CHAPTER 133: ELEMENTAL GUARDS

Ryan, with a flurry of motion, shoved the collected Elemental Cores into Agu’s waiting hands. He then positioned himself squarely before the portal, a bulwark against whatever horrors were about to emerge. A rapid succession of alchemical concoctions, previously untouched, were now swallowed, their potent effects layering upon him.

Potions of Greater Fortitude, Greater Lion’s Strength, Greater Cat’s Eye, Minor Wolf’s Kiss, and Journeyman Ironhide—a veritable apothecary of cheap and costly elixirs—coursed through his veins. His attributes surged, a testament to the hundreds of gold he’d poured into this endeavor, boosting his power by over 20%.

His jewelcrafting-forged Durable Stone Golem, a slow but steady source of healing, and a meticulously arranged arsenal of engineering-crafted utility items were all within arm’s reach, ready for instant deployment.

His health and mana, already replenished to their maximum during his potion-fueled preparations, were now primed for battle.

As Ryan fixed his predatory gaze upon the portal, four distinct lights—red, blue, white, and yellow—flashed in rapid succession. Eight normal-grade elemental monsters materialized, their forms radiating a power far exceeding the previous wave, despite their ’normal’ designation.

—

Elemental Guard (Elite)

Level: 32

Health: 3150

Type: Elemental

—

Relying on Agu’s Elemental Interruption Zone, Ryan immediately unleashed an Avenger’s Shield, sending it hurtling towards the leading Fire Elemental Guard.

The Elemental Guards surged forward, and Ryan quickly discovered the true extent of their might.

The Earth Elemental Guard initiated the assault with an Earth Shock, instantly stunning Ryan for three agonizing seconds. Mercifully, this occurred before the other elementals could close in, sparing him from three seconds of defenseless pummeling.

As the Elemental Guards converged, Ryan snapped out of his stun, only to be immediately met by a Fire Elemental Guard’s attack. A single basic strike, followed by a searing burst of flame, dealt 600 points of damage. Without the Elemental Interruption Zone, the combined flame damage from just two Fire Elementals would have inflicted a devastating 3000 points!

"Damn it!" Ryan cursed under his breath, immediately shifting his primary attack to the Fire Elemental Guard. In an instant, he’d taken nearly 3000 points of damage, with the Fire Elemental Guard responsible for almost half of it.

The four totems provided Ryan with invaluable support, yet against the Fire Elemental Guard, the Flame Retribution from the Fire Totem proved utterly useless—a predictable outcome, given fire elementals’ inherent immunity to flame damage.

Fortunately, the Hurricane Blessing totem’s effect triggered repeatedly, allowing Ryan to swiftly dispatch one of the Fire Elemental Guards, immediately easing the strain on his rapidly dwindling health.

As his health dipped to a perilous 30%, Ryan unholstered a Crude Grenade, an item long forgotten in his inventory. He lobbed it into the thick of the elemental horde. A deafening boom, and every monster was stunned. Fortuitously, the second Fire Elemental Guard had already fallen, preventing its immunity to fire damage from negating the grenade’s stun effect.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Ryan invoked his fastest healing spell: Finger of Light. Though a Level 10 skill, long discarded due to its prohibitive mana cost and meager healing, it was now his salvation.

In a mere two seconds, as the Elemental Guards began to stir, Finger of Light surged, restoring over 2000 health to Ryan—a critical heal, indeed.

With the two most dangerous Fire Elemental Guards dispatched, the remaining Elemental Guards, now unhindered, unleashed their full fury.

Just as Ryan exhaled a sigh of relief, his health replenished to a comfortable level, a faint blue magical array shimmered into existence beneath his feet. A fleeting glimpse from the corner of his eye was all he needed; he instinctively leaped sideways, narrowly evading its reach.

A cobalt wave erupted from the array, surging several meters high, dislodging chunks of the cavern ceiling. More unsettling still, the White Wind Elemental Guard began to pulsate with flickering blue and white light.

Ryan’s heart hammered against his ribs. He only truly relaxed when blue lightning orbs began to orbit the Wind Elemental Guard. It was merely a Lightning Shield; as long as he refrained from attacking the Wind Elemental Guard directly, these crackling orbs would remain inert.

The Earth Elemental Guard, its Earth Shock skill on cooldown, resorted to basic attacks. Ryan wasn’t sure of the exact cooldown, but he suspected it would be ready again soon.

Ryan shifted his focus, making the Earth Elemental Guards his next priority. The Water Elemental Guard’s skill was still on cooldown, granting him enough time to eliminate the two Earth Elemental Guards before turning his attention to them.

As his health steadily climbed, bolstered by his various skills, the Earth Elemental Guards’ health rapidly plummeted. With a final, decisive Divine Storm, both collapsed.

With only four Elemental Guards remaining, a surge of quiet triumph swelled within Ryan. Victory was within his grasp!

The Water Elemental Guard’s health was already below two-thirds. Once Hammer of Justice and Divine Storm were off cooldown, it would be an easy kill.

The true threat lay with the two remaining Wind Elemental Guards. The other elementals had all unleashed devastating skills, so it was logical to assume that the Lightning Shield was not their only trick.

No sooner had the Water Elemental Guard fallen than the Wind Elemental Guards unleashed their true power. A barrage of crackling lightning beams erupted from their forms, arcing from Ryan to Agu.

The damage dealt to Agu was significantly higher than what Ryan endured!

The instant Ryan witnessed the lightning beams, he understood the skill: a chain lightning effect, its damage escalating with each subsequent jump. Had he been in a group, the final recipient of the chain would have suffered exponentially more damage than the first. Indeed, if it had chained to Agu in a group, a single attack could have been fatal, leading to immediate quest failure.

Fortunately, Ryan was undertaking the quest solo. The damage transferred to Agu was a mere 1100 points, a negligible amount for his robust 8000 health.

The Wind Elemental Guards did not continuously unleash their lightning beams. Each cast it once, then ceased, returning to their direct assault on Ryan.

After effortlessly dispatching the two Wind Elemental Guards, Ryan immediately began channeling Radiant Light, restoring a significant portion of his health. He then settled down, consuming food and drink to replenish his health and mana.

Another portal roared open, its maw a swirling vortex of energy, signaling the true test was about to begin.

"Thieves of elemental secrets, face the wrath of the great Elemental General Eldris!"

A thunderous roar echoed from the other side of the portal. Ryan stood, his gaze fixed, ready to confront the approaching foe.