Chapter 1751 Divine Oracle <TOC> Chapter 1753 Higher Level Defense
Translator: SumTLMan
While Toby remained on high alert, Hayley beckoned to the people behind her and said, “We can’t wait too long. No one is here now, simply because when it advanced in realm, the legendary aura it feigned with the might of the heavens immobilized everyone. We must deal with it before others realize and react. Otherwise, once someone interferes, sacrificing its body in its entirety will become difficult.”
Hayley’s words immediately resonated with the crowd.
Toby had initially only sensed malice from Hayley and her party. Now, hearing her words, how could he not understand their intent to eliminate him?
From the exuberance felt during his advancement, his mood plummeted in an instant. A surge of agitation and anger welled up within him, and Toby was reminded of the resentment and sense of injustice he felt when, during the final stage of facing the tribulation, the manifestation of extreme resentment was preemptively killed.
In a split second, his once joyous eyes transformed dramatically.
His gaze turned cold, and with it came a change in his demeanor that started from his eyes. As this aura grew stronger, his gaze seemed to morph into a deadly weapon.
Just by meeting his eyes, everyone felt as though they were being pierced by countless blades.
“Is this worm mocking us with that look?” “Its gaze infuriates me; how dare this hairless beast disdain us?” “I must kill it, peel off its scales, and extract its tendons!”
For a moment, a cacophony of voices erupted from the crowd.
Initially, Hayley felt that the rising momentum of the group was a good thing. But she quickly sensed something amiss. Continuous curses spilled from their mouths, their eyes strangely reddened. Even those who were usually reticent started joining in the chorus of insults. Something was clearly wrong with the scene.
Hayley cast a puzzled look at the gathered crowd, and then her gaze settled upon the Serpent-Bird. The moment her eyes met the icy vertical pupils of the Serpent-Bird, a flame of nameless origin began to rise within her.
Despite being marginally stronger than the rest, Hayley immediately noticed something amiss with its gaze. The peculiar behavior of the group must undoubtedly be connected to this!
Suppressing the inner anger that threatened to bubble over, Hayley warned the gathered individuals.
The ten or so people present were all of formal wizard realm. However, during their advancement, each had, to varying extents, relied on the power of the Profound Lord. Thus, it was inevitable that some of them possessed somewhat unstable temperaments. Without Toby lifting a finger, merely his gaze was enough to throw them into disarray.
Even as Hayley issued her warning, and some semblance of rationality began to take hold amongst the group, the inexplicable inner fire continued to burn unabated. Even when they tried to suppress it, it became a binding force within them.
Unaware of their inner turmoil, and seeing that they were heeding her words, Hayley enveloped herself in a layer of psychic defense and immediately commanded, “There’s no time to waste; deal with it at once!”
As her voice faded, the figures clad in black robes swiftly produced objects resembling discs. They seemed to be products of alchemy. However, instead of aiming them at Toby, they hurled them toward the space surrounding him.
As they moved, these numerous discs hovered around Toby’s vicinity. When they settled, each disc ignited a small candle flame. They shimmered like distant stars in the dark void, exuding both a sense of beauty and an air of ritualistic solemnity.
“What is this?” Gloria inquired, “It seems to affect space. Are they trying to trap Toby?”
Gloria turned her gaze to Angel, seeking answers from him.
A faint gleam flashed in Angel’s eyes, “I’ve seen this disc before.”
On Monsignor Magical Material Street, there’s an owner of a spell materials shop named Marion. He’s a man who loves to capitalize on small opportunities and had once infiltrated the Profound Alchemy Association. Not that he wanted to join it, but rather, he aimed to procure and resell spell products from within the association at a lower cost.
At that time, Marion had obtained a disc from the Profound Alchemy Association and specifically sought out Fingernail Granny to inquire about its value.
Angel happened to be at Fingernail Alchemy House and witnessed this scene. The disc was identical to the ones currently being used by a certain group, down to the patterns inscribed on it.
“It’s a kind of spellcasting material,” Angel began, pausing momentarily. “It indeed pertains to spatial manipulation, but not for binding purposes. Instead, it augments their spellcasting. The disc bears the true mark of the Profound Lord, maximizing the efficacy of this spellcasting material and allowing them to harness even greater spellcasting power.”
Though this was the explanation, the group’s inherent abilities were akin to artificially hastening the growth of a plant. Even with the disc’s assistance, their collective strength barely matched that of an average formal wizard. All things considered, they were somewhat lacking.
The only one among them warranting caution was Hayley. Her abilities were genuine and self-earned, untouched by the influence of the Profound Lord. Among the group, she stood as the strongest.
While they were discreetly discussing, a confrontation had already begun elsewhere.
Over ten individuals acted in unison. Some immobilized their targets, others drained energy, and a few unleashed massive fireballs… It was evident they had honed their coordination over time. Their actions followed a well-practiced and deadly sequence: control, weaken, then deliver the finishing blow.
If Angel had been the one ensnared, even he might have struggled to withstand such a coordinated onslaught. Of course, should Angel ever truly face them, he wouldn’t grant them the opportunity to execute this tactic.
Facing this Ambush Strategy, Toby remained vigilant.
He was caught off-guard because he had been searching for traces of Angel and the others. Upon realizing they had vanished, Toby momentarily lost focus on the group, consequently finding himself in a predicament.
Upon realizing that the space around him was momentarily sealed, Toby began to thrash about with increasing vigor. Every spasm, every forceful movement from him made those within this confined space vomit copious amounts of fresh blood.
“I can’t hold on much longer; its strength is overwhelming!” The wizard responsible for this spatial binding, even with the amplification of his spells via some sort of magical disc, found it challenging to keep up. This mammoth force weighed on him heavily, especially with the simmering rage he already felt deep within.
“Just hold on for two more seconds, give Mortar the time he needs to breach its defenses!” shouted the individual who had unleashed a massive fireball. Using flames to scorch, and with Mortar’s magic to penetrate the snake’s scale defenses, they had the potential to inflict lethal damage instantly. Couple that with a barrage of follow-up attacks, they sometimes could annihilate their adversary with a single blow.
“Hold on!” Mortar himself called out. By now, he had reached Toby’s tail. Extending his hand towards the sleek, smooth scales, a peculiar pattern of energy manifested out of nowhere. By imprinting this unique rune onto the scales, he could momentarily break through the creature’s defenses.
Toby, sensing the impending danger, intensified his resistance.
His immense strength made the wizard, who bound the space, feel as if his internal organs had shifted. But, mustering every ounce of strength, he managed to buy Mortar those precious two seconds.
By the time the rune on Mortar’s hand began to radiate a vibrant aura, he promptly shouted, “I’m ready on my end!”
Chapter 1751 Divine Oracle <TOC> Chapter 1753 Higher Level Defense