novelStaff of Time
| ← Ch.0443 | Ch.0445 → |
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
For most of the Adventurers of Anril, the Evil Eye was probably one of the hardest level-18 magical beast to deal with. They spent most of their lives living in dark and moist underground areas. For example, the ruins of the High Elves deep underground were usually forcibly occupied by the Evil Eyes and made their nest. Even if these High Elves' ruins had been discovered by Adventurers, most of them would be marked as restricted areas because it was too dangerous...
An Evil Eye itself was a level-18 magical beast, so an average Adventurer could not afford to provoke it. Furthermore, they had a damned habit of living in groups. This was the most dangerous part. The would easily be tens or even hundreds of Evil Eyes living together. Once provoked, it was equivalent to poking a hornet's nest. How many Adventurers were willing to risk being so unfortunate?
Even the likes of Silver Hand, a titan known as the strongest mercenary corps in Felan, would not dare to venture into a High Elves' ruins occupied by large numbers of Evil Eyes if they did not manage to hire some high-level Priests to hold the line, not to mention average Adventurers. There was no helping it. This was no longer a problem that tactics and commands could solve. No matter how well-trained or disciplined they were, they could not overcome this absolute difference in power.
The strongest weapon of the Evil Eyes was their tentacles that were tougher than steel and nimbler than fingers. Usually, they would use this eight tentacles to walk upright. Their speed was like a gale, and they could close up on their target in an instant. After that, these eight tentacles would strangle their target like eight pythons...
However, if anyone were to be cautious only about their eight tentacles and forget about that single eye, then they would not be far from demise. A so-called magical beast was a beast that had a talent for using spells. Since the Evil Eye was a level-18 magical beast, then it naturally would have its own talent in spells. All of the Evil Eye's magical talents came from its gigantic singular eye.
The Evil Eye could use that eye to shoot out a level-18 spell, Aestus Beam. The Aestus Beam's temperature could reach up to hundreds of degrees celsius. It could be said that whatever it went past would leave nothing behind, for even a thick steel armor would be instantly pierced through.
Of course, this was not the most powerful ability...
The strongest forte of the Evil Eye was being skilled in Mental Spells. A mature Evil Eye that had reached level-18 could easily control the minds of magical beasts that were level-15 and below. Although it was more troublesome for it to deal with humans, human Adventurers that were level-10 and below would definitely not be able to resist it. It was especially so when a large wave of tens or hundreds of Evil Eyes appeared. Large number of Mental Spells was simply impossible to guard against. Furthermore, it was hard to remain immune to these Mental Spells unless there was a high-level priest present to provide Mental Barrier. Otherwise, it would just be a disaster!
But, those level-18 Evil Eyes were no different from ants when compared to this monstrosity in front of their eyes...
In legends, the Evil Eye Tyrant was one of the lucky survivors from the prehistoric times. The battle between the Dragons and Titans had caused the heavens and earth to crumble, but the Evil Eye Tyrant that lived in the underground labyrinth with the Minotaurs had escaped from everything with luck. It was only after the calamity that the Evil Eye Tyrant and Minotaurs were seen in Anril again. It was just that at that point, it was no longer the Dragons or Titans, but it was the High Elves that had been born from the Tree of Eternity ruling over Anril.
The appearance of the Evil Eye Tyrant and Minotaurs had brought forth a full-blown disaster to the High Elves. Large numbers of High Elves were burnt to ashes by the Aestus Beam. If they did not rely on the Tree of Eternity's protection, this race that was destined to create the magnificent magic civilization afterwards could have been wiped out in that disaster.
Even the proud High Elves could not avoid mentioning this part of history. The records of this disaster could be found in a lot of the literature passed down from that period.
It was just that after that disaster, history seemed to have a blank page. People knew that after the battle between the Dragons and Titans ended, the surviving prehistoric magical beasts almost became the rulers of Anril. They even drove back the High Elves that had just been born back to the Tree of Eternity, and almost caused this nearly perfect race to go extinct.
Finally, the surviving prehistoric magical beasts and the newly born high elves engaged in a prolonged decisive battle under the Tree of Eternity...
After a long period of time, the truth of this battle was buried in the flow of time. Currently, even the most authoritative scholars researching the Dark Age could not accurately tell what had happened during that battle. People only knew that the High Elves standing one step from annihilation had actually achieved a miraculous victory...
Furthermore, the High Elves seemed to have been reborn after the battle. After repelling the prehistoric magical beasts that were besieging the Tree of Eternity, the High Elves started to counterattack. Within a short period of 10 years, they exterminated countless prehistoric magical beasts, including the Evil Eye Tyrants and Vipers. Even if it was the Herculean Minotaurs, they all had been trapped in the underground labyrinth for eternity...
With regard to this part of history, there had been no definite answer found in Anril. Even Andoine, who was the most authoritative about High Elves, only spoke of this vaguely. Currently, the most authoritative and widely accepted theory was that it was the Immortal King that saved the High Elves. Even more people felt that it was this unsurpassed powerhouse that single-handedly exterminated the Evil Eye Tyrants and trapped the Minotaurs for eternity.
