Chapter 758: Corpses as Sea, Ice as Mountains 4k
The professors clearly had the intention of having the students take action during their trials.
But Dark certainly wouldn’t let Aurora go, and given Wit’s current state, he was also somewhat hesitant to let him go. Thus, he decided to step up himself.
Yet, how much of a trial could a mere salamander be for him?
Professor Jones frowned but was too lazy to think about it… Let it be!
Therefore, when Dark stood up beside the campfire, the professors barely paid attention.
Only the adventurers and members of the merchant caravan were puzzled.
At that time, the merchant group was still in shock over their own identities, and the adventurers were extremely vigilant. The appearance of the salamander was an unexpected twist, and it was even more unbelievable for a student-like boy to suddenly stand up and claim he would deal with the salamander.
A few adventurers had good intentions. Seeing that the academy group seemed truly ready to have that young student face the salamander alone, they promptly stopped them without hesitation, regardless of the Black Sand Chamber of Commerce.
“Isn’t that a salamander!” Even the scar-faced man Congreve, who looked fierce, exclaimed in surprise.
Daniel was even more worried that the academy group didn’t know the power of a salamander, so he hurriedly said, “Salamanders possess dragon blood, especially powerful in sandy terrain. Ordinary flying dragons aren’t their match. One misstep and they’ll be devoured.”
“Mr. Daniel, I recognize this salamander,” Dark said with a faint smile, developing a liking for the adventurer who warned him.
Although this adventurer had never killed an enemy after three battlefield engagements, he did have the courage to fight for his country, which was commendable.
However, after stepping out of the campfire, Dark began to worry slightly.
Salamanders were ground-type/dragon-type sub-dragons, with combat capabilities roughly equivalent to a strong six-star golem. However, real magical beasts had significantly higher vitality and mana compared to golems.
In fact, the greatest weakness of golems was their thin blood. Hence, in mana duels, one could see a single ultimate skill instantly defeating another golem.
When magi summoned golems, they usually needed multiple golems to rotate in battle or use other mana cards as support to successfully defeat a similar magical beast.
Moreover, the monsters within Saint Maryan’s underground city, due to being generated by the city’s mana, also shared similar weaknesses with golems. Only the BOSS and elite monsters in the underground city had overcome these weaknesses and had longer health bars.
In terms of vitality:
Underground City BOSS > Elite Monsters ≈ Real Magical Beasts > Golems
Thus, when small magi from Saint Maryan graduated and faced magical beasts for the first time, they often experienced some discomfort.
But Dark wasn’t thinking about these things.
He was considering whether to simply summon a golem to fight or to use the longsword at his waist to display a bit of the aura of a Valkyrie’s son.
“BOOM!”
As he approached one of the flying dragons, the salamander that had swiftly emerged from beneath the ground crashed into Professor Shylph’s wind barrier, causing it to violently shake.
With the impact, the ground sank, forming a vortex. The salamander burst out of the ground and roared at the nearest flying dragon.
Those in the camp finally got a clear view of the salamander.
“This is a salamander?” Wit’s pupils dilated in shock.
Small magi, accustomed to golems, often struggled to adapt when facing powerful magical beasts for the first time.
The salamander’s body was incredibly long, like a rolling drum, with a huge conical head. It had thick transparent eyelids above its eyes, a short but wrinkled neck, and its limbs had degenerated into fins. Spine plates like blades grew along its spine, and it was covered in scars.
It opened its blood-stained mouth, revealing rows of fine teeth. If bitten, one would surely be crushed.
When it half-rose, it was even larger than a flying dragon. Its mouth could probably swallow a flying dragon whole.
Perhaps it sensed the flying dragon’s presence and came to hunt!
“ROAR!”
The salamander’s roar spread across the Black Soil Plain, forcing countless grains of sand to retreat, creating ripples.
A large bubble-like object bulged from its abdomen, bursting out through its throat.
Greenish-yellow mucus splattered onto the wind barrier, corroding it and leaving a massive gap.
The salamander’s stench immediately filled the air.
Dark flicked his fingers, and two mana cards flew out from his deck and into his fingers.
He pondered briefly but chose the orthodox method of a magus.
The reason was simple: the salamander was just too stinky!
“Ground and dragon breath? I decide, you’re next, Ibut.”
He stepped out between two flying dragons, and the summoning array’s light illuminated his path.
The adorable yet crime-inducing Magical Beast: Eevee walked out from the summoning light.
…
“It’s a magus!”
The adventurers and merchant caravan members around the campfire had calmed down.
The silence of the academy teachers made them realize a possibility.
They might have encountered a trial team from the Mana Academia…
As times changed, new professions emerged, but old ones didn’t fully disappear.
Magi replaced mages, becoming a rare and powerful symbol.
Though mages retreated from the forefront, their enduring history gave them an advantage in普及性.
However, academy-trained mages spent ten years studying, often learning less than a magus in a year.
Those living in the capital might not notice, but once outside, they’d find magi scarce.
An adventuring team would be extremely fortunate to gain a mage’s assistance.
As for magi, they were unimaginable.
Most could only see them in dueling arenas.
Mana Academia was rare.
But people knew more about magi than mages.
This was because magi could be seen in dueling arenas.
Marly turned to look at the Magical Beast: Eevee walking beside Dark, unable to help but think:
“Magi are powerful, but the level of that golem must not be high, right?”
“What is he trying to do? Is he planning to summon a low-star golem as a sacrifice first?”
She held the highest status among them, was the wealthiest, and watched the most mana duels. Her understanding of magi naturally surpassed others.
Those who only had a shallow understanding often confused magi with summoners, unable to comprehend the intent behind summoning weak spirits.
The Magical Beast: Eevee summoned by Dark seemed like a pet for hugging.
