"Stand against you?"
The witch Meg, hearing Belmo's voice from above, glanced up at the winged figure suspended in the air.
A wry smile crept across her face, tinged with a hint of resignation.
Since being trampled and captured by the divine servant Huyan Wu, Meg had lost her agency.
Had it not been for the celestial's focus on fostering the magical abilities of the elf Lilia, allowing Meg to serve as a competent mentor, she likely would not be enjoying this current situation.
Though she now bore the oversight bracelet, at least her basic needs were met, and life had grown comfortable compared to being a mere prisoner.
Moreover…
Meg recalled the day she witnessed a colossal hand descending from the clouds, raining down enormous snacks and ice cubes, and a shiver ran down her spine.
The Divine Kingdom... truly had the favor of the celestial!
No matter how impressive the royal court's chief mage Belmo might be, it remained uncertain whether he could contend with even a single finger of that celestial.
As a secondary mage, it seemed entirely reasonable to surrender!
Meg had come to terms with this, and thus, when confronted by Belmo's accusation, she had no intention of engaging in lengthy rebuttals. Instead, she simply raised her wand and began to prepare her spell.
Seeing this, Belmo's expression shifted to one of disappointment.
"I had thought you possessed the potential to succeed me, yet you have so readily capitulated to barbarian outsiders; I am thoroughly disappointed!"
Meg's response was a flurry of [Arcane Missiles]!
Swish, swish, swish—
Bright orbs of magical energy, trailing luminous tails, sped toward him, closing the distance in an instant!
So fast…
Belmo's expression changed as he quickly shifted to evade, but he could not avoid the final two missiles.
He was forced to hastily cast, "High-Level Spell Nullification Barrier!"
A glass-like barrier materialized, rippling as the missiles struck, transmitting the impact to Belmo, causing him to stagger, several feathers shedding from his wings!
His gaze toward Meg transformed gradually.
This woman had grown under his watchful eye, and over ninety percent of her spells had been taught by him.
An [Arcane Missile] of such caliber was adequate for clearing out minor foes or pushing back enemies at close range, yet to employ it against a high-level mage seemed rather juvenile.
Still, Meg had managed to amplify its potency from a significant distance, an extraordinary feat beyond belief!
"Could it be that the Divine Kingdom has a mage even stronger than I, prompting her to turn traitor?"
Unease crept into Belmo's heart.
He had no inkling that Meg's boosted spells were powered by the amplification provided by Gurumi on her wrist; thus, her earlier [Arcane Missiles] could be unleashed in rapid succession without issue…
However, at this moment, Meg could not afford to waste time conversing with her mentor.
The deep sea dragon had broken free from its bindings!
"Roar!!"
With its head thrown back in fury, it struggled violently, snapping the gelatinous tendrils that ensnared it and unleashed another high-pressure torrent of water!
"Dehydration Bubble!"
Meg pointed her wand, swiftly conjuring five large, dry bubbles, which, although shattered by the water column after a few seconds, significantly diminished its force, allowing the warriors of the Divine Kingdom to struggle against it with their shields.
Swish, swish, swish!
Another round of heavy crossbows fired, peppering the deep sea dragon with a multitude of small bolts.
While these projectiles did not threaten its internal organs, they stung enough to irritate the creature.
Whoosh—
The dragon spread its wings, seeking to ascend into the air, preparing to dive back down upon the insignificant humans below.
"Ultra-Earth Bind!"
With Gurumi in hand, Meg unabashedly amplified her own spells, creating a terrifying gravitational force that forcibly anchored the dragon's hind legs to the ground, preventing its ascent!
"Ugh…"
The surface of the gelatinous bracelet began to ripple, revealing Gurumi's slimy visage, its features contorting in annoyance.
This woman was extracting source energy at an exaggerated rate! Wasn't it more enjoyable to use what belonged to her?
"Ultra-Arcane Missile!"
Meg paid no heed to such concerns; battling a deep sea dragon was a dream she had never dared to entertain. With two high-ranking members of the Divine Kingdom observing, she was determined to impress!
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The massively amplified [Arcane Missiles] rocketed forth, crashing into the deep sea dragon with explosive force, causing it to bellow in agony!
"Ultra-Arcane Missile!"
Meg repeated the incantation, hoping that through this incessant bombardment of high-frequency offensive spells, she could subdue the dragon. If an artist were to capture this scene, it might be immortalized in the annals of history as commendable by future generations of mages!
However, she soon realized something was amiss.
Initially, each [Ultra-Arcane Missile] was the size of a calf, but after several uses, they had diminished to the size of ordinary melons.
The amplification from her bracelet had waned!
Meg's expression turned to one of shock, while the deep sea dragon, battered and enraged, fixated its glare upon her and unleashed a torrent of water with blinding speed!
"Dehydration Bubble!"
"High-Level Mage Armor!"
Meg had no time to cast anything else, as the incoming water jet swept her away!
The bubbles and armor shattered in sequence, and she coughed up a spray of blood mid-air, plummeting like a broken kite to the distance.
"Cough, cough… cough…"
Gurumi transformed from its gelatinous form into that of a blue-haired girl, weakly coughing as she cast a glance back at the unconscious Meg, rolling her eyes.
"What was it they say…
Pride comes before a fall! The moment you get cocky, you forget your own limitations! Ugh, it looks like I have to step in myself…"
With haste, Gurumi darted toward the crowd, and Nalan Xia, recognizing its intent, promptly tossed a pouch of celestial crystals her way, reminding her,
"These were originally meant as an offering to the celestial; remember to deduct the cost from your daily allowance!
However, should you distinguished yourself in this battle, the celestial shall surely reward you handsomely!"
"Got it! I understand the rules…"
Gurumi huffed, swiftly pouring the dozen celestial crystals into her mouth, crunching and swallowing them.
Having grown accustomed to the delightful offerings of chocolates and spicy snacks provided by the royal, Gurumi found the celestial crystals somewhat bland in comparison.
Fortunately, these crystals replenished source energy remarkably quickly, and her pale little face soon flushed with color…
"Roar!"
At that moment, the deep sea dragon, now unrestrained, took to the air once more, arcing downward with tremendous force, crashing through the formation of over a hundred warriors of the Divine Kingdom!
"Is shouting all you can do?"
With her cheeks flushed, Gurumi trotted forward, puffing her chest, and aimed her mouth at the descending deep sea dragon, unleashing a resounding roar: "Arooo—"
A torrent of raw source energy erupted forth!
Boom!!
The deep sea dragon, caught off guard, was doused in the assault!
Its descent was thwarted, and it tumbled downward with a whimper.
Watching from above, Belmo's expression darkened; after finally driving the enhanced Meg from the field, this new blue-haired girl presented yet another challenge.
"If this continues, the chaotic thoughts of the deep sea dragon may very well awaken… I must intervene!"
Belmo reluctantly began to relax the spells he had been secretly maintaining, muttering incantations as he prepared to aid the dragon in regaining its composure.
Suddenly, he turned his gaze toward the distance.
"Something is approaching rapidly… its magical intensity rivals my own!"