Bab 45: Mission Complete
As Leon and Triss grappled with their predicament, so did Laima and Belenus contend with their own challenges.
At the heart of the mission, they constituted its essence, and naturally, their role was markedly more demanding. They were tasked with the dual challenge of pilfering and escaping without any external assistance.
This posed a mental obstacle, realizing that there would be no one to come to their aid.
Immediately after seizing the Black Metal, a Feather Tier guard appeared behind her. The woman assigned to confront her was a Tayirian, vulture was her type.
Living her avian nature, she bided her time until her prey was momentarily defenseless. Yet, in this scenario, those were the constraints; she couldn't afford to wait until her target perished, after all.
The moment their gazes locked, the Tayirian guard executed what her race excelled at conjuring a gust of wind. Much like how Merpeople were adept in water magic, the Tayirians were masters of wind magic.
In fact, this proficiency represented their racial limitation, as it was the sole elemental skill within their grasp.
If mastering the sole available element is the only option, it stands to reason that they would strive for excellence in that domain. This was applicable to any race restricted to learning only one specific element throughout their lifetime.
She demonstrated her prowess by conjuring wind daggers, three in total, seemingly out of thin air. The process was undeniably captivating, to say the least.
Fwuushh!!
Her magical prowess firmly clung to a Level 4, transforming the intangible wind into something tangible. It was as if green leaves were gracefully pirouetting through the air. They twirled and twirled, converging to form daggers that perpetually revolved within.
Thuuud!!
Fantastical were the appearances of these metal-cleaving daggers, careening through chaos, slicing through everything in their path.
Thud!
Laima's pitch-black eyes remained vibrant, as she swiftly enveloped herself in water, one hand securely gripping the cage where the Black Metal slumbered. Not a trace of fear adorned her gaze, even as she threw herself to the ground, rolling with purpose.
In fact, she wore a constant smile, leaping about with a clown's agility and exuberance.
There was no reason for her not to be cheerful. After all, her adversary was inadvertently crafting an escape route for her by dismantling everything within sight.
"Hahaha!!"
Appearing to compel Laima into a frenzied sprint, an ecstasy overcame her, and she erupted into maniacal laughter. Simultaneously, she continued relentlessly hurling her wind-forged knives without a pause.
'Heh, keep on laughing, bird brain.'
Shuushh!
"What!?"
Yet, this situation was short-lived.
Desperation fueled Laima's movements as she seemed to dart frantically, though it was merely a facade. In truth, she had never been merely running around. Simultaneously, she focused her aura beneath her shoes, generating a watery layer.
Thud! Thud!
Then, with deliberate intent, she once again rolled on the ground.
However, this time, her roll took her directly toward the Tayirian guard. It was an unexpected turn of events for the guard, who merely glanced at her for a fleeting second. That single second proved to be a costly miscalculation on her part.
In that fleeting moment, Laima flung herself backward, aligning her feet toward the Tayirian guard. Swiftly preparing, she unleashed two colossal legs crafted from the water element.
This progress took one second and made the guard get ready by taking the peek-a-boo style with her human hands. If Laima were to hit her, she wouldn't be able to get away unhurt, but she also wouldn't be pushed into the edges of her life.
Inflicting harm or perhaps propelling the opponent away from the ship represented the pinnacle of damage Laima's attack could achieve when faced with an adversary of equal standing, especially when the foe raised her guard.
Booom! Booom! Booom!
A single sound reverberated three times, causing the guard's face to twitch in response to the absence of the anticipated sensation.
The source of this unexpected outcome stemmed from the last-second maneuver executed by her Mermaid adversary.
Laima strategically parted her legs, ensuring her attack veered off course, striking above and targeting the sections she had not yet dismantled with her previous slashes.
However, her true aim was the final resounding boom—a sound that heralded her successful escape.
"Bye, bird brain!"
Mockingly, Laima yelled at the guard as her voice gradually faded away during her descent to the depths. Thanks to her aura, she remained impervious to pain. Moreover, the aura fortified her back, enhancing its destructive power and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The first utterance that escaped her lips, after being tossed into her true habitat of seawater, was, "I should send the signal."
She raised her hand toward the heavens, conjuring a water ball that burst into the air—a signal and her beacon of relief from these exhausting minutes.
Despite the brevity of the mission, it proved to be draining nonetheless.
---
Calmly, Belenus stated, "I hate fighting with Yuorians," as he fruitlessly searched for the elusive Black Metal.
