Chapter 276 - Ordeal

"Unlocking the pre-crafted Vortex spell."

"Deducting ten spell points!"

As soon as something in my mind clicked, I didn't hesitate to cast this potentially suicidal spell.

I remember too well what happened when I wasn't able to accommodate all my energy within the confines of my own body. If my guess was right, using this spell would pose a risk of putting me back in that situation again… But I couldn't afford to abstain from using it!

With the weak fireball sucking on my energy as if some vampire that latched onto me and refused to let go, I couldn't just sit down and watch how the remaining bits of energy available to Eve were dried up!

As soon as this last reservoir would dry up, she would turn powerless against her kidnappers! Even without looking down at the state of her situation, with how fast she was using the energy up, I knew that I had to hurry anyway if I wanted to somehow help her!

Using most of my attention, I tried to close all the openings in my cultivation, slowing down the rate at which this parasitic spell was stealing my energy while using just a silver of my mind to cast the vortex with myself in the very middle of the cast!

Blank.

When I let go of the cast and allowed its execution, the world seemed to just stop working for a moment.

All the energy that was revolving violently between the monster and beast below, my spell and my body up in the skies… All this energy clashing like a tide in the stormy ocean within the confines of the arena's barrier, all the energy that surrounded the city…

Stopped.

But only for a single, eternally long moment.

Before I was able to realise what was going on, I saw an apocalyptic sight.

All the energy that was normally calm and one could only interact with it by refining and absorbing it, was now rushing towards me, as if I turned into some sorts of a black hole!

While this was my intended purpose when creating this spell, I never expected it to have such a grand scale despite being just a measly rank one!

As the energy started rushing through my pores inside my body, my mind was overwhelmed by a euphoric feeling. It felt like my entire body was invigorated, cleansed up from all the traumas and impurities under the relentless assault of the waves of insanely pure mana!

Just by a single glance at my status window I was astounded how swiftly I was restoring my mana!

Initially happy, it took only a few seconds for my entire pool, expanded by the rings that I wore on my fingers, to fill up!

But the rush of the energy was nowhere close!

At this moment, the pleasure turned into pain, and then into torture.

As the energy started to condense within my body, it felt like every cell of my being was being ripped apart and put back together!

Opening my mouth in a mute scream, I was only able to focus my mind on keeping my dantian safe from the intruding energy. I didn't know what kind of effect it would have on me, but I couldn't allow Eve being implicated by it as well!

With the process of the energy condensing, making a place for the new dose and then condensing again repeating over and over again, I realised that my consciousness was slipping away.

Bonger, help!

Unable to even think longer sentences, I could only hope that at least this insane system of mine would be able to do anything to save me from my current situation.

"Blop!"

"Do you wish to use your item's bonus attributes to expand your mana pool?"

"Warning, there might be…"

Right! This mage's stick of mine had some insane amount of added intelligence when used! If that was the case, why have I never experienced the growth of my mana pool? But with the current situation in mind, I was ready for anything as long as I was able to keep myself from blanking out!

If I were to lose my mind here, this abomination below me would surely use this opportunity to strike me down!

Even if it would keep itself busy with devouring the corpse of the beast, I wouldn't be able to save Eve, not to speak about the possibility of our dantian being contaminated with this strangely pure energy!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? DO IT!

Screaming in my mind while enduring yet another bout of the excruciating pain, I could only hope that at least now, this system wouldn't disappoint me.

"Blop!"

"Integrating intelligence from the item!"

As soon as Bonger's voice sounded in my mind, all the pressure suddenly disappeared.

The energy was still rushing inside me through all my pores, but with my mana pool almost doubling in size compared to my natural state, I had a few seconds of respite.

Wait, I have two problems right now. The spell sucking away my energy, and the overwhelming energy rushing inside me. Isn't the solution obvious?

Having my mind finally clear from the enormous pain of having my body ripped apart, I realised how simple my situation is.

Redirecting the energy coursing through my body to the fireball that kept growing in size, I started casting weak barriers and normal barriers. I couldn't know how powerful evolved version of the weak fireball would be, but recalling the ordeal that I went through back when I used it with a rank one spell, I couldn't be too cautious.

With the energy now forming a stable flow, I moved to the side of the arena and hugged the barrier with my back right at the spot that was in a direct line between the fireball still forming in the air and the group surrounding Eve.

Not knowing how powerful this attack would be, I had to take countermeasures for the situation when it would be able to not only puncture the barrier but rip it apart entirely.

I would never forgive myself if my attack would harm my beloved one!

Click.

With my barriers in place, the amount of energy required by the evolved weak fireball was finally satisfied. Turning around, I started pressing my body against the barrier in a way that as soon as it would disappear, I would be sent flying towards Eve. Stacking more and more barriers with every split of the second, I waited.

CLANG!

With the entire world turning white, I felt my back being burned. Not even the myriad of barriers that I placed was capable of blocking the amount of energy stemming from the eruption of my sunflare.

"Blop!"

"Host successfully cast tier two sunflare!"

"Awarding fifty spell points!"

Contrary to my expectations, the barrier didn't fail altogether. Not even daring to look behind me, I couldn't even know if it managed to break through it near Katenaris lodges, but feeling the insane pressure on my back when the damned space started to crack under the onslaught of energy, I really doubted that anyone would be left there alive.

With the spell now released, my only way of redirecting the mana away disappeared. With energy once again rushing to me, I could only watch in desperation as the numbers on my status window skyrocketed.

I no longer had any means of using it up!

Thankfully, the vortex was starting to fade away, making the burden smaller and smaller with each second.

Pressed against the barrier by the powerful waves of energy raging through the insides of the arena, I could finally see what was going on with Eve.

Just like I thought, she was still holding on before I unleashed the ordeal of fire.

With no surprise, when my sunflare finally erupted, everyone was at first blinded by the sheer brightness of the spell, before turning to check what the hell was going on.

Reaching the limit of my mana capacity, I started to feel dizzy.

Even if vortex was slowly coming to an end, it still continued to push more and more energy inside me, forcing me to experience the familiar torture once again.

When I finally felt this last bit of hardship disappearing, I turned my head around to check the surroundings.

Just as I thought, there was not even a shred of this strange monster or the tamed beast left in the arena, with only the black layer of scorched earth remaining. Looking up, I only managed to see a big opening in the barrier, when another notification rang in my ears.

"Blop!"

"Host is now entropy poisoned."