Free Web NovelChapter 68: Arcane Bolt (Master)
Branna saw Eva when she was a baby. Her first swayed on her, her first breast feeding, her first call "Mama", her first grasp on her hands until she finally let go of her and walked...
Her first swung on the sword while she was teaching her. Her first...
Her reminiscent stopped when the air pressure of the massive feet that was about to mash her startled her awake.
A bitter smile formed on her face. Tears crawled out on her eyelids.
She mumbled. "I tried, Eva."
Her body was crushed into pulp.
A candle was blown out.
Branna had followed her daughter in the afterlife.
Varkhaz felt satisfied. He turned towards his captains and frowned when he noticed there were only nine of them.
"Where is Serakith?"
He could actually perceive where Serakith was and what he was currently doing.
Belzura replied, "He’s about to fall into his death. I request the great Demon Lord to stop him." freewebnovel.cσ๓
Varkhaz frowned. He turned towards the direction where Serakith was and ruminated.
After a while, he turned towards Ignaroth, the Ember Champion and Duelist, and ordered, "Avenge him."
Ignaroth bowed deeply and replied, "Yes, my lord."
...
When Max noticed the Soul Mark placed on him, he grew into panic. Not only he was being targeted now, but he also couldn’t perceive Archmage Arlen’s mana anymore.
He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, ordering the horses to run faster.
At this point, the first settlement came into his view.
Max recalled what Archmage Arlen had said and was left with no choice but to maneuver around.
However, the road around the first settlement was difficult to pass through. They entered the shallow marsh, with shallow water almost two inch high.
Thankfully, he was riding a horse, or else Max would have surrendered now.
The shallow water slowed down the horses’ movement, though.
While Serakith’s movements did not.
Once they maneuvered around the settlement and returned to the imperial road, Serakith finally caught up to him.
His demonic presence instantly caught Max’s attention.
Damn it! He cursed under his breath.
He leaned back, summoned his offensive equipment, and turned around.
He saw a lean, horned demon whose body constantly shedded smoke and ash. If it wasn’t for Max’s master mana sensitivity and the sword intent left behind by Branna to the demon, he wouldn’t have spotted him at all.
An assassin demon!
Max instantly recognized what it was. Once he discerned it was injured by Branna, his eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he dual cast an Arcane Bolt and attacked Serakith.
Serakith was taken aback that he was exposed. He didn’t dare underestimate him now.
Nevertheless, a skill at that level, no matter how high the proficiency was couldn’t keep up with him.
Max spent fifteen Arcane Bolt—all missed.
He clicked his tongue.
But he knew that the main purpose of the Arcane Bolt was to simply buy enough time until...
Max smiled bitterly. It would still probably take around a day to reach the capital. There was no way he could last until then.
I have to kill him. His eyes flashed with determination.
Serakith noticed the changes of his gaze and was exasperated.
He continued to evade Max’s Arcane Bolt, while waiting for a chance to grab.
Finally, Max, after firing another twenty Arcane Bolts stopped, seemingly exhausted.
His face was paled, clearly the result of mana depletion.
Serakith grinned. He recalled what Belzura had said and was infuriated.
He vented all his anger to this one strike that would end Max’s life.
With Ash Step, he instantly arrived before Max.
Yet, just as he fully manifested, a staff was pointed an inch away from his face.
He was frozen. Max cast another Arcane Bolt.
But this time, the spell casting time was fast.
Max stared intently at Serakith. He didn’t know where he was, how he was doing, what was the current situation...
All he had in mind was to kill the demon in front of him now that an opportunity was granted to him.
He had fallen into deep concentration.
He didn’t even hear the system notified him once the Arcane Bolt was fully manifested and successfully landed at Serakith’s face.
[Your Arcane Bolt proficiency level increased.
[Arcane Bolt (Master)] — a maximally compressed projectile with instant release capability.
Damage: 180 attack
Mana Cost: 18 mana points
Casting Time: 1.0 second]
Not only Serakith was taken by surprise, but the casting time of the Arcane Bolt didn’t also give him a room to think and evade.
The Arcane Bolt pierced halfway his face, landing a critical strike.
However, as a demon, an early rank Greater Demon to be exact, he possessed a ridiculous regenerative ability and massive health.
One critical strike wasn’t enough.
He was still blinded, so he immediately tried to leave by executing Ash Step and planned to recover.
But... he found his limbs strangled by mana threads, disabling his demonic mana to circulate and execute the Ash Step.
He wanted to shout but his mouth was already obliterated.
He had forgotten that with his strength, he could break free, but his body only trembled in response.
Fear began to swallow him.
He recalled what Belzura had said and wanted to pin all the blame on her for his impending death.
He perceived a mana being compressed in front of his face. Max instantly cast Arcane Bolt and said, "What does fear feels like?"
Before Serakith could respond, the Arcane Bolt, dealing critical strike, ended his life.
Max let go of Serakith and huffed heavily. Thankfully, Serakith was an imbecile. He didn’t use aura that could have afflicted him with Fear.
Serakith probably thought he was an easy opponent.
He glanced at the demon’s carcass, while he was being driven away by his horse.
His face was serious. If it was not because Branna had already injured him and her sword intent remained like a parasite inside his body, Max wouldn’t have thought of killing him.
Max also managed to trick Serakith not only into thinking he was weak, he was also already vulnerable.
His thoughts were interrupted by the system’s notification.
[You have killed a Greater Demon, B-Rank.
You have been granted 80,000 EXP.]
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