Neck Swamp, near an unknown lake
"All Marsh People warriors, listen up! Get to the perimeter immediately and eliminate those crystal monsters on the outside. I'll deal with this big guy myself!"
Mako shouted to the surrounding people, crimson energy swirling around him and amplifying his voice several times over.
Then, Mako sent a message to Mayfair. Together, they used Light Magic, specifically "Holy Vengeance." The sky twisted, and two giant light swords descended, striking the Crystal Giant Spider's body from the left and right.
However, the Crystal Giant Spider didn't seem afraid at all. It looked up at the sky, its entire body shimmering with an eerie blue light. A formless Defense Field appeared in front of its forehead.
The two giant light swords formed by "Holy Vengeance" stopped about 50 meters away, unable to advance any further.
Boom…
When the time was up, the light swords of "Holy Vengeance" exploded, but the attack was ineffective due to the Defense Field.
At the same time, a wave of eerie blue light once again gathered on the Crystal Giant Spider. Mako's magic control skill keenly sensed the furious energy emanating from it.
Therefore, Mako immediately ordered those who hadn't finished retreating, "Get out of here! The attack is coming! Get away from it, quickly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of huge, eerie blue crystals spread outwards like blades. They solidified rapidly, as if water had met a sudden freeze.
These crystals spread rapidly outwards, like blades rising from the ground, quickly expanding in all directions.
The crystal monsters and Swamp Creatures that were too slow to escape were directly impaled, strung together like candied hawthorns. The blood of the living creatures flowed everywhere, and it seemed to be drawn towards the Crystal Giant Spider.
The small spiders under the Crystal Giant Spider's feet had already submerged themselves in the swamp lake when the battle began.
"Aroooo..."
After absorbing the blood, the Crystal Giant Spider let out a deafening roar. The special sonic wave shattered the newly formed crystal spikes. These fragments, along with the shockwave of the explosion, shot towards Mako and the others.
These crystal shards looked like a torrential downpour, aimed directly at Mako and the others. It seemed there was no way to avoid them.
This time, Mako once again summoned his water elementals. It was thanks to their attacks and defenses that they managed to withstand the assault of the crystal shards. Fortunately, most of the Marsh People had retreated in advance, minimizing the damage.
"Roar..."
Just as the Crystal Giant Spider was wreaking havoc, a shrill and furious cry echoed from a distance. The giant Sea Monster's eyes were now clouded with a layer of dark mist.
Danny's eyes were also covered with a layer of black energy. This was the effect of using the Dark Magic "Puppet Master." As Danny's control deepened, the Sea Monster lost the last vestiges of its consciousness.
Under Danny's control, the Sea Monster charged towards the Crystal Giant Spider with an irresistible force. The surrounding crystal creatures were tossed aside, and the entire battlefield descended into chaos.
"Bang... Crack..."
The Sea Monster swung its massive tentacles, launching a fierce attack against the Crystal Giant Spider's Defense Field. Even though its barbs couldn't penetrate far, the Sea Monster relentlessly hammered at the field.
Even though its two tentacles were becoming "bloody and mangled," it seemed completely unaware. Green blood and fragments of crystal flesh constantly fell from the Defense Field, making the Sea Monster look utterly miserable.
This was the terrifying aspect of the Dark Magic "Puppet Master." Complete control was no joke; it meant having absolutely no ability to resist. If Mako hadn't been continuously chipping away at its power, it would have been difficult to control.
At this moment, the Crystal Giant Spider seemed to have realized the problem. It turned its massive body and opened its huge mouthparts towards Mako and the others.
As its fangs moved, waves of eerie blue energy began to gather within its mouthparts, and then a spherical energy ball appeared.
With the Crystal Giant Spider's manipulation, this energy ball shot towards Mako and the others, appearing to be full of power.
"Boom..."
Mako wielded "Flame Dragon's Tongue" and struck the energy ball directly with a single blow. A violent explosion then occurred in front of Mako, causing him to momentarily lose his vision. He then felt as if something had bound his body.
Looking at the eerie blue crystals surrounding his body, Mako tried to move, but he found that he couldn't budge at all.
Moreover, these crystals seemed to be living things. In just a few seconds, they had pierced Mako's skin, greedily sucking his flesh and blood. Furthermore, Mako discovered they had a particular fondness for life energy.
