Dan frowned at Max's self-confidence. "You won't be so smug after I'm done with you. Watch out!"
The next second, Dan stepped back and was no longer visible. It was almost as though he had disappeared but Max was well aware… he only assimilated himself with his summon's will.
Will Assimilation was a unique state between a Summoner and their bond where the Summoner would be able to tap into the attribute of their summon and use it personally.
It worked according to percentage with the highest ever recorded Will Assimilation percentage being 70%.
The percentage helped to determine just how much of the summon's power the magician can tap into allowing them to boost their capabilities.
As Max watched Dan 'disappear', he felt his blood boil.
Under normal circumstances, he would be filled with anticipation at this point.
Four years had passed since he left Midgard to Golden Clover to train, now that he returned, Max still remembered the legends of Summoners he read about while growing up.
He felt awe at their awesome power and what they were capable of.
Unfortunately, his dreams of becoming a magician were dashed.
But now reinvigorated as a Sage, he desired to face off against those that he once looked up to.
He wanted to experience the might of a Summoner… and more than that, he wanted to dominate it!
It wasn't a case of arrogance, merely a desire to reach the top of the world.
Alas, with all this said, Dan just had to ruin everything by harming Lara, thus this was no longer about experiencing the wonders of the world.
This was about avenging the pains inflicted on her and he would not hold back!
At that moment, Dan attacked.
Max did not see anything nor could he sense the energy fluctuations caused by Dan's summon but he was able to use the flow of Ordena to determine danger approaching him.
He nicknamed this technique, Flow of Peril.
It worked within a certain range which was currently only three meters in all directions around him but it was enough for him to react except the attacker was faster than him.
Using Flow of Peril, Max quickly stepped to the side just in time to watch as the area he once stood on, sink further down as something heavy slammed down.
Max immediately leaped back as it moved again.
Sighing in relief, he noted the depression the attack caused. It looked a lot like an attack executed with the help of a tail.
Despite being at a disadvantage, Max was quite calm.
He suffered quite a lot to be flustered by a magician lucky enough to escape his senses.
If not for that, he would have pummeled Dan into a blabbering pulp.
"If only he would make a sound, I would be able to find him," Max muttered.
Gibby remarked. "Your opponent wouldn't be foolish enough to give up his only advantage over you to share a few words. I mean, he is smart enough to move slowly with his summon to not cause tremors in the earth."
Max had noticed that as well. The attacks were quite fast but the lag afterward was enough to show that his summon was not big enough to cover the entire clearing, forcing it to take careful steps approaching before quickly attacking.
Unlike the other barbarians, Dan was indeed smart. A clear reason as to why he was their leader.
But even so… Max was not willing to give up just yet.
"Any ideas on how to handle their invisibility?" Max asked Gibby. Having stayed with the frogs for four years, he was well aware of their capabilities.
Unlike most other magical creatures that were restricted to only one or two attributes, the frogs had long since shifted from the path of attributes to gain access to what they referred to as, Toad arts.
It gave them a myriad of abilities to make use of, tapping into the three great natural laws to fight.
Gibby thought for a moment before it responded. "I can try to oil it up a bit. That way you just have to follow the oil stains."
Max smiled at the suggestion. "Let's do that." At the same time, he pulled out the stick that frog grandma gave him.
Suddenly, he felt something thus he quickly leaped out of the way.
Wham
Another depression formed.
A yell came out at that point. "Darn it!... Why don't you just stay still and stop jumping about like a darn frog!"
Gibby narrowed his eyes. "Is he looking down on me?"
Max chuckled. "I think he is."
Gibby roared. "The audacity!"
At the same time, he gestured to Max to follow his lead.
He leaped off Max's shoulder, high up into the air. At his elevation, he could see the entirety of the clearing.
He clasped his webbed front limbs together and sucked in air until its stomach was bloated.
At the same time down below, Max dodged another attack from Dan after which he quickly weaved hand signs and directed Ordena toward Gibby.
Dan's voice was heard. "Stop wasting my time and just get crushed!"
Max's expression turned cold. "We'll see who gets crushed soon enough."
Meanwhile, up in the air, Gibby was done. it clasped it's palms together and opened it's mouth wide.
A deep golden brown liquid came out, spewing down at the clearing.
For a brief moment, the liquid blocked the rays of the morning sun.
Max moved once again, weaving hand seals in quick succession.
The liquid bath quickly turned into drops that fell toward the ground.
Ensuring Lara's safety, the oil drops only dropped around them.
Of course, the others present were not so lucky.
Max was well aware that Dan would not think much of the attack and that would undoubtedly be his undoing.
Sure enough, "Eaaaah!"
A scream of pain was heard as the oil drops continued to drop. Although the other barbarians were also screaming due to the corrosion of the oil drops, Max was able to pinpoint his target.
With a cold glint in his eyes, he muttered. "Found you."