Chapter 81: Battle (Part 1)

"Boom."

Cook strode forward with purpose, charging toward Merilon. His right foot stamped down hard, making the ground seem to tremble beneath him. As he approached, still several meters away, Cook raised his broadsword high and let out a fierce shout, bringing the blade down in a powerful strike.

"Whoosh."

A blinding light erupted, radiating an intense chill that seemed to freeze even the falling snowflakes mid-air.

"Crack, crack."

The broadsword in Cook's hand instantly grew several times larger, its surface covered in thick ice crystals. With his immense strength, Cook wielded the nearly solid ice blade, which shattered explosively, sending countless shards of ice flying toward Merilon like a rainstorm.

Cook was an ice swordsman, and his prowess at the fifth level showed in every move. He could now project the power of ice elements at a distance, creating deadly attacks even from afar.

This was the fundamental difference between a mid-level elemental swordsman and a low-level one. Beyond sheer power, mid-level swordsmen could unleash elemental attacks to strike foes from a distance.

In some ways, mid-level elemental swordsmen had gained the strength to harm spellcasters!

Cook's performance was the epitome of this strength; each icy shard could deal devastating damage if it hit Merilon. Even a single well-placed hit could seriously wound Merilon, whose physical resilience was only marginally better than that of an ordinary person.

In a seamless, fluid motion, Cook projected his fierce aura and released thousands of ice shards, displaying the full might of a fifth-level elemental swordsman.

However, facing Cook's ferocious onslaught, Merilon simply dodged backward, his hands stretching forward in a quick, calculated gesture.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

A roaring wind sprang up as three enormous flames rose, merging into a wall of fire between him and Cook. None of the ice shards could penetrate this blazing barrier Merilon had conjured.

But Cook's attack wasn't over. He charged forward again, his massive frame hurtling toward Merilon, and swung his sword, sending a wave of cold energy meters long directly toward his opponent.

"Freeze!"

This freezing wave was the culmination of over twenty years of accumulated ice energy, now unleashed in full force. The intense cold froze everything it encountered.

Cook had previously used this very technique to freeze a massive tundra wolf solid, enabling him to slay the fearsome beast.

"Swish."

Merilon's figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he slipped behind Cook, whose strike missed its target, the massive momentum nearly making him lose balance.

"Damn, such speed!"

Cook cursed inwardly at Merilon's astonishing speed, faster even than the formidable tundra wolf he'd once faced.

With no hesitation, Merilon unleashed another fire spell, the blazing heat startling Cook. He barely had time to react before he swung his sword backward, releasing strands of cold energy that clashed against Merilon's flames.

"Cook, this is just the beginning!"

Merilon sneered, his body flickering as wind magic pulsed around him, making him ghost-like and evasive, to the point that Cook could only hear the "whoosh" of the air.

In their brief skirmish, Merilon, with only basic fire and wind spells, had already gained the upper hand over Cook. Both spells were merely zero-level, but their combined effect was formidable.

"Merilon is still just a novice spellcaster!"

After observing closely, Merlin deduced Merilon's current level, noting he hadn't reached the rank of a first-level spellcaster. Yet his command of spells was so practiced that the combination was impressively powerful.

"I've got you now! Merilon, prepare to die!"

Cook's face was flushed as he found himself on the defensive. Unable to pinpoint Merilon's position due to his swift movements, Cook was forced into a reactive stance.

So, sensing Merilon behind him, he braced himself against the scorching flames and swung his arm backward to counter the spell, the ice energy forming a thin layer of frost over his arm in an attempt to mitigate the burns.

"Crackle, hiss."

The raging fire and the white cold energy intertwined as Cook's arm, submerged in flames, began to char. Despite his formidable strength and protective ice layer, the flames scorched his skin black in moments.

Enduring the searing pain, Cook finally pinpointed Merilon's location. He took the opportunity to freeze him momentarily with a blast of his internal ice energy.

"Crossbowmen, fire!"

With all his might, Cook roared, calling on the crossbowmen he had positioned around the fortress specifically to target Merilon. Novice spellcasters, without specialized tools or scrolls, were vulnerable to powerful crossbow arrows.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

A series of black arrows silently cut through the night, aiming straight at Merilon. Cook withdrew just in time, leaping out of the crossbow's range. His burned right hand trembled, but a slight smile appeared on his face.

With so many arrows fired simultaneously, Merilon's speed wouldn't be enough to dodge every single one. Even a single hit could seriously injure him.

"Bang, bang, bang."

The sound of arrows hitting a solid surface echoed, and Cook's expression shifted as the smile faded from his face.

"Is he still alive?"

Cook muttered under his breath, baffled. These were powerful crossbow bolts, and even he couldn't withstand their impact unscathed.

"Whew…"

A chilling wind swept past, revealing a figure standing tall amid the arrows. Merilon was alive! Unbeknownst to Cook, a series of earthen walls had appeared around him, forming an impenetrable barrier.

"Earth magic! Three spell models… Merilon is now qualified to become a first-level spellcaster…"

Merlin's expression grew tense as he fixed his gaze on Merilon. Constructing three spell models indicated that Merilon had met the requirements for a first-level spellcaster. However, he remained a novice, hinting at secrets unknown.

Merlin cast a sidelong glance at the black-robed elder standing nearby, noticing his calm expression, as if he was unsurprised by the scene unfolding before him.