Chapter 86: Swamp Ter’6 .rain
Due to the shadow creature’s [Corrosion] magic and the wolf-like creature’s inherent [Claws] trait, the protective barrier set up by the Celestial Finch was easily torn apart by this attribute-opposing shadow creature when caught off guard.
However, a Level 1 shadow creature ultimately belonged to the category of low-level beings.
Even though it broke through the defense using its attribute advantage, under the joint siege of Janna and her two contracted creatures, it could only flee like a frightened fox.
Before it could even return to the Shadow Realm, it was counter-ambushed by the Thornflower Sprite, who had been blessed with divine power, using the newly acquired skill [Thorny Vines].
“Hiss—”
Dense shadows spread once more.
Just as Janna prepared to deliver the final blow to the shadow creature exposed in her field of vision, several serpent-like spells constructed from shadows lunged at her with bared fangs at an extremely fast speed.
“Whoosh—”
Holy light spread.
Before the shadow spells could get close, the Celestial Finch’s purifying light directly turned them into ashes.
Taking advantage of this gap, the vines entangling the shadow creature on the ground were quickly burned off by Bell Moonshadow’s corrosion spell.
Seeing this, Janna, who was also prepared to counterattack, unhesitatingly cast a spell to activate the seeds on the ground.
“Vine Bind!”
A dozen green vines leaped like venomous snakes, directly bypassing the shadow creature, leaving behind afterimages as they attacked the position where Bell Moonshadow was exposed.
“Master, that’s a shadow illusion!”
Crack—
The sound of the barrier breaking echoed again on the protective barrier newly set up by the Celestial Finch. However, since Janna had also layered a Floral Guardian Barrier within the barrier, another round of Bell Moonshadow’s surprise attack still failed to break through Janna’s defense.
“Bang bang bang bang—”
The silver-white spiritual whip lashed out swiftly.
Along with several magic missiles shooting out from Janna’s hand, almost simultaneously,
Both spells precisely landed on the Bell Moonshadow who had launched a sneak attack from behind.
“Is this also an illusion?”
Looking at the mirror-like shattered “Bell Moonshadow,” Janna, who had nearly had her defense broken several times by the well-prepared Bell Moonshadow, immediately chose to retract her butterfly wings and return to the ground.
“Aph, is that shadow creature still around?”
“It’s already retreated back to the Shadow Realm.”
She took a slight breath.
Although she hadn’t eliminated the shadow creature in one go, forcing it to retreat was still considered breaking Bell Moonshadow’s first wave of offensive.
“It seems she’s prepared quite a few moves specifically targeting me to win—”
Thinking silently, facing the still-hidden Bell Moonshadow, Janna no longer let the Thornflower Sprite remain underground but directly summoned it back to her side.
“Since you won’t come out, I’m not in a hurry to find you—”
Having consumed a considerable amount of magic power earlier, Janna immediately took this opportunity to recover her magic.
However, before she could recover much, the scene on the combat training ground quickly changed.
The terrain, which had just been rocky, turned into a swampy wetland in the next second.
“Vines—”
Seeing that the ground beneath her feet had completely turned into a swamp, to avoid sinking, Janna quickly manipulated vines to create a temporary platform for herself.
“If only it were a forest terrain.”
The swamp terrain, being a water and poison dual-attribute environment, was not very suitable for Janna’s plant-based talents.
Instead, it allowed Bell Moonshadow, who possessed the [Fog Affinity] talent, to gather fog and simultaneously gain a poison enhancement, turning the dense fog into miasma.
If it were a forest terrain, under the influence of the [Plant Affinity] talent, Janna’s magic recovery speed would be greatly increased.
The ubiquitous plants in the forest would also become Janna’s eyes, making it easy to root out Bell Moonshadow.
“Aph, continue purifying the miasma around me.”
As the fog grew denser, Janna’s visible range was reduced to within three meters. Moreover, the poisonous miasma mixed in the fog,
Even as a plant-based apprentice, Janna dared not touch it lightly.
She could only let the Celestial Finch continuously form barriers to purify the surrounding miasma toxins.
“The maximum duration of the duel is twenty minutes. I don’t believe you can hold out until the end—”
For a shadow apprentice like Bell Moonshadow, who excelled at hiding, Janna’s current methods were still insufficient to easily pinpoint her location.
However, Janna was certain that Bell Moonshadow, who was eager to win, would not be content with a bland draw.
The opponent would definitely launch a decisive full-force attack at the last moment! And that moment was precisely the opportunity Janna was waiting for.
“Whoosh—”
A gentle breeze blew, and the dense fog surged.
It seemed that at this moment, all sounds had disappeared. What remained was only Janna’s heartbeat and the wind brushing past her ears—
“Sizzle—”
It’s coming!
Shadow erosion, barrier shaking.
As the barrier was continuously enveloped by layers of shadows, Janna’s vision immediately turned pitch black.
“Master, Aph can’t hold on much longer!”
Sensing the rapidly depleting magic power of the Celestial Finch, Janna no longer passively resisted.
“Aph, withdraw the barrier!”
“Laura, cover me!”
Crack— Under the shadow erosion, the purification barrier shattered.
At the same time, petals gathered, and a huge deep pink flower bud directly enveloped Janna and the Celestial Finch.
“The same move again is just boring.”
In the depths of the dense fog, due to the continuous casting of several spells, Bell Moonshadow’s lips had turned somewhat pale from excessive magic consumption.
However, seeing Janna, who had almost exhausted all her means, looking like a trapped fox, Bell Moonshadow couldn’t help but show a smug smile.
“It’s time to end this!”
The smile vanished instantly.
She chanted a spell, gathering the few remaining magic power in her body.
Two ink-colored short blades, resembling daggers, quickly formed in Bell Moonshadow’s hands.
“Janna, taste the spell I specially prepared for you—”
Filth spread, sharpness hidden.
To break through the layers of protective and purification barriers on Janna, Bell Moonshadow had specially studied the [Corrosive Blade] spell, which countered protective and purification spells.
This spell not only had the [Anti-Magic] trait but also carried a [Filthy Aura] comparable to deadly poison, which could immediately put the target into a “contaminated” state.
Even for a purification-specialized apprentice like Janna, it was difficult to eliminate the effect of the [Filthy Aura] in a short time.
“Whoosh—”
The sound of something slicing through the air.
Her half-elf bloodline not only gave Bell Moonshadow a physique far superior to ordinary apprentices but also made her speed comparable to a ghost.
“Bang bang bang bang—”
She quickly cut through the dense green vines like curtains.
With agile movements, Bell Moonshadow almost effortlessly dodged the successive thorny vine attacks.
“Nothing more than this.”
Looking at the deep pink flower bud within reach, the corners of Bell Moonshadow’s mouth curved into an unstoppable arc of certain victory—