Chapter 669 - 556: Bronson! A Marvelous Encounter

Chapter 669: Chapter 556: Bronson! A Marvelous Encounter

Just as Roland and his party were observing, the human Mage flicked his finger. The dark red ball of energy in his palm shot out, transforming into a searing beam of light that tore through the air, heading straight for Mara.

The air distorted in its wake, leaving a scorched trail on the ground.

Mara didn’t dodge or evade. She let out a short, sharp cry.

She then crossed her arms and swept them forward. The curtain of water around her instantly boiled and expanded, forming a thick, rapidly spinning vortex shield before her.

"HISS!"

The searing beam slammed into the vortex, erupting with a deafening crash and sending clouds of white steam billowing into the air.

The powers of water and fire clashed violently, producing a grating screech.

The intense heat instantly vaporized a massive amount of seawater.

But more seawater seemed to flow endlessly from the void and the ground, replenishing the seemingly pliable yet indestructible shield.

After a standoff of only two seconds, the dark red beam’s energy was weakened layer by layer until it was finally annihilated within the vortex.

Mara’s vortex shield then burst apart, turning into a cold downpour that rained down on the nearby ground and the fleeing crowd.

Seeing this, a flicker of surprise crossed the human Mage’s eyes, but his movements didn’t pause for a moment.

His hands rapidly formed several complex Arcane Magic gestures as he uttered short, powerful syllables.

In an instant, ghastly white Frost began to form on the ground around him, spreading toward Mara like a living thing.

Countless sharp Ice Cones materialized in the air, flying toward her like a volley of arrows.

At the same time, the ground beneath him bulged. Several thick, spiked stone tentacles erupted from the earth, attempting to ensnare Mara from different angles.

Composite Spellcasting!

Frost and Earth Magic erupted simultaneously!

Mara’s expression grew solemn, but she showed no fear.

She stomped her foot hard, landing in a puddle that had, at some point, pooled into a small shoal beneath her.

A ring of brilliant blue light instantly spread out from where her foot landed.

"Glory to the Raging Tide!"

With her furious shout, wherever the ring of light touched, all liquid was instantly imbued with wild Life Energy.

The water shot into the sky, forming several thick, incredibly agile waterspouts. One fearlessly crashed into the spreading Frost, shattering it.

The others precisely lashed out at the flying Ice Cones and stone tentacles, crushing them or batting them away.

Splashes of water, shattered stone, and ice fragments flew everywhere. The scene was chaotic and spectacular.

Seeing his attack neutralized again, the Mage snorted coldly. His body shot upward, bursting through the remains of the longhouse roof as he flew toward the docks at the island’s edge.

But Mara clearly had no intention of letting this troublemaker go so easily.

She let out a long, clear cry as the watery light around her surged, and she too lifted off the ground.

She wasn’t flying. Rather, a surging wave coalesced beneath her feet, and she rode it like a Water Element mount in hot pursuit of the Mage.

She left a wet trail on the ground, and the air filled with the thick smell of the sea.

One chasing the other, they moved as fast as lightning. In just a few breaths, they had swept past the chaotic settlement and arrived over the sea just beyond the docks.

Under the deep night sky, the ink-black surface of the sea became their new battlefield.

The Mage hovered in mid-air, his robes whipping in the wind. He raised his hands high, and an obscure Spell echoed through the night sky.

The clouds above were forcibly churned and gathered, with flashes of lightning faintly visible within them.

Meanwhile, Mara stood firmly atop the crest of a surging wave, as if she had become one with the ocean beneath her.

She spread her arms, and the sea began to spin violently around her, forming a massive whirlpool of astonishing diameter.

The edge of the whirlpool formed a wall of waves several dozen feet high. Atop the crests, the vague but intimidating silhouettes of giant sea creatures, formed from seawater, could be seen roaring.

Her Curved Saber was unsheathed at some point, its blade now flowing with a faint blue light that resonated with the rhythm of the whirlpool.

In the night sky, thunderclouds gathered and electric serpents danced wildly.

On the sea, the whirlpool roared and colossal waves surged.

A final confrontation between Element and Divine Power erupted over the boundless sea.

......

......

"Cool!"

Watching the epic and terrifying scene unfolding between the sea and sky in the distance, Holland licked his dry lips in excitement, his eyes shining with an almost obsessive light.

"Hot damn... She’s definitely the matriarch of the ’Serrated Anchor’ who made a name for herself in these man-eating waters! Her skill with water... it’s like she’s related to the ocean itself!"

The Priest whistled, then turned to Roland, who had been silently staring at the battlefield. He grinned, asking in a tone that was half curious and half probing.

"Hey, Rudolph, what do you think? How do you stack up against those two monsters? Think you could take them down?"

Roland remained silent, not answering immediately. His gaze was still locked on the terrifying battlefield of interwoven Thunderbolt and raging waves in the distance, but in his mind, he was already weighing the situation quickly and calmly.

’A head-on fight, going all out...’

’I’m confident I could suppress them.’

’But to "keep" them here permanently, to kill them...’

Roland shook his head slightly.

Mara’s connection to the ocean was deeper than he could have imagined. It wasn’t a simple Magic or ability, but more like an extension of an "Authority" partially recognized by the Laws of the world.

