A Combination

Both of them couldn't believe what they were witnessing. A human-like figure in the sky conjured a massive ball of thunder and sent it crashing down below, triggering a colossal explosion that wreaked havoc in the surrounding area and even caused an earthquake.

The impact was overwhelmingly powerful, shattering trees and creating a deep crater. Anna and Andy were swept up by the force of the explosion, even though they were positioned at a considerable distance. The initial blast was followed by a series of smaller explosions.

Anna cast a water cage barrier, resembling a birdcage, to shield them. "Brother, are you fine?" she asked. "Yes, Anna, I'm fine," Andy reassured her. "Gosh! What was that powerful explosion?" Anna inquired. "I don't know what's going on, but it seems that the human figure in the sky has an adversary below. The earlier explosion may have been a result of their conflict."

"Let's go, Anna, because I don't want to encounter those creatures. My intuition tells me that thing is extremely dangerous." They started running toward the western part of the forest.

Several hours passed, and it was already midnight. They were now on the lookout for a place to rest and sleep before continuing their journey northward through the forest.

As the morning sun began to light up the forest, Anna and Andy slowly woke up. "Arrrgh, it's morning already, huh!?" Anna groaned. Andy chided her, "Stop complaining," and they resumed their journey to the west.

An hour passed, and a group of ten snake bats appeared before them. These creatures had the upper body of a bat, complete with wings, but their lower bodies transformed into snake tails, measuring around 80 to 90 cm in length. They were feasting on a giant blade centipede.

Anna spotted one of the snake bats noticing them and whispered to Andy, "That's a snake bat, brother. We need to be cautious; they're incredibly dangerous."

Without warning, one of the snake bats lunged at them, and the others followed suit, preparing to attack.

Anna swiftly unleashed her triple wind tornado magic attack. Three tornadoes manifested in front of the snake bats, creating a formidable barrier that prevented them from approaching Anna and Andy.

The force of the tornadoes flung the snake bats in different directions, giving the siblings a brief respite from the menacing creatures.

Anna shouted, "The mist of ice, I call you!" and the surroundings were enveloped in a bone-chilling mist.

Little did they know, this played right into the snake bats' advantage, for one of their skills was creating illusions.

Anna and Andy stood side by side, and suddenly, a snake bat appeared right in front of them, creating a disorienting sound wave. In response, Andy swiftly conjured an ice diamond shield to protect them.

However, they were not prepared for the surprise attack from three snake bats behind them. These creatures launched a combined assault, using sound waves and acidic blood rain. The attack was so swift that Anna and Andy couldn't react in time. Anna was struck by a barrage of burning blood acid and was thrown a considerable distance.

"Arrrgh! Ahhh!" Anna screamed in agony. "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Brother, where are you? What happened to you?" She desperately called out to Andy, her voice filled with pain.

"Come, let me help you and heal those burns on your body. Hold my hand, Anna."

Unbeknownst to her, she had reached out to a snake bat at that moment, caught in its illusion. Her current situation was entangled by the tail of a snake bat, and she remained unaware of the perilous reality.

When Andy saw Anna situation with determination in his eyes, Andy sprinted towards the snake bats, his feet pounding the ground. As he closed the distance, he conjured a long, thick ice sword.

"Yaaaaaa!" he roared, successfully taking down two of the snake bats. His icy slashes left them with gaping wounds, and they froze to death.

However, the remaining snake bats, witnessing the demise of their comrades, immediately lunged at Andy with astonishing speed. Through that Anna was saved. Yet, Andy sruggled to block and evade their relentless attacks. Desperate to turn the tide, he tapped into his reserved mana, enhancing his strength and making him seem ten times more formidable.

Andy continued to engage his opponents, clashing with the snake bats wielding their tails as deadly weapons and dodging the others that launched their blood acid and sound waves.

As the battle raged on, Andy grew exhausted and weary, but he managed to eliminate three more of the snake bats. Despite his efforts, five of them remained. Then, something unexpected occurred. The five snake bats began merging into each other, their forms intertwining. After a few minutes, only one creature remained, a fearsome combination of the five, presenting an even greater challenge for Andy.

Cornered and with no other option, Andy reached deep within himself to access his last, most powerful ice skill. With sheer determination, he channeled his energy into a devastating spell.