Chapter Twelve: In the Darkness (3)
Vladkov’s Knight’s Spear instantly transformed into a disc enveloped in black mist. The enormous disc, once bright, became eerily gloomy amidst the mist. Defense had never been knights’ strong suit, but today they had to act as soldiers temporarily. The suddenly surging dark combat energy still surrounded them.
Enveloped in black mist, Vladkov resembled a black knight emerging from the depths of darkness. A strong aura of darkness seeped out from his body. The turbulent dark magic within him had reached its peak. Although dark magic was not the highest manifestation of knightly energy, once it merged with dark combat energy and erupted, even magi or saints would have to avoid its might.
A low growl drifted through the air at the last moment. The Knight’s Spear finally erupted. As the massive disc swept through the swarm of scorpions, it suddenly exploded. Sparks of light, carrying immense devouring power, scattered everywhere. Almost every scorpion that came into contact with these sparks immediately splattered and tumbled to the side. Yet this time, Vladkov’s Knight’s Spear was not targeting these scorpions. The tip of the spear dimmed again, shrinking to a faint glimmer, with layers of black mist obscuring where it pointed.
But the Komora Python hiding behind the scorpion swarm immediately sensed the danger. Its huge head plunged beneath its abdomen, and its incredibly hard scaled tail swept forward with unstoppable force, like a fallen giant tree, knocking aside the surrounding scorpions as well. Vladkov snarled and shook his Knight’s Spear violently. The glimmer brightened again—a dark luminescence emanating from the blade, seemingly intent on piercing through space itself. The air around twisted, and strange distortions in space could be faintly seen.
A faint patch of dim light finally collided with the sweeping scaled tail, like an indestructible drill. The light flashed in and out, and a surge of dark red blood rose like a bloody barrier, turning both the surrounding scorpions and Vladkov into dark red figures. The Komora Python let out a fierce roar. Its tail, once like a giant tree, was now severely damaged. That flowing patch of light had practically split the otherwise unbreakable scaled tail in two, demonstrating its terrifying power.
The Komora Python’s head snapped upward abruptly, and as its skull moved, its massive body pressed down like a mountain. The weak magic scorpion was crushed like debris under a millstone, unable even to emit a sound before being turned into meat paste. Seeing the Komora Python moving its huge body in that direction, Vladkov also inwardly groaned in distress. He could easily avoid it on his own, but there were others behind him—just one such move and they would all become meat paste. At this point, he had no choice but to brace himself for a desperate battle.
Dark combat energy surrounded his entire body at that moment, and his knight’s robe seemed to expand slowly as if filled with some special gas. Vladkov was enveloped in thick black mist, with only his dark eyes glowing faintly in the darkness and the knight’s spear emitting a dazzling, dark light.
After a fierce roar, his body leaped into the air like an arrow released from a bow, shooting forward at lightning speed. The knight’s spear once again transformed into a ring of light, but this time it enveloped Vladkov’s entire body, reducing the attack area significantly. It resembled a glowing sphere that emitted a brilliant light, charging straight at the Komora Python’s head, which was swaying in midair.
The Komora Python seemed to sense the approaching crisis as well. Its head flashed quickly in an attempt to dodge the intense light of the combat energy. But the ring of light circled mysteriously in the air. Vladkov gritted his teeth, using his will to control his flying body. All his strength was focused on the knight’s spear, which vibrated with a buzzing sound. Only by concentrating all his power on it could he truly inflict damage on this earth-based king of the dark world. Ordinary physical and magical attacks were utterly ineffective against it.
The Komora Python hadn’t expected Vladkov’s movement to be so fast and unpredictable. It merely shifted slightly, but the ring of light burst forth with even more brilliant light, locking onto the Python’s head. Yet, after all, the Komora Python was a powerful being of the darkness. Faced with the strange, piercing light that was already emitting a high-pitched whine, it realized this attack must be devastating. But with its massive body right in front of it, it had no way to dodge. If it avoided its head, its fragile neck would surely become the target, and the outcome would likely be even worse.
With a sudden shake of its head, the serpent’s head seemed to swell slightly. Upon closer inspection, a layer of mottled, uneven thick armor could be seen on its already grotesquely ugly head—rough, rounded patches that appeared to be scales suddenly swelling up. This was Komora Python’s protective barrier as a king of the earth element. The essence accumulated from long-term consumption of earth-related substances remained within its body, and in emergencies, it could be released at will to cover any part of its body. After being dissolved by the serpent’s bodily fluids over time, this essence had turned into something as tough as rubber, capable of withstanding any external attack.
The antennae on Komora Python’s head also emitted a faint yellow glow. Realizing this was a desperate strike from which it could not escape, it likely had no choice but to perish here. Its innate ferocity was revealed as it suddenly opened its massive mouth and unleashed a blast of magical energy—petrification gas, a natural earth magic that could instantly petrify any creature. Komora Python did not expect to defeat its opponent with this attack; it merely hoped to slow down its opponent’s assault.
The glow finally broke through the dense petrification gas. Vladkov felt his entire body tighten, enveloped by a heavy sense of stagnation. Even his thoughts became sluggish. The earthy smell penetrated deep into his body, making him realize he was under the magical attack of an earth elemental monster.