[Third Person's PoV]
"Have you perhaps lost your mind?" Stephen asked softly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I take it that's a no then?" Kordath replied, his tone laced with disappointment.
Stephen hovered above the cratered ground, gazing at Kordath with an expression that suggested he was dealing with a fool. "What do you think?"
"I think it's a wasted opportunity," Kordath mused. "You are dangerous, a potential threat to Atlantis if you manage to reach your full potential. I wanted to take you in, to use your abilities for the sake of Atlantis. However, it seems you are too stubborn for your own good. Since that's the case, I have no choice but to kill you for the Holy Kingdom's sake."
Kordath's grimoire surged forward as he spoke. "To think I would have to use this..." he muttered, more to himself, disheartened by the necessity of using his magic.
The magical energy radiating from Kordath intensified, the wounds on his body sealing as the grimoire before him glowed brighter.
[Deep Sea Magic: Crushing Depths]
Kordath's fists became encased in a silvery-blue sphere of magic. With a swift motion, he swung his fist downward into the air.
Stephen, though on high alert, was caught off guard by the overwhelming pressure that suddenly bore down upon him.
He crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, the earth beneath him caving in under the immense force. Blood dribbled from his mouth as the pressure churned his insides, breaking his concentration and shattering his previous spell.
Kordath scoffed disdainfully. "Look at that, you actually managed to survive the simulated pressure of the ocean floor pressing down on you."
Stephen's body glowed with an orange aura; at the last moment, he had used his magic to enhance his physical resilience. Gritting his teeth, blood staining his lips, he pressed his fists against the ground and began to rise, shaking with effort.
The pressure Stephen endured was equivalent to the crushing depths of the ocean, measured in pounds per square inch (PSI). Each PSI is 14.7 pounds, and the deepest part of the ocean exceeds 16,000 PSI, resulting in a total weight of over 22,512,000 pounds, or 11,256 tons.
The immense weight pressing down on Stephen was more than 11,256 tons.
Kordath watched in shock as Stephen slowly pushed himself up, struggling against the immense pressure bearing down on him. Stephen knelt on one knee, both fists still pressed to the ground, his blue eyes blazing defiantly as he glared at Kordath.
Seeing the defiant look on Stephen's face Kordath sneered at the sight, his contempt evident. "You inferior species just don't know your place! Your place is on the ground, worshiping us!" he shouted, clenching his fist and intensifying the pressure on Stephen.
Despite the increasing pressure, Stephen continued to rise, blood spattering from his mouth as he felt a sharp pain, likely from a ruptured organ. Ignoring the agony coursing through his body and the ringing in his ears, he forced himself upright, standing tall.
'I can only raise a single hand… I better make good use of it' Stephen thought to himself through the pain.
Kordath froze as he stared at Stephen, Stephen was smirking, blood was dripping from his body while Stephen held a middle finger right in front of him. "This is what I think about your offer, asking me if I wanted to be your slave… Bitch Please, I'm going to be the goddamn Sorcerer Supreme, I'm a slave to no one but my own desires~"
Kordath's face twisted in rage, veins bulging on his forehead as his jaw clenched tightly.
Suddenly, two golden hands materialized from Stephen's back, formed entirely of magic. The hands moved quickly, forming intricate signs. "I conjure the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon," Stephen muttered, his voice steady.
The energy around Stephen shifted from a fiery orange to an icy blue, matching the color of his eyes. Magic circles, glowing ice-blue, rapidly formed around his forearms.
Just as Kordath took a step forwards, killing intent filling his eyes, ice blue tendrils shot out of the ground and took a hold of Kordath.
They took him by surprise as they grabbed his ankles and swung him roughly along the ground to the point his scales fell out of his body and were scattered on the ground.
The tendrils rapidly spun him around in the air and flung him as far away as they could so that his spell stopped functioning as he was too far away.
Stephen crumbled back to the ground in relief as the pressure alleviated. Stephen puked out blood before sitting along the ground in a lotus position.
Stephen acted quickly and started casting spells simultaneously.
[Arcane Magic: Image of Ikkon]
Multiple duplicates of Stephen all shot forth from him and flew towards the direction where Kordath was thrown.
"May the Shield of the Seraphim protect me against endeavors" He muttered next.
[Arcane Magic: Shield of the Seraphim]
A sphere surrounded Stephen and that sphere started turning opaque so now one was able to witness what Stephen was doing inside.
""بقوتي الغامضة، أنا من أشفي نفسي." Stephen muttered, laying the back of his hand on his other palm and connecting his thumbs together.
[Arcane Magic: Gorgerell Self-Healing Spell]
A green healing aura started to envelope Stephen fully, as if the sphere surrounding him was letting out a wave of green healing which were healing him.
Meanwhile, Kordath tumbled through the air before flipping himself upright, landing on the ground with a thud. He slid back, claws digging into the earth to slow his momentum until he came to a halt.
"How annoying," Kordath growled, brushing himself off with irritation. As he stood, he noticed the army of Stephens flying toward him, each bearing the same ice-blue magic circles glowing on their palms.
[Deep Sea Magic: Midnight Wave]
Kordath acted without hesitation. Black water began to pool beneath him, rapidly expanding before erupting outward in a massive surge. The water swelled, forming a towering wave that grew larger and larger as it surged toward the incoming Stephens.
Kordath stood high atop the crest of the black wave, now elevated meters above the ground. From his vantage point, the army of Stephens appeared minuscule in comparison to the colossal wave.
However, the Stephens showed no fear in the face of the impending tidal force. In unison, they raised their hands, summoning large ice-blue magic circles in front of them. With a synchronized motion, they unleashed a powerful gust of cold wind, their hands twisting to intensify the icy onslaught. The combined effort conjured a blizzard of immense ferocity, hurtling toward Kordath.
To Kordath's astonishment, the blizzard began to freeze everything in its path, including his own magic. The once-imposing wave of black water transformed into a massive, glistening ice sculpture, a frozen tsunami caught mid-crash.
Kordath found himself standing atop the now-frozen wave, encased in ice, his expression one of disbelief as the sheer power of Stephen's magic had turned his formidable spell into a magnificent, immobilized ice monument.
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