"Still nothing," Evan muttered, his face darkening with frustration. He gathered his remaining strength and raised his hand once more.

The water sphere pulsed and condensed into hundreds of smaller projectiles, each glowing with compressed mana. With a shout, he released them in a storm of piercing spears that rained down in a furious barrage.

They hammered against the centipede from every angle, filling the wasteland with violent splashes as they struck. Yet when the mist cleared, the monstrous creature's armor was still intact. At most, faint scratches gleamed under the dim light, nothing more.

Just then tens of more centipedes crawl out of the ground lung towards the water sphere protecting Nina's group.

Evan's face darkened as more of the monstrous centipedes erupted from the violet ground, their shrill screeches cutting through the wasteland. Nina's expression mirrored his own, her blue eyes narrowing as she realized the scale of what they were facing.

The air was filled with the thunderous rhythm of countless armored legs stabbing into the soil, each creature larger and more menacing than the last.

They exchanged a glance, and in that single look both understood the truth. They could not win against this swarm. Their attacks were useless, their strength meaningless before creatures of such overwhelming defense and numbers. Survival became the only goal.

"This is bad. This is very bad." Evan muttered his expression dark.

"We can only run here. The defense of these centipedes are too strong. Unless I use my flames we can only run here." Nina said solemnly.

"Then we can only run." Evan said without any hesitation. He refused to let Nina use her flames knowing the dangerous affect it had on her.

He clenched his teeth and pressed his palms forward, his mana surging through the sphere of water surrounding them. The liquid barrier responded instantly, spinning with controlled precision as he maneuvered it away from the snapping mandibles of the nearest centipede.

The sphere weaved between their colossal bodies, twisting and darting as the monsters lunged from every direction.

The centipedes slammed their armored heads against the sphere again and again, each impact echoing like a drumbeat. Mandibles clashed against the shield, but Evan's control was masterful. He guided the sphere upward to avoid one, then to the side to slip past another, narrowly dodging the storm of strikes.

The group inside swayed with every sharp movement, the pressure crushing down on them as they struggled to hold steady within the spinning cocoon of water.

But the number of centipedes only grew. The ground split in more places, and the swarm thickened, surrounding them in an unbreakable wall of armored bodies. The sky above was filled with writhing segments as the monsters climbed over each other, their screeches a constant assault on the senses.

"There are too many!" Evan's mana strained as he pushed the sphere to dodge again and again. His movements were sharp and desperate, weaving the barrier like a dancer on the edge of a blade.

But no matter how fast he moved, there was too much to evade. His breathing quickened, sweat pouring down his face as he forced the sphere to slip between two snapping maws.

Then it happened. A massive centipede erupted from the ground directly below them, its head thrusting upward with terrifying speed. Its timing was perfect, cutting off their escape route. Evan's eyes widened as he realized he had no room left to maneuver. He was already shifting the sphere to dodge the assaults of the others, and this new attack came too quickly.

The shadow of the centipede's open maw fell across them, and for the first time, Evan's confidence faltered. He could not dodge this one.

"Do not worry, I will handle it," Nina said firmly, her expression unwavering as her body began to glow with white flames. The light radiated from her in soft waves, wrapping her figure in a brilliance that seemed to burn with purity.

"No! Young Miss, you must not!" Evan shouted, his voice breaking with urgency. He reached forward as if to stop her, but in that instant, the air split apart. Out of nowhere, a black flaming sword streaked down like a falling star. It struck the water sphere that surrounded them with explosive force.

The impact was so powerful that the entire sphere was flung violently through the air, smashing its way past the centipedes that swarmed around them. Their screeches filled the wasteland as the horde scattered briefly, unable to resist the force of the attack. The sphere tumbled and spun, the barrier rippling dangerously, before Evan managed to steady his control.

He clenched his jaw, forcing the water to flow back into order, and the sphere descended in a controlled arc. It landed on the violet ground with a heavy splash, its liquid surface pulsing as Evan anchored it firmly. Inside, the group staggered to their feet, their breathing ragged.

When they looked ahead, they realized they were now far from the encircling horde of centipedes. The swarm still raged in the distance, but the immediate danger had passed. Relief washed across their faces, tension loosening slightly from their shoulders.

Evan, however, narrowed his eyes and raised his voice. "Who is it? Please, show yourself." His voice was cautious, edged with suspicion.

"It was me."

A calm voice answered, and Max stepped forward from the shadows of the wasteland. His figure appeared clear and steady, and the moment he arrived, the golden crown above his head blazed to life. Its radiant glow illuminated the area, so bright that the water sphere itself shimmered with reflections of gold.

Evan's heart tightened, and his body stiffened immediately. His face turned grim as his gaze locked onto the crown. To encounter a peak genius chosen by the golden crown in such a place was not something he could take lightly. The crown signified unmatched talent and terrifying strength.

"What do you want? Why did you help us?" Evan demanded, his voice sharp, though his mind was filled with unease. One thought pressed against his reason: if Max had been nearby, how had they not noticed the glow of the crown? Its light should have been visible from miles away.

Max's reply was calm and direct. He raised his hand and pointed toward Nina. "Her. She is heading toward the trial site and so I will be joining you guys."

Nina blinked, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at him. For a moment she felt a strange sensation stir within her chest, something she could not place. After a pause, she turned to Evan, her voice quiet but decisive. "Let him join us. We do not have a choice here."

Evan's lips pressed into a thin line. His instincts told him to reject the idea. If he had the strength to battle the centipedes alone, he would have refused without hesitation. Teaming up with a golden-crowned genius could only bring complications. Yet the memory of their struggle against the centipedes was still fresh, and the truth was undeniable. They needed help.

With a heavy breath, he nodded solemnly. "Very well," he said at last. "For now, we will move together."

His eyes, however, remained fixed on Max with unspoken caution, even as the road ahead stretched endlessly and the threat of the centipedes lingered like a shadow over them all.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.