How could such a golem compete with a salamander?
The salamander’s power in the current environment was terrifying.
Adventurers sought shelter largely to avoid this night-active salamander! There were twelve adventurers, and even if they sacrificed themselves, they could barely match one salamander. Any new magical beast attracted during the confrontation would spell disaster.
But adventurers didn’t expose their ignorance like secondary characters in biographies.
They buried their doubts deep inside, nervously watching the boy’s back.
“Maybe it can work…”
Such thoughts unconsciously surfaced.
…
“In the name of Dark Demon, Mana Summoning — Gluttony III!”
Blue-purple light poured down. Magical Beast: Eevee gradually glowed as it advanced.
By the time Dark stepped out of the circle of flying dragons, it had evolved into ice-blue Magical Beast: Ice Eevee!
Ice-type countered Ground-type.
Ice-type countered Dragon-type.
A Ground-type + Dragon-type salamander was no match for an Ice-type golem.
“Ice Eevee, Hail.”
“Peep!”
Although Magical Beast: Ice Eevee verbally resisted, its actions were honest.
It stopped not far ahead of Dark, elegantly raising its neck. Ice element光辉 emanated from its body, gathering above and then shooting skyward.
The dark night sky instantly appeared with an ice-blue beam.
The beam rapidly expanded, making the already cold night feel like the polar regions.
Reflecting starlight, hailstones appeared one by one from the void, increasing in number.
“ROAR—”
The salamander emitted a furious roar, controlling black soil and gravel to float beneath it. After a brief charge, it shot out all at once.
“Mirror Shot.”
Dark calmly commanded.
Compared to the split-second battles in mana duels, this pace wasn’t fast.
Even with safety concerns, he could react promptly.
“Peep!”
The eyes of Magical Beast: Ice Eevee suddenly lit up. Ice elements rapidly gathered, forming a massive ice mirror beside it.
Ultimate Skill — Mirror Reflection!
Countless grains of sand bombarded the ice mirror, almost completely burying Dark and Ice Eevee.
The salamander reared its head, emitting an excited roar, and charged into the sandstorm, its gaping mouth biting down on the Magical Beast: Ice Eevee engulfed in the storm.
“Huff—”
The wind reversed.
Sandstorm direction changed. Grains of sand abruptly halted, then shot backward.
Roaring winds swept in, doubling the ground elements surging into the sandstorm.
“Mew!”
Magical Beast: Ice Eevee let out a clear, piercing cry.
Two seconds after diving into the sandstorm, the salamander was forcibly ejected.
The doubled sandstorm tore through its thick scales, and falling hailstones constantly drained its vitality.
“Now, Ice Beam.”
Dark Demon’s voice pierced through the sandstorm.
A thick ice-blue beam broke through the sandstorm, accurately hitting the retreating salamander.
In Hail, the power of Ice-type ultimate skills increased by 50%, and the probability of freezing doubled.
Salamanders were doubly restrained by Ice-type attacks, making the effects of Ice-type ultimate skills particularly significant.
Without any suspense, the salamander’s body instantly froze upon being hit by the Ice Beam. The ice rapidly spread, covering its entire body in an instant.
The enormous and terrifying salamander was frozen into an ice sculpture amidst the hail and black sand.
The night sky reflected off its surface, creating a dazzling spectacle.
…
Seeing this, Daniel and company’s expressions tightened instantly.
The salamander they couldn’t avoid was easily dealt with.
Marly was even more nervous. She was immensely relieved she hadn’t lied.
Though exposure of her Black Sand Chamber of Commerce identity would be disadvantageous, at that moment, she instinctively felt that lying in front of everyone would result in an even worse outcome.
“How strong are these students? How terrifying must the accompanying teachers be?”
Marly’s mind raced.
Calmly, she realized this might be her only chance.
If she could get involved with these people…
She didn’t turn to look at the people by the campfire but recalled their words, actions, and appearances in her mind, quickly searching for the easiest target.
“Elemental, fairy, noble, maid…”
Then she sharply noticed the biggest and only flaw among them.
“That black-haired, green-hatted boy!”
…
The wind howled, the cold biting.
But Dark didn’t return.
Facing away from the crowd, his eyes glowed gold, the Eye of Truth’s vision penetrating the darkness to reveal the truth.
The ground, after a brief calm, violently shook.
Black dust surged wildly from the horizon.
“Drawn by the battle over here?”
Dark raised his hand, adjusting the hat Yalvarait had knitted for him, a rare smile on his lips.
“On the Black Soil Plain, it must be the Black Soil Scorpion.”
If the salamander was the ruler of the Black Soil Plain, the scorpion was the most terrifying nightmare.
Where the scorpion passed, no remains were left.
“Ready, Ice Eevee?”
“Peep!”
“Good, let the blizzard rage!”
“Peep!”
Magical Beast: Ice Eevee reared its head, releasing intense ice-blue light from its tiny body.
The temperature plummeted again, layers of frost covering the ground.
Clouds rolled in the dark sky, snowflakes swirling down with the wind and hail.
When the black dust approached within a hundred meters, the blizzard roared.
The Black Soil Scorpion emitted a yellowish glow, but the blizzard extinguished it in an instant.
In Hail weather, the power of the Blizzard increased by 50%, the freezing probability doubled, and its duration extended until the Hail weather ended, releasing a new Blizzard every thirty seconds.
The Black Soil Scorpion’s swarm attack was meaningless amidst the ice crystals and snow.
No matter how many Black Soil Scorpions rushed into this restricted area, they were equally destroyed.
In an instant, the corpses of the Black Soil Scorpions piled up like a sea, frozen into mountains, the Black Soil Plain seemingly rising by a foot!
…
…
[Good morning!]
