Chapter 2991 Golden Blood (Part 1)
"My Eyes." Lith managed to lie while telling the truth. "They allowed me to perceive the sudden elemental imbalance. World energy contains all elements whereas no spell can use more than two."
"Damn, Tiamats are amazing. Maybe later we could arrange for a private study session?" Azhom's voice was sensual and her touch delicate as she caressed Lith's arm while removing her armor.
Alas, the Lich had forgotten about her corpse-like appearance, making her flirting attempts look out of a horror story. Her tattered robe would have revealed most of her ample bosom, if only there was still meat attached to the bones.
"No." Lith said with a cold tone that brooked no reply. "Let's move."
The Lich's pride was already wounded and the sniggering of her colleagues made things even worse.
Ryka, the only other woman in the group, conjured an ice mirror in front of Azhom, reflecting the rotten bits of flesh on her face, the soft curve of her exposed jawline, and the perfect symmetry of her skull.
"Thanks, sister." Azhom misunderstood the gesture, found her confidence back, and completely forgot about the incident.
"No! I wasn't complimenting your bone structure. I was pointing out that you lack flesh!" Ryka said in annoyance.
"Why should I wear flesh on a deadly mission? That's a liability." The Lich was already oblivious of her own seduction attempt and no one had the time and patience to remind her.
"Liches." Xenagrosh sighed and for once she and Strider found a common ground.
***
A few kilometers later, a guttural howl resounded through the corridor in front of the Awakened. Maergron had limited control over his minions so there was no way to fool the senses of such powerful enemies.
"It seems our host has no more need for subtlety." Zoreth extended the claws of Sky Piercer to the size of short swords while everyone else took their place in the battle formation.
The first to appear was a stampede comprised of cats, dogs, and medium-sized farm animals like sheep.
The spell belonged to Dawn and it conjured a barrage of laser-like rays. Each one was as thick as an arm and as hot as a furnace, piercing through the wave of enemies and burning their flesh beyond recovery.
Alas, Lith was right but that was just one objective of the mad charge. The moment Sunshine killed the hosts, some of the vines detached from the corpses and fell upon the Awakened in the form of parasitic nets.
The vines restricted the Awakened's movements with the strength Maergron had stolen from the Titania, making even Zoreth and Lith fell onto one knee. The vines slithered over the exposed skin and through the smallest fissures on the armors, forcing their way onto the new hosts.
It burned the flesh and poisoned the mana with Maergron's energy signature, all the while drawing endless force from the Garden. The Abomination sides of Lith, Bytra, and Xenagrosh fed upon the vines and slowed their advance but there was too much world energy and they couldn't absorb it quickly enough.
"Nice try, moron." Except for Azhom, of course.
The Lich had no flesh, no veins, and her draining touch countered the effects of the vines enough to not make them hinder her movements. She cast a powerful pulse of darkness magic from her staff that she had programmed to avoid her allies.
The darkness magic filled the corridor, tainting the Garden and sapping the strength of vines, living, and undead alike.
***
"A Lich?" Maergron was going insane in frustration. "Why it had to be a damn Lich?"
The delay in the communication with his minions had slowed his reaction time long enough for the Awakened to get free from the vines and start the counterattack.
***
"Okay, now I'm pissed!" Zoreth took a deep breath and released a pillar of Origin Flames from her body, reducing the incoming wave into cinders.
Even though she had to limit the size of the pillar to avoid burning her companions, the Shadow Dragon managed to create a funnel in the corridor. It forced the enemies to step into the Flames or run into Strider's blades.
The quick movements of the Zouwu weaved several runes each, conjuring one spell for every swing of his swords.
The spells were limited to tier three to contain their destructive power and guided by willpower so that none of them would miss their mark.
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