陶醉的妻子

Erend walked towards them with slow steps. The soles of his feet made a sound every time they stepped on concrete.

Up there, the sound of thunder was loud. Indicates that soon, the rain will come to accompany their fight.

The wind was also blowing strong enough to shake the trees around. Dropped leaves and branches burned by Steve's fire to the ground.

A rustling sound came from the trees. Adding the background.

"Imitation?" Steve stared at Erend with eyes burning with rage.

Steve was initially shocked to see Erend walking after being hit by his attack as if nothing had happened. Even though Erend actually felt pain in his chest.

However, when he heard Erend's voice saying that he was just an imitation, his emotions rose and pushed his shock away.

The flames all over Steve's body grew. His muscles also swelled almost three times as much as they bulged against his skin.

It caused Steve's body to double in size.

Coupled with the flames blazing all over his body, Steve looked like a devil who had come out of his fiery lair.

Erend himself seemed surprised by Steve's change. He saw his flames did not look like ordinary flames.

There was a sort of red-black tint to Steve's flames and aura.

It was like what Erend saw on the cargo ship that time and the atmosphere that enveloped the tall tree he saw at that time.

'He has been corrupted. I most likely have to kill him.'

Erend had prepared himself for the worst.

If he had to kill Steve, then he would kill him.

After all, it's not like Steve is an innocent man.

But what about that woman? Has she also been corrupted?

"You call me imitation?!" Steve screamed in a voice full of rage.

Then, without saying anything else, he shot toward Erend with incredible speed.

In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Erend.

Steve attacked Erend with two hands that were covered with fire claws. Which somehow he could create in such a short time.

Erend raised both hands to block Steve's fiery claws.

As before, Steve's fire power which was stronger than he expected managed to penetrate a bit of his scale layer.

'This is quite worrying. Slime!'

Upon knowing this situation isn't too favorable for now, Erend called Slime to come.

It didn't take long. Like the figure of a good Companion, Slime appeared a moment later beside Erend.

Slime immediately knew what Erend needed. So it immediately enlarged until it matched Erend's size.

Steve was shocked to see the appearance of the slimy pink creature. His surprise was used by Erend to butt his head into Steve's head.

*DUAGH!*

Steve staggered backward.

'Hold him for a second,' Erend said to the Slime.

Slime sprang into action by expanding and jumping at Steve.

Slime was able to trap Steve, who was unable to dodge, inside his body which was a transparent pink slime.

Steve is struggling inside Slime's body. He was trying to create fire to destroy Slime's body from the inside.

Erend turned his head and saw Annie just standing there blankly.

'Will she only move when ordered to?' Erend wondered.

If that were true, then Erend have more reasons for holding back when attacking her.

Erend quickly pushed aside those thoughts for now as he had to use his Stats Points to raise his power.

'I guess I have to use quite a bit this time.'

Erend saw that he still had 29 Skill Points and 20 Stat Points.

With his thoughts, Erend immediately used the points to upgrade some of his stats.

[ Strength: 23 + 2 = 25 ]

[ Defense: 15 + 5 = 20 ]

[Intelligence: 14 + 6 = 20]

[ Magic Resistance: 18 + 2 = 20 ]

[ 5 Stat Points Available. ]

Erend ended up spending his 15 Stat Points. Now almost all of his Stats are at level 20.

Erend felt a surge of power in his body. A sign that a new power has appeared.

[ "I can't hold it in any longer." ]

Slime said in an even voice. But Erend could understand that it was actually struggling.

'It's okay, Slime. You can let him go.'

After Erend said that, the Slime immediately jumped up and shrank back down to the size of a palm.

Steve gritted his teeth and looked at Erend with sharp eyes.

His chest seemed to rise and fall as if he was holding back a very heavy turmoil of anger in his chest.

Steve turned to Annie who had just stood there blankly.

'Annie! Move and kill him!' Steve said through his mind.

Annie blinked her eyes quickly. Those empty eyes are now filled again by thoughts that previously drifted.

Annie's eyes suddenly lit up blue. The aura on her body increased dramatically, becoming thicker and colder.