It was because based on the chronological order, the time when the prehistoric magical beasts besieged the Tree of Eternity was not far from when the Immortal King made his first appearance in Anril.
As for what was the truth, only the Immortal King himself would know it...
However, one thing was certain. In the battle that year, countless prehistoric magical beasts were wiped out. Be it the Evil Eye Tyrants or the Vipers, they had all disappeared after that battle. They were not to be seen in Anril ever again. As for the Minotaurs that were forever trapped within the underground labyrinth, occasionally there would be rumors that they had surfaced...
But this gigantic creature that appeared in the Spacetime Beacon Spell... if it was not an Evil Eye Tyrant, then what could it be?
Lin Li rubbed his eyes, and did not dare to believe what he just saw...
What the hell. It was not an illusion. It really was an Evil Eye Tyrant!
Tens of tentacles that were longer than 100 meters, a head that was as large as a mountain peak, and a singular eye that was always radiating an ice-cold glow. All of these were identical to the description of the Evil Eye Tyrant that was mentioned in myths...
"F*ck, it really is the Evil Eye Tyrant..." Lin Li immediately drew in a breath of cold air. When he looked at Tutankhamun, his eyes were filled with confusion. Haven't the Evil Eye Tyrants been exterminated by the High Elves? Why did it appear at the Sunset Mountains during the last years of the Dark Age?
"I don't know."
"..."
"I did not personally experience what happened back then..." The current Tutankhamun seemed especially patient. After answering Lin Li, he seemed to worry that Lin Li would not believe him. He then patiently explained, "Everything that you are seeing now was recorded by Geresco using the Spacetime Beacon Spell. I am just using the coordinates to replay the situation that happened back then. If you really want to know the truth, I think you have to ask Geresco himself..."
Just as they were discussing, the battle showed by the Spacetime Beacon Spell became abnormally intense. One was a ferocious prehistoric magical beast, and the other was an unsurpassed God of Mages. The battle between the Evil Eye Tyrant and Geresco was destined to be shocking from the start.
The 12 ice pillars that could lift up the Vault of Heaven did not stop the Evil Eye Tyrant in its tracks. Almost at the same instant the tentacles crashed into the ice pillars, the singular eye of the Evil Eye Tyrant also started to shine...
This ray of light was the Aestus Beam that every Evil Eye was skilled in. It was just that the same Aestus Beam would be a totally different spell depending on whether it was used by an Evil Eye Tyrant or an Evil Eye. The Evil Eye's Aestus Beam only reached hundreds of degrees' temperature, instantly penetrating armor forged from steel. This was already a magnificent result. If it were to encounter magical metals like the Eternal Adamantine, the metal would not be able to resist it, either. But, the Evil Eye Tyrant's Aestus Beam was completely different...
The tens of tentacles pushed down violently, and the head that was as big as a mountain peak was immediately propped up. After that, a ray of light that was brighter than the sun immediately blasted off. In just an instant, it swept past a distance of hundreds of meters. In the next second, there was a loud sizzling sound coming from the forest. Countless trees had been vaporized by the ray of light, and even the ground underneath had been split by a deep new ravine that was hundreds of meters long...
Even Geresco who was called the God of Mages had no choice but to fully focus in the face of such destructive force. Geresco hastily recited incantations, and a rainbow suddenly appeared in the sky. This rainbow was not leaning towards any direction; it was just like a ring that was protecting Geresco steadfastly.
After that, there was a deafening boom. The clash between the Aestus Beam and the rainbow was as if Mars had crashed into Earth. In an instant, the ground rumbled and dazzling lights showered the entire land, while countless flares descended from the skies. That scene was more terrifying than the Black Current.
After the echoes rumbled past, there was a short period of peace. Be it the Evil Eye Tyrant or Geresco, they both needed some time to understand the aftermath of the clash that'd happened just now.
Looking from the Spacetime Beacon Spell, the clash just now should not have any victors. The rainbow had negated the Aestus Beam's attack, but dimmed a few shades at the same time.
Powerful... After Lin Li saw this, he could not help but admire it silently. The power of the Evil Eye Tyrant was indeed not any other magical beast's. Even a Sanctuary-realm powerhouse like Apophis might not be a match for it.
One had to know that that rainbow was most likely Geresco's Magical Domain. A single attack from the Aestus Beam had actually been able to damage Geresco's Magical Domain and make it dim somewhat. Just based on this point, it was already no longer something any magical beast could compare to. No matter how powerful an average magical beast became, it would definitely not be able to damage a Legendary-mage's Magical Domain. It was much less so for one facing a monstrous existence like Geresco.
At this point, Lin Li even silently guessed that it might even be that Geresco was at a disadvantage in the exchange just now...
After all, the Aestus Beam only expended mana. Although the Evil Eye Tyrant was not known for having an immense pool of mana, it should not be a problem to fire a hundred or so Aestus Beams. If a Magical Domain was damaged, on the other hand, it would take a long time to fully recover. It was especially so at Geresco's realm—recovering was exceptionally difficult.
The situation proved Lin Li to be right...
