Chapter 228 - 227: Overclocking
As the prayer echoed in everyone’s mind,
its potent Spirit effect manifested.
The impact was like a tsunami!
"Ugh... Aaargh!!!"
Marcus let out a pained groan.
His whole body trembled violently, and he clutched at his throbbing temples.
Marcus fought desperately against the will trying to control his body, but he found himself completely powerless.
Valles was in just as bad of a state.
He slapped himself hard across the face, trying to snap out of it, then pressed his hands tightly against his ears.
But it was useless.
The demonic sound wasn’t coming from the outside; it was erupting directly inside his head.
Their bodies were completely... beyond their control!
Gray and Maki propped themselves up with their hands on the floor, their fingers digging in so hard they drew blood, trying to keep from collapsing.
But it was no use. Their pupils were already dilating.
The prayer was stripping away their thoughts, leaving only the most primitive instinct to kill.
"CLANG! CLANG..."
A series of sharp metallic clashes rang out as everyone’s weapons fell to the ground.
It seemed they were actually going to do as the prayer said—cast aside their useless tools and face the enemy with their bare hands.
’Damn it...!’
Zelir was half-kneeling on the ground. He bit his tongue hard, desperately trying to stay conscious.
But the prayer was like a demonic incantation, assaulting his mind over and over.
The defenses of Zelir’s consciousness were growing more and more fragile.
His vision first spun into darkness, and then he even began to have a hallucination.
A land shrouded by a dark red sky, collapsing and shattered.
The earth was cracked and dry, and massive, magma-filled rifts scarred the world like ugly wounds.
There was no sun in the sky, only a purple moon that looked like a rotting eyeball.
Roaming the surface were countless malformed, unspeakable, evil beings.
Besides them,
between the valleys, amidst the ruins, and even in "pastures" built with fences, were countless humans.
They were barely surviving, their faces etched with nothing but numbness.
’No!’
This apocalyptic vision, far from breaking Zelir, instead sparked a strange Power from deep within him.
It was like a torch lit in the darkness!
Zelir managed to reclaim some of his sanity.
’Absolutely not!’
’I can’t... I can’t let myself sink into this!’
’If I’m consumed by that tyrannical will, the team is finished.’
’Everyone will charge forward like wild beasts, only to be slaughtered.’
’Isn’t that exactly the ritual the mastermind behind this is hoping for?’
"Argh...!"
Zelir let out a pained roar.
He snatched up the fallen Night Peace Magic Wand and, with all his might, constructed a Spell Structure in his mind.
A point of verdant light spread along the wand’s staff, then rapidly expanded!
The light was gentle and warm, forming a domain that enveloped all five members of the nearly-broken team.
Purification Aura!
This was the Magic that Instructor Manlin had used to defeat the Abyssal Evil Vine during a Monster Hunt. It could dispel negative statuses from its targets.
Not just poisoning or weakness, but it could also neutralize and dissolve mental interference.
As the energy of the Purification Aura seeped into their bodies, the influence of the tyrannical will gradually faded.
Everyone regained control of their bodies, a look of lingering fear in their eyes.
"Hah... hah..."
Zelir gasped for air, his back already drenched in a cold sweat.
’Thank goodness I know an Empowerment Magic that dispels negative statuses.’
’Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.’
Before the stone gate, the Bone Centaur, which had been arrogantly waiting for its sacrifices to self-destruct, seemed confused.
’These humans... they weren’t affected?’
"Koff..."
Marcus immediately scrambled to his feet, gripping his Sword and Shield, the first to take a ready stance.
"Zelir, what’s the plan?!"
Marcus shouted.
Zelir’s gaze swept over their surroundings.
Aside from the Bone Centaur in front, Skeleton People were also emerging from the stone gates on the left and right, slowly closing in to encircle them.
Meanwhile, their escape route was completely sealed off by a dark red Force Field that had sprung from the Array.
They could only fight their way out.
Zelir’s mind began to race.
’Among these Demons, the greatest threat is definitely this Bone Centaur. We need to focus our strength to take it down quickly.’
’But we can’t ignore those Skeleton People emanating dark energy either.’
’Individually, their strength might even surpass a [Difficulty]-rated Evil Remains.’
’We have to assign someone to deal with them, or we’ll be attacked from both front and back—a death sentence.’
’But Gray, our team’s crowd-clearer, obviously can’t handle this task alone.’
’Sending him up alone would be suicide.’
In an instant, his decision was made.
"Marcus, Maki, you’re with me! We’ll take on this Centaur!"
Zelir commanded decisively.
"Valles, Gray, you two take care of those Skeleton People! Don’t let them get close!"
"We’ll come support you as soon as we finish off the Bone Centaur!"
"Understood!"
"Alright!"
The five-person team split up.
Zelir, Marcus, and Maki formed a three-man assault team to face the Bone Centaur.
Gray and Valles partnered up to handle the Skeleton People flanking them from both sides.
Zelir swiped his hand over his Storage Pouch, and two Healing Potions appeared in his grasp.
He tossed one bottle to Gray and the other to Valles.
"If you get hurt, just drink it... and don’t you dare die."
"Got it! You too!" Gray tucked it into his clothes.
’This is no time to be worrying about gains and losses. Surviving is what matters most.’
’I’ll be keeping an eye on the Bone Centaur group. If anyone gets hurt, I can use my Healing Skill right away, so it’s better to give the Healing Potions to Gray’s side.’
And then...
Another potion appeared in Zelir’s hand, this one filled with a crimson liquid.
The Overclocking Potion that Instructor Manlin had refined!
Without a moment’s hesitation, he uncorked the bottle and drank it all.
The viscous red liquid had no sooner entered his mouth than it transformed into a scorching torrent of energy, rushing into Zelir’s sea of consciousness!
In that instant, the circulation speed, strength, and control of the Magic Power within his Spring Seed...
were all forcibly catalyzed by this external Power, receiving a temporary boost!
"Hooo..."
Zelir breathed out a scorching breath.
’Even after this enhancement, I should still be at the level of a Junior Mage.’
’But I’m significantly stronger than before.’
This precious enhancement gave Zelir more confidence in facing the Bone Centaur.
The Bone Centaur slowly raised its right hand as its body began to transform.
Amidst a series of "KRAK KRAK" sounds, the ribs from its chest and the vertebrae from its back detached and flew out on their own.
Shrouded in dense black energy, the bones rapidly reassembled in its hand!
Finally, they formed a long, massive Battle Halberd!