Everyone nods grimly, remaining in their positions. But even from my spot in the back I can feel the heavy energy coming from that individual. It weighs me down, and I feel my knees tremble. I cannot imagine what the people on the front lines must be feeling.
So this is the power of a level nine…
Since it’s my first time experiencing such strength in close quarters, I cannot help but marvel in awe at this feeling. Deep inside of me, my dreams of achieving such strength at some point resurface, as does the realization that I might never be able to.
I’m a lowly zero level who is not immune even to the common cold.
This… this is the pinnacle of power.
The males in formation are struggling with their positions. Their bodies tremble from the onslaught of pure energy unleashed upon them.
Elysand, too, is affected. Drops of sweat fall from his temples as he strains to keep his own position. Holding onto the artifact, he starts murmuring a string of foreign words.
What is that language…
After each word he enunciates, the artifact appears to react, flashing a bright red light. Elysand is preparing a new attack. But it’s too slow.
He’s still chanting while focusing his energy into the amulet when the Lake individual starts unleashing his power.
A chorus of pained groans erupts in the air. The males in the formation start shaking from the pure energy released by the individual. His eyes are now open, a deep blue that shines with awareness. His jaw clenches, and his body tenses. His muscles strain against the flimsy bindings until some of them start to break.
“Keep the formation!” Elysand yells.
The mid-to-high level males in the formation struggle against the heavy aura of the individual, but upon hearing Elysand’s cry, they all gather their strengths to fight.
The ones in front and behind the individual summon their powers. One of them creates a shield to impede the onslaught of power, but that is shattered in a matter of seconds. He sways from side to side but manages to maintain his position.
Another tries to launch a fire attack toward the enemy, while the ones on the sidelines use their powers to bolster the blast.
A big explosion tears through the air. Dust particles permeate the air.
I close my eyes and rub the dryness away.
But just as I think the attack succeeded, the dust clears to reveal the individual standing tall in the middle of the formation, not one scratch on his body.
So that is the power of a level nine, I keep thinking with a mix of awe and fear. With all the power of our department and we can barely touch him.
The individual growls, and a blast of pure energy emanates from him. The people in his immediate vicinity bear the brunt of the force, swaying from side to side as if a mere breeze could push them down.
Even us, a distance away, feel the effects. My body is heavy, and painful. My lungs feel as though they’re at full capacity and about to explode if I inhale once more.
“Don’t move! Bear it a bit longer,” Elysand shouts.
I gulp down against the pain. I might be on the verge of fainting from the individual’s attack, but Elysand isn’t faring much better.
His face is gaunt, the veins in his body tense and almost bursting from pressure. Sweat falls down his face and neck. But he doesn’t give up. He maintains his focus as he chants that foreign language in a low voice.
“Don’t…” Elysand’s eyes widen.
A male falls to the ground, unable to hold on. The formation breaks, and with it, the last chains holding the individual in place disappear.
He lets out a loud growl before he moves to attack the remaining people. In a flash, Elysand teleports himself there, intercepting the individual’s strength with his own. As the most powerful amongst us, he is the only one who can do anything—but even so, his level is nowhere near close to ten.
I watch with anxiety as Elysand, weakened now from the first use of the amulet, tries to keep the individual within the middle of the formation. He manifests a sword that he uses to stop the first blast of energy the individual sends toward him.
Wow…
The clash of energy explodes in the air, making it hard for everyone around to keep still in their designated positions. Strong gusts of air circulate all around us, and particles of destructive energy fly haphazardly, hitting some of the people in formation. They grunt in pain, but at Elysand’s orders, no one moves.
