Chapter 229: Uriel’s Intervention
The Winter Wraith, unrelenting, deflected against the barrage, its claws shattering through all projectiles that got into range.
Uriel could see Elaine struggling. He abandoned his role as a spectator—this foe seemed every bit as terrifying as he imagined a peak-stage Awakened to be.
Her efficiency in combat far exceeded what any of them could compare to.
He had no mount, so his utilization of class skills wouldn’t bear as much impact. For one, he had Astral Charge, and the second was an open slot depending on which constellation he locked.
Locking a chrono-related constellation, he now bore a time-related ability: Rewind, which allowed his body to go back to a specific moment within the last ten minutes, recovering the status and position it was located at.
Spinning his spear, a glow of arcane blue pulsed as his aura coiled. He activated Astral Charge.
In that very instant, astral light bloomed into a path that guided his feet, letting him zip through space with mind-boggling speed, reality blurring for a second.
Before Shaine could react or even feel danger, one of her bodies was impaled straight through the chest. Emerald lights bled from the stab as scalding currents of blue crackled.
Coursing violently through the body, incinerating everything in its path, the frame shriveled and blackened.
Shaine’s other two bodies jumped at the unexpected attack, each recovering more space instead of pressing in to attack.
Four eyes burned with indignant fury as each pair gazed at both Elaine and Uriel.
Deep down in her heart, at this very moment, she realized she would be the one losing this battle. The Monarch-grade gene she thought would be hers wouldn’t be in her capabilities to claim.
A deep shame and reluctance burned in her heart, but there wasn’t much she could do. Elaine destroying her main body had sealed the deal.
She wouldn’t be able to access gene skills and racial traits. Elaine didn’t know it at the time, but destroying that tree was the best decision that brought a determined action to come true.
Severely handicapped, she could only grit her teeth and put her all into this fight. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance at victory.
The inventory was linked to her consciousness, hence her being able to equip items. She summoned the highest-grade weapons in her arsenal.
The body facing Elaine drew the Forsaken Life-Stealing Bow, while the one confronting Uriel drew a one-time-use item: the Life-Reaping Arrow.
Uriel smelled the danger, and his essence brewed. Though he would not die permanently and would just be sent back to Earth upon death...
The problem was that he would lose all progress made in this session if he died, meaning his class would reset into nothing.
Uriel couldn’t bear to lose his class, especially with the package Seth had traded him for. He was already on a path toward claiming the power he dreamed of having, and he would be damned if he ever gave that up.
His spear spun as he readied into a stance, soft crackles coursing around his frame as the night sky brewed with chaotic dark clouds.
Just because his foe couldn’t use gene skills didn’t mean Uriel wouldn’t. Taking hold of sky essence, he channeled it as he burst into a charge.
Uriel could never sit there and watch his opponent direct the flow of the battle. His spear pulsed blue as the supercharged plasma currents of a lightning bolt concentrated on the tip of the blade.
The Sky Ruler’s essence fueled his being with invigorating force. His spear punched towards Shaine, the electronic charge leaving a trail of burning currents through the air.
And in a swift beat, Shaine showcased absurd reaction speed, weaving her way out of the trajectory of the attack.
Before Uriel could recover from the lingering momentum of his own attack, Shaine twisted to his side, cocking her bow in a canted stance.
Uriel sensed death close. His essence streamed through his nodes like sparkling streams of light. He activated Rewind.
His Will drew on the precise moment, and reality itself halted. His frame reversed through the river of time, reflecting past moments.
With a flash of arcane blue, the temporal spin came to a halt as Uriel’s frame blinked out of that position, reverting to a previous location.
Not daring to waste the single-use item, Shaine quickly relaxed the grip of her fingers. With a swift maneuver, her frame drew backwards to regain distance.
Meanwhile, on Elaine’s end, her foe wasted no time. This wasn’t a single-use item but a Royal-grade weapon powered by the essence of the peak stage of the Awakened rank.
Bolts of arrows tore through the wind, streaking with precise targeted curves. Too fast for Elaine to dodge, she was impaled by two, each stealing her vitality and channeling it into her foe.
She didn’t have time to consider conserving essence at this point. She had to prioritize her survival.
So she burned on the gene skill Call of the Frozen, as sparkling frost flakes started to drift down from the skies.
A bone-stinging cold spread through the air as ice crackled across the plains. Shaine felt her heart sink.
To think she once felt excitement on sensing Elaine’s Monarch-grade gene skill, but now she felt terror on sensing her target had more than one of such a high grade.
She might be greedy, but she wasn’t stupid. She had long learned the lesson: don’t let your appetite surpass your means.
And she had just crossed that line.
Eyes flashing with wary lights, she retreated into the distance. Meanwhile, the plain crackled and cracked as arms of the undead scraped their way out.
Scary howls rang out. Her army of the frozen was fully assembled—each individually weak, but their sheer numbers terrifying.
Bronze Vigor Bulls huffed, corrupted creatures growled, and hulking frames rose from behind the tide of the frozen. The Winter Wraith, fully recovered, was back in action.
Elaine, burning essence like crazy, activated five pulses of Cryo Chains.
With the frozen army bursting into a frenzied charge, the Winter Wraith following behind, Shaine felt terror as she decided to retreat.
Shooting cover shots, she burst into a sprint, weaving through the streaks of Cryo Chains. But even then, she evaded the last of the five by a narrow swerve. She wasn’t fast enough, as it exploded on her legs.
Ice-cold chains of blue clattered, binding her feet and inflicting a stinging chill of debuff. Her movements lagged just long enough for a black streak to tear through her arm.
It shriveled as a black crust began to spread. Shaine, quick to react and unwilling to lose, severed the entire arm before the poisonous ice could spread.
But by doing this, that very instant, she robbed herself of all means to retaliate. It was only a matter of seconds before the horde of frozen caught up, before she could dispel the Cryo Chains.
Her eyes flashed with reluctance as the swarm of the frozen overwhelmed her. The shadow of the Winter Wraith cast over her, the furious summon struck with a sheer ruthless claw strike.
Tearing her frame outright into two pieces. A few seconds later, the entire horde of the frozen drifted into flickering glimmers of light.
As Elaine dispelled all her skills, her essence unit bar already flashed red. The Winter Wraith bowed her way before vanishing into blue smoke.
Elaine collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily and feeling totally exhausted.
Meanwhile, back on Uriel’s end, both parties readied for a decisive strike. Both staking their lives for a last attempt at victory.
Uriel’s frame burned with fully charged streaks of scalding currents, while Shaine readied for a strike, drawing on her bow as she mounted the one-time-use item.
Comments