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Chapter 246
The Elves dwelled in the heart of the four mountain ranges, far beyond the grasp of humans. Among their sanctuaries was the Valley of the Wind, nestled deep within the Patagon Mountain Range. Here, Nervatum, the Wind Spirit King and one of the five Spirit Kings born from the Spirit God, lay in slumber within the tranquil confines of the Valley of the Wind.
The majority of Wind Elves, devoted followers of Spirit King Nervatum, formed contracts with spirits of the wind. While a few elves entered pacts with fire, ice, earth, and tree spirits, their numbers were scarce. Empowered by these spirits, the Wind Elves thrived in the challenging terrain of the Patagon Mountain Range, teeming with monsters, yet faced little hardship.
Monsters refrained from recklessly attacking the dwelling places of the Elves, knowing the formidable power wielded by these spirit-endowed beings. The Wind Elves had enjoyed a relatively secure existence, rarely troubled by monster assaults. Yet, a sudden shift occurred. Recently, monsters started organizing and launching coordinated attacks on their home, the Valley of the Wind. Initially, intermediate-ranked monsters invaded. In a swift response, the Wind Elves, harnessing the power of their spirits, successfully defeated and repelled them.
This time, a formidable threat emerged in the form of Drakes, high-ranked monsters charging at the Elves. Not just one, but a group of over ten Drakes descended upon them. Despite the overwhelming number, the Wind Elves remained composed in the face of this invasion, concentrating on their defense. Creating a barricade from tree trunks skillfully arranged by the aid of tree spirits, the Elves effectively held back the advancing Drakes. They countered the onslaught by launching arrows infused with the potent energy of the wind spirits against the formidable creatures.
The arrows whirled through the air, finding their mark as they pierced the Drakes attempting to breach the tree trunk defenses. Despite the formidable strength of the wind arrows, comparable to the Aura Blades wielded by human knights, their impact was somewhat blunted by the Drakes' resilient scales.
The Drakes, letting out bewildered roars, lashed out with their front paws, slashing through the tree trunk walls. Their razor-sharp claws tore the walls apart, as they attempted to force their massive bodies through the gaps. However, before the breach could occur, the tree trunks swiftly entwined once more, sealing the gaps that had formed in the walls.
Suddenly, the very ground beneath the Drakes surged upward, enveloping them—an assault unleashed by the Elves in covenant with both tree and earth spirits. However, with a forceful strike onto the ground, the Drakes shattered the attempt to engulf them, dispersing the rising earth. The formidable might of the Drakes overwhelmed the earth spirits, compelling them to retreat to the spirit world in shock.
Scaling the tree trunk walls, the Wind Elves harnessed the power of the wind spirits to conjure a massive storm. A swirling tempest engulfed the Drakes, thwarting their attempts to assail the walls anew. The windstorm swallowed the Drakes whole, lifting their colossal bodies, and coiling them into the spiraling currents as they ascended into the sky.
In an instant, the windstorm, which had elevated the Drakes into the sky, forcefully drove them back down to the ground. Caught within the tempest's grasp, the Drakes plummeted simultaneously, triggering a violent explosion upon impact. The ground, upon receiving the descending Drakes, fractured as though shaken by an earthquake, forming a crater more than ten meters deep.
The force of plummeting from a height of tens of meters was powerful enough to shatter megalith stones. Astonishingly, the Drakes, despite the impact, effortlessly rose from the recessed ground. While their massive bodies swayed slightly, indicating a minor effect from the fall, it seemed to have little impact on their overall resilience.
Observing the Drakes effortlessly rise, seemingly unscathed, the Wind Elves conjured another windstorm. However, wary of repetition, they didn't remain passive. Simultaneously, the Drakes opened their mouths and unleashed a torrent of Flame Breath.
The windstorm weakened, faltering against the penetrating force of the Flame Breaths. The fiery onslaught easily subdued the once formidable windstorm, piercing through the tree trunk walls. To compound matters, red flames climbed the walls, igniting the entire barricade. The once stalwart tree trunk wall, like an iron fortress guarding the Valley of the Wind, succumbed swiftly to the blaze, crumbling as it was consumed by fire.
