While traveling in the direction where he met Ikarim, Eon's attention was drawn to a group approaching him directly. A group of five human adventurers came here to find and, if possible, eliminate him. Their mission to find Eon should take a long time. However, Eon decided to approach them, hastening their quest—but for the worst.
Eon's gaze was drawn to the three people in front of him. They were all at least 20 levels lower than him, but they had strangely high stats, which Eon concluded was due to their equipment sets. He growled once more, staring at Herold, who was standing closest to him.
"Is there a problem, Herold?" Mea inquired as she moved forward.
"Nothing," Herold replied. "It's getting dark; we should call Lian and Bren," Herold suggested.
[Snowfield has been activated.]
Herold was about to walk away and leave Eon alone when he was distracted by a sudden change in the environment. White particles began to fall from the sky.
"Is it just me, or is it really starting to get cold?" Mea asked, hugging herself and shivering.
Caserie, too, hugged herself and looked up. Her stoic expression changed when she noticed the falling snowflakes from the sky. Then a piece of snow landed on her pointy nose. "It's... Snowing," she said, puzzled.
Herold turned away from Eon, observing his surroundings. He took out his sword and shield. "This isn't ordinary snow; it's only falling in our area—"
[Deceitful Shapeshifter has been activated.]
[Ice Armor has been activated.]
[Ice Armor has 2850 HP.]
[Vanguard has been activated.]
[Vanguard has granted you 475 damage reduction.]
[Icy Touch has been activated.]
Eon's image evolved from a seemingly harmless small Slug into the Thundursa, a raging giant. His Ice Armor covered his entire body as his body shaped up.
Mea and Caserie witnessed Eon's terrifying transformation because they were both facing him. Their jaws dropped as their eyes followed him as he grew larger and larger, drawing Herold's attention.
When Herold turned around, he was met with Eon's lunging claws. With Herold's speed, Eon's attack was extremely fast and nearly impossible to dodge. Herold used his Vanguard skill, which granted him 305 damage reduction. Eon's powerful punch collided with Herold's shield, causing the ground where Herold was standing to crumble and thick dirt fog to form around them.
The fog then dissipated, revealing Herold standing with his shield as a barrier between him and Eon. Herold's shield was covered in ice, indicating that it had taken the full brunt of Eon's Icy touch, but Herold was unharmed. However, freezing Herold was not Eon's intention for that attack; it was to put them to the test.
RACE: Thundursa [Level: 50/60].
HP: 950/950
MP: 500/500
Top Speed: 100 km/h
Defense: 5
"What kind of oddity are you?" Herold could only ask, perplexed, as he realized the monster in front of him's status board had changed along with its appearance.
Then Herold waved his sword and launched an attack by activating his sword's skill, Blazing Strike. It was a main-hand weapon skill that, at level one, dealt damage equal to 1250% of the user's strength stats—all level 1 main-hand weapon skills dealt the same amount of damage. A torrent of raging fire rushed toward Eon, intending to do massive damage to him. Eon, on the other hand, didn't even try to avoid the attack; he just stood there and took it like it was nothing.
[Blazing Strike has dealt 75 damage to your Ice Armor.]
It was 75 damage from Eon's perspective, but Herold's...
[Blazing Strike has dealt 0 damage.]
Herold's eyes, which were visible through his helmet, widened. He looked at the enemy in front of him, perplexed.
"Herold!" exclaimed Caserie. Her body was bathed in violet light as she activated the Electro Amplification skill of her off-hand weapon, which increased the damage of all of her electro-elemental attacks by 10%. Then she used her racial exclusive skill, Divine Blessing, which was shared by all humans. This skill boosts the user's damage by 20%.
Herold jumped back, his shield blocking his path in case Eon followed him... Eon, on the other hand, did not.
Caserie aimed her staff at Eon and activated two skills at once: Thunderstrike and Chain Lightning from her main-hand weapon. A bolt of raging thunder struck Eon from the sky, and a bolt of destructive electrical current surged toward Eon from Caserie's staff. Then there was a loud explosion.
The onslaught of attacks, however, did not stop there. Mea's main-hand skill, Holy Judgement, was enhanced by her racial exclusive skill, Divine Blessing, which she used to strike Eon with searing light. A roaring light, similar to the Thunderstrike, struck Eon from the sky with a beaming light imbued with godly rage.
The smoke particles and flashing violet electro lights vanished, leaving behind an image of a giant standing still and undamaged by the attacks he had just taken, making the prey in front of him stare at him with enlarged eyes.
[Thunderstrike has dealt 160.72 damage to your Ice Armor.]
[Chain Lightning has dealt 281.5 damage to your Ice Armor.]
When calculating multiple separate damage buffs, the one with the weaker buff was calculated first. The effect of Electro Amplification was weaker than that of Divine Blessing.
[Holy Judgment has dealt 205 damage to your Ice Armor.]
