Chapter 205 – Power

Vick completely ignored the three Formal-Level experts—Punk, Iron Tower, and Boss Lady—and directly attacked Bloodclaw. This was undoubtedly a blatant provocation, equivalent to shouting a massive taunt: “Come hit me, I don’t even care about you!”

This act of “diving past the tower for a kill” was nothing short of contempt for the three Formal-Level experts. Even Punk couldn’t help but feel enraged, while Iron Tower roared in furious anger.

However, Iron Tower could only shout aimlessly. He clearly lacked effective means to attack airborne targets, and the spike bullets he launched from the ground couldn’t possibly hit Vick Swordsaint, who was ten times more agile than a swallow.

Boss Lady’s focus wasn’t on Vick at all. She shouted at Bloodclaw:

“You coward Bloodclaw, if you dare throw that princess aside, I’ll slaughter you! I must obtain ‘Tears of the Spring’ no matter what.”

“Damn it all, I’m about to die here! Who has time to care about your stupid Tears of the Spring?”

Bloodclaw retorted with equal frustration. In his view, his three teammates were all standing around talking without understanding the pressure of facing a powerful opponent like Vick Swordsaint.

“Enough! Iron Tower, prepare your attack!”

Punk loudly cut off the argument between Boss Lady and Bloodclaw. He had no intention of letting internal conflict break out at such a critical moment. Though Bloodclaw and Boss Lady usually appeared close, they were now bickering like mortal enemies. Fortunately, their dispute was just born of desperation—resolving Vick’s threat would settle it.

While preparing his spell, Punk remained calm and unhurried. He was certain Bloodclaw wouldn’t dare abandon Princess Trelinka and flee alone, as that would mean facing pursuit from multiple powerful enemies instead of just one. By continuing to evade now, Bloodclaw could hold out until the other three came to his aid—anyone with sense would make the same choice.

Indeed, when faced with a life-threatening crisis, Bloodclaw moved faster than he thought possible. A full five or six seconds had passed, yet Vick Swordsaint’s “Wind-Bathing Punisher” remained at a distance from Bloodclaw.

And at this very moment, Punk’s spell was complete.

Formal-Level Conjuration Magic—Inflict Greater Wound!

Metamagic—Mana Compression!

A small sphere, nearly pitch-black from being saturated with high-density energy, flashed briefly in Punk’s hand, accompanied by an aura overflowing with slaughter and terror. Simultaneously, Vick, still flying high in the air, instantly sensed a lethal threat descending upon him.

Without even time to think, Vick Swordsaint instinctively activated all his defensive abilities that could take effect in an instant.

Formal-Level Armor “War Song” Solidification Spell—Steel Sinews and Iron Bones!

Formal-Level Fire-Attribute Combat Skill—Flame Dragon Armor.

The Enchantment Magic “Steel Sinews and Iron Bones” traced sharp, square-shaped runes across Vick’s body, while “Flame Dragon Armor” rapidly condensed the Swordsaint’s Battle Aura into blazing white armor covering his entire form. Several dragon-shaped flames soared and coiled across the armor’s surface.The very next second after Vick Swordsaint activated his defense, the space surrounding the Sword Saint within dozens of cubic meters instantly darkened. The Formal-Level Conjuration spell enhanced by “Mana Compression”—Inflict Greater Wound—revealed its terrifying power for the first time.

Within a massive spherical domain large enough to completely envelop Vick Swordsaint, ethereal energy blades as dark as ink nearly formed countless threads, raging like a storm as they slashed wildly across Vick’s body. Each energy blade struck his Battle Aura armor, shearing off searing fragments of aura. Trapped in the “Inflict Greater Wound” domain, Vick flickered like a giant lightbulb, each flicker representing a further weakening of his aura protection.

In this state, Vick had no choice but to halt his charge and concentrate every shred of Battle Aura to repair his “Flame Dragon Armor,” which seemed on the verge of shattering at any moment. His Aura Wings had been torn into sparkling fragments and dissipated the moment “Inflict Greater Wound” erupted, causing Vick to plummet from the sky.

However, it was precisely because of his fall from mid-air that Vick escaped the lethal range of “Inflict Greater Wound” just three seconds after being struck by the spell, while the spell’s duration lasted a full five seconds.

By the time Vick Swordsaint crashed to the ground, he had lost all semblance of his formerly imposing general’s image. The “Flame Dragon Armor” formed by his Battle Aura was reduced to faint, lingering energy remnants, and the Formal-Level armor “War Song” was riddled with cracks of varying depths, many oozing fresh blood—evidence that the triple-layered defenses at certain points on Vick’s body had been breached, inflicting real damage.

The shattering of the War Song armor did not cease with the end of the attack. The “Steel Sinews and Iron Bones” spell runes spreading across Vick’s skin flickered several times before abruptly extinguishing, and at the same moment, the thoroughly ravaged armor shattered completely.

Without a doubt, this Formal-Level armor was destroyed.

Iron Tower, Bloodclaw, Boss Lady, and even Vick himself stared dumbfounded at Punk, their eyes filled with shock. They couldn’t help but be astonished—Punk’s attack had approached the power of a Master-Level spell. Most incredibly, this spell wasn’t cast through any equipment but was a genuine display of Punk’s own strength.

If such an attack were to be repeated two more times… At this thought, Bloodclaw even shuddered involuntarily. Vick, meanwhile, abandoned any thought of pursuing Bloodclaw and instead fixed a deadly stare on Punk, ready to erupt with Battle Aura and evade with full force at any moment.

For the first time, fear crept into Vick’s heart. He wasn’t afraid of dying here but terrified that His Majesty the King’s mission might fail by his hand.

Only Vick, as the one who experienced it, could truly grasp the peril of that spell. Had he been even a fraction slower in activating his defenses, had he escaped the spell’s lethal range a moment later, or had the Formal-Level armor “War Song” been slightly weaker, what now lay on the ground wouldn’t be Vick Swordsaint but “what was once called Vick Swordsaint—a mass of flesh.”Punk, feared by the crowd, maintained his usual expressionless facade as if the attack he had just unleashed was as effortless as casually tossing a pebble. However, inwardly, he couldn’t help but lament his predicament.

The combination of “Inflict Greater Wound” and “Mana Compression” had also astonished Punk himself—not only due to its devastating power but also because of its immense consumption. The sheer cost of this spell was terrifyingly high; he couldn’t possibly cast it two more times, or even once more, without waiting two full minutes for his mana to recover.

In that single moment, nearly two-thirds of his mana—which was already almost half higher than that of an ordinary Formal-Level Mage—had been drained. For an average spellcaster, casting such a spell just once would likely cause them to collapse on the spot.

(End of Chapter)