"Alright, let’s see how you handle this," Lassim muttered under his breath as he circulated his divine mana through his pathways. He began to focus strictly on channeling the water mana, reaching out with his spirit sense to connect with the moisture-laden air around him.
Rapidly, like the countless times he had cleaned his body of sweat under the heat of the desert sun around the Lightning Sect, he began to pull the water vapor first from his clothes, drawing it away from the cavern’s environment and into a single point above his head.
Then he moved on to the surrounding air, which began to shift slightly as the heavy humidity gradually lifted as the moisture coalesced into a gathering cloud.
The Turtle’s fog began to thin out as Lassim concentrated on wicking away the water vapor from the air, siphoning it into the growing cloud. The cloud began to fill the entire roof of the cavern.
The Coral Turtle seemed to notice the change as well.
Its massive head lifted, the reptilian eyes narrowing as it sensed the shift in who controlled the mana in the environment. Not willing to lose dominance, the guardian exhaled another dense cloud of steam, trying to replenish the moisture that Lassim was steadily draining away.
But Lassim was undeterred, his focus unwavering as he continued to pull more water from the air, intensifying his efforts to dry out the cavern.
The cloud above him swelled further, darkening as it absorbed more and more moisture. Lassim could feel that the particles of water mana in the cloud were starting to develop a positive charge of electricity as he fed it with more and more water. He could feel the pressure building within the cloud.
The once-thick steamy mist that had filled the cavern was now thinning rapidly, the heavy dampness in the air lifting as Lassim’s control over the water mana grew stronger.
With a quick glance, Lassim noticed the first signs of weakness in the Coral Turtle’s defenses.
Not only had the coral formations within the cavern directly next to him completely dried out and cracked, but the coral formations that adorned the creature’s back were beginning to show signs of strain.
The once vibrant hues of greens and odd purples and oranges, teeming with life and movement, had been replaced with pasteled and cracked surfaces. Tiny fractures that now spread like veins through the once-rubbery and impenetrable shell. The coral, deprived of the moisture it needed to thrive, was becoming brittle, losing the flexibility that had made it such a formidable barrier.
Lassim gave a small smirk as he eyed the turtle guardian. His idea was right on track with its weakness.
"Let’s turn up the pressure," he said as he began directing some of his own divine mana into the storm cloud. The air around him continued to dry out, the moisture being pulled away into the gathering storm.
The Coral Turtle, sensing the growing threat, appeared in Lassim’s spirit sense to have expanded its shell nearly double in size as it inhaled deeply. Then, with a powerful exhale, another blast of steam erupted from the guardian’s snout.
"Mari, I could use a little help here!" he said, his hands raised with his halberd as he paused his focus on dehydrating the cavern to block the incoming wave of steam with an [Aegis] barrier of ice.
Within his heart world, Mari’s form shimmered and the spot where the Tidal Rune had been between her horns was now fully fused as a beautiful gem in the middle of her forehead. Her azure and golden scales gleaming with a soft glow as she responded to his call, "[I’m ready. Let’s dry this place out.]"
With Marinelle’s assistance, Lassim’s control over the water mana surged.
Together, they intensified their efforts, pulling even more moisture from the air and channeling it into the storm cloud.
The cavern, once a humid, mist-filled chamber, was now a dry, arid space. The coral formations across the entire cave were visibly cracking, the once-lush structures crumbling as the Turtle’s environment was stripped of its life-giving water.
The Turtle let out a low, rumbling growl, its massive head turning to face Lassim as it realized the danger it was in. The ancient creature, once smug at the start with its own dominance, now found itself with its coral fortress collapsing around it as the moisture it relied on was siphoned away.
The Coral Turtle began to grow agitated. The cracks in its shell widening as the coral formations began to crumble under their own weight.
Lassim didn’t waste any time. With a swift movement, he called upon Zaphyrella, his second companion, to control the now-dense and highly charged storm cloud above.
"Zaphy, help us out! It’s time to finish this," Lassim asked.
Zaphyrella’s presence and control over the lightning element flared within him, as he and Mari continued to guide the moisture of the heavy water into the now rumbling storm cloud. "[Let’s crack this shellhead!]" she responded with a burst of enthusiasm.
Zaphyrella then appeared with her wings spread as she zipped straight into the sky. She met the edges of the dark pillow in the air as she channeled her lightning mana into the storm cloud, charging it even further with an incredible amount of energy.
The air crackled with electricity, the tension in the cavern reaching its peak as the storm cloud became a volatile mass of pure power.
The Coral Turtle, sensing the imminent danger, tried to retreat, but the coral it used to make its movements easier was all dead and no water existed to rehydrate them to help. Its massive limbs tried to drag its bulk backward. But it was too late.
The coral shell on its back had long since cracked and crumbled, large chunks falling away to reveal the vulnerable, leathery skin beneath as it shifted to move.
"Now!" Lassim shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern as he pointed his halberd toward the turtle.
Zaphy controlled the storm cloud and responded immediately.
A colossal bolt of lightning, nearly thirty meters wide, erupted from the cloud, striking the Coral Turtle with the force of a thousand storms.
The cavern was filled with a blinding flash of light, the deafening crack of thunder reverberating through the space as the lightning bolt connected with its target.
The Turtle let out a pained roar, its massive form convulsing as the lightning coursed through its body. The leathery skin, already dried out and brittle, blackened and scorched under the intense heat.
Veins of violet electricity snaked across the creature’s body, crackling and sparking as the life was drained from its ancient form.
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The Coral Turtle’s roar of pain gradually faded, its massive limbs falling limp with its full weight falling to the ground as the last of its strength was consumed by the overwhelming power of the lightning.
The creature’s eyes dimmed and darkened as the life flickered out of them. The Turtle’s body shuddered one last time before it shattered into a thousand shards of azure light, the remnants of its form dissolving into the air.
As the light faded, Lassim stood in the center of the now-silent cavern, his breath coming in deep, steadying gasps. The storm cloud above him dissipated, the charged energy dispersing into the atmosphere as the battle came to an end.
His gaze was drawn to the center of the cavern, where a soft glow began to emerge from the spot where the Turtle had fallen.
It was another small, luminous fragment that floated upward, its azure light pulsing gently as it floated off of the ground softly.
Lassim walked over and reached out to take the fragment in his hand. The moment his fingers closed around it, he felt it tug in the direction of his pouch towards the other one he had collected.
"Two down," Lassim muttered to himself, his voice echoing in the now-empty cavern. He slipped the fragment into his magic pouch, where it immediately joined and melded with the first he had collected. "Two more to go."
With a final glance at the crumbling remains of the Coral Turtle’s now dried out lair, Lassim turned and made his way back toward the central arena of pathways.
His thoughts were already on the next challenge that awaited him as he ignored the sensation of being watched and applauded once more. He instead eyed the two remaining pathways, one red and one yellow.
Ultimately, the next pathway, marked by a faint yellow glow, seemed to beckon him forward. The air around it seemed to hum with a different energy, a mixture of anticipation and forewarning.
"Here we go," Lassim whispered to himself, tightening his grip on his halberd.
After centering himself and pausing for a moment to allow the progenitor marks to bring his mana reserves back to full after the battle with the Coral Turtle, he stepped into the yellow passageway.
The air grew cooler as he walked, the warmth of the previous steamy cavern giving way to a more temperate and moderate environment.
The walls of the passage were excessively smoothed, polished stone, reflecting the soft yellow light that seemed to emanate from nowhere in particular. It was a gentle glow, almost comforting, but Lassim knew better than to let his guard down. The guardians he faced so far were cunning and their domains tailored exactly to benefit to their strengths.