Cataclysm!
Only this single word flashed through his mind. Sorrow filled his heart as despair slowly began to spread from its depths.
He never could have imagined that this mission would cross paths with a Tier Nine Cataclysm-class powerhouse—entities whose very existence had almost become a myth.
“A Tier Eight Calamity-class powerhouse only appears once in ten million people. The Demon God Cult only has two, and both of them were deployed for this plan.”
“It seems you all highly value this plan.”
“As long as the Demonic Seed plan progresses, we can mass-produce Tier Eight powerhouses. Therefore, this investment is entirely worth it in the eyes of the Demon God Cult.”
Xia De nodded, then raised a finger and said,
“One last question. What other arrangements do you have elsewhere, such as in the Elven Forest?”
The man in black shook his head. Seeing Xia De's expression darken, he hurriedly added:
“All missions within the Demon God Cult are formulated by the Archbishop and the Deputy Archbishop. Everyone else is just an executor. Those responsible for a plan only know about the specific plan they are assigned to.”
“I am not intentionally hiding anything from you, my lord. Please believe me!”
Fearing that Xia De would not believe him, the man in black wept, enduring the excruciating pain that felt like countless needles piercing his body as he prostrated himself, begging for mercy.
“Fine. But seriously, why does everyone in this world love to kowtow so much?”
Xia De let out a soft sigh, silently complaining about the man's excessive bowing.
Without giving the man in black any time to react, several black threads emerged from beneath him and dragged him down into the shadows.
Once that was done, a blue magic circle materialized beneath Xia De's feet. With a flash of white light, his figure vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already near Charles and the others. However, he did not rashly show himself. Instead, he quietly hid in the shadows, watching Charles and his party struggle to resist as they desperately fled.
A slight smile played on his lips as a faint glimmer flickered in his eyes. Xia De's mood grew increasingly cheerful.
He was incredibly close to cracking Charles's magic.
The shadow itself possessed no consciousness; all its actions were controlled by Xia De. Therefore, every movement of the shadow-parasitized Crack-Rock Bear King had been controlled by Xia De's split attention while he was interrogating the man in black from the Demon God Cult.
Thus, even though Xia De was not physically present there, he could still observe Charles using his healing magic through the pitch-black eyes of the Crack-Rock Bear King.
“Actually, this gives me an idea. When I research soul magic later, I can combine it with shadows.
I can take the path of a summoner. Otherwise, having to do everything myself is just too troublesome.”
Hiding in the shadows, Xia De muttered to himself.
Seeming to recall a childhood cartoon from his previous life, Xia De scratched the back of his head, a strange expression on his face as he nearly laughed out loud.
“Maybe I should make eight masks too?”
Then, he shook his head with a chuckle and began to control the Crack-Rock Bear King, speaking casually, “Forget it, I'll think about that later. Right now, my main goal is to learn Charles's healing magic.”
The Crack-Rock Bear King glared at the five fleeing figures ahead. An earthy yellow magic circle materialized around him, followed by sharp stone spikes manifesting at his side as he let out a low growl.
The stone spikes shot toward Charles and the others like javelins.
“Everyone, watch out!”
Charles waved his hand and shouted to his companions, warning them to dodge the incoming stone spikes.
The four of them quickly scattered. Unfortunately, Shanna, being a mage, was not as fast as the others. Even though she attempted to dodge, a stone spike still pierced right through her shoulder.
A gaping, hollow wound appeared on her shoulder.
“Ah!”
Shanna screamed in agony. However, a warm current soon welled up within her body, easing the pain. Granulation tissue rapidly grew within the bloody hole, eventually sealing the wound.
Immediately after, the Crack-Rock Bear King leaped forward, lunging his massive body toward Reid and slashing his sharp claws toward Reid's eyes.
Reid's face paled, and he frantically dodged to the side. But even with the boost from Charles's buff magic, the bear's claw still caught his right leg.
Then, with a sickening tear!
Reid's entire right leg was torn off, sending shredded flesh and blood splattering through the air.
Similarly, a warm current flowed through Reid's body, and his right leg gradually grew back.
“Charles, are you alright?”
Charles's face was somewhat pale. Seeing him like this, Sheena, who had always looked out for him, frowned and asked with concern.
Charles shook his head. Staring at the Crack-Rock Bear King, which had two large black rods protruding from its back, he said with a grim expression:
“No, we can't beat this guy head-on! We have to find a way to use our surroundings!”
“Our surroundings?”
Kathleen asked in confusion.
“Yes. While we were running just now, I noticed a spot up ahead where rocks are piled high, and the base seems loose.”
