The Golden Oasis shimmered under the relentless sun, its crystalline lake carrying the sweet scent of water and the faint musk of vegetation, a deceptive calm masking the danger that ruled the skies.
Scarlet-winged Kary Vultures circled above, their cries piercing the stillness, their talons glinting with predatory intent.
Leylin stood at the oasis's edge, his dark robes fluttering, his yellow, vertical-slit eyes scanning the horizon.
"Come forth!"
Leylin crossed his arms before his chest, his posture relaxed yet commanding, as he unleashed his summons toward the flock of Kary Vultures.
The air shimmered as the three spectral Magi materialized—the stone-skinned large bloke, his body like boulders, and the two grey-misted silent Magi, their forms wraith-like, eyes glowing with malice.
The black Horrall Snake coiled beside them, its obsidian scales gleaming, its horn crackling with latent thunder.
Without hesitation, the summons charged into the vultures' territory, their movements relentless, uncaring of the wounds they'd sustain.
The large bloke's summon smashed through a vulture, its scarlet feathers scattering, bones crunching under the impact.
The silent Magi's wraiths wove through the flock, fire bolts erupting from their hands, searing flesh and dropping vultures in droves.
The black Horrall Snake lunged, its fangs tearing through wings, its tail lashing, sending bodies spiraling to the sand.
The vultures, provoked by the ambush, retaliated with eerie coordination. Their scarlet wings beat in unison, their talons slashing as they dove, aiming for the summons' flickering forms.
Dozens swooped in tight formations, their bald, tumor-ridden heads pulsing as they struck, claws raking spectral flesh. The summons pressed on, heedless of gashes and torn mist, their attacks frenzied.
The large bloke's summon crushed a vulture's skull with a single blow, while the silent Magi's magi arrow bolts pierced through multiple targets, the air thick with the stench of charred feathers and blood. The snake's thunder horn flashed, arcs of lightning frying vultures mid-flight, their bodies plummeting to the oasis's edge, the water rippling with their impact.
Leylin's gaze lifted to the sky, where dark figures loomed on the far horizon. The shadows of the Vulture King and its flock emerged, their wings blotting out the sun, a storm of scarlet and rage.
The King's massive form dominated, its wingspan dwarfing the others, its bald head grotesque with a pulsing tumor. Violent energy waves radiated from it, a palpable fury that shook the air, its snarls echoing across the oasis.
'This Kary Vulture King has realized its racial talents. The tumour like muscle on its head can be used to emit sound wave attacks, and it can be amplified by the flock. I must deal with the flock before targeting the King.' Leylin thought while observing the battle before him.
"Ga Ga!" The Vulture King's cry was a thunderous bellow, its rage palpable as it led the flock, its energy waves rippling outward. It vented its frustration at the slaughter of its kin, the weaker vultures falling under the summons' relentless onslaught.
[From the energy waves radiated, target's Vitality is over 20, Strength estimated to be 17-19. Concrete data is unknown!]
The A.I. Chip's warning flashed in Leylin's mind, noting the King's official Magus-level power, its defensive force field blocking precise scans.
Creatures like this, with immense strength, vitality, and innate spells, were formidable, their presence a challenge even for Leylin's cunning.
The Vulture King dove, its talons slashing at the large bloke's summon, tearing spectral stone, while the surrounding vultures attacked feverishly, their coordinated strikes rending the summons' forms.
The oasis became a battlefield, sand and feathers swirling, the lake's edge stained with blood.
Leylin raised his hand, his fingers tracing a dark arc, as he activated Soulbound Devourer. A shadowy vortex swirled above the fallen vultures, their corpses littering the sand, feathers scorched and bodies broken. Tendrils of darkness coiled around their fading essences, wrenching souls free in shimmering wisps.
The air grew cold, a faint wail echoing as Leylin absorbed the vultures' souls, his body thrumming with stolen power.
[Beep! Level 2 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.02, Agility by 0.01, Vitality by 0.01, Spiritual Force by 0.009.]
[Beep! Level 2 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.02, Agility by 0.01, Vitality by 0.01, Spiritual Force by 0.009.]
[Beep! Level 3 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.03, Agility by 0.02, Vitality by 0.02, Spiritual Force by 0.015.]
