Supreme Magus novel Chapter 541

Lith unleashed a barrage of Plague Arrows, against which Trou’Bleskamuz had no choice but to tank them.

The mana imbued inside his ice armor lessened the damage, but the residual darkness was still enough to make the Balor stumble and lose most of his momentum. The creature refused to yield and lunged at Lith with a conjured ice great sword.

Lith switched to a two handed grip while infusing the Gatekeeper with fire and darkness magic. He sidestepped the incoming attack and performed a horizontal slash to the neck.

Only then did Trou’Bleskamuz reveal that his moment of weakness was actually a ruse. He turned his tumble into a roll, dodging the Gatekeeper and regaining his footing while his opponent was still off balance.

The Balor lunged at Lith again, who pivoted on his feet by using the momentum from his failed attack. The resulting spin wasn’t enough to completely avoid the incoming strike, but it allowed him to adjust his stance and intercept the incoming blade.

Lith aimed the Gatekeeper at the great sword’s tip, to push it away with minimum effort and create the opening he needed to win that fight. He almost couldn’t believe his own eyes when the ice sword shattered on contact with the Gatekeeper, revealing a flaming blade blooming underneath its surface.

The ethereal fire blade ignored the bastard sword, keeping its trajectory unchanged.

Despite their brutish appearance and berserk fighting style, Balors weren’t stupid. They were just so powerful that they usually didn’t need clever strategies or tricks to dominate their opponents.

Resorting to one wounded Trou’Bleskamuz’s pride, but it was much better than the alternative. The fire sword crackled as it pierced the Skinwalker Amor’s enchanted defenses, producing the sizzling sound of roasted meat when it bit Lith’s flesh.

Thanks to Lith’s earlier small sidestep, the Balor had been unable to strike at the heart and had to settle for the shoulder. Not even earth fusion was enough to prevent the mystical flames from burning everything on their path.

Lith felt his left arm suddenly go limp. Even shutting down his pain receptors didn’t help against his now labored breathing. Trou’Bleskamuz’s blade had cooked his flesh, his bones, and part of his left lung in one fell swoop.

’By my maker, do you need my help?’ Solus asked while assessing the gravity of his injuries.

’Thanks, but no. Your energy is limited, so it’s better to save it for opponents in their reverted state. According to Ratpack, Yozmogh is a Balor too and he has access to his race’s ancient powers. Trou’Bleskamuz is like a training ground for me.

’If I can’t defeat him on my own, then it’s better to call for reinforcements. Don’t step in unless it’s absolutely necessary.’ Lith’s reply made Solus curse her weakness and wish for a way to improve her usefulness in battle.

The lack of screams disappointed the Balor, but his mood worsened when he saw the Ranger Blink away as a healing aura enveloped his body. Trou’Bleskamuz envied Lith for it and hoped that Yozmogh would keep his word.

The only reason Trou’Bleskamuz was still there was the promise of having his full might restored.

’Even if the abuse of my black eye and ramming against the door has weakened me somewhat, how did the human manage to avoid my strike like that?’

When Trou’Bleskamuz finally reached Lith, his flames had died out and so had his red eye. Lith then conjured several streams of lightning bolts, shooting them at random in front of him.

The Balor didn’t even try to shield himself, just dodging whatever he could to cross the last few meters that separated them. Only then did he realize that Lith wasn’t aiming because he had no need to.

The entire floor was covered in water and so was Trou’Bleskamuz. It was a perfect conductor which routed every bolt of lightning to its target, allowing Lith to focus on the power of his spell and to completely neglect controlling it.

The Balor gritted his teeth and used sheer willpower to resist the spasms that were ravaging his body.

’Prideless mutt! Fighting dirty is a game two can play.’ Trou’Bleskamuz activated his last eye, using the water Lith had conjured against him. The area around them was instantly filled with sharp icicles, which drained the water from the floor.

They were both lightning rods which saved the Balor from the thunderstorm and obstacles that limited the Ranger’s movements, allowing the creature to engage him hand to hand. Lith squinted his eyes from the surprise.

He didn’t expect such a degree of finesse in water manipulation from his opponent. The situation wasn’t good. The back of the corridor was still sealed by his Dark Ages spell, and Blink’s range didn’t reach past the ice wall.

The two of them were trapped inside a small cage filled with spikes that would harm only him. The Balor’s mana couldn’t hurt his master. Lith backstepped while quick casting Plague Arrows and wind blades until he could feel the point of an icicle painfully stinging his back.