The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

Rep held a defensive arm ahead of Yelsa as she fired arrows of pure energy from her Brightburst Bow, one after the other. With tiny movements, Morloch weaved around them with ease. He exuded a casual energy, like going on a pleasant stroll. Occasionally, he would have to move his arm in front of his face to redirect incoming attacks from Rep, swatting them aside effortlessly. He began to move toward Rep and Yelsa.

Zalan dragged himself across the ground, groaning with torment anytime his ankle made contact with so much as a crack in the quarry. Every foot of slow progress felt like it took all the muscles in his arm and leg's full power. As he hauled himself forward, he pulled some pebbles into his pocket, hoping to throw them at Morloch to distract him when he got close enough. Though, with the way his arms burned, he doubted he would be able to aim the small rock when throwing.

Rep redirected attacks anytime Morloch threw fire, but the other Elements proved too much for him. He was battered by pockets of sand, sprayed with water, zapped with bits of electricity and pushed back with air. Morloch was toying with him as he approached, showing how wide the gap in their power was. Zalan knew it was for anyone else still watching the battle, like himself. His former mentor wanted everyone else demoralized; to give up the fight. Zalan knew that there was nothing to do but to try. The outcome was important, but putting in effort was paramount. He would move until he died. All he had to do was touch Morloch with the Artifact and it would all be over.

Dipping out of the way of another arrow of light, Morloch was within arm's reach of Rep. Rep tried to drive a flame-imbued fist into his chest, but Morloch moved at rapid wind-induced speed, blurring behind him. Morloch had closed the gap between himself and Yelsa. She pulled on her bow, and Zalan threw light at it, enhancing the projectile to a massive degree before she let it loose. Morloch growled in frustration as it cut across his forearm. Then he brought wind down and slammed Yelsa into the ground, driving lightning into her with full force. He spun around, grabbing Rep's face and lifting him from the ground. Then, he whipped around to look at Zalan, who he only noticed because of the last-ditch attempt he made to help Yelsa.

"Surrender yourself to me, and I may let you live!" Morloch said, ignoring Rep as he flailed his feet and imbued himself in hot flame. All the fire was redirected into just avoiding Morloch.

"Do you really think I would do that?" Zalan groaned, pushing himself closer. If Morloch would grab him like he picked up the others, he would have his chance to use the Artifact.

He caught sight of something moving behind Morloch, crawling slowly and in similar pain to himself. It was Gorb, raising his shaking hand for one last attack. Zalan caught his eyes and with a single look signaled him to back off as though he had a plan.

And he did have a plan. A truly last-ditch effort. If this didn't work, he would be dead for sure.

While keeping his eyes on Morloch, he subtly pointed a thumb at his hip upward for Gorb to see. He also mouthed the word, "fly," but he had no way of knowing if Gorb could make out his lips from where he lay. It was a gamble, but he was hoping their many battles together had conditioned Gorb to understand the task.

Morloch cracked lightning in his fingers. "Speak up, boy! If you are giving up, I would like to hear it clearly! I thought you were otherworldly and would have some understanding. These people are below us. Literally," Morloch said, holding Rep's struggling form tightly. "If you do not surrender now, then you know nothing."

"You're the one that doesn't even have all the power in the realm," Zalan said, showing off his Elemental Light to try and manipulate Morloch.

Morloch scoffed.

"I am strong, but I am not greedy. My power is everything. There is nothing more I could want," Morloch claimed.

Something about Morloch's words inspired Zalan heavily. Like he knew that his plan was destined to work.

"Wouldn't you be stronger if you could turn invisible, though?" Zalan asked.

"If you could do that, you already would have—"

Zalan's entire body exploded like a flashbang. Morloch rolled his eyes in annoyance and created a helmet of sand to protect himself while casting Rep aside. Gorb understood the signal and blasted himself, Zalan and Rep high overhead, maintaining them in flight fifty feet over Morloch's head.

A second later Morloch let his sand helmet crumble to dust, looking back down where Zalan was laid ahead of him a moment ago. He blinked in surprise, then snapped his head around in shock. Spinning in a quick circle, his eyes flitted with mad paranoia. With a jut of his neck, he snapped upward, his eyes falling directly where Gorb, Zalan, and Rep were flying midair.

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Morloch turned away, having seen nothing.

"You can not be invisible!" Morloch boomed, sending out a shockwave of electricity across the quarry. "Where are you?"

"Did you discover how to do it, Zalan? Are we invisible?" Rep asked quietly, amazed.

"No, but check it out," Zalan said, presenting the circular wall of light that he held hovering just below them.

