Infinite Mana In The Oasis

Blitz Storm!

Eren's body became one with the lightning as he unleashed a torrent of destruction upon his foes.

Streaks of destructive energy buffeted the dire tigers. He also executed his Venti Ball once again to create a stormy wall around himself and prevent the beasts from escaping.

As a result, the beasts' bodies tossed and turned in the tumultuous maelstrom as they were being electrocuted. He added his fire-element spells in the mix, and the flames danced within the vortex, searing the beasts with relentless fury.

But the dire tigers, though battered, refused to yield. Their roars echoed through the forest, a testament to their wild spirit. With renewed determination, they launched a final assault, claws slashing through the tempest in a desperate bid for survival.

Eren, battered and weary, stood firm. His grip on his weapons and spells remained resolute, and as the dire tigers lunged toward him, he channeled the last of his strength into a final spell.

Igni Breath!

A gout of fire erupted from Eren's mouth, fueled by the compressed power of the wind element he had manifested using his wind-element spells, using them for support. The searing flames engulfed the dire tigers, their ferocious roars silenced by the inferno. The battle had reached its climax, and Eren emerged as the victor.

As the smoke cleared, Eren stood amidst the scorched remains of his enemies. The forest, once a tranquil sanctuary, now bore the scars of the fierce battle that had unfolded within its depths. Eren took a moment to catch his breath, the weight of his triumph sinking in.

But the Last Spider knew that his mission and his training were not over. That he shouldn't stop after doing the bare minimum. The Ironhaven Forest held more challenges and more dangers that awaited him. With a steely resolve, Eren pressed forward, his white hair billowing in the wind, his blue eyes gleaming with determination.

***

Ultimately, Eren found himself relying on his trusty Hex gear to handle the remaining dire tigers. Aleph maintained a subtle pressure on Eren's mana circuits, making it challenging for him to fully experience the ease of casting spells. However, the Hex amplification of his spells allowed Eren to overpower his adversaries. With the added protection of his Bear's Creed gear, his defenses were impenetrable, sparing him from any major injuries he had endured earlier in the day.

By his own hand, Eren had vanquished a total of ten formidable mana beasts since the morning. As the clock struck 3 PM, the designated time for his rendezvous with Sofiya drew near. With his final opponent defeated, Eren decided to conclude his venture and make his way to the predetermined meeting spot in the depths of the Ironhaven forest, where he and Sofiya had agreed to regroup.

As Eren prepared to depart the area, ready to utilize his swift movement spell, a distinct presence caught his attention. Intuition prickled at the back of his mind, compelling him to halt and face the source drawing nearer.

"Why is this woman approaching me with such fervor?" Eren pondered, observing her relentless advance aided by her own mastery of movement spells. "Surely, my charm hasn't reached such heights to elicit such a response," he mused, amusement dancing in his eyes as he chuckled at his own jest.

However, a disquieting realization settled in. The woman's unyielding determination betrayed her lack of interest in Eren's appearance or charisma. Her full-speed charge, broadsword firmly gripped, revealed a deeper motive beyond superficial attraction.

Eren's countenance shifted, his features adopting a more somber expression. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, he swiftly drew his dual axes, poised to defend himself against this unfamiliar, agitated woman who seemed to harbor emotions of distress and turmoil. Oblivious to his identity, she spared no glance in his direction, fixated solely on her own turbulent path.

Swoosh. Zoom. Clash.

Eren seamlessly intercepted the woman's head-on charge, his dual axes expertly meeting the fiery dance of her red-flamed broadsword. Engrossed in combat, Eren abandoned any notion of dialogue, understanding that the woman sought confrontation, not conversation.

"If it's a fight she desires, then a fight she shall receive," Eren resolved within himself, his piercing blue eyes gleaming with determination. In a fluid motion, he deflected the woman's broadsword swing with his left broadaxe, narrowly avoiding a perilous scrape along his arm. As he spun, his grip tightened around his right axe, launching a swift counterattack aimed at her vulnerable back left thigh.

However, just as Eren's axe neared its mark, the woman's form was engulfed in a fiery shroud of crimson flames. Although his axe managed to graze her white, rugged pants, her supple skin remained unscathed, fortified by the protective barrier of the intensified flames.

'Hm? Intent-based magic? And what is this? She… she isn't a Ranker.'

Surprise gripped Eren as he realized that the woman possessed a distinct mana signature, unlike that of a Ranker. Intent-based magic emanated from her being effortless, catching him off guard. This revelation unveiled a new layer to her abilities, far beyond what he had initially anticipated.

"Bastard! Hand over my little brother," the woman seethed, her eyes a potent mix of unyielding ferocity and underlying worry, on the verge of tears. At that moment, Eren grasped the truth—a case of mistaken identity.

Before the woman could unleash her peculiar spells and escalate the battle further, Eren boldly stepped forward, breaching her personal space. It was a move she hadn't anticipated. Swiftly, he relinquished his grip on his axes, firmly clasping her broadaxe-wielding arm with his left hand. With a firm pull, he drew her closer, executing an action that left her momentarily stunned.

Slap!

In a swift, decisive motion, Eren's right hand connected with the woman's supple, rosy cheek in a resounding slap, leaving an unmistakable handprint behind. The force of the blow jarred her senses, freezing her in astonishment at Eren's unorthodox approach.

"Calm the fuck down," Eren's authoritative tone pierced through the air, compelling the woman to momentarily suspend her actions, caught off guard by his unconventional method of defusing the situation.