Chapter 163: Blood Feast in the Maw
Chapter 163: Blood Feast in the Maw
Luo En steadied his breathing, rapidly calculating several possible countermeasures in his mind.
He immediately transmitted his instructions to Daire through spiritual energy:
"Maintain distance and don't initiate attacks. This Lion Scorpion's true strength far exceeds appearances—we'll only engage in remote harassment for now, waiting for the opportune moment."
Daire gave a slight nod, her eyes reflecting absolute trust in her master's judgment.
On the elevated platform, Hayaek's voice rang again: "The final match—begins."
At the command, the mana chains suddenly vanished. The Lion Scorpion shook its massive body, seemingly still adjusting to its sudden freedom.
Its movements appeared sluggish, its gaze still hazy, but Luo En caught a subtle anomaly—
The mana flow within its enormous frame was accelerating, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
The competitors hesitated, cautiously observing the monstrous beast. The air thickened with tension, as though an invisible string had been pulled taut.
After a brief silence, a competitor in the front line launched his attack.
He was a short but powerfully built Intermediate Apprentice, arrogance curling his lips. Clearly confident in his strength, he declared:
"I'll take the lead!"
He commanded his Six-Armed Exotic Being into a fierce charge, simultaneously constructing spell patterns to unleash a barrage of fireballs.
As if triggered by his action, other competitors sprang into motion.
A towering figure controlled a hybrid creature of chitinous armor and writhing tentacles, firing corrosive acid from afar.
Another directed a multi-winged insectoid entity to continuously disrupt the Lion Scorpion's vision.
Spells and mana attacks rained upon the Lion Scorpion like hailstones. The battlefield erupted into chaos, energy fluctuations scattering wildly.
The Lion Scorpion turned its attention toward an apprentice accompanied by a Lizardfolk. Its scorpion tail arched high, a deathly scythe.
The apprentice panicked, but his Lizardfolk slave reacted swiftly, throwing itself forward to intercept the first strike with its scale-plated armor.
Seizing the distraction, a flurry of disorganized attacks rained upon the beast's massive body. Yet the monster merely rolled indifferently, unscathed.
Holt's Earth Elemental Golem advanced steadily, each step sending tremors through the ground.
Luo En knew Holt had initially joined the Backup Mage Sequence as an Enforcement Team member, his combat experience extensive. Perhaps he'd chosen the Earth Elemental Golem precisely for its versatility—aside from its sluggish speed, it had practically no weaknesses.
The Golem towered even over the crouching Lion Scorpion. Its advantage became immediately apparent: its earth-elemental body rendered it immune to toxins, making it an ideal opponent.
Its massive stone fists smashed into the Lion Scorpion's head, producing a dull impact sound. The beast merely shook its head sluggishly.
"The Earth Elemental Golem is indeed a wise choice for this battle", Luo En analyzed inwardly, closely watching the Lion Scorpion's reactions.
Holt's decision was clearly calculated, but whether this head-on strategy would remain effective remained to be seen.
Cui Xi and Li Yue adopted a guerrilla approach. Panther Girl's speed and agility were her greatest assets.
Luo En noticed the brunette's gaze briefly lingering on Daire, as if weighing whether to offer assistance.
She quickly shook her head and shifted directions.
In this competition, even friends must prioritize self-interest first.
Li Yue moved with greater nimbleness than when Xin Xi Ya commanded her Half-Beast. Her figure flickered like a phantom, repeatedly inflicting lacerations on the Lion Scorpion.
Her claw strikes targeted the beast's joints precisely, drawing small amounts of blood with each strike before swiftly retreating to evade its slow counterattacks.
The audience's murmurs swelled in the stands, most eyes fixated on the aggressive competitors.
By contrast, Luo En and Daire's conservative strategy drew noticeable attention—though perhaps more accurately, disappointed glances.
"Look at that Potion Master, hiding at the back as expected."
"Ha! What can you expect from a potion brewer? It's a miracle he even reached the finals."
"His slave is a siren, right? What use is that on land?"
Ignoring the spectators' chatter, Luo En calmly observed the battlefield's transformation.