"Zero... damage," Caserie said as she walked backward, shaking her head.
"The troublesome monster we've been looking for, it appears we've found it," Herold said, staring directly at Eon. "No... It found us," he explained as he used his racial exclusive skill, Divine Blessing.
Herold also activated his off-hand weapon's Anti Blink Field, which forbade any charge, blink, or dash skills within a 10 meter radius of him. Barbaric Rush was a charge skill.
"I'm sure both Bren and Lian saw our attacks; they'd be here soon," Mea said as she raised her hand and activated her off-hand weapon's skill, Blessing Of Speed, which increased the speed of all allies nearby by 15%.
Eon's face darted on Mea as she activated her skill, and he began to walk toward her.
"Go behind and far, Mea. This monster is smarter than we thought," Herold said as he activated his skill, Violent Charge, and charged at Eon with his shield. "I am your enemy, Ice Freak!"
Eon cast a quick glance at Herold. He then stomped to the ground with his right foot. Then... A disaster ensued.
[Ice Spikes Domain has been activated.]
In an instant, the entire area within a 15-meter radius of Eon changed dramatically, and hundreds of sharp two-meter-long ice spikes appeared from the ground. Herold, who was charging at Eon, was hit and knocked back a few meters. Then, both Caserie and Mea on the backline were hit by a hail of ice spikes coming from all directions. All they could do was scream while attempting to withstand the onslaught of attacks.
[Ice Spikes Domain has dealt 0 damage.]
[Ice Spikes Domain has dealt 0 damage.]
[Ice Spikes Domain has dealt 0 damage.]
Eon didn't deal any damage to Mea, Caserie, or Herold because of the level of Ice Spikes Domain and their massive amounts of defense value. Eon's Ice Spikes Domain was still incapable of annihilating anything. Eon, on the other hand, was fully aware of it, and it was not the reason he used it.
As Eon walked forward, his gaze was drawn to his path, which had been cleared of ice spikes. It was a clear path that led to the person trapped between the ice walls.
"Herold! It's coming for me!" Mea exclaimed as she stared at Eon approaching her.
[Deceitful Shapeshifter has been activated.]
Eon transformed into a smaller Bildabear in order to walk through the poking spikes without slowing down his already deliberate slow pace.
A simple, astute strategy with little movement... They weren't expecting such a calculated fighting style from a monster.
"I'm coming!" exclaimed Herold. He broke through the ice walls with his skill, Violent Charge, and moved toward Mea.
Caserie used Thunderstrike repeatedly to destroy the ice spike walls that were blocking her and Herold's path. However, every time they broke through one of the walls, five thicker ones flew in and blocked or pushed them away. All of the ice spikes were shifting their positions in response to the user's commands... Eon had complete control over all life within his Ice Spikes Domain.
The entire field where Eon stood was a maze-like arena—a Berserker's arena.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" screamed Herold as he activated his main-hand weapon's Blazing Strike and slashed the ice spike walls with a raging fire.
But only to be replaced once more...
Caserie and Herold tried repeatedly, with all their might, to break through the unending walls of ice. Their eyes shivered, and desperation grew on their faces with each passing moment.
"Herold!" screamed Mea as another brimming light struck the ice wall blocking her escape. However, every time she dented one, two more replaced it.
There was only one direction where there was no ice wall, and that was the direction Eon was coming from. Eon caught up to Mea and stood in front of her, looking her in the eyes.
"Herold..." Mea said, her voice despondent.
Eon's mouth opened, revealing his fangs. His mouth emitted cold smoke. He sounded a gentle growl—a growl devoid of hostility or anger... Just blank— just apathetic.
"Damn it! Mea!" Herold screamed as another thunderclap and raging fire rang out.
Caserie and Herold were both close to Mea... But the never-ending walls that stopped them made it appear as if they were very far away.
Eon gently placed his hand on Mea's shoulder. Mea just stared at Eon, tears streaming from her eyes and down her cheeks. She shook her head, pleading for her life... But Eon refused to listen.
[Icy Touch has been activated.]
[Icy Touch has dealt 554 damage.]
Mea's entire body was covered in ice in an instant. It was quick and painless. Mea hugged her staff and closed her eyes. And with her last breath, she spoke in a very soft voice. "Bren..."
Eon took his hand away from the lovely statue in front of him. Then he deactivated his Ice Spikes Domain, removing all of the ice spike walls that were surrounding him.
As his gaze wandered, he came across Herold's devastated expression as he looked at Mea. Caserie collapsed to the ground and screamed as she realized what had happened to her friend. They couldn't do anything, despite having done everything they could.
"Me—Mea..." Herold could only say as his gaze remained fixed on Mea's statue. His arms shivered violently.
[Mana Absorb: You have received 93 MP.]
[Deceitful Shapeshifter: a new form has been acquired. The Human Holy Healer form is now available for use.]
If it wasn't clear enough... Eon was not, and would never be, the hero of this story.