It was a proud Elite Exalt Beast that other beasts feared and cowered under. Since when did it behave like those lower life forms?
It was a predator, not prey.
As it was in the throes of anger and humiliation, the scales that covered its grey body lifted themselves up.
Oscar watched the horrifying scene. Every scale on the Thousand Serpent poked out and started to hiss, baring their fangs and venom. They were all snakes.
"It's not called Thousand Serpent for nothing. Its entire body is covered in snakes." Oscar threw his buckler out to probe.
The buckler clashed against the multitude of snakes, inducing sparks everywhere. These snakes were still scales in the end and were tough.
"Princess!" Phillip was heading in.
At Phillip's call, Celestina directed her dragon anima to fly above. The dust blew everywhere from its wings, swinging for takeoff. Her rapier started to glow brightly as her Ein transformed into light around it.
'Grade Two Radiant Lance'
An image of a bright lance of light overlaid her rapier. Her eyes and hair were glowing alongside it. This was the spell that killed the leader of the wanderers on the second island.
George and his hedgehog shot projectiles while Emily set up rock barriers to slow down the Thousand Serpent. They were not powerful but used provided some inconvenience.
The lance stabbed out, traversing a destructive course through the air to skewer the Thousand Serpent. The Ein of light forming it was incredible but also had a pristine quality.
'This is the power of an Elite Exalt. Elemental Spark.' Oscar watched the lance with great interest as he kept throwing his buckler around.
Elemental Spark
The progression of an Exalt is to immerse themselves into the Ein and become new beings. Once a mortal becomes an Apprentice Exalt, they are on that path.
As they continue to become stronger and advance, their exolsia core is almost finished transforming. The exolsia core reaches a critical point of evolving when a person is almost an Elite Exalt.
When the person advances to an Elite Exalt, the exolsia core evolves completely and washes the body with renewed Ein. Then inside the core itself will lie the spark of an element.
There are many kinds of spells and techniques in existence, accompanied by the elements. An Exalt can transform their Ein into many different elements, such as fire and water, without restrictions from the start.
But once they are an Elite Exalt with the elemental spark within them, their advantages with that particular element become obvious.
Their Ein can transform more efficiently and of higher quality into that element. Spells of the element can be learned faster and are stronger due to that spark. Once an Elite Exalt is born, they focus on learning and mastering spells of their elemental spark.
Naturally, they can still learn other spells of other elements, but their true power would be evident in their own element.
Some other spells and techniques weren't elementally focused. Spells like Oscar's 'Stone Gaze' and Phillip's 'Raeven Sword Techniques' were auxiliary spells and specialized techniques outside the elements.
Once Celestina advanced to the Elite Exalt realm, her elemental spark was of the light element. The 'Radiant Lance' was formed with the power of Celestina's elemental spark. It was more powerful than an ordinary 'Radiant Lance'.
Meanwhile, on top, her dragon anima gathered a large amount of Ein in its mouth and breathed out a beam of light instead of blasts of Ein. Anima was linked to the core. The Anima also took on the elemental affinity when the elemental spark formed.
The lance in front and the light beam from above; these attacks came down mercilessly on the Thousand Serpent.
The Thousand Serpent hissed and swiped its tail, destroying Emily's rock barrier, deflecting George's arrows and quills, and deterring Oscar and Phillip. These little rats were not effective but still annoying.
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Its mouth frothed as a large concentration of its venom pooled together. The countless snakes that made up its scales shot out their venom, which levitated and added to the venom ball.
This venom ball shot out toward the incoming light beam. Then it turned its focus on the lance. It opened its mouth wide and bit its large fangs together to crush the lance.
The venom ball and the light beam crashed into each other, becoming a swirl of green and light that exploded in a loud bang, creating a shockwave of wild Ein.
No venom or light fell onto the ground as the light burned and purified the venom while the venom corroded and broke down the light.
At the same time, the lance was halted by the fangs holding it in place. The Thousand Serpent hissed as the light of the lance was slightly scorching its fangs and venom.
However, the 'Radiant Lance' was showing cracks despite how powerful it seemed. The lance finally broke down and shattered into countless flakes of light that disappeared like a dying fire.
Celestina was undisturbed by the fact that this beast could block her attacks. An Elite Exalt Beast was a strong opponent.
Oscar and the others were not idle when the Thousand Serpent focused on blocking Celestina's attacks. They approached closer and unleashed their attacks.
A fast and powerful blue quill flew through the air and stabbed into one of its snake scales.
A heavy blow from a staff hit with immense weight.
A flurry of slashes swished across the grey body repeatedly.
A black buckler and antlers slammed into the serpent.
All these attacks from Apprentice Exalts should have little effect on the Thousand Serpent. But they were all concentrated on a single spot.
"Kraaahh!" The Thousand Serpent groaned from the slight pain from these little mice. It swiped its tail and broke the ground apart, but Oscar and the others had already retreated in time.
George kept up his barrage with 'Airstream', and Oscar threw his buckler constantly. Emily used 'Rock Barrier' to impede its movements.
Oscar felt his hand trembling from the sheer toughness of the Thousand Serpent. His deer anima's antlers were also cracked slightly.
'I need to enter the Greater Apprentice Exalt as soon as possible. The opponents I'm fighting are stronger and tougher.' Oscar thought as he moved together with the others as one unit.
Since the Thousand Serpent was an Elite Exalt, Celestina would be the main offense while they acted as the support. If there were an opening, they would pounce on it; if not, then they moved from a distance, bombarding it to distract it.
The dragon anima charged up another beam of light to strike down from up above. Celestina gathered some Ein into a ball on the tip of her rapier and transformed to light.
'Grade One Light Barrage'
The ball of light split into many small beams of light that twisted and branched out to bombard the Thousand Serpent like a gatling gun.
It was only a grade-one spell, but it was done with the Ein of an Elite Exalt, elevating its power and damage.
The Thousand Serpent slithered across the ground to dodge the dragon's breath. Some of Celestina's rays hit it, inducing a pained face, but it was bearable.
"Watch out!" Celestina yelled.
The Thousand Serpent was fast and made its way right to Oscar and the others under the barrage of light and swung its tail. The snake scales on the tip of its tail extended outward like spikes on a mace. Ein gathered on it menacingly.
Oscar surged as much Ein as possible into his buckler and deer antlers. George's arrows whizzed right by him to the incoming tail.
Emily laid down a rock wall that was instantly destroyed into small rubble.
'Third Step' 'Heavy Impact' 'Dual Awaken'
Oscar, Emily, and Phillip unleashed their most powerful attacks.
BANG
A wild collision of various Eins tore apart the ground under them and resounded like thunder in this crevice.
Oscar clenched his teeth and gripped his buckler with a resolute shout. The power and Ein behind this tail were astounding. Even the three of them fighting together were being pushed back.
But they were handling it well.
Anyone of them would be easy food for the Thousand Serpent if they split up and tried to fight alone. Oscar read about the Thousand Serpent's fast movements and knew running was pointless.
With two Greater Apprentice Exalts and two Middle Apprentice Exalts defending together, their Eins could at least not be instantly crushed by its overwhelming blow.
With the time bought by continuing to resist, they would create an opening for another.
"Now!" Oscar shouted.
It was Celestina's turn.
The dragon anima dove down like a meteor and bit down on the Thousand Serpent, digging its claws into its scales. Blood started to flow from its injuries.
It thrashed around and tried to slam the dragon anima into the wall. Its snake scales bit into it to lock it in place, preventing the dragon from flying away.
'Radiant Lance'
Celestina felt some discomfort from her dragon anima being bitten, but she pushed onward. Her lance didn't fly out this time but focused strongly, clinging onto her rapier.
With all the strength of an Elite Exalt, her arm tensed up. She stabbed at the Thousand Serpent, a deadly radiant light that came closer.
The Thousand Serpent swayed its slender body to dodge the intimidating lance. It managed to avoid the worst-case scenario, but a part of Celestina's lance managed to cut the edge of its body. More blood spilled out from the cut.
It did not feel such pain in a while due to its hard scales and fast speed that enabled it to end its fights quickly. So it lost some focus for a moment, letting go of the dragon anima and loosening its power on its tail.
Feeling the tail's loss of power, Oscar and the others attacked with everything onto the tail, managing to cut the tip.
"HIIISSSSS"
The Thousand Serpent watched as Oscar, Celestina, Emily, George, and Phillip prepared for another wave of attacks. Regaining some of its instincts, it had all the snake scales open up their mouths.
A small ball of venom gathered in each mouth.
Celestina noticed this and immediately shouted, "It's going to explode!"
Oscar and the others wore shock on their faces.
"Get back!" Oscar yelled. If the Thousand Serpent were going to explode with all this venom, then Oscar and the others would instantly be dissolved.
BOOM
An explosion resounded. Nothing but green filled his vision.