*Clang!*
The sound of hard materials clashing against each other suddenly sounded from closeby, as Lyrian turned his head toward the direction of the Hydro Serpent.
"Lyrian! You're awake!" Leon said in mid-air as he sheathed his sword, having pushed the serpent back into the water temporarily.
As he landed on the ground, he quickly ran over to where Lyrian was, "How in the world did you overcome the hallucinations on your own?" He said as he neared him.
"It wasn't that hard to come back, just wake up the others while I distract the snake. Its plan was probably to get rid of all of us at once, but if we get back up again we won't have to worry about its venom." Lyrian said, taking out his obsidian blade as he rushed the lake.
'Wasn't hard to come back!? That skill isn't just the serpent's illusions, but a chemical that makes your worst thoughts of despair become your biggest reality. Those who can overcome that… they aren't like the rest of us,' Leon thought to himself in surprise for a split second as he went to wake up the other kids, 'Lyrian Theageld… there's no way he's just some nobody from the outer city.'
Leon quickly made his way to every single one of the kids inside the serpent's spell and woke them up. This process was simple, to wake them up, all he had to do was input a small amount of his mana into their meridian system, making it quickly travel up to the brain and break off any mind-controlling spell.
Of course, this only worked due to the serpent's spell being one that was easily breakable, as it relies only on its powerful mind-controlling abilities to function, rather than its ability to stay as an active spell.
Lyrian on the other hand immediately lunged at the beast, wanting to make sure that it didn't go for the others while Leon woke them up.
Gripping the hilt of his blade tightly with both hands, he swung it at the side of the serpent's neck at full force—only for it to clang right off. On his attack failing, the serpent too lashed out at him, attempting to take a bite out of him.
The speed at which the snake lunged at him was immense, as it nearly bit into the side of his abdomen. Not only was he slower than the beast in terms of speed, but Lyrain was also in mid-air, making it impossible for him to dodge, however, he found that he could rely on his sword to deflect the beast's attacks, using the momentum of his swings to maintain his airborne position.
While Lyrian continued to engage the serpent, he recalled what Alten said about the Hydro Serpent on their way to the Flatstone Mountains.
'That's right, its weakness is dry land. If we can get it out of the water, our chances of winning are going to be much higher.' He thought to himself.
"Alright, listen up everyone!" He yelled, catching the attention of those who had awoken already.
"The Hydro Serpent's weakness is dry land! Help me lure it then and prepare a trap so it can't go back into the water!" He shouted, entrusting the kids on the ground.
Many didn't want to listen to him, but seeing him wake up from the illusionary spell of the serpent by himself and fight the beast one on one, they couldn't help but want to listen to him.
After all, what they just went through in the spell was horrible, so the last thing they wanted to do was rid themselves of the chance of even surviving this situation, let alone coming out of it with something gained.
Many sprang into action, some used their magical abilities to create illusions or generate bright lights to disorient the creature, distracting it from Lyrian's presence. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ N0vᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
Others began throwing rocks and debris near the water's edge to catch the serpent's attention.
As the serpent lunged and attacked, Lyrian skillfully deflected its movements, guiding it towards the nearby stretch of dry land. Using his sword, he created a clear path, striking the ground and causing small tremors that enticed the serpent to follow.
With the serpent's focus on Lyrian, the group members continued their efforts to lure it onto dry land. They strategically retreated, leading the serpent away from the water's edge and closer to the designated area.
Their movements and distractions aimed to keep the creature fixated on Lyrian's presence. As the serpent approached the dry land, the group quickly prepared an ambush.
They set up traps consisting of various different kinds of elements which each of them used to create a sort of spiderweb-like net. The trap was designed to ensnare the serpent and restrict its movements, preventing it from returning to the water.
Once on land, Leon quickly took out his sword and dashed toward the creature, allowing it to switch its attention away from Lyrian. This gave him the perfect time to jump down to the ground and make his way behind the snake.
Gritting his teeth, Lyrian used his Enhance skill to its maximum capability, burning a heavy amount of mana per second. As he did so, his muscles grew and throbbed out of his clothes, veins bulged across his skin, and his green glow emitted a light brighter than ever before.
Finally, he grabbed onto the tale of the snake whilst it was distracted, slamming his right foot onto the ground as he swung around, dragging the snake along with him.
His eyes nearly burst out of his skull due to physical exertion, but he still managed to lift the snake just enough to throw it on top of the elemental net made by the group members.
Of course, he wasn't able to fully lift the serpent, but what he did was enough to get it trapped.
Realizing this, the group members launched a coordinated attack. Harnessing their diverse magical abilities, the kids formed a united front against the Hydro Serpent.
The air crackled with elemental energy as fireballs soared through the sky, lightning bolts zapped with fury, and gusts of wind buffeted the serpent's enormous form.
The coordinated attacks disrupted the serpent's movements, leaving it momentarily vulnerable to their onslaught.
Lyrian, still engaged in his intense Enhanced form, seized the opportunity. He gathered his waning energy, channeling it into one final, devastating strike. With a mighty swing, he aimed his obsidian blade toward the top of the serpent's head, its crown jewel gleaming in his sight.