The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 156 The Shapeshifter Mage (5k1w)

With each step the construct took forward, it reverberated on the floor with a rumbling sound. The handle of the giant hammer had just been severed, and now it was shorter, resembling a hand hammer.

But it was, after all, a man-made construct, capable of wildly swinging its arms under the operation of gears, almost turning into a spinning fan, rushing towards the dawn as if seeking revenge.

But Tang Qi understood that the previous [Swift Brilliance] and [Peerless Warrior] were still eroding her body for the next 10 minutes.

Then, it was inevitable that the [Supreme Slash] would be used to defend against the attack.

The situation was so urgent during the escape that there was simply no time to use the healing gel to repair the body.

Her body should be unable to support her any longer in order to unleash a second slash.

Then he shouted angrily:

"Your body is more bloated than a fat pig, and your movements are extremely clumsy!"

"Buzz!"

As an artificial life form, the Construct Guardian is virtually immune to all control effects.

Enchantment, panic, paralysis, petrification, poisoning...

Some spellcasters even incorporate special metallic components into their armored bodies, thereby creating resistance to specific attributes, such as fire damage.

But they are, after all, 'living things'.

It still retains some of its sanity.

To possess consciousness is to possess a 'mind'.

They will suffer emotional harm because of the verbal abuse.

The curses entered the metal helmet, seemingly reaching the depths of the heart.

The guard staggered for a moment, almost losing his footing.

As it regained its footing and continued charging towards the dawn, the dawn nimbly dodged it, dodging the falling hammer and smashing its broken sword against the boomerang.

With a clang, she couldn't budge the arm armor an inch!
The guard's waist rotated due to the gears, and with a swing of his arm, he swung back and forth, creating a crack with a whooshing sound, before slamming into Dawn's head—

"boom!"

He smashed Chenxi's helmet into the corner of the room.

It was about to use the momentum of its rotation to strike Chenxi's waist and abdomen again with its hand hammer, but the black mist pouring down its neck had already retreated with Chenxi's figure.

Meanwhile, the Masked Lord's chanting had finished, and Tang Qi and Hope simultaneously felt the stone base beneath their feet tremble violently.

With a loud "boom," the base suddenly exploded, and the churning soil and rocks beneath their feet surged towards each other's legs like a mudslide cascading down a cliff, only this time it erupted upwards.

Tang Qi tried to escape into the distance, but then found that the rolling soil covered the surrounding area, covering an area of ​​nearly 10 square meters. It was impossible for him to step out of the mudflow in an instant!

"not good!"

"Ugh!"

With a sense of alertness pounding in his heart, Iu quickly grabbed Tang Qi's hood and, with all his might, lifted Tang Qi into the air—

But it was still just a fledgling dragon. It could only help Tang Qi pull himself out of the mudflow as much as possible, but it couldn't help him perfectly avoid the churning sand and gravel.

Soil, splashed out along with the mudflow, splattered onto Tang Qi's ankles and chest.

The pain traveled from his flesh to his bones, and a piercing pain almost made him cry out, but he endured it with sheer willpower, forcibly pulled himself out of the mud, and fled towards the open land.

Third Ring Spell: Earth Eruption!
"Rua!"

Fortunately, Kuru was the furthest away and was not hit on the head by the flying dirt and rocks.

It did not consider itself a match for this mysterious spellcaster and immediately determined its optimal path—

Playing dead won't work, we need to escape!
However, the door to the room had already been blocked by the spellcaster, not to mention the pursuers trapped outside the door by a force field wall.

So it could only look towards the only way out from under the eruption of earth and rocks:

"【Colorful Ball】!"

It took a gem from its sleeve and, as it threw it, shaped it into a deep blue ice ball with the frost-white mist flowing from the tip of its wand.

"Snapped!"

When the sphere crashed into the water wave blocking the entrance to the passage, the magic exploded with a bang, merging the shattered ice crystals into the overflowing water wave, which continued to flow into the gurgling outlet, freezing it into transparent ice!

