Chapter 321 A Preposterous Gamble

BOOM!

Layland was thrown hundreds of feet away. The loud explosion would easily make one think that Layland had no chance of survival, but Stavros didn't have a good look on his face. The smirk that Layland gave him before Layland was launched away bugged him. Demons might be crazy, but they hated losing the most. Layland wouldn't smile if he knew he was going to lose.

As the explosion ended and the light died down, a trench could be seen in Layland's path. It was as wide as a small river and as deep as an abyss. The damage that the attack dealt to the environment proved how powerful the attack was. Stavros could also see Layland sprawled on the ground at the end of the trench. Despite so, he still couldn't ease up.

To his credit, his paranoia was proven to be right.

"What in the...hell is that?"

Layland slowly stood up. Before Stavros and Eryn's eyes, his upper body which was barely eligible to be called one regenerated. The tissues formed at a ridiculous pace. They could see the veins regrew as if they were tree roots looking for the source of water. Before long, a healthy upper body could be seen. It was naked for a moment before a black cloth covered it.

Layland's body was not the only thing capable of regenerating--his uniform was too, but it was not that surprising.

Layland cracked his neck as his eyes met with Stavros'. A gleeful smirk crept up his face as he extended his hand to the side, causing Rexorem to fly into his hand. Stavros' mood became solemn. He could sense Layland's Mana pressure had just become heavier. He could immediately conclude Layland had been toying with him.

It was not a wrong conclusion, but it was not a correct conclusion either. Layland did toy with him, but he did that because he wanted to make Stavros use his true power. He was not as strong as Stavros was. It was for this reason that he wanted to make use of his Origin. Stavros misunderstood his action which was a big advantage for him.

"I have heard that Demons have a ridiculous regeneration rate. I didn't expect you to be the most ridiculous among the ridiculous," Stavros remarked calmly, hiding his nervousness.

"I didn't expect you to be able to keep your sanity this long," Layland countered. "You must be one of the calmest Centaurs this world has. Even Spirits need to train before using that much Natural Essence, so they don't lose their mind after using it."

There was a reason why the Nine Mentors were given the nine Relics which they wielded. [One with Nature] was not for just anyone. Only those with a calm mind could bear the mental burden that the said Magic Art put on the user. Not even the Elf who was close to nature could use it. The Centaur was an exception. They had incredibly calm minds.

That was the reason why everyone agreed to bestow the nine Relics to the Centaur. They could only trust the Centaur to wield the Relics and not lose control after using their special perks.

"But I know that your consciousness is sleeping with each passing second," Layland continued with a light smile. "Everything that walks on earth is a parasite--you can't help that thought, can you? The Natural Essence has taken effect."

"Nonsense! I wouldn't be conversing with you if that was the case," Stavros argued with a frown.

Layland said nothing as he merely smiled. The smile irked Stavros, prompting him to gallop at Layland. The said Demon bent his knees and kicked the ground. He appeared before Stavros in the blink of an eye, Rexorem heading to Stavros' neck. Stavros was quick to react. His spear could block Rexorem in time.

Clank!

"Keough...!"

The power behind Layland's swing took Stavros off guard. He didn't expect a slight raise in Mana pressure would mean so much to Layland's power. He didn't know Layland had used [Great Impact]. Layland didn't have any intention to tell Stavros that either as he merely smiled knowingly at the scowl on Stavros's face.

They retreated after none of them could overpower the other. Layland immediately found his limit and Stavros was pushed to use more Natural Essence. The air was blasted when he utilised more Natural Essence. The trees in the surroundings reacted to its usage as their golden and glowing sap seeped out of their trunks.

The scowl on Stavros' face deepened meanwhile the smile on Layland's face got brighter. Layland couldn't wait to reap the Power-ups that Stavros would give him meanwhile Stavros couldn't wait to rip Layland apart.

The two remained in their spot this time. They pointed their weapons at the other, gathering their Mana at the tip of their weapons. Stavros was the first one to send his attack at Layland. A white beam tore the air, creating a vacuum as it headed to Layland. In response, Layland shot a red cannonball of Mana at the said beam.

