Chương 84: Distortion

The rear of the right wing had descended into chaos. An alchemical golem was cut in half by a prismatic spell. Its heavy upper body crashed into the ruins. More than a dozen human warriors rushed past it and collided with the oncoming mana-beasts. Rowan swept his gaze across the area assigned to him. Five minutes. He needed to pick one target from this chaotic battlefield worth following for the rest of the replay. The most conspicuous was a Three-Phase fighter.

More than a dozen enemies had surrounded him in the middle of a collapsed street. Spells, weapons, and bursts of flying rubble swallowed the entire area. Rowan could only catch occasional glimpses of him. He couldn't even make out the man's weapon clearly. Farther away, a heavily armored battle beast leapt down from above. A rider carrying a long spear sat on its back. Their mana fluctuations were tightly linked. Every time the beast roared, the spear in its rider's hand lit up with it.

Farther ahead, a human squad was steadily retreating through the ruins. The warriors at the front had already fallen back near a broken wall. The mages and wounded were protected in the middle. One of the mages possessed both Water and Fire Phases. A mana-beast had just broken past the warriors ahead. The mage raised one hand. A nearly colorless stream of water-light skimmed across the ground. The mana-beast stepped into it with one forelimb. Its flesh rapidly turned white. Then began rotting away in large patches.

The creature lurched sideways. A nearby warrior seized the opening at once. His long blade cut into the side of its neck. The mana-beast crashed to the ground. A water-type attack spell. The mage didn't follow up. Instead, a warrior was dragged back from the front. His abdomen had been torn open. His breathing came fast. His body still convulsed uncontrollably. The mage turned, tossed over a bottle of medicine, then brought both hands together into a ring. Mana gathered.

Several dark-red flame motes lit up around the wound. There was no sign of burning. The wound itself didn't heal. But the convulsions gradually stopped. His breathing steadied as well. A fire-type spell. The two spells were completely independent. Their functions had nothing in common. None of the mage's spells were especially flashy. But every choice he made was sound. He switched smoothly between offense and support. Rowan was familiar with Water-Fire Dual-Phase.

He could understand most of what the mage was doing. His attention settled there. He still had half the five-minute window left. The captain of the mage's squad suddenly shouted a sharp warning. Several warriors at the front split to either side. Beyond the broken wall, a broad, low-set head emerged from behind the ruins. Gray-black armor plates covered it from the crown of its head down across its back. Its limbs were short beneath an unusually heavy frame, a thick tail dragging through the rubble behind it.

Every movement left a clear trail through the debris. A crocodilian mana-beast. It didn't immediately charge into the crowd. Openings along both sides of its jaws lit up. Several curved spell patterns closed around its mouth. The next instant, a gray-white arc shot out close to the ground. The Dual-Phase warrior at the front raised his shield. The arc slammed into it. The entire shield caved inward. Its wielder was driven several steps back. Two warriors beside him moved at once to brace him.

Only then did he regain his footing. Three-Phase. The only Three-Phase mana-beast in the rear of the right wing. It didn't cast again. Instead, the armor plates around its limbs lit up. Its massive body lunged forward with a speed that belied its size. Three Dual-Phase warriors met it head-on. The shield-bearer took the front. The other two split to either side. One swung a polearm toward the beast's eye. The crocodilian mana-beast never changed direction. Its broad head slammed straight into the shield.

The impact thundered through the ruins. The shield-bearer's arms shook violently. The ground beneath his feet shattered. The other two immediately turned and braced against his back. Three Dual-Phase warriors together— and it was still driving them back. The polearm finally came down. It left only a crack in the armor beside the beast's eye. Its thick tail whipped across. The warrior on the flank was sent flying. His body smashed through two ruined walls in succession. The beast didn't pursue him.

It opened its jaws. A second gray-white arc was already forming. Several mages in the rear attacked at once. Different spells struck its head, neck, and back. Armor plates shattered one after another. The spell still went off. The gray-white arc flashed out. This time, it severed a metal support on the flank of the human line. The support collapsed. One corner of the protective array attached to it went dark. Low-tier mana-beasts immediately poured through the gap. The squad's formation fell apart.

The Water-Fire Dual-Phase mage Rowan had chosen remained in the rear. He didn't waste his spell on the beast's intact back armor. Colorless water-light threaded through the chaotic crowd. It struck the crack beside the creature's eye. The gray-black plate rapidly lost its color. Its edges began to soften. The beast snapped that eye shut. For the first time, it hesitated. The three Dual-Phase warriors closed in again. The shield-bearer held the front. The other two attacked its forelimb and neck from opposite sides.

The beast still refused to give ground. Numbers alone weren't enough to close the gap. The patterns along its forelimbs lit again. Cracks spread across the shield. Its tail kept the other two warriors from getting close. Even with the whole squad piling on— they could only slow it down. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. They still couldn't stop its advance. Isabelle's voice came from the distance.

