The dark red crystal pillars around the platform emitted irregular light, providing the duel arena with an eerie yet ample illumination.
"Jacqueline, watch your left!"
Eliot shouted a warning, while his fingertips traced an arc through the air.
A sharp wind blade formed instantly, slicing precisely toward a replicate attempting to ambush a companion.
This was already the third wave of replicates they had encountered after entering the core region.
The first two waves appeared individually, making them relatively easy to deal with.
But this time, they faced a mixed team of three to four replicates, dramatically increasing the difficulty of the battle.
"These replicates seem to be consciously cooperating with each other!"
Lina, maintaining the spiritual link, controlled the floating light spheres around her to execute precise strikes while being surprised to find that the replicates could always cover or dodge at the last moment.
"Stay calm!" Eliot’s voice was steady and powerful.
His unusually large ears quivered slightly, capturing every faint sound and energy fluctuation on the battlefield:
"Stick to the original plan, cover your assigned area, and don’t be distracted by the chaotic situation!"
The battle on the field was at a stalemate.
Although the apprentices from the Crystal Tower had strong individual skills and a high level of teamwork, the replicates seemed to inherit some traits from Abyss creatures.
Not only did they have a super-strong regeneration ability, but their combat style was bizarre and unpredictable.
Just as the situation was deadlocked, Kaiser suddenly spotted an opportunity.
A replicate in a black robe exposed a flaw amidst the brawl, clearly one of the newer apprentices from the Black Mist School that had just entered the core region.
Not Ron, Holt, or Trish, but one of the other sequence members.
"Watch me!" A glint of excitement flashed in Kaiser’s eyes.
His right arm swelled to more than twice its size in an instant, covered with a layer of fine red scales, resembling the skin of a legendary dragon.
Like a cannonball, he charged at the replicate, even smashing a massive rock trying to block him along the way.
The rock exploded into countless fragments under his fist, like a tiny explosion.
— Flame Giant Dragon’s Claw!
With a low growl, Kaiser’s right fist, carrying a terrifying force, slammed heavily into the replicate’s chest.
The replicate clearly did not expect to be ambushed so fiercely and could only hastily raise an energy shield.
But in the face of Kaiser’s fist, comparable to a small siege hammer, the shield shattered like thin paper in an instant.
"Puff!"
With a dull thud, the replicate’s chest caved in immediately, its body flying backward like a puppet with cut strings, finally hitting a crystal pillar, falling silent.
A few seconds later, the replicate’s body began to disintegrate, dissipating into countless light dots in the air.
These dots did not scatter but seemed to be drawn by some gravity toward Kaiser.
"Ah—!" Kaiser let out a strange cry that was a mix of pain and pleasure, as a faint golden halo appeared on his body’s surface.
He could clearly feel a strange and powerful force rushing into his veins, merging and eventually becoming part of his own strength.
The feeling was like drinking a millennium-old brew; it had a captivating satisfaction.
"Hahaha! Unbelievable!"
As the halo faded, Kaiser flexed his arm, his eyes flashing with a fanatical glow:
"My power has increased by at least thirty percent! Even the magic power has grown significantly!"
He raised his right hand high, and a fireball, larger than the previous one, immediately gathered in his palm, rolling with heat waves that even began to distort the surrounding air.
The edges of the fireball formed irregular, twisting patterns, writhing like a living thing.
"I’ve always said, those Black Mist School guys are nothing!"
Kaiser proudly declared in a loud voice:
"A bunch of weaklings barely surviving on potions and inferior magic, not worth comparing to us! Look at this replicate, couldn’t even withstand a single punch from me. Is this the power of their strongest? Ridiculous!"
He straightened his chest and scanned his surroundings, seemingly expecting admiration and approval from his companions.
"Kaiser, focus on the fight!" Eliot frowned and reminded, but it was already too late.
As Kaiser basked in the joy of empowerment, the surrounding air suddenly became exceedingly humid, and a rich plant aroma hit him.
The ground began to tremble as if something beneath was moving rapidly, with fine cracks spreading across the stone surface at a visible speed.
"What—"
Just as Kaiser tried to turn, dozens of thick vines burst forth from the ground, quickly entwining around his limbs and torso like living creatures.
The growth rate of these vines was astonishing, wrapping him into a tightly sealed green cocoon in an instant.
The vine surface was covered with dense thorns, each flickering with a peculiar purple glow, evidently carrying some kind of toxin.
At the same moment, on the other side of the platform, a towering Earth Elemental Golem suddenly appeared, rushing toward the immobilized Kaiser.
Each step of the golem shook the ground, and its rocky fists looked capable of easily smashing through a wall.
It was inlaid with numerous crystalized bone fragments, causing its entire body to shimmer with an ominous blue light, making it appear more eerie and powerful than ordinary Earth Elemental Golems.
"This presence, it’s probably the replicates of Trish and Holt from the Black Mist School!"