Despite the efforts of the Elves who had formed alliances with tree spirits, the encroaching flames left them powerless. The Drakes, their bodies ablaze, forcefully broke through the disintegrating walls and breached the Valley of the Wind.
Suddenly, a colossal wind sphere hurtled towards the Drakes from the depths of the Valley of the Wind. Struck by the forceful impact, the Drakes were pushed backward, colliding with the blazing remnants of the tree trunk walls. Emerging from the valley's heart, where the wind sphere originated, thirteen Elves soared through the air with grace, descending before the Drakes like ethereal gusts.
The group of thirteen comprised High Elves, the pinnacle of power within the Elven community. In human terms, these High Elves held a noble status among their kind, endowed with inherently superior abilities compared to ordinary Elves. Their exceptional spiritual prowess enabled them to form contracts with the highest-ranked spirits, a feat beyond the reach of regular Elves. What set them apart further was their ability to channel greater power through harmonizing with the spirits, rather than merely utilizing their power in a straightforward manner.
The display of their might was apparent in how effortlessly they had sent the Drakes flying moments ago. Despite this, it became clear that their attacks alone were insufficient to defeat the Drakes. The formidable creatures, momentarily trapped amidst the blazing remnants of the tree trunk walls, swiftly regained their footing.
Upon seeing the Drakes rise once more, the High Elves acknowledged the need for a heightened response. Harmonizing with the wind spirits, a colossal wind enveloped their forms. In a manifestation of ethereal blue light, the wind spirits surrounded the High Elves like a protective armor. The wind armor, spanning over ten meters, adorned the bodies of the High Elves.
The wind armor materialized as a swirling tempest, its rapid motion beyond the discernment of the naked eye. Possessing strong deflection capabilities and inherent crushing power, the wind armor had the ability to swiftly repel or obliterate any incoming attack. Furthermore, each of the High Elves wielded two Wind Swords, enhancing their offensive capabilities.
Crafted from the concentrated aggregation of wind, swirling at the speed of light, the Wind Swords exuded a potent and destructive force. As the High Elves donned the Wind Armor and brandished the Wind Swords through their harmonization with the spirits, their appearance bore a striking resemblance to the Chevalier Armor adorned by human knights.
The Drakes soared towards the High Elves. Undaunted, the High Elves, resolute in their stance, advanced towards the approaching Drakes. Then began the fierce clash between the High Elves and the formidable Drakes.
At the cliff's edge, overlooking the Valley of the Wind, Mu-Gun observed the unfolding battle. Initially compelled to intervene upon witnessing the collapse of the tree trunk barricade, he reconsidered as the High Elves entered the fray. After gauging their energy levels, Mu-Gun concluded that his assistance was unnecessary for the moment, and continued to vigilantly watch over the unfolding conflict.
The High Elves resisted the Drakes' advances with unwavering resolve. The Drakes, utilizing their formidable claws and tails, sought to corner the High Elves. Their aggressive and agile maneuvers, a surprising contrast to their massive size, posed a challenge even for seasoned Grand Masters to evade.
Nevertheless, the High Elves embodied the very essence of the wind. The Drakes' assaults proved futile against the High Elves' ethereal movements reminiscent of the wind itself. Evading wasn't the sole strategy for the High Elves—they exploited every opening created by the Drakes' attacks. Swiftly wielding their Wind Swords in the spaces between each assault, the High Elves struck with precision. The Drakes, unable to evade these calculated strikes, sustained injuries with each piercing thrust and swing of the Wind Swords.
Despite the strength of the High Elves' assaults, their Wind Swords, crafted by the wind spirits, fell short of inflicting fatal damage on the Drakes. The blades, though powerful, struggled to penetrate the Drakes' resilient scales and the protective magical field enveloping them. Nonetheless, it wasn't that the Drakes emerged unscathed. With every slash of the Wind Swords, the Drakes absorbed a substantial amount of damage, leaving them visibly affected by the relentless attacks.
However, due to the unique regenerative capabilities of high-ranked monsters, the Drakes swiftly recuperated from their injuries. It became evident that the High Elves required a more potent attack to overcome the regenerative prowess of the Drakes. The real problem was that the Wind Swords materialized by the wind spirits represented the height of the High Elves' offensive capabilities.
