Chapter 1255 Selection

A strange light rose from the ashes of the mysterious new man, coalescing into a phantom image—an old man with a weathered face. He spoke slowly, "You thought this was the end? This was merely a small test I set. The real crisis has only just begun." With that, the old man's image vanished, and a massive black vortex appeared on the ground, from which countless shadowy monsters surged. These monsters were hideous, emanating a nauseating stench. The group instantly snapped out of their exhaustion, quickly rising to their feet and assuming a fighting stance. The mages immediately cast spells, creating protective barriers to repel the monsters' onslaught. Bobby wielded his massive hammer, charging into the horde, each attack felling several. The others also drew their weapons, engaging the monsters in fierce combat. During the battle, they discovered that the monsters also bore black runes similar to those of the mysterious new man; it seemed that destroying the runes would eliminate them. Therefore, they adjusted their tactics again, concentrating their attacks on the runes on the monsters. A new and fierce battle had begun. Just as everyone was focusing their attacks on the runes, the black vortex suddenly trembled violently, and a gigantic, shadowy monster leader flew out. Its body was as large as a mountain, each step causing the ground to tremble. The runes on its body flickered with an eerie light, making ordinary attacks impossible to get close. The mages concentrated their fire on the runes, but were deflected by the powerful dark energy it released. Poppy roared and charged forward, only to be easily knocked away. For a moment, everyone was in dire straits. Just as despair was setting in, Lucy, who had been silently observing, noticed that the runes on the monster leader were flashing rhythmically. She guessed this might be the key to breaking it and quickly informed everyone. They swiftly adjusted their tactics, attacking according to the rhythm of the flashing runes. Finally, in a perfect coordinated attack, they successfully destroyed the runes on the monster leader. The leader crashed to the ground, and the other shadowy monsters vanished. The black vortex gradually shrank until it disappeared. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but remembering the old man's words, they knew that the real danger might still lie ahead. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet cracked open, and black spikes burst forth, forcing everyone to scramble for cover. Immediately afterward, a swarm of small demons, radiating an eerie glow, crawled out of the fissures. They moved swiftly and quickly surrounded the group. These demons attacked in bizarre ways; some spewed corrosive venom, while others released a mind-altering mist. The mages maintained their protective barrier while searching for the demons' weaknesses. Lucy observed carefully and discovered that the demons' eyes were their weak point. She loudly warned everyone, and they focused their attacks on the demons' eyes. Just as the battle intensified, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, and a massive bolt of lightning struck, revealing an even more terrifying figure before them. It was larger than the previous monster leader, radiating an aura of destruction. The old man's weathered voice rang out again: "This is the real challenge. Let's see if you can pass." The group gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes resolute. Despite their exhaustion, they knew they had to summon their courage once more to face this new and fierce battle.