Even the concrete under her feet was frozen by the cold air she gave off.

Erend realized that now he also had to fight that woman.

Erend hesitated. Because he didn't want to really hurt the woman who seemed to only move on Steve's orders.

*BOOM!*

Suddenly, an explosion was created not far from where they were fighting.

Flames soared up together with lightning and silvery flashes of light.

Erend didn't know who had just attacked or been hit by that attack. But he knew that the silvery light must have come from Aurdis or Saeldir.

Worries were created in Erend's heart. He was sure that their fight was no less difficult than his fight.

'Slime, divide yourself and go to Billy, Cpt. Boartusk and the two Elves then help them. But if your strength isn't enough if you divide yourself, just help the two Elves.'

Billy and Adrien would not engage in any fight like they have been planned. They will choose to hide than engage in a dangerous fight.

But the Aurdis dan Saeldir most likely will fight the man named Conrad right now.

Slime would indeed lose its power even more when it split it's apart. The Information that was quite surprising was received by Erend sometime ago.

[ "I don't need to help you?" ] Slime asked.

'I can take care of myself,' Erend answered calmly.

Erend was more worried about his friends than himself.

Because he was sure that his current power was enough to defeat them even if they fight him together.

[ "Very Well." ]

Slime immediately shrunk and erased its existence from everyone present. Besides, Steve's attention had only been focused on Erend.

He thought that pink slimy thing was Erend's Magic technique. Not a living being that has a consciousness of its own.

Steve and Annie lunged at Erend at the same time.

Now that his Stats had increased, Erend felt more confident against the two of them.

[ Skill activated: All Fire-based Power (Lv.1) ]

Erend threw a huge torrent of fire at the two of them who charged toward him. The fire looked like a tidal wave because it was so big.

*ZWOOOOSSSHHH!!!*

Steve was shocked to see that. He didn't expect that his enemy also had this powerful fire Magic.

Because he only sees Erend fight with his fist before.

But Steve felt no fear from seeing that wave of fire. Instead, he felt his anger growing.

'I will not let my fire lose!'

Without him noticing, when he felt that anger Steve also drew more Magic energy from that cursed tree.

His desire that doesn't want to lose makes him continue to draw the Magic energy promised by the cursed tree. Thus, Steve accelerated the corruption process on himself.

The fire that was around Steve's body became more murky and black. And the power of heat has increased drastically.

*ZWOOOOSSSHHH!*

Steve brings out his fire power. He kept on pouring his Magic energy and withdrawing the Magic energy from that cursed tree. So Steve's Magic energy is almost limitless.

*BWOSSSHHH!!!!*

Their flames clashed against each other. Erend's yellowish-red flame clashed with Steve's intense black-red flame.

The clash of their Fire power spread heat all around. Trees, plants, and buildings around them immediately fell victim to the ferocity of their power.

Trees and plants wither, dry up, then turn to ashes that are carried away by the heat wave.

The lights and glass in the surrounding buildings shattered instantly.

So is the concrete where they stand. The concrete burned, cracked, and shattered.

Whereas before there had never been concrete destroyed by fire to this extent. Except that fire was created after an explosion.

Annie, who had previously followed Steve, immediately stopped where she was.

Due to the pain from the clashing of the two powerful fire Magic, Annie's sense of herself returned.

'What is going on here?'

Annie couldn't remember when actually her body was taken over by that strange power. But now she regained control of herself.

Annie strengthened the defense of her ice armor so she wouldn't get burned to the point of melting here.

'I have to get out of here!'

Annie intends to leave. But Steve noticed her movement.

Even when he was focused on dealing with Erend's fire, Steve could still notice her.

However, even though he realized that Annie was moving away, Steve could no longer control her.

Because now his focus is filled with what is in front of his eyes.

"Ggrrrhaaaa!!!"

Steve shouted as his efforts increased and his energy was drained.

But then Steve felt the weight lessen. He grinned thinking that his opponent was starting to weaken.

However, Steve's thoughts could not be further from reality.

Erend appeared splitting the wall of fire and shot toward him with incredible speed.

~~~