Tendrils of dark mana wrapped around the bodies of Grokus’ slaves so quickly that they could not react before it wrapped them from head to toe, sealing them in confined cocoons that did not allow them to use their mana.
Grokus’ eyes snapped wide open when this happened, as he did not expect Leon to have been able to do that. When his spell broke apart and Leon escaped earlier, he did not even entertain the thought of Leon having snatched his control of the mana. All he knew was that Leon somehow broke the spell apart by untangling the complex weaves of mana. He did not dare think that Leon had instead snatched control of his mana from him without him knowing.
The reason why he now knew was because the way that the mana cocoons were woven around his slaved was exactly how he weaved his spells with the help of his totems. Surprisingly, Leon had been able to do the same without using a totem, while he had used five!
“Your control over mana is high and complex for a mere C rank being. How did you do it? What is the name of the skill? Tell me and I shall allow you and your servants to leave unharmed.” He proposed to Leon, still believing that Leon was weaker than himself.
Meanwhile, Leon was still distracted by something else. Before him, a notification screen had popped up.
[New skill acquired: Mana Manipulation!]
[A higher version of the skill: Mana Manipulation already exists within you! The skill level will be increased as a result!]
Leon put aside the thought of which skill had increased as he turned back to face Grokus. It would be too reckless for him to check his status here and now of all places.
Thanks to the fact that Leon’s skull was mostly stiff and showed no emotions, Grokus did not find out that Leon had been distracted when he spoke. Leon did not even hear most of Grokus’ words. Instead, he asked Nedra to find out what the Orc Shaman had said.
Grokus on the other hand, took Leon’s silence as a sign of hesitance. His confidence ramped up and his chest swelled with pride as he tried to posture even more.
“You must be sick in the head if you think I will let you leave here alive.” Leon suddenly said, bursting Grokus’ bubble.
“…What?” Grokus asked in a low voice, which was uncharacteristic of himself.
“Are you deaf?” Leon scoffed, intentionally mocking the Orc.
“YOU INSOLENT FOOL!!! I WILL DEFINITELY KILL YOU!” Grokus suddenly exploded with power, a wave of green fire expanding from him and eating at the surrounding ground. His eyes literally burned with rage as green fire erupted from them.
BOOM!
The three meter tall Orc lunged forward, his arm opened in a wide arc as he swung his sword.
‘Crap.’ Leon cursed as he quickly moved back. Nero stepped forward, bracing his shield in front of him to withstand the blow. The loyal summon had already fully digested the growth energy provided by the golden fruit, and his strength had been boosted to the level of a High C rank being.
It was an incredible growth rate. One that allowed his summons to keep up with him, and Leon was happy about that.
Boom!
Another miniature explosion of dust and stone shook the cavern’s ceilings as Grokus’ large sword met Nero’s sturdy shield. Leon did not want the cover of dust to aid Grokus, so he waved his hand, conjuring up a gust of wind that blew away all the dust to reveal the forms of the Orc Shaman and Nero.
Surprisingly or not, Nero had succeeded in blocking the powerful attack from the stronger Orc. Grokus had his eyes wide open in disbelief as red lines ran over Nero’s shield, projecting a red barrier a couple of centimeters above the shield.
Right now, there was a cobweb of cracks that were quickly healing themselves as Nero poured his mana into whatever skill had created the barrier.
“Haa!” He roared out and brought up his sword from behind his shield, raising it up as it flared with a similar red light.
Grokus moved to take a step back, but all of a sudden, a long, wiry form stabbed into his body, running from his legs to his neck, and holding him in place.
Nedra had morphed her body and used her claws to sink into Grokus body, forcing him to stay in place.
Pain exploded across Grokus’ front as Nero’s sword dug in deep, spilling copious amounts of his precious blood.
Bzzt!
BAM!
The buzz and crackle of lightning reached Grokus’ ears just before a thick bolt of lightning struck him, instantly vaporizing his leaking blood and burning his skin to a crisp, black membrane that stuck to his body.
“ARGH!”
Grokus roared loudly, and a violent pulse of mana flung Nedra and Nero away from him.
“Hydra Sigil!”
“Porcupine Sigil!”
“Cougar Sigil!”
“Frost Sigil!”
He glowed with an otherworldly green light as he activated yet another sigil. This times, his tattoos continued to glow as he actively ran all his sigils at full power.
He grew another foot taller and his wounds healed so quickly that Leon would have thought they had never existed in the first place. Not only that, but his body had a red aura clinging to it, giving the green flames already around him a hint of bloodiness. A blue frost spread out from below his feet as the cavern grew colder all of a sudden.
That was not all, though.
A huge, oppressing aura spread out and settled on Leon’s shoulders, as Grokus finally went all out. The Orc Shaman was no longer holding anything back, and the presence he had was so massive that Leon thought that he was facing a B rank powerhouse.
But he was not too worried, as he had his companions by his side. Not only that, but he was also a Peak C rank being that was just about ready to step into B rank. He knew that he could fight Grokus toe to toe and come out on top.