Volume 2 Chapter 18: New Spell and A Explosion

[Author's Note: For bonus chapters, the goal every week is:

- 25 Power Stones

- 50 Power Stones]

Volume 2 Chapter 18: New Spell and A Explosion

If Eve and Pepper were not Carmilla's clones, achieving this level of assimilation and with such speed without extensive practice and great cooperation would be nearly impossible.

After a few seconds had passed, she sensed that the amount of mana she had collected was sufficient enough. Consequently, she proceeded to continue with what she had initially planning to do.

With a single thought from Carmilla, a large amount of mana in the great shields began to be mobilize. The mana fluctuations around the three of them caused all incoming arrows to be blown away or explodes on the spot.

Daniel, who was a few meters away from the blood dome, was taken aback by the mana fluctuations caused by Carmilla.

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Since the amount of mana that Carmilla was currently using seemed beyond what should be possible for their current level, Daniel found himself surprised by this extraordinary display.

If he were at his original level and power, he would scoff at the current mana fluctuation, dismissing it as something akin to a child practicing a magic spell.

Now weakened to level 5 and only two levels ahead of Carmilla, who was currently level 3, Daniel was astonished. Carmilla was mobilizing an amount of mana typically available to individuals with a level between 10 to 15.

Daniel then observed as the four now smooth great shields began to fuse together. However, it did not stop there; after the four great shields fused together, they started to close in.

If the initial shape of it was a C shape, now it started to become an O shape.

Understanding Carmilla's plan, Daniel swiftly created a blood arrow and began infusing it with a substantial amount of mana.

Initially, Daniel had suspicions about why Carmilla and her clone were so extravagant in their mana usage, but he dismissed it, attributing it to them being three individuals, so they can just alternately use mana when necessary.

Now that he saw Carmilla using an amount of mana beyond her current level, he speculated that Carmilla and her clones might have the skill [Automatic Mana Recovery], given the extent of mana she was currently utilizing.

He stopped holding back on his mana usage too. After infusing all the mana he could for two seconds, he quickly took aim to his right and fired.

*Swoosh*

Daniel made sure to control the blood arrow he just fired to circle around behind the three where there was nothing to block his arrow for the time being.

As this was Carmilla's first time casting the blood dome spell, her casting speed was relatively slow.

Carmilla's current casting speed got further slowed down as she was being very careful not to mess up. Any mistake could lead to the cancellation of the spell or, in the worst-case scenario, the spell might explode.

That's why no one was crazy enough to attempt casting a spell for the first time in the midst of a battle.

Carmilla didn't realize how audacious her actions were, being new to the game and not having ventured far from her initial spawn point.

Daniel, her opponent, was also unaware that Carmilla was attempting to cast the blood dome spell for the first time.

Even though Carmilla's casting speed was notably slow, Daniel attributed it to her being of a low level to cast the blood dome for her current level.

So all of them were kept in the dark, except for Tria, who knew that Carmilla was born just outside the entrances of the initial trials and hadn't cast the blood dome spell at all.

The blood dome was 90% finished when Daniel's arrow neared it. He attempted to maneuver the arrow to enter the inside of the blood dome.

He was too late; Carmilla had already completed the section of the blood dome, covering the path where Daniel's arrow aimed to enter.

The arrow was destined to collide with the blood dome, and Daniel had no power to change the outcome.

With the arrow about to collide and no sufficient time or space to alter its direction...

The arrow collided with the blood dome, and unlike the other arrows that shattered upon hitting the great shield or penetrated it, this arrow retained its momentum under Daniel's control.

It attempted to penetrate the much tougher blood dome than the great shield they initially used.

With the substantial amount of mana the three of them used in the blood dome's creation, even a much more powerful arrow failed to make the blood dome budge at all.

Amidst the collision, Carmilla managed to complete the blood dome. Although the damage inflicted by the arrow slowed down its completion, with the three of them supplying mana, they successfully finalized it.

That's when Daniel suddenly felt that he was starting to lose control of the blood arrow as its mana began to become unstable.

Daniel attempted to regain control of the unstable mana, since losing control of a spell was very detrimental for a spellcaster and would make a spellcaster look incompetent.

Daniel fully lost control of the mana on the blood arrow, causing it to swell up. The blood arrow eventually couldn't contain the mana, leading to a sudden explosion.

*BOOoooom*

The blood dome that didn't even budge with Daniel's powerful arrow, takes the blunt of the explosion damage.

The explosion caused the dust around the battlefield to scatter, covering the entire blood dome and its surroundings. Daniel couldn't see the situation inside the blood dome.

The same was true for Carmilla and her two clones; they also couldn't see what was outside the blood dome.

Daniel could only discern the shadow of the blood dome amidst the dust cloud.

Carmilla, Eve, and Pepper inside the blood dome could clearly see the situation, and it was currently not favorable.

The blood dome had dimmed significantly, and at times, there were ripples on its surface. Periodically, the blood dome also wobbled, as if it was about to pop like a bubble.

When Carmilla, the caster of the blood dome, inspected its condition, she noticed that the mana on the blood dome was depleted by 187% of its initial amount before the explosion of Daniel's blood arrow.

If Carmilla hadn't amplified the blood dome based on its original defense and durability, it would have likely crumbled. If subjected to the same explosive force, the blood dome would have been destroyed, along with the people inside of the blood dome.

While Carmilla poured all of her available mana into the blood dome, she informed Eve and Pepper about the condition of the blood dome using their mental connection.

They needed to repair the blood dome to some extent, as if Daniel were to learn its current condition, he would likely take advantage of the situation and fire an arrow towards the blood dome.

Even if he didn't fire a powerful arrow, a normal one could be sufficient to pop the weakened blood dome.