606 A Strategy within a Strategy



Their original plan had been to hold off Roz while swiftly defeating Ren and Isolde, but things hadn't gone according to plan. Killing Ren and Isolde was taking too much time, leaving them vulnerable.

Robert knew he couldn't hold out much longer against Roz and Lira. As a tank, he had his limits. All he could do was buy time.

Using every skill and spell at his disposal, he fought valiantly, defending against the two monsters. He expended his items and resources until the spell binding the monsters dissipated, reducing the ogre and maid to mere particles.

"Ha!" Robert panted. "Your monster are gone now, and your friends are going to be defeated soon enough!"

Roz merely looked at Robert before shifting his attention to Ren. The hybrid beast from before was gone. It must be Ren's pet, but Black Lion and Sleeping Dragon must have neutralized it.

"It's your loss!" Robert laughed. "You should have just accepted Scar's offer in the first place."

Roz's face was a mask, never giving anything away. "I wouldn't rejoice just yet if I were you."

Lira went after Robert once again. He didn't know how long he would last at this rate, but it seemed that Scar and the others still couldn't defeat Ren and Isolde.

Meanwhile, Scar's face twisted into a condescending smile as he gloated, "Too bad. Your trump card is gone. Now you shall meet your demise."

Ren chuckled softly, seemingly unfazed by the loss of Pii. "I had a feeling you still held onto another crystal. I was simply waiting for you to use it."

Curiosity flickered in Scar's eyes as he questioned, "And why would you be waiting? Your prized pet is no longer at your disposal, leaving you without your ace."

With a nonchalant shrug, Ren wore a sly smile on his lips as he locked eyes with Scar and the others. "My pet can easily return to my side once it escapes its captivation. However, those crystals . . ." He paused for a moment, letting his words hang in the air. "You can never reclaim them. And that will make your losses . . . insurmountable."

An uneasy feeling settled in Scar's gut. There was something off about Ren's calm demeanor.

Did he still have an unexpected trick up his sleeve?

They had been prepared for Pii, but was there another secret weapon hidden within Ren's grasp?

Scar's expression twisted with rage as he shouted, "Enough of your games! Let's kill him!"

But Ren merely grinned, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Oh, I'm sure you can try."

Black Lion and Sleeping Dragon were seething with anger at Ren's taunt. Then a pentagram materialized beneath Angelica's feet, and a radiant green light engulfed her figure.

[Clock of Renewal]

[Clock of Renewal] was a potent spell that harnessed the very essence of time itself. It tapped into the underlying rhythm and flow of the world, granting the caster the power to restore the usability of previously expended spell or skill, either to themselves or to their allies.

As the green light spread, a sense of rejuvenation filled the air. The clock of time seemed to rewind, reversing the effects of exhaustion and weariness. An ability that was once spent and dormant was revitalized, ready to be utilized once more.

With [Clock of Renewal], the caster can turn the tide of battle by reintroducing a crucial ability and catching their opponents off guard.

It could only be used one time a day.

It was Joker's trump card, apparently.

Scar's laughter echoed through the battlefield, filled with mockery and arrogance. "Now we can proceed to kill you!"

With [Clock of Renewal], Angelica could cast [Temporal Disruption] again, trapping Ren and Isolde like before.

Angelica prepared to unleash [Temporal Disruption] without wasting another second, aiming to trap Ren and Isolde just as before. She was confident in the success of their strategy, unaware that Ren had already anticipated their moves.

Ren had known Angelica and Joker's stat, including their spells. Before the battle even started, he had already devised so many strategies on how to counter whatever plan they came up with.

He already anticipated it and pulled out the perfect item to counter their combined spells. Since [Temporal Disruption] only worked in restricting spells and skills, he could freely use items to cancel its effects.

Ren's eyes gleamed as he reached into his inventory, retrieving a special item he had been saving for such an occasion. It was a unique rare item capable of countering the effects of [Temporal Disruption].

Although he had planned to auction it off for a handsome reward, the situation called for its immediate use.

Besides, [The Scepter of Season] would be more than enough to compensate for it.

With a smirk on his lips, Ren activated the item [Verdantstone of Elara], canceling the restrictive effects of [Temporal Disruption]. The combined spells of Angelica and Joker no longer held them captive, allowing Ren and Isolde to freely utilize their skills and spells once more.

Once used, the [Verdantstone of Elara] creates a zone of influence that cancels out any and all magical effects, including buffs, rendering them completely ineffective.

"W-wha . . . What's going on?" Hixel was at a loss.

"Looks like that item canceled out Angelica's spell," Aragon said, sweat tickling the side of his face.

Joker's serious expression softened into a smile as he said in defeat, "See, I told you we should have given him the scepter. We could have saved three of those prisms and minimized our losses." He let out a sigh.

Angelica remained silent, her disappointment evident. They had given their all, but it seemed they had reached the end of the line.

She already used most of her spells and skills, and it would take time for their cooldowns to disappear. Without her spells, she was just a duck sitting for the wolves to feast upon.

Well, it was a fun ride while it lasted. She finally sighed, accepting the outcome.

Scar, however, was not ready to give up. "We've come this far! We can't let him escape now!"