For the first time since arriving, the elderly Ascender looked genuinely astonished.
"You're not an ordinary Awakener," he muttered.
Alice didn't respond immediately, instead adjusting her grip around her hammer as her golden flames intensified.
"Well, I never said I was," Alice replied.
Vaelthorn's expression darkened upon hearing Alice's response. He had initially intended to capture the Saintess without causing too much damage, but the strength she had displayed made him realize that restraining her wouldn't be as simple as he had expected.
"Since you're so confident in your abilities, let's see how long you can maintain that attitude," he said, releasing considerably more mana than before.
The surrounding passages immediately began trembling as enormous roots emerged from the floor and walls. Unlike his previous attacks, these roots were covered in strange runes, and the mana circulating through them was powerful enough to distort the surrounding air.
