Her strength seemed unassailable, but her methods were enigmatic.
Even the audience couldn’t comprehend how she had escaped the cursed worm’s stomach.
Surely Fedrick, the
Cult of Calamity’s
chosen, had prepared his creature meticulously.
But Nora had emerged victorious.
And now, the final clash was imminent.
The
Cult of Calamity
, as its name suggests, brings disaster in its wake.
Their expertise in curses and parasitic creatures is infamous, and
Fedrick
, the Cult’s chosen participant, was no exception.
The audience could hardly believe that the worm sent against
Nora
didn’t have some deadly curse woven into its body.
To think that a single creature would be enough to eliminate one of the superpower’s champions seemed absurd.
It was certain: the worm had been imbued with Fedrick’s sinister handiwork.
And yet…
Nora emerged from the worm’s cursed innards, unscathed and composed, as if its deadly traps had no effect on her whatsoever.
Her calm and mysterious display left the spectators in awe.
Even more puzzling was the appearance of the
red mana threads
during her escape.
Their exact purpose remained unclear since Nora’s opponents—Deguro and Fedrick—surrendered before the threads’ potential could be revealed.
…
As Nora made her way out of the
Wood Field
, her name became shrouded in mystery.
In the
Water Field
, she had used its
rule
to dismantle her opponents with icy precision.
Against Deguro, she wielded both
Water Rule
and her melodic sound-based attacks with effortless grace.
And though the cursed worm forced her to reveal her mana threads, it still wasn’t clear how she had nullified Fedrick’s trap.
It seemed to the audience that Nora had yet to display her full strength.
The answer to this mystery, they thought, could only lie in her inevitable battle with
Imora
.
…
Imora
, having already claimed the
Earth Field’s
treasure, ventured into the
Metal Field
, where she swiftly obtained its
Sword Embryo
treasure.
Returning to the central node, Imora contemplated her next move.
The
Water Field
or the
Wood Field
?
Before she could decide,
Nora
emerged from the
Wood Field
, their eyes locking in mutual recognition.
…
For a moment, silence reigned as both observed each other.
The treasures each had collected appeared around them:
Imora was surrounded by a flaming bird from the
Fire Field
, a lethal
Sword Embryo
from the
Metal Field
, and a clump of fertile soil from the
Earth Field
.
Nora, in comparison, had only two treasures: a crystal of ice from the
Water Field
and a sprouting seed from the
Wood Field
.
Imora’s advantage seemed clear, her three treasures overshadowing Nora’s two.
…
“Looks like you’ve already dealt with the others,” Imora remarked.
“Seems the same for you,” Nora replied coolly.
“Nora, is it? You’ve been lucky to make it this far. But your luck ends here. Prepare to die!” Imora’s voice carried a provocative edge, her confidence unshaken.
“Try if you can,” Nora answered calmly.
Imora’s eyes gleamed with cold resolve as the treasures around her launched forward.
The
flaming bird
hurtled toward Nora, its blazing form radiating deadly heat.
In response, the seed near Nora’s side suddenly sprouted, transforming into a towering tree rooted in the void.
Hidden within its trunk, the
ice crystal
shimmered faintly before releasing its frosty power.
The flaming bird froze mid-flight, encased in ice, and plummeted to the ground as a lifeless chunk.
The audience collectively gasped.
…
No one had expected this outcome.
Imora, with her three treasures, was supposed to have the upper hand.
Surely the treasures of the
5 Fields
followed rules of counterbalance and dominance.
Nora, having fewer treasures, should have been at a disadvantage.
But the first blow landed squarely against Imora.
Her flaming bird—her prize from the
Fire Field
—was completely neutralized by Nora’s ice crystal from the
Water Field
.
…
With the flaming bird out of the picture, both combatants were now seemingly on equal footing.
Imora still had her
Sword Embryo
and fertile soil from the
Earth Field
, while Nora had her ice crystal and the towering tree.
The two sides were evenly matched, the field reset to a test of personal strength.
“How… How did Nora manage to counter with just two treasures? It’s a two-against-three battle, and she’s holding her own!” one spectator exclaimed.
“I don’t get it either. Were her treasures just naturally stronger, or is there more to it?” another wondered.
“Who cares! Now they’re fighting purely on skill. This is going to be amazing to watch!” a third chimed in, excitement rising.
…
Even Imora seemed shaken.
To her disbelief, her advantage had disappeared. “I underestimated you, Nora. But in the end, strength is what matters!” Imora said, raising her sword.
Her sword glinted ominously as she lunged forward, her entire body radiating an aura of a blade.
The sheer force of her presence seemed to cut through the air itself.
Nora remained composed, plucking at her harp strings.
Waves of sound rippled outward, meeting Imora’s advance.
…
Imora’s charge faltered as the melodic waves struck her.
Her momentum slowed, and her killing intent wavered, dulled by the oppressive weight of the sound.
“A battle’s rhythm is everything,” Nora’s melody seemed to say, disrupting Imora’s flow.
Realizing the futility of pressing forward, Imora pulled back to reassess.
…
The clash between their attacks caused tremors to ripple through the
central node
, destabilizing the delicate balance of the
5 Fields
.
Both women realized that continuing their fight here could lead to disastrous consequences. The node was too fragile to contain their power.
Without a word, Imora retreated into the
Fire Field
, a place she had already mastered.
Nora followed without hesitation.
…
The
Fire Field
was Imora’s chosen battleground, a place that inherently suppressed
Wood
and
Water
rules, giving her the upper hand.
Here, Nora would face immediate disadvantage.
Without adapting to the
Fire Field’s
rule, she would be constrained by its fiery environment.
Imora smirked as she looked back at Nora. “This is where you’ll meet your end!” she declared, unleashing a deadly slash infused with
Fire Rule
.
She was confident in her victory.
Nora, however, had other plans.