Chapter 186: Time to Act
In a one-on-one battle, Sein doubted he could easily overcome the black-robed old initiate who could command a quasi-ranked undead monster.
This just went to show the abundance of talent and strength prevalent among the experts within the major divine towers.
Sein’s success in amassing points in the Divine Tower of Shadow’s territory earlier could be attributed to his stealthiness and ruthlessness, as well as the fact that he had not yet encountered any of their true experts.
The black-robed old initiate before him was undoubtedly one of those experts.
Despite its slow movements, the quasi-ranked undead monster displayed no other weaknesses for now.
Its defense was remarkably strong, its vitality robust, and its attack power formidable.
As it lumbered forward, the undead monster effortlessly cleaved an intermediate-level extraplanar plant creature in its path into two with a single, powerful swing of its giant sickle.
Leading the charge with this powerful undead monster were twenty to thirty other undead creatures of varying shapes and sizes.
After summoning the horde, only then did the other initiates from the Divine Tower of Shadow begin to unleash a barrage of magic spells, turning the battle into a textbook example of assaulting a large resource point.
It seemed almost certain that the Divine Tower of Shadow would capture this resource point, unless there were unforeseen developments.
Although the unique extraplanar plant creatures were resilient, the initiates from the Divine Tower of Shadow quickly discovered their vulnerability to pyro magic spells.
The umbra-pyro magic spells that these initiates wielded were particularly effective against the plant creatures.
Among those extraplanar creatures, two exuded the aura of quasi-ranked creatures.
One, resembling a towering tree man several meters in height, charged forward to meet the undead monster’s brutal attack head-on.
The other quasi-ranked plant creature, stationed at the very center of the red-soiled basin, appeared to have limited mobility.
Facing the barrage of magic spells unleashed by initiates from the Divine Tower of Shadow, this quasi-ranked plant creature raised its emerald green vines in defense.
Despite its limited mobility, its vines were impressively agile.
They skillfully deflected the incoming Fireball spells and Netherflame Rays, displaying a remarkable resistance to flames.
This quickly turned into a lively and impressive large-scaled battle.
Half an hour into the battle, Sein decided that it was time to act.
After all, he did not come here just to watch.
The outnumbered extraplanar plant creatures were clearly struggling and forced into a defensive role on the battlefield.
Despite their potential for yielding substantial reward points, Sein recognized them as his allies because he decided that his primary target would be the initiates from the Divine Tower of Shadow.
Utilizing his invisibility cloak, Sein stealthily approached the old black-robed initiate, who appeared to be the most powerful among the four Quasi Mages and held the highest authority, orchestrating the offensive in the basin.
Of the other three Quasi Mages, one appeared less adept at summoning magic. In contrast, the undead creatures summoned by the remaining two were black samurais, each equating to a high-level magic beast in power.
Therefore, the old man's ability to summon such a powerful undead creature naturally commanded respect.
Moreover, after summoning the grotesque giant, the old man had unleashed several intermediate and advanced umbral-pyro magic spells.
Even for a Quasi Mage, such an expenditure of focus and mana must have significantly depleted his reserves.
Seizing the opportune moment to strike, Sein crept closer to the black-robed old man like a calm, patient hunter.
With the initiates preoccupied by the extraplanar plant creature in the heart of the battlefield, Sein’s approach went unnoticed.
Closing the distance to a mere hundred meters, he carefully assessed his target and began to silently prepare his magic spell.
Among his arsenal of area of effect spells, only the Solar Eye spell stood out as the most lethal.
Sein was aware that he was not the only one with protective magic spells.
Some senior initiates, who prioritized survival, had sacrificed a considerable amount of mana to fortify themselves with magic shields well before the battle even commenced.
With the chaotic elemental energy in the basin, Sein’s Solar Eye spell initially went unnoticed.
However, the quasi-ranked vine creature at the heart of the basin seemed to have sensed it. Its thin branches began trembling uncontrollably.
In addition to displaying its fear, this behavior served as a unique method among its kind to communicate with the other plant creatures.
As expected, plant creatures were particularly sensitive to pyro and lumen elements, especially the latter.
Many began to retreat, inciting the initiates from the Divine Tower of Shadow to intensify their assault.
As Sein’s Solar Eye spell neared completion, its searing fire and blinding light became increasingly difficult to conceal among the surrounding chaotic elemental energy.
“WHO?!” A senior initiate from the Divine Tower of Shadow nearest to Sein was the first to realize the anomaly.
While the Divine Tower of Shadow offered courses related to the pyro element, the lumen element was a rarity within its curriculum.
The sheer intensity of the lumen elemental energy was a clear indicator that it did not originate from one of their own initiates.
The senior initiate’s alarmed shout quickly drew the attention of the other initiates.
However, it was too late.
Sein, having revealed his position, abandoned any further attempts at concealment.
The invisibility cloak he wore did not render him completely undetectable anyway. A keen observer could still discern subtle clues of his presence.
Amidst his rapid incantation, the Solar Eye magic spell neared its completion.
Six radiant golden orbs formed around him, leaving the initiates from the Divine Tower of Shadow initiates momentarily stunned by the unexpected display.
The black-robed old man was quick to respond, though he had not detected the anomaly as early as the senior initiate.
“Stop him, quickly! He’s from another divine tower!” His commanding voice boomed loudly.
Unfortunately, the initiates, having expended much of their mana and focus battling the extraplanar plant creatures, had little left to redirect at Sein.
The rapid escalation of events left most initiates from the Divine Tower of Shadow in the dark, as they were all scattered across the area.
Aside from a few elite initiates clustered around the old man, the majority of the initiates surrounded the extraplanar plant creature at the center of the basin in a fan-shaped formation.
Hence, those further away from the scene were completely oblivious to the situation here.