The ground started to darken under the ophidian warriors’ feet. If one were to see the scene from above, they’d see 200 dark spots in a cog-like formation.

An arcanist's greatest trait is their willingness to learn new things. Zyrus got the inspiration for this formation from the glemorax chief.

The aliens had the ability to fly and they were masters of close-quarters combat. High attack and defense, coupled with a mobility boost from their wings. The cog formation was perfect for well-rounded troops like them. While Zyrus’s summons were different, it didn’t mean that the formation wasn’t effective.

Planning for a drawn-out battle, huh

It was no surprise that Oroszlan was able to guess his motive with a glance. The abyss attribute was infamous for its corrosive and sticky properties. Its offensive capabilities were lackluster to say the least.

Using this attribute was a double-edged sword. Even mighty wyverns would be reduced to puddles of energy if they were exposed to abyssal mana for long enough. On the other hand, even goblins could survive against the corruption for a short while.

[Trial will commence in 00:00:00]

Though one minute was short, both Zyrus and Oroszlan possessed superhuman thinking. The time was more than enough for them to think of countless strategies.

*Grrrrrr*

“Focus on defense and injure them with your claws.”

Crush them

Both leaders gave opposing commands to their troops. Barbary lions were 2 meters long with lean and muscular bodies. Their steel-like nails scratched with a jarring sound against the ophidian warriors’ scales.

Their ivory tusks penetrated the blackish-green scales of the ophidian warriors; while their yellow fur was also shredded like tofu under the black claws of Zyrus’s summons.

This was a pure brawl as neither side were using weapons. The barbary lions possessed remarkable strength and stamina. With their swift claws and sharp tusks, they were a force to be reckoned with in close quarters.

Zyrus had merged the verdara beetles’ offensive and the glemorax warriors’ defensive traits into his summons. With a trace of the Sylvarix bloodline and abyssal mana to sublimate those powers, they weren’t the least bit inferior to their enemies.

It is a pity that you don’t have enough summons

Both sides were equally matched in individual power, but this was a 500 vs 200 battle.

Well, 199 to be exact. The Fallen knight hadn’t moved from Zyrus’s side since the battle began.

“If you’re injured, use your body to protect the ones who are healthy. Retreat to the center when you can’t hold on anymore,” Zyrus commanded in a steady voice.

He wanted to talk with Oroszlan and pry out some knowledge from him, but he knew that the other wouldn’t say anything useful unless he won the fight.

‘And I don’t have the luxury to chat either.’

He had used nearly all of his mana. To put it into numbers, it should be around 300 MP. With his total MP of 370 and 70% recovery rate, he could get back nearly 260 MP in an hour.

In other words, he recovered 4 MP per minute. To put that into perspective a standard fireball spell costs 5 MP. It didn’t need any further explanation about how ridiculous his regen rates were.

Zyrus didn’t know any spell that he could use with abyssal mana. He could create one if he wanted to, but it was pointless. Spreading out the corrupted mana was more useful than concentrating mana in a tangible form.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

‘Not to mention that all spells unrelated to summoning are forbidden in the trial.’

*Grrrr*

*Rawwr*

The barbary lions growled and brawled out with the ophidian warriors who used their claws and whip-like tails. While the claws dealt more damage, the tails’ blows were painful enough to make the lions teary-eyed.

5 minutes..10 minutes..half an hour..

Neither side was able to kill the other. All they could do was injure the opponent and let them be rescued by others. Oroszlan tried to single out some ophidian warriors, but it failed every time as Zyrus’s summons' were slippery like eels.

This wasn’t the first time Zyrus was fighting a drawn-out battle. A fight without any surprise attacks or trump cards, a pure and barbaric battle of strength. His years of leading his army to war had developed his commanding instincts, and not even Oroszlan could hold a candle when it came to that.

I don’t know why you’re just spreading your mana in the air, but I suppose I can’t just let you do that

“Do as you wish.”

