Meanwhile, Aisha and Essim retrieved island cores from their storage rings. In an instant, a massive 500-meter island materialized beneath them. Just as they vanished from the ship, a fierce fireball erupted, obliterating the 100-meter vessel where they had been moments earlier.
Now standing on the island, which had a teleportation talisman ready, they faced the approaching enemy.
Voirel, noticing the emergence of the vast island, grinned menacingly. "Impressive," he sneered, "but soon all of this will belong to me."
Unfazed, he flew directly toward Essim's island, his confidence unshaken.
Although Essim's island appeared to be 500 meters in size, it was merely the core that marked a ruler's initial territory. However, Essim owned tens of thousands of island blocks, which he swiftly merged with the core. As a result, the land he and Aisha now stood on was a flat, desolate expanse, ready for battle.
"Aisha, stay sharp. Don't waste the golden defense talisman or the teleportation talisman. We'll need them both," Essim instructed, glancing at his sister.
"Understood, brother," Aisha responded, her excitement palpable. The magical equipment she wore began to glow faintly with energy—her long green cloak fluttering, red gloves gleaming, and light, lace-up shoes pulsing with magic. Each piece of gear enhanced her innate beauty, making her appear almost ethereal.
Essim, though focused on the battle, couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for his sister, the culmination of years of his protection and care.
"Brother, stop staring," Aisha teased, feeling his gaze from the side.
Essim chuckled softly, "Alright, but keep your guard up."
With that, Essim activated his own equipment: gleaming white steel armor, polished silver boots, and a long golden sword. Each piece of gear magnified his power, pushing his strength to its absolute peak.
As Voirel landed on the island, he immediately summoned more beasts. Earlier, he had only called upon flying creatures, but now a wave of terrifying ground beasts emerged. Towering above them all was a massive armored gorilla, alongside a fire-maned lion and a 100-meter-long python, each ready to tear their enemies apart.
"You will meet your end today!" Voirel roared, relishing the thought.
[Armored Gorilla]
Attributes: 2400 STR, 1800 INT, 2180 AGI, 2370 RES
Skills: (Strong Punch), (Earthquake Leap), (Rampage)
[Dos Land Python]
Attributes: 2215 STR, 1792 INT, 1764 AGI, 1966 RES
Skills: (Constricting Coil), (Tail Strike), (Acidic Slime)
[Fire Mane Lion]
Attributes: 2484 STR, 2172 INT, 2004 AGI, 1688 RES
Skills: (Lion's Roar), (Predator's Pounce), (Agile Form)
Despite the intimidating array of monsters, Essim remained calm. He reached into his storage bag and pulled out what seemed to be golden figurines shaped like human warriors, fully armored.
[Golden Warrior]
Attributes: 1476 STR, 920 INT, 1355 AGI, 1316 RES
Skills: (Double Slash), (Deadly Stab)
"You think you're the only one with an army?" Essim grinned, his confidence unwavering.
These golden warriors were one of his prized acquisitions from the Tou Pavilion. Knowing their potential, he had duplicated them by the thousands. Soon, the number of golden warriors emerging from his storage ring exceeded a thousand, their metallic forms gleaming under the sun.
Voirel, watching this spectacle unfold, became more determined than ever. Essim's seemingly endless arsenal of powerful items only fueled his desire to kill him and claim everything for himself.
"Attack!" Voirel bellowed, commanding his beasts to charge forward.
The griffin, which Voirel rode, led the assault, slashing through the ranks of the golden warriors. From above, it unleashed a deadly claw attack, aiming straight for Essim, the sound of the wind slicing as it descended.
Essim had anticipated this. His agility-boosting skill was already active, propelling his AGI attribute to over 2,000 points. He dodged with precision, leaving Voirel fuming.
"Is dodging all you can do?" Voirel taunted from atop the griffin, circling overhead.
Suddenly, a fierce voice rang out from the distance. "Dare to harm my brother?!"
Aisha had drawn her bow and aimed it squarely at Voirel. With an intense focus, she unleashed her powerful skill.
Skill 3: (Sun Core Arrow) Fires a blazing arrow that locks onto its target, delivering +100% damage and ignoring 50% of the target's defense. Cooldown: 1 hour.
The black arrow tore through the air, homing in on Voirel, who tried to dodge, but the arrow relentlessly pursued him.
"Annoying insect," Voirel muttered, raising his right hand. A shimmering golden hologram of a turtle materialized above him.
When Aisha's arrow struck the turtle's hard shell, a violent explosion shook the area, and cracks began to form on the once-impenetrable shield.
"Damn it!" Voirel cursed as the turtle collapsed to the ground. Enraged, he lunged toward Aisha, his silver sword drawn, the blade glowing with a menacing energy.
Aisha's movements were swift, but Voirel's speed was far superior. Just as he thought he had her, his sword collided with a transparent barrier.
"What the—?" Voirel's eyes widened in disbelief. A protective light had enveloped Aisha. The protection talisman Essim had given her was now active, nullifying his attack.
"You're getting on my nerves!" Voirel roared, charging at her again, his blade humming with deadly intent.
Before he could strike, a brilliant light exploded around Essim, whose stats had doubled, enhancing his power to staggering levels. He clashed with Voirel's silver sword, their strikes igniting small bursts of energy across the battlefield.
Despite Voirel's overwhelming strength, Essim's golden talisman held firm, negating much of the damage. Voirel, frustrated, leapt back and summoned his griffin once more, desperate to regain the upper hand.
But Essim was prepared.
"I won't let you escape this time!" Essim shouted, activating his second skill.
Skill 2: (Sky Shattering Slash) Unleashes a 100-meter sword aura, ignoring 50% of enemy defenses and healing for 50% of the damage dealt. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Essim swung his sword with tremendous force, the blade of energy hurtling toward Voirel. At the same time, Aisha launched arrows from the distance, ensuring Voirel couldn't retreat to his mount.
"Damn it!" Voirel roared, as his body began to radiate a dark, shadowy aura. His strength surged, but so did Essim's. The light of Essim's skill grew even more intense as it collided with Voirel's blackened form.
"What... what kind of power is this?" Voirel gasped in disbelief.
The sword light cleaved through Voirel, slicing through his aura with ease.
"So foolish," Essim muttered as the sword struck home. "Dark power means nothing in the light."
The battlefield grew silent as a system notification echoed in Essim's mind.
[Killed (Voirel - Alpha Command) EXP +141,500, Contribution +1000]
[Voirel dropped (Silver Storage Ring)]
Essim's eyes widened in astonishment. "Silver? A silver storage ring?" He marveled at the unexpected prize. His own ring had been a mere standard one until now.
The battle was over, but the spoils of war had only just begun.