"Five minutes." The other five kept their eyes on their assigned areas.

"Central rear." Isabelle spoke first.

"Dual-Phase. Long-blade mage." The wide-nosed young man followed.

"Left-wing front. Dual-Phase shield-bearer." The girl with the dark-silver prosthetic never looked away.

"Left-wing rear. Single-Phase mage." Evan had chosen a Dual-Phase fighter wielding a short spear in the right-wing front. The black-thorned young man spoke last.

"Central front."

"The Three-Phase spearman." That fighter stood in one of the fiercest parts of the entire battlefield. More than a dozen people had already fallen around him. Every thrust of his spear carried a powerful shift in mana. Even from this distance— his suppression of the surrounding Dual-Phase fighters was obvious. Finally, it was Rowan's turn.

"Right-wing rear."

"Water-Fire Dual-Phase mage." Isabelle followed his gaze.

"Keep watching."

"No more changing after this." The six stopped talking. For the remaining thirty-five minutes, they had to observe their chosen targets as completely as possible. The squad in the right-wing rear had already begun to collapse. The crocodilian mana-beast had forced back two Dual-Phase fighters in succession. The shield-bearer's right arm had completely lost its strength. Another warrior's polearm had been reduced to half its length. The rear-line mages kept casting.

Yet all they could do was force the creature to pause from time to time. The Water-Fire mage stayed in the middle of the formation. Colorless water-light struck damaged areas again and again. Sometimes beside the eye. Sometimes at the forelimb joints. More of the beast's armor softened and peeled away. Its injuries kept mounting. But it still refused to fall. Whenever lower-tier mana-beasts approached from the flanks, dark-red spells fell on wounded warriors. Some regained the ability to move.

Some stopped bleeding for the time being. One man was already unconscious when they carried him back. By the time the spell faded— he was breathing again. The mage couldn't turn the battle around. All he could do was keep the squad fighting a little longer. The crocodilian mana-beast opened its mouth for the third time. A gray-white arc began forming along its jaws. The mage had already recognized the signs. Colorless water-light shot out first. It struck near one of the openings along the creature's jaw.

The spell patterns in the middle of closing flickered. The arc still fired— but veered to the side. It passed beside a Dual-Phase warrior's shoulder and cut through half a stone pillar behind him. For the first time, the beast's attention settled on the mage. It didn't charge him immediately. Instead, its thick tail slammed against the ground. Rubble and dust exploded upward. The view ahead vanished. Then— a dull tremor rolled through the ground. The shield-bearer shouted a warning.

The crocodilian mana-beast burst through the dust cloud from the other side. Two Dual-Phase warriors moved to intercept it. The first barely met the charge before both he and his weapon were hurled aside. The second managed to stab into the side of its neck. Then the tail swept in. Both went down. The Water-Fire mage retreated. Dark-red flame motes fell across his own legs. His movements, which had already begun to slow, steadied again. The beast lowered its body.

Spell patterns lit across its forelimbs and shoulders at the same time. There would be no avoiding the next charge. Just then— an arrow swept in from the side. It pierced the softened armor beside the beast's eye. Blood burst out. The creature jerked violently to one side. Its long tail swept across and forced back the arriving archer. The Water-Fire mage used the opening to create distance. Then joined a defensive line farther behind. Rowan's gaze stayed on him.

The archer had already moved in front of the crocodilian mana-beast. Another Three-Phase. The beast abandoned the retreating mage and turned toward the newcomer. The patterns along its jaws lit again. A gray-white arc flashed out. The archer slipped aside. Mana poured into the arrow resting on his bowstring, lighting its patterns in an instant. The shot buried itself in the beast's injured eye. Flesh burst apart again. For the first time— the human retreat stopped.

The crocodilian mana-beast lowered its body as the plates around its limbs lit once more. Its massive frame surged forward. The archer slipped sideways, a second arrow already on the string. At the same time, the nearby Dual-Phase warriors who could still fight closed in again. One fighter drove his broken polearm toward the beast's forelimb. Another moved in from the opposite side. Colorless water-light threaded through the crowd and struck the damaged eye again. The beast whipped its head aside.

Its long tail swept outward, forcing several people back at once. The archer had already seized the opening. The bowstring snapped twice. Two arrows punched into the side of its neck in quick succession. The beast let out a deep roar. A new set of spell patterns lit along the wound beside its eye. The bleeding rapidly slowed. A third spell. It lowered its body again. But this time— before it could charge— the archer lowered his bow with his left hand and loosely closed his right around empty air, drawing on mana.