Humph, fine then. I’ll show you how a true summoner fights

*ROOOOAR*

Golden ripples spread across the battlefield as Oroszlan roared at the barbary lions. Buffing one’s summons was a basic skill for any summoner.

The barbary lions’ catlike eyes shone with vigor. Although there weren’t any external changes in their appearance, their strength and speed were enhanced by a notch. A small change that was enough to tilt the established rhythm.

“Fall back.”

Zyrus commanded his troops while observing Oroszlan with his eyes of annihilation. He could see the circular rings of mana which were pulled into the barbary lion’s body. Just copying the others' skills was beneath his status as an arcanist. What he wanted was to grasp the essence of that magic.

‘It’s similar to overdrive.’

Overdrive improved an object’s performance by consuming its durability, whereas this roar increased physical attributes by consuming vitality.

It didn’t seem much on an individual scale as even the ogres and trolls used better skills than this. However, Zyrus had to admit that the skill was great for summoners. More than 50 ophidian warriors were gravely injured in just a couple of blows.

Adding to the 70 who were more or less crippled during this battle, he was left with no more than 60 summons who could fight with all their strength.

“Lead the 20 who are mildly injured and attack the healthy lions,” Zyrus spoke to the fallen knight in a solemn tone.

“As you command. However, I do have a wish, My liege.”

“Oh, do you need a weapon or something?”

“A name. Please bestow a name upon me after we finish this battle.”

“Accepted. Show me your worth, then.” Zyrus tapped the knight’s shoulder and moved back with the injured ophidian warriors.

The cog-like formation was reduced to a ring by the barbary lions' battering. It was only a matter of time before 60 warriors broke down against 350 lions. Still, Zyrus wasn’t the only one whose summons suffered grave injuries.

Finally, you let out your guardian knight. But don’t you think it’s too late for that?

Oroszlan observed with calm eyes as the fallen knight tore apart the barbary lions. Halberds were notorious on large-scale battlefields. You could pierce the opponents’ armor with a thrust or slash their neck and limbs with a slash. Even if neither worked, with enough force you could just smash their heads.

*Grrowl*

“Don’t disappoint our liege,” The fallen knight rallied up the remaining dozen ophidian warriors. His black armor was smeared with dark red blood of the barbary lions. Since this was the proving grounds and not any ring in the sanctuary, the corpses didn’t disappear into motes of light.

Impressive! That group of no more than a dozen is holding back 50 of my best summons

Oroszlan was well aware of Zyrus's intentions. He guessed that Zyrus wanted his summons to be injured for whatever reason, but he was confident in his own skills as well. So what if the barbary lions were injured? He could just heal them back.

“I’m afraid that won’t do,” As if he had read Oroszlan’s thoughts, Zyrus shook his head and used his remaining mana. He knew that Oroszlan wanted to teach him after seeing his summoning skills.

But their paths were totally different. His goal wasn’t to become a pure summoner; he had a lot of powerful abilities that were on the same level as his Balaur summoner class.

Zyrus’s mana triggered the blackened ground.

*RUMBLE*

It didn’t end there. The entire island shook under the tremors of mana.

Hoh…what a clever trick

Oroszlan was unflustered under the doomsday-like situation. He guessed where such an earth-shaking power was coming from.

This wasn’t a real floating island to begin with. It was an array. And as strong as it may have been, it needed mana to function.

“Now, do you realize why I spread that mana?”

The power of abyss could corrode anything in existence. He had spent nearly 500 MP to achieve this result. This was the reason why attributes were crucial in determining your combat style.

A hundred fireballs might not kill the same number of barbary lions. But the corrosion of abyss could use the same amount of mana to bring down the whole island.

An impressive display, still, you didn’t win with a summoner’s power

“Hahaha…are you sure about that?”

Zyrus stared at Oroszlan with an evil grin and looked at the injured ophidian warriors. They knew what they had to do.

*Splurt*

*Bang*

Nearly a hundred ophidian warriors exploded their hearts. The blackened ground absorbed their blood and flesh and became alive.