Her Power seemed to breathe in unison with the boundless sea beneath her feet, vast and endless, ever-changing.

Even if he could suppress her in a fight, severing her connection to the ocean to deliver a decisive blow would be extremely difficult.

She had plenty of ways to merge with the waves, to skirmish and maneuver, or even to stir up a large-scale natural disaster to cover her escape.

As for the human Mage.

Although Roland hadn’t received a systematic Caster’s education, his insight and Perception were enough to judge the level of his opponent’s Power.

The scale of the Elements he commanded with a mere gesture, the immense Magic Power contained in his Spells, and the terrifying Energy he was currently gathering that made space itself tremble faintly...

All of it pointed to one thing.

This was a powerful master of Arcane Magic, one capable of consistently casting Fourth Ring or even higher Ring Tier Spells. In books, such a being was often called a Great Mage.

Against a Caster of this level, with his current methods that still relied mainly on physical attacks and specific abilities, he might be able to overwhelm them with a close-range burst or a tactical ambush.

But killing them? The chances were extremely small.

Back then, Pseudo-God Corellon had been limited by his incomplete evolution and conflicting Divine Attributes, so his Casting Ability was considerably restricted.

Even so, he had still pushed Roland into a bitter fight.

But the one before him now was a Great Mage from an age brimming with Magic Power, with a complete lineage of knowledge, specializing in the path of Arcane Magic.

His diversity of Magic, destructive power, and control over the battlefield were on a completely different level from the Pseudo-God Corellon of the past.

Even though Roland’s own strength had increased significantly since his time in the Eternal Song Forest, he still fell short when facing a Caster of this caliber.

He could defeat, or even heavily injure his opponent, but they would certainly have more than enough trump cards to save their own life, escape, or take him down with them.

Thinking of this, Roland didn’t answer Holland’s question. Instead, he said decisively,

"We shouldn’t stay here. We need to leave this area as soon as possible."

Seeing this, Holland didn’t ask any more questions. He nodded in understanding and used his sturdy body and arms to crudely but effectively push aside the chaotically fleeing crowd that was blocking their path, clearing a way for Roland and Ellis.

However, before the three of them could get far down this temporary path, an even more intense clash erupted from the street corner ahead—the sounds of shouting, roars of anger, and the sharp hum of magical energy.

Two Casters in dark gray robes appeared, holding a man hostage. The man was wearing a dark formal suit that seemed a bit ill-fitting, as if he had thrown it on in a hurry. They were rushing down the street.

Their movements were swift, and a pale cyan aura of acceleration surrounded them. They had clearly cast a Movement Spell on themselves.

Behind the two Mages, a dozen or so crewmen from the "Serrated Anchor" were roaring as they gave chase.

These sailors were all fierce, holding Fish Spears, Curved Sabers, and even oars. Their faces were filled with fury and anxiety as they shouted nonstop.

"Let him go!"

"Stop them! That’s the boss’s man!"

"Damned Mages! Give him back!"

However, these valiant sailors, who had spent their lives battling wind and waves, were clearly outmatched by two well-prepared, proper Mages.

The Mage running in the back didn’t even turn his head. He simply flicked his hand behind him.

Several rough earthen walls suddenly rose from the ground. They weren’t meant to block the path, but instead twisted and closed in like living things, instantly trapping the foremost sailors in a makeshift stone cage.

No matter how they hacked and pounded at it, they couldn’t break free immediately.

The other Mage was even more composed.

He muttered an incantation and drew a finger through the air. The dry ground beneath the pursuers’ feet instantly turned into a viscous, slippery mire. Caught off guard, several sailors stumbled and fell into a heap, halting the momentum of their pursuit.

Furthermore, two Fish Spears thrown by the sailors were easily deflected by a translucent Force Field Wall he casually summoned, landing crookedly in the wall of a nearby wooden house.

The two Mages worked together seamlessly—one for control, one for interference. They never even stopped moving.

By casually casting a few Low Ring but extremely practical spells, they toyed with their more numerous and aggressive pursuers, easily shaking them off.

Holding the man who was struggling fruitlessly, they charged toward Roland’s group without slowing down.

Faced with this sudden turn of events and the conflict rushing toward them, a strange feeling welled up in Roland’s heart even before he could get a clear look at the hostage’s face.

It was an oceanic aura from the same source as the one he had just felt from the female Storm Lord.

It was faint, but its essence was remarkably similar, carrying the unique flavor of Ambrosia Divine Power—a blend of violent fury and profound depth.

Roland immediately focused, his gaze following the source of this aura.

The next moment, his eyes locked precisely onto the hostage’s slightly open collar, revealed by his struggles.

There, a small, exquisite object was hanging.

It seemed to be crafted from a material as dark as Deep Sea metal, its main body shaped like a miniature ship’s helm.

The edges weren’t smooth, but showed ancient, natural signs of wear, as if washed by ocean waves.

In the center of the helm was an embedded, rice-grain-sized Deep Sea Pearl that glowed with a faint blue light. It was swaying gently with the man’s movements.

That faint yet pure fluctuation of Ocean Divine Power was emanating from it.

As his gaze moved upward and he saw the hostage’s pale, panicked face clearly, his eyes narrowed sharply, and his heart nearly skipped a beat.

"Mr. Bronson...?"