Several earth spikes erupted from the ground ahead and to the side. The spikes forced the beast off course. The broken polearm came down immediately afterward. Colorless water-light struck its eye yet again. The crocodilian mana-beast spun around. Its thick tail sent one Dual-Phase fighter flying. But the archer had already drawn again. An arrow buried itself in the side of the beast's jaw. Its body faltered. The next instant— an earth spike erupted from below. It drove through the already damaged jaw.

Its tip burst out through the top of the creature's head. The enormous body slid forward for several meters. Then crashed into half of a broken wall. It stopped moving. Rowan watched the Water-Fire mage rejoin the fighting farther away. Dark-red spells fell on the wounded. Colorless water-light cut through approaching low-tier mana-beasts again and again. Until finally— the mage exhausted his mana. His companions escorted him away from the battlefield.

At the same time, the Three-Phase spearman in the central front was still fighting. He was clearly stronger than the Three-Phase archer who had arrived earlier. Every movement of his spear carried a different shift in mana. Sometimes the spear point had only just thrust forward— yet the actual attack had already appeared beneath an enemy's feet. Sometimes the motion looked identical, yet produced an entirely different spell. His footwork, spear, and spells were almost impossible to separate from one another.

The black-thorned young man never moved his gaze away. The forty-minute replay drew toward its end. At last, the Four-Phase clash at the center reached a conclusion. One Four-Phase fighter fell from the sky. A vast section of the city wall collapsed with him. The impact spread outward. Then every sound on the historical battlefield cut off at once. Arrows froze in midair. Spells became still. Flying dirt and rubble hung suspended in place. [Battle-history replay concluded.] The voice of the arcane custodian descended from above. [Visualize the form you preserved.] [Use the Returning Wind Sigil as your guide.] [Entrust to it what you have seen, known, and understood.] [Then guide Echo Intent into the sigil.] [Construction time limit: thirty minutes.] The battlefield beneath the observation platforms rapidly disappeared. In its place was a flat, gray-white field. Array patterns lit one after another along the edges. Gentle wind spiraled inward from every direction.

Finally, the patterns beneath their feet connected to the Returning Wind Sigils on the backs of all six hands. Rowan looked down. He quickly understood what the arcane custodian meant. They didn't have to shape the True Echo themselves. At their current tier, none of them could reconstruct a complete combatant through their own power. The Returning Wind Sigil would receive their observations and understanding of the target. The array platform beneath them would turn that understanding into physical form.

Echo Intent was what gave that form substance. The opposing team was still far away. They couldn't make out what the other side was discussing. Isabelle had already turned toward the black-thorned young man.

"The spearman."

"How much did you get?"

"I saw him and his weapon clearly." The black-thorned young man stared at the Echo Intent in his palm.

"I have a general understanding of his fighting style too." He paused.

"There were a few transitions I couldn't follow." Isabelle didn't answer immediately. The Three-Phase spearman was the strongest of the six targets they had chosen. Judging from the battle— he was also the best choice to serve as their core.

"Then start." The black-thorned young man raised his right hand. The Echo Intent in his palm flowed toward the Returning Wind Sigil. The sigil lit up. The array patterns across the gray-white field shifted with it. A blurred human figure gradually took shape. The legs came first. Then the torso and arms. A long spear gradually formed in its hands. At first, everything looked normal. The spear grew clearer. The figure settled into a spearman's stance.

"Did it work?" Then it tried to turn. Its lower body moved— but its shoulders and spear remained where they were. The black-thorned young man frowned. More Echo Intent flowed into the sigil. The figure continued taking shape. Its right arm stretched longer and longer. Its torso twisted sideways. The spear had only just begun to turn when a completely unrelated movement overlapped the first. Sweat gathered on the black-thorned young man's forehead. He held on for another moment. The distortion didn't ease.

Instead, the figure's right shoulder collapsed first. He abruptly severed his connection to the Returning Wind Sigil. The figure froze for an instant. Then the entire thing came apart. The Echo Intent that had formed the True Echo scattered into countless motes of light. They vanished without a trace. The black-thorned young man looked down at his palm. Only half a portion remained. The girl with the prosthetic leg let out a long sigh.

"That was still too much." The wide-nosed young man looked completely lost.

"What happened? Why did it fail?" Isabelle drew a breath. She didn't blame him. Instead, she looked at the others.

"Drop the Three-Phase."

"We use the Dual-Phase fighter I watched."

"And the Single-Phase mage from the left wing." She quickly redistributed the remaining Echo Intent. Two portions for the Dual-Phase fighter. One for the Single-Phase mage. They would decide how to use the remaining two and a half afterward. Isabelle clearly intended to spend all five and a half portions they had left. Rowan looked into the distance. The six people on the opposing platform had already begun. Pale-cyan light gathered steadily. They clearly hadn't wasted anything on a failed first attempt.

The young man with the scar through his eyebrow stood at the front. The woman with the long copper-red braid was beside him. The two had teamed up many times before. Even if the other four were strangers— the opposing team still had the edge when it came to coordination. If their Echo Intent was still intact and they built a conventional lineup— Rowan's side would be starting from behind.

