Chapter 105
"Is this really the magic stone of the infant dragon?" Eleni asked in fascination as she gazed upon the glistening, oversized gemstone.
Draco was currently tending to Nikolaos' broken arm, sending soothing healing waves owner his wound.
"I believe it is," Vasileios replied, his eyes wide with intrigue.
"This is the largest magic stone we've ever encountered." he reached out, gently running his fingers over the jagged surface of the ethereal-looking stone.
Michalis watched Draco healing Nikolaos from the distance, before glancing at his own wounds.
"Isn't Draco nii being a bit unfair?" he muttered under his breath.
Wincing, he poured a whole bottle of potion over his shoulder wound before taking a swig of another potion.
Dimitra, being attentive, caught Michalis' whispered comment.
"Why would you feel that way?" she asked, her brow furrowed.
Michalis looked a bit taken aback, having not intended for Dimitra to hear his musings.
"Oh, you heard that," he said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Well?" Dimitra pressed, waiting patiently for Michalis to elaborate.
Michalis sighed, his gaze dropping to the ground.
"Well, I got injured too, but he didn't use his healing spell on me. Yet he's devoting so much time and effort to healing Nikolaos. I know it’s silly but….” Michalis trailed off.
Dimitra nodded thoughtfully.
"I see. But your injuries don't look as serious as Nikolaos'," she pointed out gently.
"That's not the point," Michalis said, his voice tinged with frustration.
"I just can't help but feel... left out, I guess." he added.
Draco, having overheard the conversation, called out to Michalis.
"Come over here, Michalis." he said.
Michalis looked up, surprised, and made his way over to Draco.
Draco had a slightly sheepish expression on his face.
‘Ugh, is he a girl. Why does he crave so much attention?’ Draco couldn’t help but wonder.
"I'm sorry, Michalis," Draco said sincerely.
"I had planned to heal you right after your fight, but it completely slipped my mind after Vasiliki gave you a potion." He placed a hand on Michalis' head, out of habit, he began lightly stroking behind Michalis ears, much to his content.
"I won’t forget next time. Let me take care of that for you." he said softly, watching Michalis almost purr in content.
Michalis quickly regained himself feeling a bit embarrassed as he noticed his other sibling glaring at him, but he managed to play it cool.
“Don’t you start” he warned, eyeing Vasiliki, who was about so say something.
“Tsk” Vasiliki cursed but kept her mouth shut, she was aware that it was her turn next so she decided to focus on meditating.
Draco's healing spell soon washed over Michalis body, soothing the aches and knitting the minor cuts and bruises.
Michalis felt the tension in his body dissipate, and he offered his brother a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Draco nii," he said, feeling relieved and a bit sheepish for his earlier outburst.
With both Michalis and Nikolaos now fully healed, Draco turned to the group.
"Alright, everyone, it's time to move on to the next area. Before we do, I want to make sure you all have your salamander wool equipped” Draco said as a precaution.
From the 13th floor, hellhounds became a common foe and the Salamander wool provided resistance against their attacks.
The group quickly made the necessary adjustments to their gear, and soon arrived at their destination.
Upon arriving, Draco's gaze fell on Vasiliki.
"Vasiliki, you're up next. Are you ready?" he asked.
Vasiliki straightened her posture, a determined glint in her eyes.
"Of course I am. If that idiot Michalis can do it, so can I," she said confidently.
Draco couldn't help but chuckle at her competitive spirit.
"Glad to hear it." He paused, his expression becoming more serious.
"Your opponents will be very challenging for you, so if you can’t handle it, please prioritize your life first” he warned.
Draco had a hard time deciding an opponent for Vasiliki.
She was an ice mage who could cast her spells without chanting.
Though the potency of her ice spells were less potent without chanting, she could still use chant-less spells to buy herself time until she could perform her spell chant.
She was a magic staff user, so she would normally be weak in close combat, but she had a passive skill that was annoying in close combat, and Draco had drilled into her ways he knew to deal with melee combatants.
Luckily, there were two monsters that, when combined together, could make Vasiliki suffer a lot if she didn't try her best.
The opponents Draco decided on after a lot of contemplation were the Crystal Mantis and Bad Bats.
These two monsters were the bane of most magic users within the middle floors.
The crystals on a crystal mantis' body made it a monster very resistant to magic, making it a tough opponent for adventurers that solely relied on magic.
Then there were the bad bats that created sound waves that disrupted concentration.
