Chapter 138 Air wall
As I peered into the distance, my eyes narrowed in concentration, I spotted the source of the sound: a giant crab, its body covered in chitinous armor, its claws snapping with murderous intent as it scuttled towards me.
The giant crab was a fearsome sight to behold. Its hard exoskeleton glinted in the dim light, the grayish-green color of its chitin almost blending in with the rubble of the damaged houses.
Its body was roughly twice the size of a human, and its legs, equipped with powerful claws, propelled the creature forward with a speed and agility that belied its massive size.
Atttached to the sides of its body were two large pincers that snapped viciously at me.
And at the front of its body, was a large, boxy carapace that served as its head.
You have a new side mission]
[Side mission: Survive the giant crab]
[Reward: New skill, air-wall]
I looked at the screen and smiled, I didn't need any motivation to kill the crab in the first place, the mere prospect of increasing my mana points was enough.
Screeechh~
As the giant crab lunged towards me, I called upon my air magic, but this time, I decided to try a different tactic.
With a quick flick of my wrists, I sent a vortex swirling around the creature, trapping it in a swirling tornado of wind and debris.
The crab struggled to free itself from the confines of the vortex, its pincers flailing helplessly as it was lifted off the ground and spun around.
With the giant crab trapped in the swirling vortex of wind, I knew that I had to act quickly to finish the fight.
I channeled my mana into my fans, and with a swift, precise motion, I sent a two dimensional windslam directly into the creature's exposed underside.
The crab screeched in pain, its body lifted and tossed by the force of the blast, its pincers flailing uselessly as it was thrown back against the ground.
As the crab lay prone and vulnerable, I seized my opportunity to end the fight.
With a final surge of air magic, I sent another two dimensional windslam hurtling towards the creature, its force powerful enough to send it careening across the battlefield, scattering debris in its wake.
The giant crab stopped struggling and laid still.
[1 kill, +10 mana points]
[Side mission completed]
[New skill unlocked: Air-wall]
I checked the skill out.
[Air-wall, when activated, the mage will be able to form a solid barrier of air between it and any object of choice]
I remembered how powerful Zoe's air wall had been and how she kept the serpents away from us.
It was a skill that I knew I would appreciate in the coming days.
As I stood there, basking in the aftermath of my victory over the giant crab, I heard a low, rumbling growl that seemed to shake the very ground beneath my feet.
Turning towards the source of the sound, I saw a hulking figure emerge from the smoke and chaos of the battlefield.
It was a two-horned rhinoceros, its massive body encased in rock-like skin and its razor-sharp horns gleaming.
With a roar, the two-horned rhinoceros charged towards me, its massive body propelled forward by its powerful legs.
I reacted instinctively, channeling my mana into my fans and sending a two dimensional windslam hurtling towards the creature.
But the rhino was undaunted, its thick skin absorbing the impact of the blades like they were nothing more than a slight annoyance.
I knew that I would need to be more creative if I was to defeat this formidable foe.
As the rhinoceros continued its relentless charge, I could feel the ground trembling beneath my feet, the earth itself seeming to tremble with the beast's elemental power.
Enjoy new adventures from empire
I watched in horror as the rhino's skin began to shift and transform, rocks and stones fusing together to form an impenetrable armor that covered its body from head to toe.
With a deafening roar, the rhino unleashed its elemental magic, shards of rock and earth hurtling towards me with deadly accuracy.
I reacted quickly, dodging the flying debris as best I could, but I knew that I couldn't keep this up for long. I needed to find a way to exploit the rhino's weakness.
As I circled the creature, staying just out of reach of its horns and tusks, I noticed a small crack in the armor that covered its neck. It was a tiny opening, but it might just be enough.
The rhino however didn't give me time to launch my attack, it immediately hurled more debris at me. This time it was a much larger volume.
As the flying debris came hurtling towards me, I didn't waste time trying to dodge them.
Instead, I channeled my air magic into my fans and called forth an air wall, creating an impenetrable shield between me and the rhino's elemental onslaught.
The air swirled and twisted around me, forming a protective barrier that shielded me from the worst of the attack, though I could still feel the earth trembling beneath my feet as the rhino continued its relentless assault.
Despite the protection of my wind wall, I knew that I couldn't stay on the defensive for long.
With a burst of wind magic, I shattered the wall of air that had been protecting me, unleashing a ferocious blast of air that sent debris flying in all directions.
The rhino, taken by surprise, stumbled back, giving me the opening I needed.
Moving with lightning speed, I dashed forward, dodging the creature's horns and tusks as I made a mad dash towards the exposed spot on its neck.
With a single, precise strike, I plunged my mana-charged fans into the vulnerable spot, sinking the blades deep into the rhino's flesh.
The rhino let out a thunderous bellow, its body bucking and thrashing as it tried to dislodge my weapons.
But I held fast, digging my feet into the ground and bracing myself against the creature's violent spasms.
As the rhino's elemental power began to fade and the rock armor began to fall off, I twisted the blades of my fans, driving them deeper into the creature's flesh until I felt the last of its life drain away.
With a final shudder, the rhino collapsed, its massive body crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.
[1 kill, + 10 mana points]