Sharp ice shards, along with very hot wave streams approached me at terrifying speeds. I couldn't even move a finger before they reached me. The ice shards pierced my body, and the heat of the flames incinerated my skin and burnt it to crisps.
I screamed and screamed, and screamed and screamed; without stop. Until I realised I'd been screaming quite some time yet I felt nothing. I stopped screaming to take a look around and see what the afterlife was like.
To my surprise, what I saw was flames churning all around me and ice shards piercing my body from one side and coming out the other. But the strangest part was I felt nothing, no pain whatsoever.
It was a continuous cycle as the extremely polar temperatures opposed each other and fought to kill me. The ice that had pierced me would occasionally melt, while the fire would be extinguished from the water.
The offensive should have ended by now for this sole reason if it wasn't the fact that it was being continually replenished.
Seconds after I stopped screaming, the offensive slowly waned, as the last traces of heat burnt the ice and the resulting liquid extinguished the fire. This time, though, it was not replenished and smoke filled my entire view, blocking me from seeing what lay outside of this smoke fog. It was amazing to note that I was suffering this much just from calling El a little kid. What kind of monster he was, I had no idea. But this kid had unknowingly planted a seed of fear for dark mages inside me.
I was quite lucky this time. Before the flames or ice reached me, I was already being grilled. My health was running low, and fast. If I had not requested the system to activate the skill Last Fortress in the nick of time, I would certainly be dead right now.
I looked at the dark red screen in front of me.
Vitality: 1/100
Warning: Vitality is low. If Vitality reaches zero, user will die.
Requirements for reincarnation have not been met.
If User dies, User's soul will be lost.
Advice: Survive.
Skill Last Fortress is active.
Time left: 7/30 seconds.
Quite the lucky chap, I was. If that had lasted a moment longer, I would not have made it.
Damage is no longer being dealt to User.
Stop the skill Last Fortress and convert remaining time to Vitality?
Yes. No.
As I was reading this, the time was counting. I had realised what it meant only after five seconds had passed in such a manner.
'Yes!' I screamed in my head. I would welcome any type of healing I got right now.
Skill Last Fortress has been cancelled.
Time left: 2/30 seconds.
Converting to Vitality.
Vitality+2
Vitality: 3/100
A warm feeling spread over my body, merely lasting the reaction of a second before disappearing. Only after this feeling passed did I realise just how weak I was feeling. I fell to my knees and used my hands to support myself.
At this time, the smoke all around was already clearing. Sudden gasps and shocked voices were being reverberated all around the hall.
The outburst from El had attracted the attention of every single person in the guild. Being the recipient of such danger, it was certainly ought to be thought that I was dead as soon as I was touched by those attacks.
However, to the surprise of many, I'm sure, I was still screaming even after a few seconds. This sort of improved my worth in even mine own eyes, not to mention otger adventurers standing around who could feel the heat and cold coming off El.
No one would feel it as much as I would, that should have been what they were thinking. And when I finally stopped screaming, perhaps they thought I had finally given up. That may have also been why el finally stopped the attack.
But to their ultimate dismay and extravagant surprise, I was currently alive. On my knees and panting, with my hands supporting my body, preventing me from planting my head into the floor.
For this sole reason, everyone was shocked, even El. I thought I could sense a feeling of dread from under that cloak of his. He eventually spoke up, though.
"No one has ever survived that. Who are you?" He had asked.
I didn't reply him. Instead, I managed to struggle to my feet and looked around. Sherby and his lot were stood to the side, unable to do or say anything.
My gaze swept across everyone in the large hall. I eventually spotted two oddities crammed together in a corner. I moved forward and staggered, but quickly caught myself before any falling could happen.
I drew my feet till I got to a wall, and then slowly walked, while leaning on the wall, towards the two odd people.
"Julee, Koval. What are you two doing here?" I asked.
"Young master. We thought you were dead." Julee was crying as she said. "We had quickly rushed in to see what was happening, but we were too late to stop him. That monster, he was too strong."
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha... " It was Koval's turn to act maniacally this time around. "We are quite lucky. If you had died, I had no idea what we would have told your father. Worst part would be, you just left home today. Indeed, we are quite lucky."
'Yes. So am I. If I didn't have the system, I would certainly be dead right now.' I gave a fierce glare towards El, who had been standing still as a statue since I moved, probably too shocked to do anything.
"Come on, let's go home." I said as I turned back to face Julee and Koval. "Can you guys walk?"
"Us? We're perfect right now if we were to compared to you. Nevertheless, we are still a bit worn out just from going a little close to that monster to stop him. It is truly an amazement that you survived that." Kivak said with a wide smile.
"Well, I won't be as lucky next to time." I said. After the skill Last Fortress had been used, the system had put a countdown right next to it. Right now, it was about 23 hours or so. It must be a cool down to prevent me from using the skill too frequently. I sighed inwardly at this thought.
"Come on, let's go." I said to Julee and Koval. They supported me on both sides as we slowly walked out of the adventurer's guild, gazes staring from all directions but no one daring to move too close.
I looked up at the sun that hung high in the sky.
'It must be noon. Yet, so much has happened in one day.' I sighed again as I walked out of sight from everyone in the guild.