramatic, but it carried a weight that made everyone freeze for a moment.
Mina who was still holding her giant shield frowned slightly as she looked at him and said, "Petty uncle Sage don’t act cool, these things are not like the others, even I can feel it, they are dangerous."
Sage just reached out and tapped her head lightly and said, "I know... that’s why I said fall back," his voice was calm but firm, and Mina looked at him for a few seconds before clicking her tongue and stepping back reluctantly, dragging her shield with her as she muttered under her breath.
Brutus and the others also slowly retreated, forming a loose line behind him, their eyes still locked on the five Elite beasts, ready to move if anything went wrong.
The moment Sage stepped forward alone, the air seemed to shift slightly, the five Elite beasts reacted almost instantly, their bodies lowering slightly as if preparing to pounce, their limbs digging into the ground as faint cracks spread beneath them, and then in the next moment.
BOOOM!
The ground exploded as all five of them moved at the same time, their massive bodies turning into blurs of green light as they shot toward Sage from different directions, the speed so fast that even the air screamed under the pressure
But Sage did not move, he simply stood there, his eyes calmly tracking their movements as if everything around him had slowed down, and then a magic circle flashed beneath his feet, crackling with lightning.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning struck down and his figure disappeared from where he stood, reappearing dozens of meters away in the next instant as the five attacks crashed into the empty space he left behind.
BANG!
The ground shattered violently, sending chunks of earth flying into the air.
Sage reappeared with a calm expression, his hand already raised as a massive magic circle formed in front of him, glowing bright red as heat gathered rapidly, and then with a simple flick of his wrist.
BOOOOM!
A huge fire blast shot forward, exploding against one of the Elite beasts and sending it sliding back across the ground, flames covering its body, but before the flames could fully spread, another beast appeared from the side, its limbs slashing down with terrifying force.
But Sage’s body flickered again with lightning.
CRACK!
He vanished and reappeared behind it, his hand already moving as another magic circle formed, this time glowing with a sharp green light, and in the next second a massive wind blades shot out, slicing across the beast’s body and leaving deep cuts that oozed green blood, but even then the beast did not fall, instead it turned around instantly, its mandibles clicking as it charged again, its speed not slowing at all.
The battlefield turned into pure chaos as Sage moved like a streak of lightning across the broken land, appearing and disappearing constantly, each time he appeared a magic circle would form and another spell would be released, fire explosions, wind blades, lightning strikes.
BOOOM! SHRAA! CRACK!
One after another without pause, his casting speed so fast that it looked like he was controlling the elements themselves rather than casting spells, and the five Elite beasts kept attacking from all directions, their coordination sharp, their movements unpredictable.
Their attacks powerful enough to shatter the ground with every impact, but Sage kept dodging, countering, and striking back with perfect timing, his control over mana so precise that not a single bit was wasted, every spell hitting exactly where it needed to hit.
From the back, Gregor watched with wide eyes, his grip tightening on his sword as he muttered under his breath, "He’s... handling all five at once..." his voice carried both shock and a bit of disbelief.
Vanthrice beside him narrowed her eyes as she said quietly, "It’s not just handling... he’s controlling the fight," her voice was calm but there was a hint of tension in it.
ecause even though Sage looked calm, the pressure from the five Elite beasts was very real, each one of them strong enough to challenge a high-level fighter, and yet Sage was moving through them like he was dancing.
His body flowing naturally with the elements, wind pushing him forward, lightning accelerating his movements, fire exploding wherever he pointed, it was overwhelming to watch.
One of the Elite beasts suddenly roared, a deep and distorted sound that shook the air, and then it lunged forward at an insane speed, its body almost disappearing from sight as it aimed straight for Sage’s chest.
But Sage did not move away this time, instead his eyes glowed faintly as he raised his hand, and in that moment multiple magic circles appeared around him at the same time, overlapping and spinning rapidly, and then....
BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion of fire erupted outward, mixed with lightning that crackled violently within it, creating a storm of destruction that engulfed the charging beast completely, the impact sending shockwaves across the battlefield, forcing the others to shield their eyes as the ground beneath Sage’s feet cracked and sank slightly.
When the explosion cleared, the beast was thrown back, its body covered in burns and cracks, green blood dripping from its wounds as it struggled to stand, but before it could recover, Sage had already moved again.
His body flashing with lightning as he appeared above it, his hand raised high as another magic circle formed, this one spinning with compressed wind that howled loudly.
BOOOOM!
He brought his hand down, releasing a massive compressed wind blast that slammed into the beast, crushing it into the ground and creating a deep crater, dust and debris shooting into the air in all directions.
The other four Elite beasts did not stop, they attacked together again, one from above, one from behind, one from the side, and one directly in front, their movements perfectly timed to trap Sage in the center, but Sage simply smiled faintly, a small curve of his lips that carried a hint of excitement, and then his body flickered again.
He disappeared just before the attacks landed, reappearing a short distance away as he turned to face them, his eyes glowing slightly brighter now, the faint aura around him shifting as the elements gathered more densely around his body.
The fight continued at a pace that was almost impossible to follow, explosions echoing constantly.
BOOOM! BANG! CRACK!
Fire burning, wind tearing, lightning flashing, the ground being destroyed again and again, and slowly, one by one, the Elite beasts began to show signs of weakening, their movements becoming slightly slower, their attacks slightly less sharp, their bodies covered in more and more wounds, and yet they did not stop, their eyes still locked on Sage as they continued to attack relentlessly, like machines that did not feel pain.
Sage stood in the middle of it all, his breathing still steady, his body still moving smoothly, his control over the elements becoming even more refined as the fight went on, and for the first time since the battle started, he let out a small laugh, low and soft, as he said under his breath.
"Not bad... you can actually keep up," his voice carried a hint of excitement, a hint of satisfaction, because this was the kind of fight he had been waiting for, a fight that pushed him, a fight that made him feel alive.
One of the Elite beasts suddenly roared again and charged forward with everything it had, its body glowing faintly as it pushed its strength to the limit, aiming straight for Sage with a killing intent that made the air tremble.
Sage looked at it calmly, his eyes glowing faintly as he slowly raised his hand, the elements around him gathering once more, the air becoming heavy.
The ground trembling slightly under the pressure, and just as the beast closed the distance, just as its massive claws were about to reach him,
Sage’s hand moved.
Cut.