This was fatal for mages who needed concentration when casting spells, which could also lead to the spell self-destructing.
Due to the Dragon Mind Art that Vasiliki had learned, she didn't need to worry about her spells self-destructing, but she was going to have a hard time concentrating on shaping her spells well.
Vasiliki took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders after hearing his warning.
"I'm ready, Draco nii. Let's do this." she replied.
Draco gestured towards the entrance to the trial area he had prepared for her.
"Then let's not keep your opponents waiting. Good luck, Vasiliki. I know you'll make us proud." Draco said.
As Vasiliki stepped through the entrance, Draco couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern.
He had carefully selected these opponents, to push Vasiliki's limits, but he hoped he hadn't gone too far. After all, her safety was his top priority.
Draco and the others watched anxiously, waiting to see how she would fare against her opponents.
The area was a large, open space, with high ceilings and a rocky terrain.
Vasiliki quickly scanned her surroundings, her grip tightening on her magic staff as the odd silence was quite uncomfortable.
………………………………………………………………………………..
It wasn't long after Vasiliki had entered the musty, dimly lit chamber.
The space was initially filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the distant sound of dripping water.
Suddenly, a piercing screech echoed through the chamber, sending a chill down Vasiliki's spine.
Emerging from the lower dark tunnel were three hulking crystal mantises, their razor-sharp scythes gleaming menacingly in the faint light.
Upon seeing the monstrous creatures, Vasiliki's eyes quickly darted around the room in search of the bad bats, a different threat she had been anticipating.
Vasiliki knew the bad bats were a higher priority than the crystal mantises, as their disruptive sound waves could potentially disrupt her concentration, a fatal flaw for a mage like herself who relied on her imagination and focus to cast her ice spells.
Without hesitation, she planned to take out the bad bats as quickly as possible.
Swish!
Not giving Vasiliki any time act on her plan, the three crystal mantises immediately charged, identifying her as a threat.
The stale air in the room was soon shattered by the thunderous clash of ice shattering against the crystalline carapaces of the charging beasts.
Vasiliki managed to stand her ground, hastily constructing an ice wall to block their vicious slashes.
However, the mantises proved to be faster and more vicious than she had anticipated.
CLANG!
The mantises' blows continued raining down upon the ice wall, the impacts sending shockwaves through the chamber.
"Tch, their crystal armour is tough..." Vasiliki gritted her teeth, already feeling a small strain on her magic reserves as she replenished the ice wall being chipped away.
Suddenly, a high-pitched screech pierced the air, and Vasiliki's attention was drawn to the shadows above.
SKREE-SKREE-SKREE!
Five bat-like monsters swooped down, their screeches unleashing waves of disruptive sound, forcing Vasiliki to wince in pain as her concentration was disrupted.
"Damn, I can barely focus on anything with these pests around!" she muttered, her brow furrowed in frustration.
Gritting her teeth, Vasiliki swept her free hand, conjuring a flurry of razor-sharp icicles that managed to impale two of the bad bats.
THUNK-THUNK!
The monsters let out agonized screeches as they plummeted to the ground, their bodies shattering on impact.
Sadly, the other three bad bats managed to evade her attack and continued assaulting her with their sound waves.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
The crystal mantises pressed their relentless assault, their scythes battering Vasiliki's ice wall without mercy.
"I can't keep this up forever... I have to risk it," she muttered, sweat beading on her brow.
Immediately, she stopped supporting the ice wall, needing more space to execute a plan she had in mind.
Vasiliki knew the crystal mantises would be occupied with the remnants of the ice wall, while the bad bats always maintained a safe distance from her due to her passive 'ice armour skill, which was currently active.
The skill created a chilling mist around a certain radius of Vasiliki's body, ready to lash out at any foe that dared to draw too close.
Putting some distance between herself and the enemies, Vasiliki began to gather and mould a decent portion of her mind.
Soon she was ready, her voice resonating with power.
"Flash Freeze!" she called out, her eyes glowing with a slightly brighter hue as the magic activated.
Instantly, the air around the crystal mantises froze, encasing the creatures in thick layers of solid ice.
CRACKLE-CRUNCH!
The monsters struggled against their icy prisons, but the ice was not going to yield easily.
But Vasiliki knew she didn't have much time before they broke free.
She needed to handle the remaining bad bats before that happened and begin her chant to enhance her magic.
However, the screeching creatures instead of retreating, came closer and resumed their assault, the disruptive howls making it difficult for Vasiliki to even think..