After the Aestus Beam was negated by the rainbow, the Evil Eye Tyrant only took a short pause before it fired off another Aestus Beam.
The most lethal thing was that when the Evil Eye Tyrant fired off the Aestus Beam, those tentacles were not idle, either. They attacked Geresco from all sorts of angles. That terrifying power and skill could almost be compared to a level-20 Sword Sage and above.
At this time, Geresco finally demonstrated his magical powers that totally did not belong to humans. With the support of Power of Flight, Geresco seemed like a black flash of lightning. He was constantly turning and twisting around those tentacles. He was constantly moving and casting spells. If it was not because Lin Li saw it with his own eyes, he would never believe that there could be a human capable of casting spells while moving at such terrifying speeds on this planet...
Furthermore, every single spell could not be any faster. Legendary spells at levels above 20 were completed with just a few casual recitations. There were numerous times when Lin Li felt that Geresco was simply casting low-level magic. When the spells exploded on the Evil Eye Tyrant's body, demonstrating fearsome power, Lin Li finally could not help but believe that was a Legendary spell that could completely drain most mages of their mana...
With one Aestus Beam after another, the battle seemed to have come to a standstill. Be it the Evil Eye Tyrant or Geresco, they did not show any signs of fatigue. If they were to be judged from their appearance, anybody would think that this was going to be a prolonged battle.
However, Lin Li did not think so, because he knew that Geresco's Void of the Stars was about to be completed.
"Boom!"
Another Aestus Beam swept past, leaving a deep crevice in the ground, but this time, Geresco did not use Power of Flight to dodge it. He just took his time to recite the incantations and summoned 12 gigantic ice pillars again.
A loud "boom" was heard, and the 12 ice pillars were instantly blasted into smithereens...
But at the same time, Geresco's body had suddenly started to become blurry.
Indeed. After going through the arduous exchange, Geresco had finally completed Void of the Stars, and once again caused his body and soul to be placed in nothingness.
"Indeed..." Lin Li knew that Geresco was definitely going to win.
The current Geresco was an almost invincible existence. He was no longer vulnerable to magical or physical attacks. He would even not suffer from abnormal statuses like bite of mana. Even the control of the magical elements would be at his own free will, following the activation of Void of the Stars.
After this Void of the Stars was activated, Geresco's spell casting methods had completely overturned everything that Lin Li understood about magic. Every time he made a move, it was a spell that was level-20 and above, and they were all almost instantly cast. It was like the elemental sequencing and mana control had all lost their influence on Geresco. There was no need to have time for preparation. Just a wave of his hand, and another Legendary spell was blasted off.
Even though Lin Li was mentally prepared, when he saw such a monstrous way of casting spells, he still could not help but freeze up. This was definitely not a magical ability that belonged to humans. At this point, Lin Li suddenly felt that the name "God of Mages" could not be any more appropriate. It was because only a true deity could use such unfathomable way of operating magical power.
Geresco's casting speed was terrifying. In less than a minute, he had already used at least 10 Legendary spells. The magical elements that were immense enough to destroy the world were mercilessly poured onto the Evil Eye Tyrant's body.
A shred of panic could finally be seen in the Evil Eye Tyrant's singular eye. Prehistoric magical beast were not average magical beasts. Their intelligence was above a human's. How could the Evil Eye Tyrant not know that that human mage was not something it could go against? Be it the steel-like tentacles or the cataclysmic Aestus Beam, all of its attacking methods seemed like child's play in front of that human mage...
Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now. How could Geresco, who had finally taken the advantageous spot, give the Evil Eye Tyrant a chance to retreat? With the cover of Void of the Stars, Geresco seemed to have fused with the magical elements, and destructive Legendary spells were summoned and mercilessly poured onto the Evil Eye Tyrant one after another.
When another Hellfire had descended, Lin Li's gaze resting on the Evil Eye Tyrant was somewhat filled with sympathy. The God of Mages was indeed the God of Mages. Even the prehistoric magical beast mentioned in myths could not escape from death and defeat in the face of this unsurpassed magic powerhouse...
But, just at the point where everyone thought that Geresco was going to unleash a lethal strike and finish the enemy off, this mage suddenly took out a staff and a book.
"What is happening?" Lin Li immediately froze.
Unfortunately, even Tutankhamun could not answer this question...
The staff was the Staff of Time, and the book was the Book of Eternity. After these two magical artifacts that were the most famous during the Dark Age were taken out, Geresco's expression became imposing. The God of Mages held the Staff of Time in one hand, while the other was holding the Book of Eternity. Countless rainbow-colored magic symbols danced around in the skies like countless rainbow-colored butterflies. Large chunks of incantations were spewed out by Geresco; some were using the human language, and some were in the High Elves' language. Some were even the ancient language of the dragons and the divine language of the titans...
The world seemed to have suddenly became silent, and the Evil Eye Tyrant's singular eye suddenly showed a look of terror.
Geresco silently floated in the sky, fully focused on chanting this incantation that was unfathomably long. When the last incantation had been completed, the magic staff in Geresco's hand suddenly rose up and drew across the sky...
Suddenly, the sky was torn apart...
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