The battlefield erupted into chaos as Lamorak, the Merciless Dread Knight, regained his composure and turned his attention to Aaron. His axe, gleamed with malice as he bore down on the terrified man. Aaron, realizing the gravity of the situation, squealed in fear and immediately activated his magic, summoning 200 advanced magical soldiers to his aid.
"Hahahaha! Even if you're a general, my men will beat you!" Aaron shouted, his voice filled with bravado but tinged with desperation. Fifty of his magical soldiers were mages, capable of casting high-level magic, and they immediately bombarded Lamorak with a barrage of spells. The remaining 150 soldiers, armed with shields and swords, charged at the Dread Knight, their weapons gleaming in the sunlight.
Aaron, keeping his distance, considered fleeing, but an arrow from Ewan's group grazed his cheek, snapping him back to reality. He turned to see Ewan and his team ready to shoot him down if he tried to escape. "Tsk! You dare look down on me, huh?" Aaron snarled, though his confidence was clearly wavering.
Before Aaron could act, a massive explosion erupted from where Lamorak stood. The Dread Knight unleashed four defensive skills in rapid succession, his armor glowing with a menacing crimson light. The battlefield seemed to tremble as Lamorak's power surged.
Bloody Defense: Lamorak spun his axe in a wide arc, creating a crimson energy barrier that reduced incoming damage by 50% for six seconds. The magical soldiers who struck the barrier were inflicted with a bleeding effect, taking damage over time for five seconds.
Ironclad Stance: Lamorak planted his feet firmly and raised his axe in a defensive stance, gaining a 60% damage reduction for eight seconds. While active, he couldn't be knocked back or stunned, and any melee attacks against him caused the attacker to stagger.
Bloody Armor: Lamorak channeled his life force into his axe, creating a temporary armor of swirling blood energy. This armor absorbed 30% of incoming damage and reflected 20% back to the attacker. It lasted for ten seconds.
Aegis of the Titan: Lamorak slammed his axe into the ground, creating a protective dome of energy around him. The dome blocked all projectiles and reduced area-of-effect damage by 75% for five seconds.
The magical soldiers' attacks were rendered almost useless against Lamorak's defenses. The mages' spells fizzled against the Aegis of the Titan, and the sword-wielding soldiers staggered as their blows were reflected back at them. Aaron, watching in horror, realized he was in over his head.
But Lamorak wasn't done. With a roar, he activated a devastating short-range offensive skill: Calamity Destroyer. He slammed his axe into the ground, creating a shockwave that destroyed everything within a 16-meter radius. The ground cracked open, dealing massive damage and knocking back enemies. Aaron, who was only 10 meters away, was caught in the blast.
The force of the shockwave sent Aaron flying, his magical soldiers disintegrating into nothingness as the skill obliterated them. Aaron crashed to the ground, groaning in pain as he struggled to get up. Lamorak, his eyes blazing with fury, advanced toward him, his axe raised for the final blow.
Inside the stronghold, the participants watched the scene unfold with a mix of awe and fear. Mixarnt, Rise, and the others knew they had to act fast. "Now's our chance!" Mixarnt shouted, his voice filled with determination. "We need to take him down while he's focused on Aaron!"
Razen nodded, her expression serious. "Let's go. We can't let him recover," she said, her voice steady but urgent.
The group quickly mobilized, their teamwork and coordination shining through as they prepared to face Lamorak head-on.
The battlefield was a scene of utter chaos the Merciless Dread Knight, unleashed his full power against Aaron. The air crackled with energy, and the ground trembled under the force of his attacks. Aaron, realizing he was outmatched, tried to talk his way out of the situation. "W-wait, we can talk this out, hehe," he said, his voice trembling as he created a smoke screen to obscure his escape.
But Lamorak wasn't fooled. With a swift wave of his axe, the smoke dissipated, leaving Aaron exposed once more. "God damnit!" Aaron shouted, desperation creeping into his voice. He quickly summoned his trump card: a Great Magical General Soldier, a towering magical construct capable of wielding both magic and a sword. "This is my triumph card! Now die!" Aaron declared, his bravado returning as the giant soldier charged at Lamorak.
Lamorak, however, was unfazed. His eyes blazed with determination as he activated three devastating offensive skills, each more powerful than the last. He was done playing games—Aaron's ability to summon magical soldiers was too dangerous to ignore.
Bloodthirsty Onslaught: Lamorak entered a frenzy, swinging his axe wildly in all directions for five seconds. Each strike healed him for 10% of the damage dealt, making him even more formidable as he tore through the Great Magical General Soldier.
Skyrend Slash: Lamorak leaped into the air, his axe glowing with energy, before crashing down with a powerful strike. The impact created a shockwave that dealt damage in a 15-meter radius, launching the giant soldier into the air and leaving it vulnerable.
Ragnarok's Fury: Lamorak channeled the power of destruction, unleashing a series of three massive axe swings. Each swing sent a wave of energy traveling 20 meters, dealing devastating damage and reducing the enemy's armor by 30% for 10 seconds. The Great Magical General Soldier, already weakened, was torn apart by the onslaught.
But Lamorak wasn't done yet. He followed up with two more skills, each more terrifying than the last.
Frostbite Execution: With a freezing swing of his axe, Lamorak encased Aaron and the remnants of his magical soldiers in ice within a 12-meter cone. Frozen enemies took increased damage and were immobilized for five seconds, leaving them completely vulnerable.
Void Reaper: Finally, Lamorak infused his axe with dark energy, tearing a rift in space. Enemies caught in the attack were pulled toward the rift, taking continuous void damage for six seconds. Aaron, already battered and frozen, was helpless as the void energy consumed him.
Mixarnt, Razen, and Rise, who were running toward the battlefield, stopped in their tracks, utterly amazed by Lamorak's destructive skills. "Whoa... that's insane," Mixarnt said, his eyes wide with awe.
Razen nodded, her expression a mix of admiration and concern. "We're lucky we're still meters away. If we'd been any closer, we'd have been caught in that," she said, her voice steady but tinged with relief.
Rise, ever the optimist, grinned. "Well, at least Aaron's out of the picture now. That's one less problem to worry about," he said, though his tone was light, his eyes were serious.
As the dust settled, Lamorak stood tall amidst the wreckage, his axe glowing with residual energy. The Great Magical General Soldier was gone, and Aaron lay unconscious, his body encased in ice and void energy. The battlefield was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint crackling of energy from Lamorak's axe.
Mixarnt, Razen, and Rise exchanged glances, their determination renewed. "Alright, change of plans, let's go back to the stronghold. We've got a Dread Knight to take down," Mixarnt said, his grin returning.
Razen nodded, her expression serious. "Lamorak's strong, but we're stronger together," she said, her voice filled with resolve.
Rise, ever the cheerful one, added, "And if all else fails, we'll just throw more cages at him!"
The three laughed as they made their way back to the stronghold, their spirits lifted despite the daunting challenge ahead.