SKREE-SKREE-SKREE!
"Gah!" she cried out in pain, her head aching.
The ice around the crystal mantises had already started to crack and shatter as their struggles intensified.
In a surge of desperation, Vasiliki swept her staff, expending a significant portion of her mind to conjure a wide-area wave of ice needles that surged towards the bad bats.
FWOOSH!
The icy torrent engulfed the creatures who had nowhere to evade now that they were closer to her, freezing them in mid-air.
CRACK-CRUNCH!
The bad bats were impaled and encased in solid ice, their agonized screeches silenced forever.
Turning her attention back to the crystal mantises, Vasiliki saw that they had broken free of their icy prisons and were already upon her.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
Their razor-sharp scythes slashed and battered at her hastily conjured defences, the impacts sending tremors through the chamber.
'Ugh, I need to find a way to bypass their armour....' Vasiliki thought, her mind racing with options.
Due to her hasty making of an ice wall to block their assault, it lacked durability and quickly shattered under the relentless assault.
Vasiliki suddenly found herself exposed to a direct attack from the crystal mantises, whose bladed arms were poised to strike.
SCHING!
Vasiliki's mind churned as she saw the descending blades, and for a brief moment, her life flashed before her eyes.
Perhaps due to her intense emotions, she instinctively triggered an effect of her 'ice armour’ skill.
The cold mist surrounding her, immediately coagulated into a massive, jagged spear of ice, the tip shimmering with an eerie blue glow.
"Die!" Vasiliki roared, hurling the projectile with all her might.
FWOOSH-CRUNCH!
The icy spear pierced through one of the crystal mantis's armour, eliciting a deafening screech of pain from the monster as it began freezing from the inside out.
The other two mantises charged regardless , their scythes raised high.
Vasiliki braced herself, conjuring a final, desperate ice shield.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
The mantises' blows immediately battered her defences, web-like cracks spreading across the translucent ice barrier.
"Come on... come on... hold," Vasiliki pleaded, her face contorted with effort.
Unfortunately, the ice shield was weak and shattered,.
Vasiliki felt searing pain as one of the mantises' scythe sliced into her flesh, diagonally across her chest armour, her body contorting at the last minute to evade full brunt of the attack.
"ARGH!" she cried out, her knees buckling under the intense agony.
Yet, in that very moment, the mortally wounded mantis crashed to the ground, its crystalline body shattering into a thousand glimmering shards with a resounding crunch.
Seeing their comrade's demise, the remaining mantises hesitated, their scythes still poised to strike.
Seizing the small opportunity, Vasiliki ignored the throbbing pain and summoned another third of her remaining mind.
"Glacial Prison!" she shouted, her voice hoarse with exertion.
FWOOSH-CRACKLE!
Thick, jagged spikes of ice erupted from the ground, encasing the two mantises in a towering prison of crackling frost.
The monsters thrashed and struggled, but Vasiliki's spell held firm, trapping them in their icy grasp.
Injured and exhausted, Vasiliki wanted nothing more than to collapse on the ground, her breath ragged and uneven.
Yet, the thought of failure, of being the first to lose, especially after imagining the condescending look on Michalis' face.
This filled her with renewed strength. She could not allow herself to be defeated, not when she had come this far.
With the two remaining crystal mantises trapped, Vasiliki immediately began chanting.
Vasiliki hadn’t chosen to use her magic chant now solely because it increased her ice spell potency.
The spell had other effects, one of them greatly enhanced her ability to freely use the ice element.
This part of the skills description was a bit vague for her at first, but with a lot of practice over the past few months, she had been able to create something interesting out of it.
As her incantation reached its crescendo, the air around her grew increasingly frigid, the temperature plummeting rapidly.
An ice pillar began to grow in front of her, stopping at around 3 meters in height.
The pillar then twisted and turned, taking on a vague humanoid shape.
"It's not a complete spell yet, but how do you like that?" Vasiliki said, pride swelling in her chest at the sight of her creation.
A vague humanoid golem now stood before her.
Although it lacked distinct facial features, it was nevertheless functional, operating on Vasiliki's own senses and commands.
It was a spell that cost a tremendous amount of mind and required a lot of control.
Thought incomplete and un-mastered, it was currently one of the best spells in her arsenal.
"Go!" Vasiliki commanded, watching as the golem charged towards the two crystal mantises, who had already broken free from their icy prison.
She struggled to stay conscious, her mind dangerously close to a complete drain, but she couldn't afford to falter, not now.