Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

This was the perfect demonstration of strength in numbers.

BOOM!

A pillar of lightning crashed down, striking right into the dense horde of enemies. In a single blow, over a dozen Ghouls were instantly carbonized, leaving a crater where they fell.

It was followed by a torrent of lightning. The surging thunderstorm raged, combining with the Water Creation Skill cast by others to create a deadly chain reaction.

Lightning and water clashed. Arcs of electricity spread wildly through the moisture, forming a high-voltage net that spanned hundreds of meters. Wraiths unable to escape were instantly annihilated, and the attack carved a scorched, empty swathe through the entire front line.

The undead offensive faltered. A horrifying gap had been torn in the approaching army.

”Not bad,” Su Chen remarked with a sigh.

While this magical resonance stacked the spell’s power, it also came with a terrifying energy cost and an even longer casting time.

A glance to the side revealed several of the lightning mages who had performed the resonant casting staggering to their knees. Not only were their Rune Energy Bars completely depleted, but they had also overdrawn their own Spiritual Power.

Guards at their side quickly cast the High-level Dew Skill on them and helped them drink a Recovery Potion.

There were other magic squads that made the most of their numbers, including an elite team of Fire and Wind Mages who combined Lv7 Hurricane and Burning Skill to create terrifying firestorms.

From the safety of their fortified positions, they had little to worry about.

This was one of the main reasons the Rune Core stronghold had been able to hold out for two days.

’They’re dropping a lot of Dark Element Rune Essence.’

What was most encouraging was that these Dark Demons and undead units, which had suddenly swarmed them, were all dropping Runes of a relatively high level.

’So that Bone Gate is the cause of all this?’ Su Chen’s eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing the distance.

He hovered a hundred meters in the air, his exceptional vision allowing him to see the violently distorted space a few miles away.

Space rippled like water as shadowy figures continuously stepped out from within.

Each ripple was like a wound being torn in the fabric of reality.

The teleportation of such a large number of units meant the defensive line was about to come under even greater pressure.

’The Netherworld!’

At that moment, Su Chen realized where the gate led—a realization so potent that even Xiaoye, his Soul-devouring Dog who hailed from that same plane, began to tremble.

’This forbidden knowledge of the Demons is truly a plague. To think it could actually tear open a physical rift between the Main Plane and the Netherworld.’

As the thought crossed his mind, he pulled a Holy Sword from his pack. The Light Element Demon Patterns entwined around it pulsed, emitting the supremely sharp aura of a Holy Blade.

The only flaw was that the Holy Blade Skill Rune enchanted onto the blade had only just reached Lv6.

「Meanwhile.」

”Careful, the Death Knights are here again! Someone get over here and hold the line!” came a cry for help from a distant section of the wall.

’This will have to do for now,’ Su Chen murmured.

VMMM!

Blazing white Plasma Holy Flame flared from the sword, its intense heat distorting the light and casting a faint, golden, ionized glow.

At the same time, a lightning shield materialized around him. As the lightning and the Holy Flame intermingled, his figure blurred.

The massive lightning bombardment from before had been far from enough to stop the assault. Gaping holes had been torn in the wall, and now, multiple figures of Death Knights, towering like giants, were smashing through together.

「The next instant.」

He crossed three hundred meters of empty air, landing like a meteor in the center of the massive breach in the wall.

Just then, a dozen or so wraiths shrieked and lunged from outside the wall. They were shaped like black smoke, their claws laced with a soul-corroding poison.

WHOOSH!

He swept the Holy Sword in a horizontal arc.

A crescent-shaped wave of searing Holy Flame howled forth. The wraiths disintegrated bit by bit within its sacred light, utterly annihilated.

The lingering power of the attack was so great that it continued on for another thirty meters, slamming viciously into a charging Death Knight.

CLANG!

The dark shield swirling around the creature shattered. Having spent its force, the Holy Flame Slash Wave dissipated into the air.

The Death Knight faltered for a moment. Beneath its helmet, the two wisps of pale Soul Fire flared violently, a clear sign of its rage.

It let out a low roar and abruptly leaped from its Nightmare Warhorse.

「The next instant.」

Shadows surged like a tide. Its figure blurred, transforming into a pitch-black afterimage that hurtled toward Su Chen’s position at a speed the naked eye could barely follow.

BOOM!

With a thunderous crash, the entire section of the wall collapsed, sending dust and debris skyrocketing.

”Run!”

Many people nearby shouted.

They hadn’t realized such a powerful ally had arrived on the scene. But the black-armored knight charging at them was clearly a supreme danger—after all, a wall reinforced with multiple Lv7 Strengthening Skills had been unable to withstand its charge.

But an instant before the impact, a sense of danger washed over Su Chen. His Dynamic Vision just barely caught the momentum of the creature’s Shadow Assault, and he shot backward in retreat, managing to use the wall as a shield to escape the brunt of the attack.

’Let’s see how tough you really are.’

Su Chen’s rapidly retreating figure came to an abrupt halt. The fourfold wave of Attached Damage from his Holy Sword surged, layer upon layer.

With a burst of Telekinesis, he shot back in an instant.

”Hn?!”

Before the creature’s slightly hesitant gaze, he thrust his sword straight into the Death Knight’s chest. The heavy armor offered a moment’s resistance, but it was no match for the blade’s Penetration Power.

PFFT!

The fourfold wave of Attached Damage instantly flooded its body, detonating like a miniature storm. BOOM! A charred, bowl-sized hole exploded in the Death Knight’s chest, spewing forth shattered bone and fragments of Soul Fire.

It let out a piercing shriek, its right hand instinctively lashing out to grab the tiny human figure before it.