[Beep! Level 2 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.02, Agility by 0.01, Vitality by 0.01, Spiritual Force by 0.009.]
[Beep! Level 3 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.03, Agility by 0.02, Vitality by 0.02, Spiritual Force by 0.015.]
[Beep! Level 2 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.02, Agility by 0.01, Vitality by 0.01, Spiritual Force by 0.009.]
The Chip's updates rolled in, each soul fueling Leylin's growth, his eyes narrowing with clinical satisfaction as he tallied the gains, the oasis's carnage a banquet for his growth.
"Shadow Spikes!" Leylin's voice was sharp, laced with cold command as he spread his hands. A wave of tremendous magical power erupted, shadows writhing as spikes burst forth, impaling a dozen Kary Vultures instantly, their screeches fading into gurgles, bodies pinned to the sand.
"Ga Ga!" The surviving vultures' cries were furious, their tumor-like muscles swelling, glowing a bright red before exploding in a violent burst.
A piercing Ting! reverberated, the sound wave from the vultures' tumors amplifying as the flock vibrated in unison, their bald heads pulsing.
The sonic assault hammered Leylin's skull, a relentless pressure, but his soul attribute and robust physical stats shrugged it off, his expression unmoved, the disturbance a mere annoyance.
The four summons, however, faltered, their spectral forms turning translucent, flickering under the sound's agitation.
The vultures' combined attack, potent enough to rattle weaker Magi, grew deadlier as the flock amplified it, their coordinated screeches shaking the air, ripples forming on the lake's surface.
Leylin retreated, his hands tracing a new spell as he activated Latent Firewall, amplified by his 37% Darkness Elemental Essence Conversion.
Though his primary element was Darkness, the boost enhanced his fire spell as well, along with his Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline's affinity for fire made it devastating.
Black fireballs materialized, their surfaces roiling with dark flames, and struck a vulture mid-flight, its prey still clutched in its talons. Bang! The vulture and its quarry vanished into ashes, the flames consuming them silently.
The fireballs soared upward, unrelenting, incinerating more vultures, their bodies crumbling into embers that drifted across the oasis, the air thick with the scent of charred flesh.
"Black Horrall Snake!" Leylin's command was a low growl, his voice steady as he summoned the snake again. It coiled and leapt, its horn unleashing a thunderous arc that fried vultures mid-air, their bodies twitching as they fell.
The three Magi summons, ignoring their flickering forms, joined the fray, their shadow bolts and stone fists tearing through the flock.
The summons' relentless assault decimated the vultures, but the sonic attack took its toll, their forms dissolving into mist, destroyed once more.
Leylin's gaze swept the flock, now halved in strength, their numbers dwindling under his summons' wrath. He activated Soulbound Devourer again, shadow tendrils harvesting more souls, the Chip's updates flashing:
[Beep! Level 3 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.03, Agility by 0.02, Vitality by 0.02, Spiritual Force by 0.015.]
[Beep! Level 2 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.02, Agility by 0.01, Vitality by 0.01, Spiritual Force by 0.009.]
[Beep! Level 3 Acolyte Kary Vulture devoured. Strength increased by 0.03, Agility by 0.02, Vitality by 0.02, Spiritual Force by 0.015.]
The Vulture King, enraged, broke from the flock, its massive wings beating as it dove toward Leylin, its talons gleaming, its cry a deafening roar. Leylin sidestepped, his movements fluid, his Kemoyin Scales shimmering faintly as he deflected a glancing blow, the sand exploding where he'd stood.
He waved his hands, summoning the four again, their forms coalescing anew, as strong as ever, their silent presence a testament to his power.
"Let's keep rolling," Leylin muttered, his voice tinged with anticipation as he drew several potions from his pouch, their vials glinting with volatile hues. With the King isolated, the flock was vulnerable.
He hurled the potions, his voice a sharp incantation, "Ignis Mortis!" The vials shattered, unleashing a colossal explosion, black smoke billowing into the sky, laced with colorful powders, explosive and conflagratory concoctions Leylin had crafted for maximum devastation.
The blaze engulfed the vultures, their screeches turning to wails as they burned, wings faltering, bodies collapsing into the inferno.
"Ga Ga!" The Vulture King's cry was a raw bellow of rage, its eyes blazing as it watched its flock struggle in the flames, its massive form trembling with fury.