"That does not explain anything. He would see the light hovering above him," Gorb said, surprised.

"Normally yeah, but the sun is to our backs," Zalan said, grinning.

Rep and Gorb stared upward, shocked to find the sun hovering immediately behind them.

"He thinks he looked up and saw the sun," Gorb said, astonished.

"Invisibility." Rep smiled.

Morloch sent out more attacks, zapping every single outcropping of rock in the quarry, screaming with rage. The conscious of Zalan's allies cringed in fear, but none of them were directly targeted, Morloch's enraged focus on finding the "invisible" fighters. He threw all of his Elemental Powers around like whips, trying to grab on to anything. With his Rings of Range, there was no place his powers couldn't reach, swinging around like tentacles of a multi powered octopus.

"All right, send me at him. I just need to touch him with the Artifact and this is over," Zalan said confidently.

"No, Gorb, wait!" Rep said, thrusting his hand into Zalan's pocket and grabbing quickly. "Now! Send me down!"

Gorb released Rep from the air keeping him aloft, sending him dropping down on Morloch.

"Gorb, quick, send me down!" Zalan said immediately, in a full panic.

"I have already sent Rep. There is no reason to sacrifice two of my close friends today," Gorb said solemnly.

"I get it, but Rep just grabbed a pebble from my pocket," Zalan said urgently, holding up the Oculus of Annihilation. "He doesn't have an Artifact! He's gonna die if I don't get down there before him!"

Gorb's eyes went wide and he looked down just in time for Rep to realize halfway through his freefall that he was holding on to a small rock. With a grunt, Gorb blasted Zalan downward like a missile. As Zalan passed his best friend, Rep held his arm out, screaming desperately.

"Zalan no! Please, you do not need to sacrifice yourself!" Rep exclaimed.

Morloch's neck snapped up, stunned to see two bodies falling toward him, emerging from the sun. Zalan held out the Artifact ahead of him, pointing it right at Morloch's head. He was ready for them both to lose everything.

Morloch tried to move away at incredible speed, but the rope still stuck to his leg pulled tight and kept him in place. He instead raised an arm to push the falling men aside, but Zalan crashed into him first. The Oculus of Annihilation just barely brushed against the garish purple scar on Morloch's wrist before Morloch countered, smashing Zalan into the ground with the full force of his weight. Zalan screamed in agony, his ankle feeling like it was stabbed by a hundred different blades when it hit the ground. Rep came tumbling down a second later, but Morloch grabbed him midair and pinned him to the ground with a leg on his chest.

Snapping his head back up, Morloch spotted Gorb as the wall of light dissipated. With a furious grunt, Morloch shot him down with a bolt of lighting from above him. Gorb came crashing down, barely having the energy to provide enough wind so he wouldn't die when he hit the quarry.

Morloch huffed, enraged, and looked like a rabid animal. He wretched the Oculus of Annihilation from Zalan's hand.

"What is this?" he demanded. "An Artifact?"

"Tell me you did not use it," Rep said.

"I did," Zalan said.

"What does it do?" Morloch asked, kicking Zalan hard in his chest. Zalan coughed and doubled over.

Rep looked up at Morloch defiantly.

"That is the Oculus of Annihilation. If he used it on you, then you will die in moments," Rep said assuredly.

For the first time in the battle, Morloch went pale with uncertainty and fear. Patting himself up and down, Morloch ensured he was still in one piece. Then, he looked back at the Artifact he held in his hand. The dark eye of the item cracked and began disintegrating into dust. Rep gasped, horrified.

"It is degrading?" Rep asked. "But Morloch still lives! Zalan, it did not work!"

"You thought this little thing would work on an Ascended Being?" Morloch said, tossing aside the orb as it withered away. Puffing his chest, his confidence refueled him. "Whoever told you about the Artifact must have been misinformed on its abilities. You are both as naive as ever, believing whatever you are told."

Clutching his abdomen in pain, Zalan rolled over to face the ascended fighter. Confidence, anger, and determination flashed through his eyes. His fingers were fumbling together, trembling and Zalan gave a glance to his wrist.

Morloch sneered back, a manic expression in his eyes.

"I gave you the chance to surrender, and you did not take it. Now I will make you watch as I kill every single one of your companions," Morloch said contemptuously.

Zalan looked up from his arm, an outraged defiance written in his eyes.

"I'd like to see you try," Zalan spat.

Twisting his face with rage, Morloch looked down on Rep under his foot. Rep looked at Zalan in a mix of confusion and dread. Morloch raised his arm and brought it down with full force upon Rep.