Chapter 180: Weakness Is the Root of All Misery
Sein’s sudden decisive action disrupted the long-standing stalemate outside the Purple Yew Forest.
A massive azure pyro blade descended from above, targeting the most formidable of the three extraplanar creatures.
This bold move by Sein drew a frustrated curse from Jake, a Quasi Mage from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring who was ranked thirteenth on the academy’s power rankings.
Unfamiliar with Sein, who had his face covered by a golden mask, Jake was irritated by what he perceived as recklessness.
However, Sein’s intervention spurred the other intermediate and junior divine tower initiates into action.
A female Quasi Mage launched a giant aero blade, followed by a barrage of intermediate and basic magic spells like Fireball, Ice Strike, Elemental Ray, and Terra Spikes.
This onslaught validated Sein’s strategy, showing that Jake’s cautious approach had been overly conservative.
The concerted magical assault brought a look of despair to the green eyes of the extraplanar creatures, revealing their earlier intimidation tactics as mere bluster.
Yet, the resilience and defense of these creatures were beyond Sein’s expectations.
The powerful Pyro Blade spell, though blocked by the weapon of the quasi-ranked creature, still engulfed its body in fire.
Remarkably, it remained standing, its body and weapon coated in a verdant green energy, indicative of a unique energy technique mastered by its species.
Following Sein’s initial strike, multiple magic spells bombarded the quasi-ranked creature, inflicting fresh wounds on its already scarred body.
The green energy that had previously illuminated its form noticeably dimmed under the relentless magical offensive.
Upon noticing this, Sein advanced once more toward his opponent.
Clutching a massive dark blue fireball in each hand, he hurled them toward the extraplanar creature relentlessly.
Sein was the only mage among those present who would release magic at such close quarters.
Although fraught with danger, such an approach allowed for maximizing damage.
The two enhanced Fireball spells were aimed at the creature’s already wounded chest and its vulnerable head.
Sensing imminent danger and its impending doom, the creature grasped its weapon to counter Sein’s lethal attack and bellowed a distinct cry, “WAKA!”
As it shouted, a surge of bright verdant green energy erupted from its body, while its skin visibly aged and withered.
Confronted by Sein’s approach and the other initiates from the Magus World positioned further away, the extraplanar creature summoned a large green energy ball above its weapon.
After a moment of contemplation, it shut its eyes and directed the green energy ball into the distance.
Sein, sensing a threat emanating from the verdant energy ball, swiftly activated his geo elemental shield. To his surprise, the energy ball veered toward the other initiates.
It split into smaller spheres mid-flight, each packing the force of an intermediate magic spell.
BOOOOOM!
Explosions rattled the Purple Yew Forest.
“Did it target the weaker, more numerous initiates because it knew it couldn’t defeat me?” Sein wondered, surprised by the creature’s tactical choice.
The fleeting emotions in the creature’s eyes revealed a mix of despair and a determined resolve to exact a toll on its foes, even at the cost of its own life.
It stemmed from a deep-seated hatred for the Magus Civilization, which had invaded and disrupted its homeplane, scattering its community.
The extraplanar creature before him clearly exhibited significant intelligence, seemingly intent on using its remaining strength to cause some damage to the Magus Civilization.
This creature was different from the Sandworm King and other creatures Sein had encountered in the Sand World.
Sein had only felt an overwhelming pressure and a subtle sense of malevolent intent from the Sandworm King and others.
Yet, the determination in the eyes of this extraplanar creature just before it closed its eyes resonated with Sein on a deeper level.
Although it stirred something in him, Sein did not allow his actions to falter.
Sein was neither melancholic nor overly sentimental by nature. It was impossible for him to harbor sympathy for these extraplanar beings.
After all, weakness was the root of all misery!
It was a lesson well learned from his time in the Black Magic Academy.
The enhanced fireballs engulfed the creature as Sein conjured another Pyro Blade spell, this time aiming decisively at its neck.
***
The conflict at Purple Yew Forest, a medium-sized resource point, concluded quicker than anticipated.
Facing nearly twenty magic initiates, the three extraplanar creatures stood little chance.
Despite emerging victorious, the initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring suffered significant losses—three fatalities and five severe injuries.
On one hand, there were inexperienced divine tower initiates who were unaccustomed to the brutal nature of interplanar wars.
On the other hand, the outnumbered extraplanar creatures, heavily outnumbered and with no escape route, were compelled to make a desperate final stand for themselves and their conquered homeplane.
The resilience and defiance shown by these three extraplanar creatures was both unexpected and, in a way, understandable.
The battle served as a profound lesson for the divine tower initiates, many of whom had never faced such violent combat, introducing them to the grim realities of war.
Kesma, a senior initiate, would particularly remember this encounter.
In the heat of battle, he drove an icicle from his Ice Strike spell directly into the chest of one of the high-level extraplanar creatures.
Instead of succumbing instantly, the wounded creature lunged at Kesma, impaling his abdomen with its javelin before finally collapsing.
Kesma survived, thanks to quick assistance from fellow initiates and the creature’s depleted strength.
This battle left a lasting impression on the inexperienced divine tower initiates about the nature of extraplanar creatures.
After the fight, Sein was the first to mark the Purple Yew Forest with his badge.
He claimed 500 points for securing the medium-sized resource and 300 for defeating the extraplanar creatures, totaling 800 points and bringing his overall score to 1,280 points!
“You bastard! You’re the cause of their deaths!” Jake, the Quasi Mage, berated Sein while pointing at the lifeless bodies of the unfortunate initiates.
It was unclear whether his anger stemmed from Sein taking the opportunity to be the first to mark the resource point, or from his frustration at the hastened conflict.
Jake’s accusation caused a perceptible shift in how some initiates perceived Sein, even though he had played a crucial role in defeating the quasi-ranked extraplanar creature.
Sein stowed the remains of an extraplanar creature into his space ring and checked his badge points before retorting coldly, “What does the fate of the weak have to do with me?”
“YOU...!” Jake, taken aback, struggled for words as Sein nonchalantly continued his journey eastward, disregarding the reactions of the initiates below him.