Chapter 131: Life in the Crystal (5000 words)
Alka directly threw a blue gradient card into the house.
A milky white Holy Flame shot from Chadite's hand, igniting on Alka.
The Holy Flame's special effect quickly warmed Alka. The divine elements and the essence of fire swiftly dispelled the Coldness, even the Frost that had formed on his skin. This restored Alka to normal.
Once recovered, he quickly retreated to his companions' side.
However, apart from a fleeting, ghostly green flame, there was no sign of any Evil Spirit within the building. It was as if the flames they had just seen and the attack they had suffered were mere phantoms, perceptible only by touch.
Clearly, their enemy was employing Invisibility.
This was the first time Alka had encountered an Evil Spirit capable of ambushing. Given the unique nature of Evil Spirits, defending against such surprise attacks was incredibly difficult. It was, one might say, impossible to guard against.
However, due to their warped souls, these Evil Spirits rarely possessed completely sound minds. One couldn't expect such already frenzied enemies to resort to stealthy attacks. The ability to turn invisible while charging in to attack already indicated a high level of cunning.
"These damn Evil Spirits just love their sneaky tricks!" Pororo cursed, scanning the surroundings but finding no trace of the enemy.
He particularly detested the Evil Spirits' Invisibility. Unless they engaged him in close combat, he found it incredibly difficult to track them. Every time, the enemy would already be upon him, sometimes even landing a blow, before he could perceive them and react. This meant he always had to endure a hit or two before he could finally catch the enemy, which left him extremely frustrated.
"By the stairs!"
Hearing Lucilia's words, Alka immediately relayed the Evil Spirit's location to the other two.
Another Blue Card shot out, followed swiftly by Pororo's blue Water Blade.
The Blue Card flew out, tracing an arc to the target location before exploding. Upon detonation, water-blue Water Chains shot out, binding the invisible Evil Spirit. As it was bound, the Evil Spirit's form materialized, only to be met by the Water Blade slicing through its body, cutting it diagonally.
The Water Blade also severed two of the Water Chains. The bisected Evil Spirit shrieked in agony but was not destroyed, displaying remarkable resilience. Previously encountered Evil Spirits would have been instantly killed by such an attack. This one, however, broke free from the remaining Water Chains and vanished into thin air.
"Alka, watch out! There's another one to your left!"
Hearing Lucilia's warning, Alka immediately relayed the information to his companions, then sidestepped to his right, creating a safe distance.
The Blue Card he had thrown earlier happened to be near where this new Evil Spirit suddenly appeared. Under Alka's mental command, the card exploded, sending identical water-blue Water Chains lancing through the air. However, due to the greater distance this time, only three of the five Water Chains struck the enemy; the other two were clearly dodged.
As the enemy's form was revealed, Chadite stomped her foot, launching herself forward like a silver bullet. Her five fingers were clenched into a fist, aimed directly at the Evil Spirit. She, too, knew that Lucilia could see the enemy's movements. Therefore, with two enemies present, she had to engage one first, allowing Alka to maintain an overview of the battlefield and provide positional information.
Inside a building like this, Alka's more powerful attacks couldn't be used to their full potential. However, his other abilities were not hindered. It couldn't be helped; dealing with an invisible enemy was just that exasperating.
Fortunately, although Chadite had only recently advanced to the Two Spirals realm, the power she wielded had a suppressive effect on these ordinary Evil Spirits. The bandages on her fist, imbued with Holy Light, slammed into the Evil Spirit like a searing brand. A faint sizzling sound was heard as wisps of green smoke curled up from the point of impact.
Alka materialized another card in his hand but hesitated for a moment instead of throwing it immediately. The Red Card in his hand transformed into a Blue Card, which he then threw.
"Pororo, under the chandelier to your left!"
Upon hearing Alka's call, Pororo acted immediately. Although he saw nothing, a torrent of water surged from beneath his feet. The Blue Card arrived first, tracing a curve before exploding. This close-range detonation ensured all its Water Chains thoroughly bound the enemy.
Because the battle was indoors, Alka dared not use a Red Card. Its powerful flames could easily set the entire house ablaze and potentially injure his teammates. That would be counterproductive. As for silver cards, their effect on these Spiritual Body creatures was extremely limited.
The surging water made Pororo's movements appear like teleportation, allowing him to instantly arrive beside the Evil Spirit. His massive form stood before the Evil Spirit, his huge hands gripping it firmly. Pororo's enormous jaws gaped open, his sharp teeth suffused with a crimson glow. Frost continually crept up his hands. The Evil Spirit's body emitted damaging Energy that seared him, but this didn't affect his mouth.
With a savage bite, the enemy was severed at the chest.
The Evil Spirit's soul dissipated into dark green smoke.