A thoughtful look appeared in Shanna's pale face as she said,
“So, as long as we lure him there and trigger a rockslide, we can bury him deep beneath the rubble, right?”
Reid asked,
“But will that really work?”
Standing beside Charles, Sheena slowly added, “I think Charles's goal isn't to destroy him, but to create an opportunity for us to smash those two black rods.”
Charles nodded and said,
“Yes. That guy said the crack-rock bear is controlled through those two black rods. As long as we smash them, the bear will be immobilized.”
“But is it really that simple?”
Kathleen muttered softly with a worried expression. Her face still throbbed with a faint pain even now, and she could not forget the terrifying sensation of facing death when Xia De had grabbed her.
“I don't know, but this is the only thing we can try right now. Otherwise, we're all going to die here.”
Everyone's expressions were incredibly solemn. They knew very well that they were currently in a race—a race against the Grim Reaper.
If they were caught, only death awaited them.
“Reid will act as the bait. Sheena, you'll help block the crack-rock bear's attacks when Reid gets hurt, while I heal Reid. Once the bear is in position, Kathleen and Shanna will trigger the rocks. Finally, that will create an opening for me to smash the rods on its back with magic.”
Seeing Reid's reluctant expression, Sheena said coldly, “At a time like this, a piece of trash like you doesn't have the right to object. Or would you rather get us all killed?”
At those words, Kathleen and Shanna also glared at Reid with hostile eyes. Under everyone's intense gaze, Reid had no choice but to agree.
“Alright, let the operation begin!”
Seeing that everyone agreed, Charles spoke with an expressionless, almost blank face. The four of them immediately split up, leaving Reid alone to face the Crack-Rock Bear King.
In the darkness, Xia De overheard everything and smiled with a gentle nod. “A decent plan. I'll grant your wish then!”
He then controlled the Crack-Rock Bear King to charge at Reid. Reid's face paled in terror, and he frantically ran toward the designated location.
As they ran, stone javelins materialized around the Crack-Rock Bear King once more, hurtling toward Reid.
Splat! Splat!
Two bloody holes appeared in his left leg and right shoulder, causing Reid to stumble.
“Don't even think about it!”
Sheena raising her large shield, grit her teeth and blocked the Crack-Rock Bear King, her body trembling violently under the immense force of the impact.
But in just a single second, she coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward. Even so, she had successfully bought enough time for Reid's wounds to heal.
He continued running toward the designated location.
“Three.”
Furthermore, while Charles aided Reid, he also cast healing magic on Sheena, mending her ruptured internal organs.
“Two.”
He had made it. Spotting the area where a pile of boulders hung precariously overhead, Reid's eyes lit up, and he screamed, “Kathleen! Shanna!”
“Lightning Arrow!”
“Fireball!”
Two feminine shouts rang out, and an arrow crackling with electricity along with a blazing, deep-red fireball surged toward the base of the boulders.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted at the base of the rocks. Immediately after, a massive rockslide tumbled down, falling directly toward the Crack-Rock Bear King.
The Crack-Rock Bear King was buried beneath the falling boulders. But just before he was completely covered, he unleashed one last spell.
Countless needle-like stone spikes erupted from the ground beneath Reid, skewering his body and instantly turning him into a bloody mess.
Yet, not a single spike had pierced a vital organ.
“Is it a coincidence?”
Charles's eyes flickered with doubt, but he had no time to ponder. The crack-rock bear ahead was already forcing its way out of the rubble.
The others shouted with excitement from the sidelines, “Charles! Go!”
Fueled by his companions' encouragement, power surged through Charles's body. He extended both hands, and a blue magic circle materialized between his palms. The sheer force of his spellcasting whipped up a violent gust of wind.
The rushing wind ruffled the tips of Charles's hair, making his robes flutter wildly. Under the hopeful gazes of his companions, Charles roared at the Crack-Rock Bear King:
“Ice Magic—Frost Burst!!!”
In an instant, the Crack-Rock Bear King was encased in ice, becoming a frozen statue. Then, with a sharp crack, the ice shattered, and the two black rods on his back broke into pieces. The massive corpse of the Crack-Rock Bear King collapsed to the ground once more.
Having defeated the Bear King, Charles rushed over to the blood-soaked Reid and cast his healing magic.
A green light enveloped Reid. In just three seconds, his wounds were completely healed.
“We won!”
At this moment, excitement gleamed in everyone's eyes. But right after, the sheer joy of surviving a brush with death filled their hearts. They couldn't help but sigh in relief, weary smiles gracing their faces.
“One!”
A sudden countdown echoed in the air. Immediately following it, a gentle voice spoke from behind them, but to their ears, it sounded like the whisper of the Grim Reaper.
“I've caught you.”
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