Almost all the life energy in Mako's blood was absorbed by them, and they were also multiplying with the help of this life energy, making the hand holding his sword feel numb.
However, a golden light soon shone on Mako, enveloping him. With the appearance of the light, the crystals on Mako's body also began to shrink bit by bit.
This was the Light Magic ability "Magic Immunity." To prevent any unexpected events, Mako directly used this powerful light magic. Sure enough, under the effect of this magic, the crystal's erosion was eliminated.
After Mako freed himself from the crystals' constraints, he found that Mayfair and the others were already fighting the Crystal Giant Spider. Although this monster's Defense Field was powerful, it seemed to only be able to block attacks on a flat plane.
Mayfair and the others also realized this and directly attacked the Crystal Giant Spider from the flanks. The giant creature then instantly changed its defensive mode, moving the field onto its body.
Although the defense range was reduced, this field was divided into several parts, effectively blocking Mayfair and the others' attacks.
The current Defense Field was like something with consciousness, as if something was controlling it. Mako thoughtfully turned his gaze toward the Crystal Giant Spider's eyes.
"Roar..."
As the dragon's roar echoed in the sky, the Crystal Flying Dragon and the Ice Dragon appeared in the distance. Mako had summoned them from the back of Giant Turtle Marcus after spotting the enormous monster.
Under the combined effects of Crystallization Breath and Frost Breath, the Crystal Giant Spider's defenses began to falter. The Defense Field's activity slowed considerably, and wounds started to appear on its body over time.
Seizing the opportunity, Mako and Mayfair launched another attack on the Crystal Giant Spider. With their movements, two immense halos materialized on the battlefield, transforming into two colossal angelic phantoms.
This was the area-of-effect spell from Light Magic, "Holy Word of Light." Mako had discovered the power of Light Magic's effectiveness after the Crystal Giant Spider's corruption had affected his body.
Realizing this, Mako contacted Mayfair to use "Holy Word of Light" together, targeting all the crystal monsters in the area and hoping to eliminate them in one fell swoop.
Previously, Mako had never associated them with undead creatures, and their appearance bore no resemblance to demonic beings.
"Boom... Awoo..."
A burst of scorching Light Magic erupted, sending an invisible shockwave outwards. The Crystal Giant Spider, caught in the center of the explosion, let out a pained shriek.
The continuous explosions affected all the crystal monsters in the area, and a thick mist began to fill the region.
Once the mist cleared, the Crystal Giant Spider, its body half-destroyed, lay groaning on the ground. Green blood and shattered crystal fragments were scattered everywhere. Its body seemed hollowed out, and it was still twitching, clearly beyond help.
However, this didn't escape Mako's notice. His eyes narrowed, and after a shout, he scooped up Danny and retreated. Griffon Swan swooped down from the sky, taking Moonshadow with her.
"Boom... Awooo..."
Seconds after Mako's departure, a Crystal Giant Spider, slightly smaller than the previous one, burst from the ground where they had been standing. Apart from its size, it was nearly identical to the first.
"Hahaha... Children of Chaos, have you seen? This is the power the gods have given us! We are unkillable!"
A voice, a strange and unsettling blend of tones, suddenly echoed through the area. It was terrifying and filled with a deceptive quality.
After losing an eye, four crimson figures appeared in the remaining four eyes, mocking Mako. As they spoke, the small spiders swarmed around the Crystal Giant Spider and began to be absorbed into its body. The lost eye began to regain its red glow.
But their triumph was short-lived. A terrifying pressure descended from the sky. Mu had quietly summoned "Meteor Shower."
"Meteor Shower," a spell of Destructive Magic, was a magical ability that could change according to the user's will. It generally had three modes.
The first was a super-sized meteor, typically used against large targets with the greatest power. Its drawback was that the lava and flames produced by the impact would linger for a long time and cool slowly.
The second was a five-meteor mode. This mode of "Meteor Shower" had a medium attack range, suitable for dealing with sub-level large creatures, such as the Abyssal Hydra Lizard. It would also leave behind the lava and flames from the impact.
The third was the "Meteor Shower" used to eliminate the White Harbor garrison's catapults and giant crossbows. This mode had the widest attack range and was best suited for attacking numerous enemies and fixed targets.
