In the top-level box, the black mist surged more noticeably as it watched John deploy a magical attack.
"Do you think he's really got a trick up his sleeve at this point, or is he just brainless?" the voice from within the mist mused.
The nearby maids said nothing, standing respectfully in place, well aware that no response was required from them at this time.
"If he's as clever as he seems, he probably knows the secrets of this place too. Yet he still dares to use that move; it looks like he has his own cards to play," the black mist noted with a hint of pleasure in its tone.
In the air, the fruits were slowly peeled, showcasing a terrifying control over energy.
The black mist swirled in the air, seemingly indicative of its energy fluctuations.
John, feeling his stamina nearly replenished, looked once more in Victor's direction.
Victor's eyes were filled with emotions John couldn't understand, but one thing was clear: the murderous intent spilling from his gaze as if he would charge over and finish John in the next second.
John stared intently at the thorn cage.
However, the green cage did not last long; soon, it was torn apart by an inexplicable force.
No, that's not right.
It's more accurate to say that the green thorns didn't leave any trace at all, slowly disintegrating into tiny particles, one by one.
It was terrifying; John had never seen something vanish so silently, as if it had never existed in this world at all.
After the green vines disappeared, John commanded the giant serpent to charge forward, but in the next second, Victor seized it by the vital spot.
Despite the apparent smallness of his hand, it immobilized the snake completely when it clasped its critical point.
John was acutely aware of the MP fluctuations emanating from Victor, which were entirely different from anything he had imagined.
The seized serpent writhed dramatically, kicking up all the dust around it, yet Victor seemed unchanged, his grip on the serpent unyielding.
Then, with a fierce effort, he squeezed.
The giant serpent let out a cry of agony, and in the next second, it seemed to be crushed forcibly, turning entirely into stone chunks that fell to the ground.
Even as John tried to revive the serpent, he found his powers seemed suppressed.
No!
Why couldn't he use MP to restore his summoned creature anymore?
He tried to summon another serpent.
This time, he was successful, but once his summon was annihilated by Victor, he could no longer restore it again.
However, even Victor was starting to show signs of irritation with the relentless little snakes.
Slowly, he extended his hand, and John felt the air pressure within the arena intensifying significantly.
It seemed Victor was about to make his move directly!
John gritted his teeth and quickly raised his shields.
Light Shield!
Wind Shield!
Blood Shield!
But in the face of Victor's power, all the shields were like paper.
Boom!
In an instant, all of John's shields shattered.
Thud...
John felt a tremendous external force compressing his chest cavity!
The immense force rendered him speechless for a moment, and he distinctly heard the sound of his own bones cracking.
He braced himself firmly in place, then threw a fierce punch towards Victor!
The sound of the air breaking echoed as John's fist rapidly hit Victor's chest.
Boom! .net
Victor was involuntarily knocked back, flying several meters before stopping against a pillar.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, a sight that made everyone gasp in astonishment.
My goodness, they had just seen the Immortal Messenger injured.
Everyone began to look forward to the outcome of the match, eager to see who would win.
For once, Victor's normally impassive face showed a mix of pain and increased anger, seemingly incredulous that he had been seriously injured by a gold-tier awakener.
Meanwhile, John felt a slight relief in his heart.
It seemed his strategy was not wrong.
Although he was also injured, at least he was still able to fight!