"I hear that a lot," came the calm response from the Yuorian guard, feathers adorning his back as an unmistakable display of his power level.
"Sigh... Looks like this is the only way, huh?" Orca Belenus raised his spear once again.
"You still have the option to surrender," responded, his metallic fists clenching in reaction.
Despite lacking the physical prowess of Aqrabians or the shapeshifting abilities of Werewolves, Yuorians remained among the most proficient close-quarter combatants. Notably, they were also one of the races incapable of learning any form of magic.
Nevertheless, akin to other races, they possessed a unique ability exclusively their own: Emotion Power.
The Emotion Power wielded by Yuorians was the very element that rendered them formidable adversaries. It was also the basis for their reputation as the foremost experts in the art of hypnotism among all races.
Hypnotization wasn't a combat ability for them but a technique ingrained in them from a young age, a vital skill that defined a true Yuorian combatant.
The white eyes of the Yuorian guard gradually closed, and he started to take rapid breaths, akin to someone on the verge of sacrificing their life.
A familiar scene unfolded before Belenus's eyes as he endeavored to initiate his Emotion State. One of the most daunting scenarios for Belenus meant facing a beast with twice the power.
Thaack!
Belenus's warrior instincts stirred within him, eager for a confrontation with his adversary. Yet, despite being a formidable warrior, he was also a man of duty.
The success of the mission demanded his focus, compelling him to set aside his warrior instincts. This commitment was evident when he cast aside that part of himself, symbolized by the act of hurling his spear at the guard's feet.
"Sorry, man. But I don't have time for that today," he uttered while gazing at the guard, who was slowly reopening his eyes.
Those pure white eyes revealed neither emotion nor comprehension to Belenus. Instead, they held a profound emptiness. The guard, after ensuring that his adversary wouldn't allow him to enter his Emotion State without resistance, assumed a fighting stance with deliberate slowness.
Despite it being their specialty, he wasn't potent enough to enter that state in the midst of a fight. Trying to do so in a situation where he could potentially experience any other emotion, or might feel it in a few seconds, proved to be a miscalculation.
If Belenus's attack had succeeded, he would have felt pain and endured agony.
This singular emotion would have been more than sufficient to disrupt his self-hypnosis process, rendering him either unconscious or powerless for a considerable duration, surpassing ten seconds.
It was precisely for this reason that they could never usurp the throne of the strongest close combatant race from the Aqrabians.
"Sigh…"
It can't be helped, his sigh seemed to articulate this very sentence. He extended his metallic-gloved hands toward Belenus, preparing himself for the imminent clash between fist and spear, Yuorian and Merman.
Fortuitously for Belenus, both guards he had encountered that day were users of physical power, much like himself. A smirk graced his face as the warriors engaged in a prolonged stare-down, time ticking slowly between them.
Shiing! Tiing!
Their brief battle commenced. The metallic glove collided with a spear, the latter attempting to pierce through the former.
Both sides were evenly matched, with neither able to overpower the other. The stalemate wasn't easily resolved, persisting as they continued to wreak havoc on the ship for several minutes.
Booom!
Belenus had a vantage point that allowed him to easily observe the outside, and if not, he could discern the explosions through sound alone. However, Laima deliberately chose to position herself in front of his ship while making a swift escape.
The initial explosion sent forth a swarm of bugs. These insects served a dual purpose—signaling the success of her mission and metaphorically poking Belenus in the eyes, shouting a clear message that it was time for him to retreat.
A broad grin spread across his face, 'Seems like the mission is completed,' he thought with satisfaction.
The explosion reverberated through the skies, causing the bugs to dance in amusement. Meanwhile, Belenus sought an opportune moment to slip away from his adversary.
Time was of the essence; he still had one more task—creating an opening for Laima to return to the city and fulfill her mission.
Belenus coated his spear in water once more and hurled it towards his opponent.
"Gaaah!"
Drip, drip.
His unanticipated assault was painted with the green blood of success. The act of throwing his spear wasn't unexpected, but what he did in the midst of it caught the guard off guard.
Brilliantly, the guard evaded the incoming spear.
Yet, in the very moment he released the spear, its sides transformed into massive spikes, impaling the guard's stomach.
Thuump!!
Without pausing for even a single second, Belenus swiftly departed from the ship.
Only to widen his eyes in response to the overwhelming barrage of magical attacks directed towards them.
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone