Li Yue activated the casket, and the magic previously sealed within suddenly erupted all at once. Searing azure lightning, solar flames, potent poisons...
A barrage of different spells struck Fen'ao, and he was instantly engulfed by the multicolored magical energy. Li Yue flickered to the side, closely observing the figure at the center of the explosion.
Although these spells were straightforward, they were the kind used by elemental Great Mages. Their immense power combined to create an effect where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
The subsequent development took Li Yue by surprise. Fen'ao’s body seemed to undergo a massive transformation under the impact of the magical energy. The structure and material of his skin, the arrangement of his skeleton, the functions of his organs... Li Yue keenly captured every one of these changes.
It wasn't so much a transformation as it was an adaptation. Li Yue hesitated for a moment. The casket in her hand still seemed to contain some magic, and a water prison instantly enveloped Fen'ao’s form. This was no ordinary water prison; it simulated the water pressure found thousands of meters below the surface. Even with Li Yue’s physical constitution, she would be severely injured in a short time without the protection of the Death Abyss.
Fen'ao’s body swelled slightly, and he seemed to find a way to adapt to the pressure almost immediately. He began to move normally within the cubical water prison.
“It seems natural methods won't work on him... Truly a Perfect Lifeform.” Li Yue frowned. Although there was still magic left in the casket, it didn't seem particularly useful now. She didn't want to get bogged down in a fight; she just wanted to widen the distance between them.
While Fen'ao was still adapting to the water prison, she used the Death Abyss to move hundreds of meters away. This casket was a rather impressive artifact, possessing the authority to absorb magic. It was likely made from some God's remains, though she didn't have the luxury to ponder that now. She only wanted to get away, defeat Fen'ao using that divine artifact of death, and then rush to the Academy before anything else could go wrong.
“Roar!!!” Li Yue’s movement stalled. Looking back, she saw a massive sea beast emerge on the surface. It had nine heads, and powerful magical energy was brewing within them.
“What is this now... This body can even expand like that? I suppose in nature, dragon like creatures really are powerful.” The nine heads simultaneously unleashed a massive burst of fire energy. Li Yue simply applied the water prison effect to herself and then wrapped her body in a layer of blood crystals.
The sound of seawater evaporating reached her ears as Li Yue reappeared a bit further away. The nine headed creature before her was truly troublesome. Although it had nine heads, they were limited by a single consciousness. Under those nine pairs of eyes, she was keenly detected even when she flickered behind Fen'ao.
“If I don't use a finishing move... using other magic will just let him adapt. It’s pointless...” Li Yue was distracted for only a moment when the intense fire breath reached her. Even from hundreds of meters away, she could feel a wave of heat hitting her face.
Reacting with extreme speed, Li Yue opened the casket. Most of the fire’s power was absorbed, though the capacity didn't seem very large, nor was it particularly stable. After absorbing only a portion, some of the mana began to leak onto Li Yue herself.
The magic in the casket was quickly released again. A pillar of equally searing fire engulfed Fen'ao’s body, destroying nearly half of it in an instant. However, his form was like modeling clay, and he quickly repaired himself.
If she hadn't felt the tangible texture of flesh when she slashed him earlier, Li Yue would have truly believed the person before her was made of clay. But his tenacity was certainly no less than that of clay.
The fire from the casket was released once more. This time, the power it inflicted on Fen'ao’s body was significantly reduced. He was almost unharmed, with only his surface skin scorched, turning the pale, clay like skin pitch black.
“Do you think I adapt faster to your magic, or to my own?” Fen'ao’s mocking voice rang out from the nine heads simultaneously. Though the volume wasn't deafening, the quality was very strange, sounding like a bizarre harmony. Curiously, it even had a hint of humor to it, though Li Yue was in no mood to laugh.
...
So annoying... so troublesome. The most perfect lifeform, the most annoying creature, the most difficult to kill... Li Yue silently criticized the boastful title Fen'ao gave his current form as she considered other options.
This Camera... what is it for? How do I use it? Why didn't they explain the use and effects when they lent me these artifacts? Will I break it if I press things randomly? Probably not... even though it’s likely some precise magical instrument...
Li Yue experimented with the Camera. There was a small roll of film inside that seemed enough for many uses. The position of the shutter was obvious, not much different from the old fashioned cameras of her past life. The only difference was the lack of a large flash; it seemed the interior of the lenses was inscribed with illumination magic.
Truly a genius design.
Li Yue couldn't help but praise it. Since it was an artifact given by a Great Mage to overcome a crisis, it had to have a unique purpose. Li Yue released a tornado that had been recorded in the casket, and a violent storm instantly formed on the sea. The nine headed dragon was stalled, its massive form stopping its rapid movement. Strange pores began to appear across its body, and the shape of its scales changed as it worked to reduce the impact of the gale.
Taking advantage of this opening, Li Yue instantly widened the distance again. In her vision, Fen'ao’s form no longer blotted out the sky, and the frame of the Camera seemed able to cover his entire body, including his nine wildly thrashing heads.
“OK... look at the lens... Cheese!” Li Yue pressed the shutter. She clearly felt a sudden drain of magic from within her. At the same time, Fen'ao’s massive form vanished from the sea, and a photograph slowly drifted down through the air.
“Is this... a seal?” Li Yue seemed to understand the purpose of this strange Camera in an instant. The rolls of film inside were individual mediums, carriers inscribed with sealing arts. The trigger condition was taking a photo of the person one wished to seal.
“This is... Art Department magic...” Fen'ao’s extremely slow voice drifted out from the photograph. His massive body seemed to be struggling to break free, but for the moment, he hadn't found a way to escape completely.
“Interesting magic.” Li Yue quickly put away the casket and Camera. Her body transformed into a scarlet meteor and plunged into the Death Abyss, then she accelerated with all her might toward the central coordinates of the beacon.
She would not stop again until she reached her destination. She wouldn't even stop to hunt Sea King class monsters. What mattered now was finding the Trunk of the God's remains. It couldn't even be called a vital part... these were likely the actual remains of Death.
“This part of the God's remains is definitely extremely important... it likely serves as one of the two pillars alongside the Death Abyss. This time... I... I... cannot... cannot absorb it.” Her subconscious struggled. Although the will of the God's remains within her always seemed to want to absorb every scattered piece it could find.
But the result of doing so was her losing and finding herself over and over. As the number of absorbed pieces grew, Li Yue worried that after one of these absorptions, she would be completely lost. A life governed by divinity... how tragic. Divinity that wouldn't be affected by hatred even after being imprisoned for ten thousand years... It knows the feeling of hatred and resentment, but it cannot feel them. The same goes for joy and sorrow.
What made her most uneasy was whether, after losing herself time and again, she would eventually forget Clo... even if she didn't want to admit how much she cared for her.
Rate on N.U.
