Lightning struck him.
Fire curled around him.
Shadows clawed at him.
Ben's pickaxe moved fast, deflecting each attack.
BAM.
The pickaxe hit one of the flaming shadow constructs and shattered it in a burst of black fire and mana sparks.
Ben kept moving, step after step, forcing a path through the elemental chaos.
The Magus appeared behind him with a spinning kick, lightning running along his leg.
Ben ducked.
Their weapons clashed, shovel against lightning cloaked gauntlet.
Shockwaves spread through the cavern.
"Better," Ben said with a wild grin. "Now we're talking."
The Magus smirked. "You're right," he said, voice low and calm. "But playtime's over."
All this time the Magus had been learning.
Every clash, every dodge, every counter had been part of his process.
But he was not learning Ben.
He was learning how to wield the relic.
He was learning how to push its power to the limit.
His mana surged.