Like Moses splitting the red sea, the cannonball tore through the beam. Layland didn't remain in his place, though, for he knew his cannonball wouldn't make it far. He was right. The cannonball withered not long after he teleported away. The beam hit the ground but immediately disappeared because Stavros swung his spear to the side to block Rexorem.

Clank!

Layland's usage of [Teleportation] boggled Stavros. Even though he used it to cover a short distance, he could execute it without delay. [Teleportation] didn't work that way. One had to prepare it before executing it. Only a few selected individuals could use it instantaneously as Layland did.

When he regained his composure, Stavros pushed Layland with his strength. Layland was forced to retreat as he couldn't match the strength. His willingly retreating only irked Stavros more. Stavros felt underestimated. He wanted to force Layland to use his full power which, in his mind, Layland didn't.

Without realizing he was losing his cool, Stavros dashed at Layland. He raised his spear high before slamming it down to the ground before Layland. The action bewildered Layland until a tower made out of intertwined trunks emerged out of the ground, entrapping him at its peak. His connection to the outside world was severed, so he couldn't cast [Teleportation].

A pungent smell in the air caused Layland to look around. When he looked down, he found the centre of the wooden floor oozing out a green liquid. His shoe immediately melted upon contact with it. His lungs corroded just by inhaling the smell, causing him to cough out a mouthful of blood.

"This tower is planning to digest me. To be able to use this kind of attack, Stavros should become an Elf at this point," Layland remarked in amusement.

Stabbing Rexorem into the centre of the wooden floor, Layland activated [Death Blow]. He knew the result would be ugly, but he didn't care. He would rather risk his life than accept his death. He channelled his Mana into Rexorem and let it loose. Nothing happened for a few seconds until the green liquid the floor was oozing out caught on fire.

BOOM!

Layland's vision turned black as he was blasted by the explosion. His body was mostly fine, but the impact that the explosion had put pressure on his veins, preventing his blood from reaching his brain. When he regained his vision, Stavros was already above him. The said Centaur's spear was ready to pierce him. Fortunately, his hand could react quickly.

Layland managed to block Stavros' thrust with Rexorem's blade. That caused him to be sent to the ground as if he was a meteor. He didn't do anything until he felt what he had been waiting for--a Power-up. Much to his glee, he did get one. The moment he felt the sensation that he could never get tired of, he made his move.

Using Wind Magic, he halted his fall. He pointed Rexorem to the sky, generating tens of thousands of cherry blossoms with [Senbonzakura] in the blink of an eye. Stavros could feel them, but not see them. One might think they wouldn't pose any threat to him, but they did. Stavros still couldn't tell where they would attack him despite feeling them.

He kept looking around cautiously, waiting for the attack to come. It was when he saw Layland standing on the ground looking up at him did he realize that the cherry blossoms had made a sphere around him.

Before he could get out of it, a marble-sized fireball came his way at an immeasurable speed, creating a red trail in the air. When it entered the sphere, Stavros' face darkened. He immediately utilized as much Natural Essence as he could to create a Barrier when he felt the sphere closing. The air pressure increased and the explosion occurred afterwards.

From the outside, Basil watched as the sphere lit up. The heat it was emitting blasted the air in the surroundings away. The radiance was amplified. Looking at it felt like looking at the sun up close. Layland did his best to keep its state. He wanted to make sure Stavros was cooked before he let it explode. Unfortunately, he couldn't hold it long enough.

Whoosh!

As the sphere exploded, the air in its surrounding was pushed away, creating a vacuum around it. No sound could be heard other than that the wind made, but the heat was felt by almost everyone in the forest. The canopy shook for the first time in a millennium, allowing some sunlight to illuminate the forest. Layland remained unfazed in the air.

He could feel Eryn's gaze on his back. He could tell she was appalled by what he had done and what was about to come. It was embarrassing for him to admit it, but he shared some of her sentiments. He might have created a monster.