To him, the eager competitors were the true ignoramuses.
Through his Transcendent Perception, he'd already discerned the Lion Scorpion's danger. A reckless assault would only make them first casualties.
Before the Lion Scorpion, the proactive competitors seemed to gain confidence.
Though massive, the beast's sluggish movements suggested it hadn't fully awakened, struggling to mount effective defenses against the relentless attacks.
Its counterattacks, though fierce, came slowly enough for most combat slaves to evade easily.
The Six-Armed Exotic Being's master guided it to climb onto the Lion Scorpion's back, its six arms simultaneously locking vital points in a strangulation attempt.
The apprentice crowed triumphantly: "See? This beast is nothing to fear!"
The battlefield momentarily appeared to favor the competitors.
Holt's Earth Elemental Golem fearlessly pressed close, stone fists relentlessly pounding the monster. Each strike produced a dull thud.
The Lion Scorpion's stinger retaliated with surprising speed, yet each strike harmlessly deflected against the Golem's rocky form, its toxins ineffective against the inanimate elemental.
Cui Xi and Li Yue observed cautiously, seemingly evaluating whether to deepen their engagement. Their gazes occasionally flicked toward Luo En, clearly pondering his intentions.
"Cui Xi!" Luo En suddenly called from a distance. "The Lion Scorpion hasn't fully awakened yet. Don't get too close!"
Cui Xi hesitated, casting a complex glance his way.
She considered whether to trust his warning, knowing full well that in this battle, everyone acted in self-interest.
After a pause, she chose caution. Signaling Li Yue to maintain distance, she opted for dart attacks secured to her thigh rather than recklessly closing in like others' slaves.
Luo En understood her mindset—here, all were competitors. She couldn't fully trust others, not even close friends. Such wariness was normal in the magical world, a reality he'd long accepted.
In this tense atmosphere of suspicion, the seemingly passive Lion Scorpion suddenly let out a low, guttural roar.
Before anyone could react, its jaws snapped shut around a nearby combat slave—a Scorpionman controlled by a lower-ranked competitor.
A sickening crunch echoed as the Scorpionman's upper torso severed. Blood sprayed, staining the surrounding sand dark crimson.
The Scorpionman's limbs tumbled midair, entrails spilling across the ground in a foul-smelling mess.
The Lion Scorpion lowered its head, swallowing the remaining half in one gulp, its movement startlingly quick and far more agile than before.
As it devoured, its eyes glowed with an eerie light, as though absorbing the mana from its victim.
The Scorpionman's master screamed, his face paling instantly from the spiritual backlash of his slave's demise. He staggered backward, collapsing unconscious, quickly removed from the arena by elemental attendants.
Without pause, the Lion Scorpion's massive tail lashed out, hooking the arrogant six-armed monster clinging to its back.
The beast's master could only watch helplessly as his slave was lifted, struggling, toward that gaping maw...
A nauseating chewing sound followed, and soon the short, burly apprentice was carried away unconscious like his rival.
The sudden loss of two competitors instantly electrified the battlefield.
The remaining contestants halted their attacks, reassessing the situation. Some faces paled with fear, regretting their earlier recklessness.
Luo En seized the opportunity to adjust strategies.
"Daire, we'll demonstrate some strength now."
He transmitted orders calmly:
"Still maintain outer perimeter harassment, but avoid drawing its attention. Our goal is to exhaust more of its mana."
The young siren's expression sharpened. She sprang into action.
A transparent, wing-like structure of condensed Water Element suddenly unfolded from her back, its surface adorned with faintly glowing patterns.
This was their newly developed technique after weeks of experimentation—Waterform Wings.
Using Water Element as the foundational structure and Wind Element for propulsion, it allowed efficient gliding without significantly depleting Spirit Vitality.
Daire leapt lightly, her water wings unfurling to carry her gracefully across the battlefield. Unlike simple levitation, this method conserved mana while maintaining mobility.
Gasps erupted from the stands. No one had anticipated a siren could display such remarkable maneuverability on land.
For Daire, the Lion Scorpion's only genuine threat now was that flexible, spear-like tail...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report