It then immediately tried to escape towards the entrance.

"Good job!"

Tang Qi certainly understood what Kulu meant—

Freezing the water to form an ice wall, which may seem to block the escape route.

But in reality, the ice wasn't thick; it only briefly stopped the water waves that were preventing them from entering the passage. If they could just break it and flush it into the pipes, they would have a chance to escape!

We must escape.

This was Tang Qi's judgment at the very moment the battle began.

The opponent is a formidable character capable of using the "Anywhere Door," a fourth-circle spell that can teleport up to 200 meters to the battlefield.

He wouldn't underestimate any fourth-ring spellcaster just because he had dealt with a necromancer with a bad spellbook in the past.

Not to mention in today's resource-scarce world—

Not only Chenxi, but also Kulu is in poor condition.

After a full rest, Tang Qi used [Poet's Inspiration] twice, once on the suspension bridge and once on his escape route, to unleash [Guardian Sword Dance].

At the same time, the two uses of [Silver Light Whisper] also consumed his only two spell slots.

In other words, before the next full rest, you only have one more chance to 'motivate' yourself.

When his incentives ran out, he could only huddle in a corner, hurling insults and curses at the Masked Lord or the construct...

With escape as the only option, Tang Qi used his telepathic connection with Yi Wu to have Xiao Long pull on his clothes and cross the mudslide area ahead as quickly as possible.

But the Masked Lord also noticed their fatigue, snorted coldly, and raised his arm.

The frozen water at the entrance, as if summoned by him, began to tremble with a soft rustling sound.

Before the group even got close to the passage, the ice 'wall' blocking the way was shattered by the massive flow of water. With a 'whoosh,' the cascading waterfall surged into the entire empty room, submerging everyone's knees.

Tang Qi then realized that the reason the water was surging and obstructing them was not the pipe's self-protection mechanism—

"Is it [manipulating water]?"

Tang Qi looked at the lord with surprise and suspicion.

"Two fourth-circle spells..."

[Water Manipulation], Fourth Ring Spell, Alteration School:
Before the spell's effect ends, control a cubic area with sides of 30 meters. During this process, you can manipulate the water body to produce effects including but not limited to rising, splitting, changing direction, and creating whirlpools.

In other words, they could even regard the entire body of water visible to the naked eye as the spellcaster's right and left arms—

He can do anything he wants in these waters.

Using the water waves to push them away from the pipes is just the least significant part of it.

Therefore, the current goal is no longer as simple as just 'escaping'—

"We must break his concentration!"

Almost the instant Tang Qi shouted, a filthy incantation lingered in everyone's ears.

Tang Qi felt very familiar with this incantation.

It was piercing and noisy, accompanied by a lot of teeth-grinding sounds, like mosquitoes and flies buzzing around your ears.

Once upon a time, he had heard the same incantation in the Dawn and Dusk Forest—

"[Magic Blast]!"

Two invisible, colorless repulsive forces burst forth from in front of Hope's palms.

Like two invisible spears, tearing through the wind, their tips could only be glimpsed through the ripples on the water's surface.

It was about to strike the Masked Lord's head in an instant!

This was not something that could have been predicted in advance.

Even the Masked Lord felt a brief moment of surprise.

But he remained silent, only snapping his fingers lightly. The water, which had reached his knees, suddenly surged up, forming a wall in front of him—

This was certainly not a real wall; two invisible repulsive forces slammed into it, creating two gaps the size of a palm.

But even a brief obstruction was enough for him to chant a short incantation, erecting a shield of milky-white spiritual light beside him.

It looks like an eggshell:
"【Shield Spell】".

"Snapped!"

The eggshell shattered. The repulsive force pierced through the barrier of spiritual light, but inevitably deflected it, thus striking the other's shoulder.

The repulsive force didn't diminish; instead, it grew even heavier. He felt as if he were being pushed and shoved by a giant, until he was overturned, and rolled twice in mid-air—

He quickly summoned water as a buffer to avoid being slammed into the wall and suffering secondary damage.

