Gilgamel's premonitions came true as the dense smoke cleared, revealing the massive figure of the Mountain Ape lurking in the shadows.
Under the gaze of everyone present, the Mountain Ape let out an eerie, chilling cry, causing Gilgamel to furrow his brow.
Gilgamel frowned upon watching this scene.
Strangely, the sound had no impact on Gilgamel or his allies. It was very different from the sounds it had made in the previous attacks.
This led Gilgamel to ponder the situation.
He suspected that this Mountain Ape had just used one of its magical abilities—Dark Command.
However, there were no more abyssal creatures in this area. Gilgamel and his teammates had already confirmed this.
So, what was the point of the Mountain Ape using Dark Command?
As he contemplated the situation, the earth quaked unexpectedly, intensifying his sense of foreboding.
Suddenly, a multitude of similar creatures emerged from the ground – abyssal creatures unlike any he had encountered before.
"How can this be?" Gilgamel exclaimed in shock.
Reacting swiftly, he employed his appraisal ability to discern the information of these surprising abyssal creatures.
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Name: Ground Rat
Race: Magical Beast (Abyssal Creature)
Level: 9
Bloodline: 3
Attribute: Earth, Dark
Magical Ability:
1. Burrowed [The ability to dive into the ground.]
2. Abyss Bite [The ability to bite opponents and transmit abyssal energy through the bite.]
3. Earth Replacement [The ability to create earth-based substitutes when its life is threatened. This ability can only be used once a day.]
Tips: Light-attribute attacks deal great damage to abyssal creatures.
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Gilgamel's brows furrowed as he muttered, "Ground Rats? And there are so many of them..."
He took stock of the situation and counted more than a dozen Ground Rats, their levels ranging from 5 to 8, with one particularly powerful Ground Rat at level 9.
Gilgamel did not expect that this Mountain Ape still had a trick or two left.
Absentmindedly, he glanced upward, wondering when Collin would conclude his magic.
On the magical flying carpet, Medelien peered down at the chaotic scene below; her brow furrowed in concern. As she turned to Collin, she couldn't contain her apprehension: "Collin, are you finished? The situation down there is deteriorating rapidly. There are many abyssal creatures suddenly emerging from the ground."
"I'm done!" Collin exclaimed, setting his paintbrush aside.
He chanted the incantation, "Picture Magic - Second Phase Creation!"
In an instant, the canvas levitated, swirling with vibrant light. Gradually, a colossal figure materialized from the painted surface, taking the form of a Mountain Ape.
The newly summoned Mountain Ape bore an uncanny resemblance to its counterpart in the Colosseum arena.
As soon as it fell into the arena, it immediately went to attack the Mountain Ape, who had just used its Dark Command.
Collin looked down and shouted, "I'll buy you some time; quickly get rid of these abyssal creatures!"
After saying that, he immediately focused his attention on controlling his magic.
Witnessing the arrival of Collin's magic, Gilgamel knew he couldn't afford to hold back any longer.
With a swift motion, he directed his enchanted staff at a nearby Ground Rat and chanted the words, "Air bullet!"
In an instant, a powerful gust of wind coalesced at the tip of his staff, taking shape as a bullet of air. With astonishing speed, it hurtled towards its target, invisible yet unstoppable.
Puff!
The air bullet managed to penetrate the Ground Rat's body without any resistance.
Gilgamel's shot hit the Ground Rat, but instead of falling to the ground, the creature transformed into a statue of earth before crumbling into a pile of dirt. Its original body had already melted back into the ground.
Unfazed by the escape of the Ground Rat, Gilgamel relentlessly fired air bullets at the remaining Ground Rats, depleting their reserves of life.
At this moment, he was a seasoned marksman who was capable of hitting any target with remarkable accuracy. His teammates looked on in astonishment at his exceptional performance.
"Not bad, Gilgamel!"
As the Ground Rats scurried back into their hiding places, Magnus didn't hesitate to commend Gilgamel.
"Leave the rest to me!"
Magnus, a sly grin on his face, slammed his magic staff into the ground and chanted the words of his powerful spell, "Magma Field!"
In an instant, the ground trembled violently as if seized by an earthquake. Cracks of fiery red light erupted across the arena floor, and gushing flames burst forth into the air, engulfing the surroundings in a dazzling display of intense heat and energy.
As the magma field formed, the Ground Rats, who were hiding underground after losing their lives once, immediately screamed in the heat and jumped out of the ground.
Taking this opportunity, Gilgamel immediately used Air Bullet on them again.
As their numbers decreased one by one, Gilgamel's point device continued to ring in his ears.
The ringing ceased only when only the level 9 Ground Rat was left in the arena.
However, this Ground Rat could not last long either under Farad's continuous and deadly attacks.
After successfully defeating the level 9 Ground Rat, Magnus strode up to Gilgamel with an exuberant demeanor and inquired: "Gilgamel, how many points did you accrue from these Ground Rats?"
"Not much," Gilgamel lamented, shaking his head. "Only 15 points."
Magnus patted Gilgamel on the shoulder and praised, "Not bad, Gilgamel. You were able to earn that many points all by yourself!"
"Bang, bang, bang..." Magnus mimicked Gilgamel's shooting technique and chuckled.
"I have to admit, you looked quite impressive just now."
"Really?" Gilgamel's eyes widened as a smile adorned his face.
"So, you won't challenge me in the future, will you?"
"That's a different matter altogether," Magnus admitted frankly, rubbing his nose. "After observing your performance from the past week until now, I'm even more eager to challenge you."
Rolling his eyes, Gilgamel couldn't help but feel that Magnus was a lost cause.
Ignoring the mischievous Magnus, Gilgamel reached into his storage item and retrieved a small, translucent vial containing a shimmering blue liquid - a Mana Potion. He tilted it back, allowing the magical elixir to flow into his mouth.
His mana reserves had been thoroughly depleted from casting a series of powerful spells in quick succession. While he still had some leftover mana stored in the Tears of the Sea, he was hesitant to tap into it unless absolutely necessary.
After all, recharging the mana within Tears of the Sea was a time-consuming process.
Although the Mana Potion could only replenish a modest 30% to 50% of his total mana, it was a welcome lifeline in his current situation.
After drinking the potion, he suddenly saw Magnus extend his palm as if asking for something from him.
Gilgamel was confused and asked, "What?"
"Give me one!" Magnus said innocently. He explained, "I just used a Tier-2 magic spell and consumed a lot of mana. As the team leader, you have to take responsibility for that."
What kind of logic is that?
Gilgamel was dumbfounded.
He was the leader, not a logistician, alright?!
Nevertheless, he still gave Magnus a bottle of Mana Potion.
After the two of them managed to refill their mana, they immediately joined Farad, who had difficulty going to fight Mountain Ape again.