While the High Elves remained composed in the face of the Drakes' onslaught, the challenge lay in their struggle to defeat the formidable creatures. In this deadlock, victory or defeat seemed to be determined by endurance, and the advantage tilted in favor of the Drakes. The Mana Heart within the Drakes contained a substantial reservoir of magical energy, ensuring that they wouldn't easily exhaust their magical power.
On the contrary, despite the exceptional spiritual power wielded by the High Elves, there existed a discernible limitation. Moreover, engaging in Spirit Harmonization accelerated the depletion of their spiritual energy. In a prolonged battle, the High Elves faced the looming possibility of exhausting their power before the Drakes did.
Indeed, with the passage of time, the Wind Armors adorning the High Elves slowly diminished in strength and size. Their spiritual power dwindled to a point where sustaining the original size of the armor became challenging. Moreover, the once seamless movements of the High Elves began to exhibit a subtle tremor as they evaded the relentless assaults from the Drakes.
To the untrained eye, these subtle changes might have gone unnoticed, but Mu-Gun, with his keen perception, observed them keenly. Furthermore, as some of the comparatively less powerful High Elves found themselves in precarious situations, losing ground against the Drakes, Mu-Gun decided to intervene to aid the High Elf facing the most challenging circumstances.
Alicia Bernhardt, a crucial figure among the thirteen High Elves supporting the Wind Elves, found herself increasingly pressed by the relentless assaults of the Drakes. With her spiritual power diminishing, the once unwavering Spirit Harmonization began to falter. Gradually slowing down, Alicia struggled to evade the Drakes' attacks effectively.
Compelled to resort to blocking the Drakes' assaults, Alicia found her weakening power insufficient to withstand the destructive force of the Drakes. Each attempt to block their attacks resulted in her being forcefully propelled backward. The cumulative damage inflicted upon her intensified with each successive blow. As time wore on, Alicia's movements dwindled further, making it increasingly difficult to intercept the relentless onslaught of the Drakes.
Shielding herself from the Drake's front paw, the impact propelled her to the side. The Drake, undeterred, followed up with a forceful tail whip, generating an intense sound. Alicia, her focus wavering, faced a daunting challenge. Having already strained to block the previous attacks, the approaching tail proved difficult to halt. With the diminishing Wind Armor now reduced to a mere five meters, Alicia braced herself to endure the impending assault.
Bracing herself for the imminent impact, Alicia clenched her teeth and shut her eyes just as the Drake's tail closed in. Subsequently, an explosion resounded. However, an odd sensation enveloped her. Surprisingly, Alicia sensed neither shock nor pain coursing through her body, a scenario which was impossible if struck by the Drake's tail. Fueled by curiosity, she quickly opened her eyes to investigate.
A figure bathed in a burst of golden lightning materialized before her, positioned as a barrier between Alicia and the oncoming Drake, effortlessly halting its tail with a single hand. Before Alicia could fully comprehend the situation, the figure swiftly took action. Closing the distance with remarkable speed, the figure extended a hand toward the Drake, which was in the midst of swinging its front paw.
The golden lightning, forming into a colossal palm, clashed with the Drake's front paw. The creature's formidable claws possessed enough power to shred the Wind Armor, crafted by the highest-ranked wind spirits, in a single slash. Observing this, Alicia anticipated that the lightning palm emanating from the mysterious figure's hands would succumb to the Drake's claws. Contrary to her expectations, however, the golden palm not only resisted being torn apart but went on to shatter the Drake's claws, crushing its front paws in the process.
Roaring in agony, the Drake, now with broken claws and front paws, unleashed a mighty Flame Breath. The searing flames surged forth, aimed at the individual wielding the golden lightning. Concern etched across Alicia's face as she pondered the man's fate in the face of the impending inferno.
Her worry proved unnecessary. A golden sword materialized in the hands of the man enveloped in the golden lightning. Swiftly expanding, the Thunderbolt Sword thrust towards the oncoming Flame Breath. Upon the sword's contact with the fiery onslaught, the Flame Breath split in two, dispersing to either side.
The Thunderbolt Sword's momentum did not wane. Following the division of the Flame Breath, it extended ceaselessly, piercing through the Drake's open mouth and emerging from the creature's nape.