Chapter 47 - After fighting for so long, what are your achievements?
The world around them changed abruptly in the next instant.
The deafening roar of thunder and lightning swept through like a storm, instantly silencing all other noises like monster roars, shattering rocks, and exploding flames, dominating the entire sound field like a tyrant.
A deep blue light enveloped Noah.
Unlike the lightning Riveria had ever seen, this dark blue arc of electricity neither exploded violently nor made any noise. Its quiet surging even had a translucent beauty.
However, her keen intuition about magic was issuing a warning as loud as a great bell. Even though they were hundreds of meters apart, Ais and Riveria felt a strong sense of oppression and suffocation.
In the darkness, a sudden flash of lightning rose from Noah's body, and dense magic burned like flames. His short silver hair was blown about, while a dazzling golden light shimmered, creating a magnificent spectacle.
In the distance, Riveria, with the eyesight of a first-class adventurer, could see more details: a mere arc of dark, shimmering lightning, as thin as a hair, swept across and completely obliterated a stone pillar beside Noah. Apart from the brief burst of light, the entire process was quiet.
The destructive power of this magic is terrifying.
As Riveria marveled inwardly, she saw Noah adjust his posture, lean forward slightly, and then...
"Boom!"
Riveria couldn't fully grasp what had happened; she only saw a flash of light, and then Noah's figure disappeared. Immediately afterward, the rock slab he had been standing on shattered as if struck by an earth dragon. The collapse and cracks spread outwards, covering almost a third of the cavern floor.
Looking at the monster horde again, Riveria caught a glimpse of lightning streaking across the scene, barely discernible as a humanoid shape. Without any visible movement, as if a wisp of smoke was being blown by a breeze, the lightning arcs surrounding Noah were only slightly disturbed, and the large group of monsters affected by them exploded and shattered in an instant.
No, it wasn't just monsters. Around Noah, everything affected by the arc...rocks, walls, crystals, pillars was shattered, annihilated, and dissolved.
Thunder roared, and explosive arcs of electricity eroded the area. Bathed in lightning, Noah traversed the monsters. Although they had been unable to withstand his rapid attacks before, they were not oblivious to this degree, where death came without them even realizing it.
Not just the monsters, everything in Noah's field of vision slowed down. The electric arc surged around him like a swimming fish, flying debris drifted slowly, and even the expanding air currents that distorted the light could be discerned.
Perhaps it wasn't that things were slowing down, but that he himself was speeding up. Both physical actions and conscious reactions were enhanced by magic, operating at three to four times their normal speed. In this light and clear world, Noah felt as if the constraints of gravity had disappeared, and his body was about to be assimilated by the lightning.
Noah didn't even need to swing his sword; he could simply walk past the monsters, and the shockwaves containing electric arcs would annihilate them, triggering violent explosions. Occasionally, Noah would casually unleash a slash. As the electric arc sword energy tore through the void, it expanded a hundredfold in an instant, illuminating the cave like a mini sun. Even so, its power remained undiminished. It not only destroyed everything in its path but also blasted the rock walls apart, revealing other caves even deeper behind.
All Noah could say about this feeling was: it was amazing. So this is what it means to crush an enemy head-on?
If it weren't for the fear of damaging his image, Noah would have loved to let out an excited kid like scream.
As the battle, or rather, the one-sided slaughter, continued, the scene inside the cave quickly changed. Along Noah's path, rocks turned into lava, and countless electric sparks burst in the air. The heated, expanding air created an astonishing wind pressure, sweeping through the narrow caverns with endless howls. The powerful shockwave spread along the ground, creating a violent tremor like an earthquake, and a large amount of debris fell from above.
After wiping out the last dozen or so monsters, Noah stopped and dispelled the lightning magic. Breathing in the scorching air, thick with an acrid smell, he looked up, staring blankly at the scene. Perhaps it was the return of gravity and the mental fatigue that made him dizzy.
The originally dark, damp, gray white cave had now become black. From the floor to the walls and up to the ceiling, countless irregular crystals were embedded within.
Such destructive power... truly worthy of me.
Noah sheathed his sword and walked toward Riveria and Ais, who were on a high platform in the distance. Even as Noah stood in front of them, they maintained a blank, dazed expression, staring at him. Riveria was a little better; she just seemed lost in thought. Ais, however, had her small mouth open, her tongue and teeth vaguely visible.
She looks a little like a hamster. Noah mentally pictured Ais in a hamster suit, then raised his hand and closed the little girl's chin. "With your mouth open so wide, aren't you afraid of swallowing dust?"
Startled, Ais quickly covered her mouth, her face flushed as she lowered her head. After a long while, she timidly raised her head. Her golden eyes, looking at Noah, seemed as if starlight was twinkling. "Noah, you're amazing."
Faced with such praise, Noah naturally raised his head. "That's right, I think I'm amazing too! I'm practically the number one swordsman in Orario!"
This utterly unhumble attitude was met with a retort from a clear, melodious voice as cool as a spring. "So, may I ask, Sir Number One Swordsman of Orario, after fighting for so long, what are your achievements?"
"Um?"
Meeting Riveria's pure, unadulterated emerald eyes, Noah realized the problem and blinked.
Yes, what are the chances of those magic stones and drop items surviving a magic spell that can destroy an entire cave? Could they have all been destroyed?
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