The ring of the Fire Star erupted with a brilliant explosion, sending flames soaring into the sky. From its chaotic core, several skeleton warriors were hurled into the air, their forms riddled with cracks.
The skill was activated once more.
Next, the Wind Star ring detonated, unleashing winds sharp as blades, scattering skeleton warriors like leaves in a storm.
The sequence of explosions persisted.
The skeleton warriors found themselves relentlessly displaced by the Elemental Queen's formidable abilities.
The Slowing Curse appeared to have lost its grip.
Throughout this tumultuous display, the Queen of Elements herself remained almost motionless, orchestrating the chaos with mere flicks of her fingers and subtle gestures.
In a mere span of five seconds from the onset of battle, over thirty skeleton warriors sustained grave injuries.
They were promptly recalled to the summoning space by Lin.
"Battling her is proving to be a formidable challenge!" he mused, puzzled over Bai Yiyuan's reasoning in assigning him this task. It seemed an overestimation of his future capabilities.
Yet, regardless of the difficulty, he was determined to persevere.
Lin's palms ignited with a radiant red glow as he continued to wield the Soul Flame, which still posed a threat to the Elemental Queen.
In concert with the skeleton warriors, the skeleton mage sustained its barrage of attacks.
Unbeknownst to him, a strategy for countering the Queen of Elements had long been established by seasoned warriors.
A simple inquiry at Fortress No. 3 would have unveiled this tactic.
Yet, habituated to direct confrontation, Lin had overlooked this possibility.
He was indeed the first in history to stand against the Elemental Queen.
Meanwhile, Park Yingchang and his companions navigated the final domain of the electrical element, their hair standing on end, carrying the scent of singed flesh. The healer promptly attended to their injuries.
From afar, they witnessed the Elemental Queen in combat.
"The battle has commenced," they observed.
"Let's intervene."
"What do we halt? We should eliminate them alongside the Elemental Queen."
"Xiaofa, unleash your mightiest spell!"
Following the command, the mage commenced his incantation, tracing stars beneath his feet as energy surged wildly.
Ning Yiyi, sensing the shift in energy, turned to see Park Yingchang's group in the distance and hastily warned Lin, "Beware, we're under attack!"
Before her warning fully resonated, a colossal magical star materialized overhead, unleashing a deluge of fiery meteorites.
The skill invoked was Meteor Fire: World Annihilator, a testament to the mage's recent advancement to a blazing mage, mastering his first grand-scale ability.
This fearsome skill, capable of decimating even seasoned warriors within seconds, was now deployed in a surprise assault.
Lin's skeleton armor flickered resiliently, repelling the meteoritic onslaught. Nevertheless, many of his skeleton warriors bore the brunt of the impact.
At level 40, the distinction in prowess between ranks becomes starkly evident, transforming the battlefield dramatically.
Through the haze of destruction, Lin Moyu recognized Park Yingchang's rank, a smirk crossing his lips.
"Just in time," he thought, summoning his previously retreated skeleton warriors to engage Park Yingchang and his allies.
As the skeleton warriors and mages redirected their focus, Park Yingchang's group found themselves in disarray.
"What sorcery is this?" they exclaimed, unprepared for the onslaught of undead.
Despite their confusion, they readied themselves for battle, with the prophet enhancing their abilities and the archers drawing their bows, luminous with the promise of their impending skills.
Suddenly, red shackles manifested above each member, slowing their movements.
"It's a curse!" they realized, scrambling to counteract its effects.
As the skeleton mages concentrated their attacks, particularly targeting the healer, Lin's strategic foresight prevented any chance of curse removal, intensifying the assault on the already beleaguered healer.
In the face of unyielding aggression, Park Yingchang and his team contemplated retreat, their situation growing increasingly dire.
Despite their efforts to counterattack, Lin's defenses proved insurmountable, his Soul Flame relentlessly diminishing their numbers until only Park Yingchang remained, battered and desperate, his retreat marked by the harrowing embrace of the electrical element's domain.
Lin, undeterred by the fleeting victory, remained vigilant, aware that true challenges lay ahead, their complexity and danger unfathomable but not insurmountable.