Chapter 12: The Power That Leads to Corruption
Then, Mork’s gaze pierced through the crowd, landing squarely on Airael.
He was no stranger to Airael, of course.
That familiar cloak had been haunting his mind these days.
Just like now, seeing that cloak again stirred up some things within him.
Those things he had once forgotten.
Under Mork’s piercing gaze, Airael stood her ground, meeting his eyes without flinching.
Despite the immense pressure, she repeatedly told herself not to hide away.
If she cowered now, she would never be able to hold her head high again.
Thus, she bore the weight of that pressure, no matter how suffocating.
While they stared each other down, Cain was not idle.
Noticing Mork’s distraction, he disregarded the Dark Elf at his side, gripping his sword tightly as he charged at Mork.
With a mighty swing, he brought the sword crashing down on Mork.
It seemed Mork was utterly oblivious, standing in place like a statue.
Of course, Airael noticed Cain’s movement.
However, Mork’s lack of reaction left her quite taken aback.
This shouldn’t be how it is!
Yet the next moment, a purplish-black mysterious substance erupted from Mork’s body.
Cain’s sword, which aimed for Mork’s head, met this mysterious substance and could advance no further.
This sight made Cain’s pupils constrict.
He had seen this side of Mork before.
But experiencing this version of Mork for the first time, he was shocked by how incredibly strong he was.
His attack was completely ineffective.
This level of defense was beyond shocking.
He had never heard of such a broken ability before!
Watching this unfold, Airael remained unfazed.
She had encountered the might of this mysterious power more than once.
It could significantly enhance the user’s abilities in various aspects, yet was also filled with temptation, leading one to corruption.
Airael suspected Mork’s fall from grace was closely tied to this mysterious power.
Having failed with one strike, Cain, stubbornly refusing to give in, swung at Mork once more.
But the outcome was still the same.
No damage done to Mork whatsoever.
If this were a game, it might not even register a “minus one.”
“Damn it! What the heck is this thing?!”
Cain roared in frustration.
If this continued, they’d never win this battle!
Just as he finished that thought, an instant later, Mork spun around and kicked him flying.
“Shut up already—!”
Flying back, Cain spat out a mouthful of blood.
Whether it was from being hit or from Mork’s words, who could say?
Maybe it was both.
Big bro, if you think I’m loud, then why are you being such a cheater?!
Airael couldn’t help but sweat a few cold drops at this turn of events.
She turned her attention back to Mork, pondering how to deal with this version of him.
Yet, with limited intel, she had no choice but to make some educated guesses.
First off, ordinary attacks were definitely ineffective against Mork.
Cain had already provided solid proof of that.
If Cain, a hero-class fighter, couldn’t land even a scratch, then it was clear that typical attacks would have little effect.
Of course, it didn’t rule out the possibility that Cain simply lacked the power; after all, he wasn’t a strength-type warrior.
If it were a strength-type warrior, especially one of Mork’s level, their normal attacks should have some effect.
After all, the saying “one might can defeat ten” does hold some truth.
It’s not that the strategy itself wouldn’t work; it’s just that you’re not up to par.
However, they didn’t have any dedicated strength-type fighters among them.
That was the specialty of the Orcs, and alongside them, the Dwarves and those beast-like creatures.
Not to mention, finding someone who could rival Mork was even less likely.
Even if they gathered all the Dwarves and Orcs, they’d be hard-pressed to find many suitable candidates.
So, the only way to tackle Mork for now was through some special methods.
Since ordinary attacks wouldn’t work, they’d have to resort to special attacks.
With a determined thought, Airael began to cast her ice magic with special effects.
She didn’t initially cast the ice domain; even if she intended to control it, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t accidentally hit those nearby humans.
Without the ice domain boosting her magic, Airael’s ice spells seemed severely weakened.
Three icy spears took shape around her and shot toward Mork.
Mork stood his ground, not dodging.
The icy spears shattered upon contact with the purplish-black substance, and the chilling aura began seeping into Mork.
Yet, the effect was far from ideal.
The cold barely affected him, merely causing his body to pause for a brief moment before returning to normal.
Although the results weren’t great, Airael couldn’t help but smile brightly.
Who cares if the ideal outcome wasn’t achieved? In times like this, anything that works is a win!
“Everyone, stay back from me!”
Airael commanded Celia and the others beside her.
“Miss!”
Celia and Aurora protested against her order.
“Just listen to me! I don’t want to accidentally hurt you, and this is an order!”
Airael’s expression grew serious, her words carrying an undeniable authority.
She projected the air of a high-ranking individual.
Combined with her tone, it held a balance of firmness and gentleness.
Unable to defy her command, Celia and Aurora had no choice but to comply, stepping back from Airael.
As they distanced themselves, a golden magic circle appeared beneath Airael, and a chilling aura began to rage outward from her center.
The city wall beneath Airael was the first to be encased in frost.
Noticing Airael’s actions, Mork, who had previously endured one setback, pushed off the ground with all his might and charged at her.
Airael raised her hand gently.
Before her, several ice walls sprang up, blocking Mork’s path.
Yet Mork, with unwavering resolve, charged straight into those ice walls.
The walls shattered upon impact.
At the same time, Mork’s speed only faltered slightly.
Just as Mork was about to cross into the frosty area, he leaped high, raising his sword to strike at Airael.
Airael looked up at his move.
Without any visible gesture from her, a large block of ice appeared in mid-air, intercepting Mork’s body.
Mork stood atop the ice block, staring daggers at Airael in the distance, his inner fury raging fiercely.
Honestly, he hadn’t anticipated Airael would manage to counter his attack in such a way.
But it also indirectly demonstrated Airael’s proficiency in magic.
With hundreds of years of practice, combined with her past life’s knowledge, she had honed her magic to a point where it was second nature.