With Mu's control, a meteor almost the size of the Crystal Giant Spider's head descended from the void, crashing down onto the Crystal Giant Spider's body with unstoppable force.
Initially, the Crystal Giant Spider sensed the threat and wanted to escape. However, Danny was controlling the Sea Monster, which firmly entangled its body, effectively adopting a mutually destructive stance.
The Crystal Giant Spider frantically bit at the Sea Monster's body, but it still couldn't make it retreat. Even after one of its tentacles was bitten off, the Sea Monster remained tightly wrapped around it, refusing to let go.
"Boom... Bang..."
After a violent explosion, dense water vapor enveloped the entire area, obscuring the situation within. However, Mako and his companions didn't have this concern. They could still use their senses to track the Crystal Giant Spider's movements.
The immense impact and lava directly shattered the Defense Field on the Crystal Giant Spider's body, and as a large amount of lava and flames poured in, the surrounding creatures suffered heavy casualties.
With the damage to the Defense Field, the lava also spread to the Crystal Giant Spider's vicinity. Seeing no chance of escape, the Crystal Giant Spider once again used its remarkable skill.
Following the sound of its body breaking and the churning of mud, the Crystal Giant Spider seemed to have burrowed underground again. It hadn't given up, and it charged towards Mako.
But this time, the Crystal Giant Spider's plan failed. What awaited it was the terrifying Crystallization Breath and Frost Breath. Its head was first trapped by crystals, and then frozen in the chilling wind.
"Awoo…woo…"
The Crystal Giant Spider gathered its strength. Then, it broke free of its restraints and howled to the sky. However, before it could display much dominance, a thick, dark blue liquid blocked its throat.
The Sea Monster, its body in tatters, launched its final attack, directly using the corrosive ink it could only unleash at the moment of death. This ink was highly corrosive and impossible to evade.
The Crystal Giant Spider, wracked with pain, clawed desperately at its head with its front pincers, trying to wipe away the agonizing substance. It felt like this thing was going to take its life.
But it was completely ineffective. The dark blue ink immediately melted the Crystal Giant Spider's head. Then, its enormous abdomen began to writhe, and it slowly began to break apart.
In a short while, the Crystal Giant Spider "hatched" again from its belly, completely reborn. Looking at the Crystal Giant Spider, which now only had two eyes, Mako revealed a hint of a sneer.
Just as Mako prepared to give the order to attack, the Crystal Giant Spider's body underwent another transformation. Its huge abdomen began to writhe again, and then, three pairs of transparent wings sprouted from its belly.
At this moment, the Crystal Giant Spider looked like a mantis monster without scythe arms, but although its body had become much slenderer, it still hadn't lost its spider appearance.
It looked like a monster cobbled together from several different insects. It flapped its wings, emitting a low, buzzing sound. The huge sound waves spread outwards, and Mako and the others felt a bit dizzy from the unexpected attack.
Some creatures closer to the Crystal Giant Spider were directly stunned unconscious. Seeing the effect achieved, the Crystal Giant Spider flapped its wings and charged into the sky.
"Bang..."
After flying only 300 to 400 meters, the Crystal Giant Spider seemed to have hit something, unable to escape. It once again emitted a terrifying buzzing sound.
Hoping to break through the barrier in front of it, but it had no effect at all. It tried everything it could, but all it got was a body full of injuries.
"This is a special barrier created by Shali and the others, who sacrificed many of their own people, specifically to deal with these servants of the alien gods. This guy can't escape."
The three-eyed crow slowly landed on Mako's shoulder and explained to him, filled with contempt for the Crystal Giant Spider.
"Boom...bang...awoo..."
Just then, sounds of fighting came from the sky, and the Crystal Giant Spider crashed down, slamming heavily into the swamp.
Mako looked thoughtfully at a certain area of the dimension. Through his God-King form, Mako saw two Ed gods fleeing. Although this battle was a victory, it had consumed a large amount of accumulated life energy.
Just now, at the beginning, facing the reappearance of the Ed gods, Mako directly summoned the gods from his divine kingdom to deal with them.
Now it seems the effect was very good. Mako had already gained an advantage by taking the home field. They were already far behind, although he hadn't eliminated them.
But, all of this for...