Chapter 774 - Getting hot in here?

Whilst trying to do everything I can to distract the vortex of water, I keep my focus internal, driving and shaping the mana as best I can to create the most powerful fire spell I've ever attempted. The spell shape isn't too complicated, not compared to the heavy lifting I've been doing lately making things like the omni-elemental construct. Even so, seconds tick past as I race to create it whilst Invidia does his best to deflect and dodge a barrage of water based attacks.

For his part, the little demon punched his massive brain into overdrive, weaving vast amounts of mana into shields at a speed that was dazzling to behold as he drifts lazily through the air. His eye blazes with power as the many mind constructs he's built weave spell after spell, deflecting and blocking the innumerable bolts of water that fly in his direction as if shot from a cannon. Judging by the damage done by those streaking water bolts when they hit the terrain, I don't think he'd survive if he were hit by a single one. Invidia might be a magical powerhouse, but taking shots head on is not exactly something he's designed to do. His tankiness is basically zero.

Cool as a cuc.u.mber with one massive eye, he sticks to his guns and pumps out shield after shield, somehow keeping up with the towering whirlpool of death as it desperately tries to prevent him from blowing it sky high.

Actually, I just had a thought… It's throwing out hundreds of litres worth of water… is that weakening it some way? If the water is part of its body, and I cause damage by burning it away, is it hurting itself by doing this? Then my mind is drawn back to the scene we saw when the creature first revealed itself. It had clearly dispersed it's body and then pulled itself back together, so perhaps it can call that water back to itself if given the chance?

[Crinis! Try and destroy whatever water you can find lying about.]

[Ah! W-what?! How do I do that?!]

[Just drink it or something!]

Wait a sec…

[Don't drink it, but do something!]

[Yes, Master!]

Hopefully she can prevent the creature from calling the water back, making the loss of mass permanent.

[How are you holding up, Invidia?] I call to my pet, still focusing inward on piecing my spell together.

[I sssshall take all it can give meeee!]

[I like that confidence!]

He does seem perfectly capable of it at the moment. Good luck chief! Keep up the good work! Because, as a matter of fact, I only need a moment longer to put the finishing touches on this damn thing…

The last of the condensed mana slots into place and each of my brains sits back with a sigh, wiping the metaphorical sweat off of their neurons. This is possibly the heftiest piece of elemental magic that I've put together to date and I hope to heck it works against this stupid thing. If not, I'll be forced to break out the bomb.

I skitter back from the monster, giving myself a little space before I rear up and unleash my spell. An immediate wave of heat blasts into existence, flaring into life and chasing away the perpetual shadows of the second stratum. The spell takes the shape of a tornado of pure flame that grows as it travels forward until it connects the ceiling of the tunnel to the floor. The temperature around us rises, precipitously as I hear the monster scream its rage once more.

Gweheheheh.

How do you like that, you stupid puddle?! Get roasted!

In only a few heartbeats, the fire and water collide with a deafening hiss as steam billows to an absurd degree, blotting out vision and causing my antennae to start dripping from the overwhelming moisture in the air.

[Invidia! Strike now!]

Preoccupied with battling against my fire, the barrage against the little demon has faltered at last. With a gleeful gleam in his eye, Invidia floats forward slightly before weaving together a devastating series of detonations that rock the tunnel and send debris flying.

Unsure what's happening, I start to draw out chunks of gravity mana and start squashing it in case I need it. Before I get far with that process, my antennae twitch in warning and I sense movement all around me. It's calling back the water! All of the dispersed water that Crinis hasn't managed to deal with are drawn back to the ball which is still reeling from the barrage of magic. Unwilling to let it heal itself, I charge more mana into my domain, spreading it further before leaping to intercept as much of the liquid trailing through the air as I can.

More hissing, more steam as the water evaporates when it contacts the domain. I keep the pressure on maintaining my domain and moving closer to the creature once more, relying on the constant burn effect to continue whittling it down. After a few tense moments, my patience is rewarded with the voice of Gandalf himself.

[You have gained experience.]

Nice! Finally got it! Eager to collect the spoils, I run forward into the drifting steam, casting my senses about as I attempt to find what I'm after. It doesn't take long to find the core, given how powerful it is the thing practically radiates mana. I leap on it with glee and seize it up in my mandibles before I start looking around for the rest of the rewards. It takes a long moment of turning left and right for me to work out that the creature was made of water… and therefore wouldn't have anything by way of Biomass.

No food! After defeating something like that?! How is that fair?!

I look down at the damp floor of the tunnel, the water now freely mixing with the dirt, rock and dust there… I think I'll leave it. I'm not that hungry. Tired and weary from the difficult fight, the three of us make our way back behind the defensive line to find Tiny still sleeping with the pupa cradled in his arms. Unwilling to wake him prem.a.t.u.r.ely, we settle down for a meal only to find he immediately wakes the moment any Biomass is placed within several metres of him. We chow down but I can't help but bring my antennae forward to examine the glowing blue core of this particularly strange monster that we ran into. It wasn't like anything I'd seen before and I'm quite interested to see how it ticks.

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