"Rock Shark?"
"No."
"Rock Eagle?"
"No."
"Rock Beast?"
"What's that? Show me."
At Elliot's words, Morax slowly raised his hand, summoning a massive creature that resembled a fierce tiger.
"What's its specialty?" Elliot asked, eyeing the beast.
"It's fast, can climb trees, very agile—and most importantly, it looks awesome!"
Morax introduced his creation confidently, clearly satisfied.
"No." Elliot denied him again without hesitation.
"What? Not even this one?" Morax's face fell, his voice heavy with disappointment.
"This thing isn't even as strong as the Rock Shark or Rock Eagle. At least those could fly. This one just runs around on the ground—what advantage is that supposed to have?"
Elliot bluntly pointed out every flaw. Morax, pained, dismissed the rock beast, his eyes full of reluctance.
These were his own creations. They weren't real living creatures, but he had poured considerable thought into them. To have them dismissed outright by Elliot dealt a heavy blow.
His confidence shattered, Morax slumped to the ground, staring blankly at the ground as if something precious had been taken.
Elliot, however, felt no sympathy.
That obsession with flashy tricks had to go. On a real battlefield, such gimmicks were less useful than a single sharp spear.
"You're just making these things to look cool. Trading power for flashiness isn't worth it," Elliot explained.
But Morax, sulking like a child, didn't respond. He just sat there in silence, as if mourning his discarded creations.
"How about this—I'll teach you a skill that's not only flashy but also packs true power."
"For real!?" Morax shot to his feet at once, his eyes blazing with excitement, as if all his gloom had been an act just to bait Elliot into saying this.
Seeing him like that, Elliot realized he'd been played. Someone who had lived thousands of years wouldn't sulk over a few discarded skills.
"Big brother, you can't go back on your word! I heard you say it yourself—you'd teach me a skill that's both cool and powerful!"
When Elliot hesitated, Morax cut him off, cutting off any chance of retreat. He was determined to get his way.
"Fine, fine. I'll teach you." Cornered by Morax's sly persistence, Elliot gave in.
"Alright, let's go!" Morax was already eager.
"Put up your shield first, so you don't get hurt."
Morax did as told, instantly wrapping himself in a thick, full-body shield.
Seeing that, Elliot leapt back, putting distance between them.
"You can counter my attacks however you like—just treat it like a real fight," Elliot called out.
Morax gripped his spear tightly, ready for anything.
Elliot stomped hard on the ground, sending countless stones rising into the air.
With a sweep of his hand, they all shot toward Morax in a storm of different sizes.
Morax spun his spear, smashing each rock to pieces. But Elliot's assault never slowed, pouring down on him like a storm.
After a long while of blocking, Morax began to feel bored.
But just as he started to relax, he suddenly felt an enormous force rushing toward him.
He looked up. Elliot was still throwing stones—ordinary stones, nothing unusual. It almost seemed like that sudden sense of danger was an illusion.
But when Morax shattered the next incoming rock, he froze.
Behind it was a hidden stone spear!
He had no time to react before it jabbed against his shield. The shield held firm, too strong to be pierced, but the spear lodged against its surface.
The strategy was clear: wear down his opponent's patience with endless, ineffective attacks, then hide a lethal strike among them at the moment of carelessness.
"Good tactic, but—"
Morax never finished. The stone spear shattered like a broken mirror, exploding in an instant! Four deep cracks split across his shield.
He had been about to scoff, "Good tactic, but too weak." Instead, the counter hit him first.
For it to leave such damage on his shield, the explosion was more than strong enough to shatter his rock whale.
"Combine!" Elliot clenched his hand tight.
The shards from the shattered spear whipped back from every direction at once.
BOOM!
The fragments all converged on Morax in the same instant, and his shield shattered beneath the furious barrage.
Staring at the broken remnants of his shield, Morax froze, eyes wide in disbelief.