His observation was cut short. The creatures below had all turned toward him, their gazes cold, unified, purposeful. The air trembled as their malformed throats worked to form sound, their newly restored vocal cords vibrating out of sync. What came next was a chorus of distorted voices, overlapping and jagged: The word carried divine weight, more a judgment than an insult. It reverberated through the air, echoing across the empty field like a decree of execution. Erik barely had a second to react before one of them, the one wielding the frozen blade moved. One instant, it was standing below, its gaze fixed on him. The next, it was in the sky, right beside him, its form a blur of cold mist and motion. The air where it once stood shattered with a concussive crack, shards of frost spiraling in its wake. Erik’s pupils constricted. The air cracked like ice as the creature’s blade carved through it, a jagged blur of frost aimed straight for Erik’s throat. But Erik was no mere warrior. He was a mage, even if the spear in his hands suggested otherwise. The instant the creature vanished from the ground, Erik’s lips were already moving, his voice a low, focused murmur weaving through the rising hum of his mana. Glyphs flickered faintly along the shaft of his weapon, molten runes burning into existence as the air around him shimmered with heat. By the time the creature swung, the spell was complete. A serpent of fire erupted from the head of his spear, its molten body twisting and coiling with a hiss like a living flame. The serpent merged with his weapon, the metal glowing red-hot, scales of liquid heat forming along its surface. Erik thrust forward and the spear struck with predatory intent, alive with wrath. At the very moment their weapons should have collided, the spear moved on its own, reacting with the fluid grace of a serpent. It curved away from the frozen blade in a smooth arc, bypassing the edge entirely to coil around the creature’s arm. The divine flames bit deep. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as the infernal serpent constricted, its heat searing through even the divinity-woven flesh. But the creature did not flinch. With mechanical precision, it simply released the weapon from its injured hand. The frozen blade spun in the air, caught perfectly by its other arm, and before Erik could press his advantage, the monster stabbed forward again its movement raw, brutal, efficient. Erik’s spear trembled. The fire-serpent’s form flickered briefly before a phantom image tore free from him, a spectral afterimage that grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him backward, propelling him through the air with impossible speed. He reappeared several meters away, wind slicing past his face as he steadied his breathing. Below, the creature’s momentum faltered. With no target to meet, it began to fall, a meteor of frost and muscle tumbling toward the ground. But before it could crash, the staff-bearer below raised its weapon. The pearl at its tip pulsed once, releasing a ring of ripples through the air. Instantly, water gathered beneath the descending creature’s feet, a shimmering platform forming midair. The moment its body touched down, the water froze solid, turning into a platform of glacial blue. The creature planted its foot on it, crouched and with a thunderous crack, launched itself upward again. The ice shattered beneath it, shards scattering like crystal dust as it rocketed back toward Erik, faster than before. Erik’s eyes narrowed, "Adaptation... even in mid-combat?" The corners of his lips curled slightly, half in disbelief, half in excitement. He spun his spear, the serpent’s molten body reawakening, ready to meet the second strike. The other creatures moved almost in unison, their coordination unnervingly precise as if guided by a single will. The one wielding the trident stepped forward, its grotesque form outlined by rippling currents of divine energy. With a guttural growl, it hurled the weapon skyward. The air shrieked as the trident spun toward Erik but this was no ordinary throw. Erik twisted his body, narrowly dodging the weapon as it whistled past him, but his eyes widened when he saw what followed. The trident tore the air open, leaving behind a jagged scar of red divinity in its wake. From that rift, a length of chain burst forth, its links alive, glinting with the same crimson glow as the divine roots he had seen earlier. The chain slithered forward like a predator, its head guided by the will of the chain-wielder emerging behind it. With a violent crack, it shot toward Erik, lengthening endlessly as it pursued him through the air. Erik darted away, heat rippling around his frame as he moved, but the creatures gave him no space. The one bearing the shifting water spear stepped in next, its weapon twisting mid-motion before it slashed horizontally through the air. In response, an enormous wave erupted from the swing, forming midair, defying gravity. The surge of water roared toward Erik, blocking every escape route, a shimmering wall of liquid. The chain was almost upon him, its jagged end reaching out like a claw. Erik’s expression hardened. He had no time to think. His hand moved instinctively, tracing a sigil in the air before him. He inhaled deeply then blew. The temperature plummeted instantly. The searing heat that surrounded him inverted into an arctic chill as frost erupted from his breath. The wave before him froze solid, turning into a mountain of glittering ice. In the same breath, he flooded his limbs with reinforcing mana, his body glowing faintly gold beneath his cloak. Then he crashed through. The ice shattered like glass under his charge, shards scattering in every direction. He broke through the frozen barrier just as the pursuing chain lunged at where he had been a heartbeat earlier, its end slamming into the remains of the ice wall. The impact sent a shockwave rippling across the field, mist and frost swirling together in chaotic patterns. Erik shot out the other side, smoke and frost trailing behind him as he spun his spear in a defensive arc, searching for an opening. Below, the trident-wielder caught its weapon as it returned to its grasp with divine precision, the other three regrouping midair in a synchronized motion that made Erik’s jaw tighten. Erik steadied himself midair, the hum of arcane energy roaring in his veins. The five creatures had regrouped below. They weren’t weren’t even thinking, yet their movements aligned perfectly. Erik’s eyes narrowed. "You want to end me?" His spear burned brighter, the molten serpent along its length writhing as if eager for more. The runes etched along the weapon pulsed with violent rhythm, three quick beats, then silence before erupting in a flare of crimson-gold light. "Then let’s see how much of the gods will you can withstand." He thrust his spear downward. The air split apart with a sonic roar as hundreds of fiery serpents burst from the spear’s head, raining toward the creatures like falling stars. Each serpent hissed as it struck, detonating on impact, explosions of searing flame and energy blanketing the field. The shockwaves rolled outward, tearing up earth and air alike, carving molten trenches into the land below. For a moment, the world became a storm of fire and light. The trident-wielder was the first to react, thrusting its weapon into the ground as a surge of water erupted upward to counter the inferno. Steam engulfed the area, shrouding everything in blinding mist, but Erik was already moving through it, his spear cutting arcs of flame through the haze. The pearl-staffed creature tried to raise a barrier of water, but Erik’s next strike shattered it cleanly, the molten spear punching through its chest. The impact tore a hole straight through its body, divine roots sizzling and bursting into ash. The creature staggered back, flames devouring its torso, yet it didn’t die. It didn’t scream. The red roots simply moved, tightening and knitting the wound closed as if reversing time. In seconds, the hole in its body sealed, leaving only charred marks that faded soon after. Erik’s eyes widened in disbelief, "Impossible..." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱 He spun just in time to parry the frozen blade that came streaking toward his head. The clash sent sparks and frost scattering through the air, heat meeting cold. The monster’s attack forced him back, but Erik retaliated with a blast of compressed flame that engulfed his attacker completely. The creature’s body burned away only for the red roots beneath its skin to pulse again, regrowing the lost tissue, reshaping its body as if nothing had happened. He swung his spear in a wide arc, releasing a blazing wave that ripped through the air, sending two of the creatures crashing into the ground. The impact carved deep craters into the field yet, as the smoke cleared, they were already standing again, their movements sharper than before. It wasn’t intelligence that was growing. It was instinct.