"【Repulsive Magic Explosion】?"

The effect of this magical energy explosion was far more dramatic than the one that had nearly killed Tang Qi before. Tang Qi realized that this trick might have evolved through the sect leader's gift, producing a completely different effect—

[Magic Summoning].

This is a new power bestowed upon every sorcerer as their contract with the 'Supreme Master' deepens.

This is a characteristic that distinguishes it from 'spells'.

This, to some extent, compensates for the sorcerer's lack of spell slots.

For example, the [Repulsive Magic Explosion] before us is a significantly enhanced version of the [Magic Explosion] 0-ring trick through the modification of Magic Energy Invocation.

Each time a magic energy burst hits, it will forcibly push the target several meters away.

"Why didn't you say so earlier that you were a sorcerer?"

Tang Qi glared at Hope.

Previously, whether encountering witch gatherings or being intercepted by the Red Scarf Gang, she had not displayed any magical abilities other than her agility.

Besides the [Hellish Roar] brought by bloodline.

He almost thought that Hope was also a disgrace to the profession of 'wanderer'.

However, seeing that the other party had a furrowed brow, it seemed that they were not satisfied with the effect of the spell.

After all, this did not interrupt his focus on [manipulating the water].

"Rua!"

Kuru has exhausted his spell slots and can only use [Freezing Ray] to harass the enemy now.

However, it is only a first-level spellcaster, and as a magic trick, it cannot be compared with magic burst at all.

The ice crystals streaked through the air, disappearing without a trace once they were submerged in the water wall erected by the Masked Lord.

"Rua!"

The kobold let out a mournful howl and fell backward into the pool.

Play dead! Play dead!
"Boom!"

The giant hammer smashed into the water, creating towering waves that slammed Kuru against the wall.

The kobold was knocked around, shaking its head. In its dazed state, it saw Dawn, having dodged the giant hammer's blow, about to be struck by the iron arm propelled by Dawn's spinning waist—

The pool water hindered her movements, slowing her steps, and she had no choice but to raise her broken sword to defend herself.

However, without the blessing of the [Peerless Warrior], it was difficult for her body to dissipate the full force of the iron arm. Amidst the flying sparks, she was still blasted onto the iron plate behind her by the combined rotational force of the mechanical structure.

Because the flying squirrel suit required lightweight clothing, Tang Qi had stored her entire plate armor in his dimensional bag, and she couldn't spend too much time putting it on during their escape.

As her back slammed against the metal plate, she felt as if her right hand was about to dislocate.

Before she could adjust, the shadow of the hammerhead loomed over her.

"Look at your ridiculous gait, all you do is stagger around and smash things randomly!"

Tang Qi's curses forced his hammer to slip, slamming it into the iron plate with a piercing roar, allowing Chen Xi to roll away and escape.

But she dared not run toward Tang Qi, lest the round construct change its target. So she switched the broken sword to her left hand and continued to fight him.

Hope uttered another curse, his fingertips swirling with an invisible repulsive force, and two [Magic Explosions] once again swept across the water, shooting straight at the Masked Lord's chest.

"The same trick won't work twice."

If you react in advance, you won't encounter the same predicament as before.

The Masked Lord snorted and used a water wall as a defense, his erected aura shield steadily withstanding the repulsive force.

He then made a sudden grabbing motion, causing the water around Tang Qi and Hope to surge and churn.

With a "bang," the water seemed to transform into two palms, trying to envelop the two of them.

The alarm bell rang, and Tang Qi barely managed to dodge it thanks to Iwu's pull.

Hope was pulled by the sudden surge of the vortex beneath her feet and stumbled a step.

The hand that wanted to crush her, upon touching her body, twisted her into the air like a rope, forcing Hope to spin continuously with the vortex beneath her feet.

At the same time, the flowing water felt like iron chains binding her entire body, constantly squeezing inwards, as if trying to crush her bones as well—

"【Hellfire Roar】!"