"I have another option." Rowan spoke. Isabelle turned. The others looked at him as well.

"The rear of the right wing."

"That Three-Phase crocodilian mana-beast." Isabelle answered without hesitation.

"No." Her tone left no room for argument. They had just lost half a portion of Echo Intent. There was no room for another failed attempt.

"We couldn't even reconstruct a Three-Phase human."

"And now you want to try a mana-beast?" Rowan looked at her.

"I saw that beast clearly." The girl with the dark-silver prosthetic frowned.

"With a human, at least you have your own body as a reference."

"What about a mana-beast?" She shook her head.

"I've only seen living mana-beasts in zoos."

"Behind protective barriers, they can barely be bothered to run."

"You watched a Three-Phase mana-beast fight once, and you think you can do it?" The wide-nosed young man had still been staring at the half-portion of Echo Intent they had lost. At that— he seemed to finally find an opening.

"I thought you understood this better than I did."

"Mana-beasts aren't like the aberrant beasts outside."

"And this one's Three-Phase."

"You're dreaming." Isabelle kept her eyes on Rowan.

"How much would it take?"

"Two and a half portions." Her expression darkened completely.

"If it fails, we'll have only three left." She pointed toward the opposing team.

"You've already seen who we're up against."

"With three portions of Echo Intent, we won't even survive their first round."

"I know."

"And you're still suggesting this?" Rowan answered:"They're already strong."

"And those two have worked together plenty of times."

"We've already lost half a portion."

"We're starting from behind."

"Factor all that in. How good do you think our chances really are?" Isabelle stared at him.

"That's only your judgment."

"If we wait until the fight starts to confirm it, it'll already be too late." She pointed toward the spot where the Three-Phase figure had collapsed.

"He thought he understood his target too." The black-thorned young man said nothing. Rowan didn't look away.

"That mana-beast is different."

"How?"

"I know this kind of mana-beast." Isabelle's gaze shifted slightly.

"You've seen one like it before?"

"I've encountered similar ones in ruins." Rowan didn't explain further. The Rock-Scaled Giant Crocodile. The Mud-Jawed Crocodile. And the flesh and bones he had personally handled. He had actually fought creatures like these. How a low-slung body carried its weight. How the center of gravity shifted when the tail moved. He genuinely understood those things better than anyone else here. Isabelle fell silent for a moment. Then she said:"The risk is still too high."

"If those two and a half portions are lost—""You won't be the only one eliminated." The girl with the dark-silver prosthetic stood beside her.

"I say we build what we know we can make first." The wide-nosed young man immediately agreed.

"If this fails too, none of us will even get the chance to fight." Three people. Their positions were already clear. Evan had stayed out of the argument the entire time. Now he raised his own Echo Intent and looked toward Rowan.

"You can have mine." Isabelle sharply turned.

"Evan." He didn't stop. His portion of Echo Intent floated straight toward Rowan.

"I trust him." Rowan caught it. Two portions. Still half a portion short. Isabelle realized it as well. She turned toward the black-thorned young man. After the failed construction— only half a portion of Echo Intent remained in his palm. The field fell silent.

"What do you think?" The black-thorned young man raised his head. His gaze settled on Rowan.

"You can make it with two and a half?"

"Yes." He was silent for a moment. Then he looked down at the place where his Three-Phase True Echo had fallen apart. He raised his hand. The final half-portion of Echo Intent slowly left his palm.

"Then don't give me some defective mess." Isabelle's expression darkened at once.

"Think this through."

"I have."

"If this fails, all six of us are eliminated." The black-thorned young man looked back at her.

"Your plan doesn't guarantee a win either." Isabelle's jaw tightened.

"Mine at least gives us a chance to fight it out." The black-thorned young man didn't argue any further. His remaining half-portion of Echo Intent had already reached Rowan.

"But this is the one I want." Two and a half portions of Echo Intent gathered together. Isabelle stared at the three of them for several seconds. Her jaw remained clenched. Finally— she turned away sharply.

"We use the remaining three portions."

"Build the Dual-Phase fighter from the central rear and the Single-Phase mage from the left wing."

"Start now." The girl with the dark-silver prosthetic moved over immediately. The wide-nosed young man looked toward the shield-bearer he had spent thirty-five minutes observing. His expression wasn't good. But he didn't say anything else. Rowan guided the two and a half portions of Echo Intent toward the Returning Wind Sigil on the back of his hand. The sigil began to heat up. The forty-minute battlefield replay surfaced again in his mind. The low-slung body. The gray-black armor plates covering its back.

The thick tail sweeping through the ruins whenever it turned. And the spell patterns closing along both sides of its jaws. As Rowan guided the Echo Intent inward— the Returning Wind Sigil flared to life.