The pain of being squeezed made the vulgarity sound more like a coquettish complaint.

Yet the flames that suddenly rose from his robes still enveloped him in a crimson glow. The intense heat forced the Masked Lord to distract himself and let the waves crash against his body.

But the binding pressure on Hope, like ropes, did not lessen in the slightest; it still firmly locked her in the flowing water, preventing her from even moving her hands at will.

Not all spellcasting is as simple as reciting a mantra to activate the magic network and exert its effect.

The necessary materials, language, and gestures for casting spells are all part of the process of communicating with magic.

The inability to act as desired often means that spellcasting is also restricted:

"How can he still maintain focus on the spell?!"

"Maintaining focus is the most basic quality of a spellcaster."

The Masked Lord snorted coldly.

Just as the water flowed over her clothes, extinguishing the flames of purgatory, she suddenly heard the sound of water being trampled over.

He looked up and saw a jet-black blade slicing through the air, like a hunting python, aimed straight for his neck—

"【Snake Fang】!"

When spell slots are running low, getting as close to the caster as possible is the best way to limit your spellcasting.

With Iwu supporting him from behind, Tang Qi didn't have to worry about his movements being too restricted by the water flow.

As a magical weapon, the 'Serpent's Kiss's blade is even sharper than weapons forged from Norren steel.

The scimitar tore through the milky-white shield and almost instantly hooked the back of his neck.

"Have the opportunity!"

Tang Qi dared not slacken his pace, dragging the tip of his knife as he prepared to snatch his prey.

Just when he thought he was about to succeed, the hooked blade seemed to miss its target, tearing apart the Masked Lord's empty head and pulling him backward along with it.
"how is this possible?"

The robes and mask that were pulled down by the scimitar clearly confirmed the truth of his fate!
Even when you can hook through the air, the feel won't be wrong!
As Tang Qi retreated, he looked in surprise at the masked lord who was also retreating using the water's current, and suddenly realized:
"A shapeshifter!?"

Because the scimitar easily tore through the wide robe, Tang Qi witnessed firsthand the transformation of the [Shapeshifter] from its true form—a human-like body—into a dwarf.

As a creature capable of changing its appearance at will, the true appearance of a shapeshifter is like that of a humanoid, possessing a head, torso, and limbs.

However, compared to the most common human physique, they appear more slender and delicate.

They have slender limbs, and when their fingertips hang down naturally, they can even easily touch their knees.

Their faces were unremarkable—meaning they had no hair, and on the pale skin that covered their bones, only two swollen yellow eyes with long, narrow pupils could be seen.

Some of them resemble the aliens Tang Qi had seen in his past literary works.

However, this appearance only lasted for a moment before shrinking like flowing water until it finally became a hairy dwarf.

This is also the fundamental reason why Tang Qi's snake fangs missed their target—

He changed his height!
The shapeshifter clearly hadn't expected that this seemingly weakest human, who had done nothing but spew insults and remained completely ineffective, would be even more troublesome than it had imagined.

He spat inwardly, then immediately began chanting an incantation. A bright light suddenly burst forth from the irregularly shaped crystal bound to the tip of his staff:
"【Magic Missile】!"

Three dazzling red spheres emerged one after another from the crystal, shooting towards Tang Qi's forehead.

With a shriek, Iwu charged towards the missile, attempting to use its hard dragon scales to protect Tang Qi and weaken its power.

But the three missiles seemed to have eyes; just as they were about to hit Iwu, they suddenly changed direction and bypassed its body.

Tang Qi knew the tracking properties of this spell and understood that he had no way to avoid it.

However, he also dared not actually use his physical body to directly withstand the damage from these three force field missiles—

So he called back Io, and had it hold his hood in its mouth, sing a song, and brandish its blade:
"【Defensive Sword Dance】!"

Just as they were about to reach each other, the three orbs were instantly sliced ​​apart by the swirling blades and vanished in mid-air.

But this also means that Tang Qi's last bit of "poet's encouragement" has been completely used up.

(End of this chapter)