Chương 88: Gunnar the Absorber

"Who are you?" Xia asked, staring at the elderly mage standing before them. The old man offered a calm, almost friendly smile.

"A humble servant of the Seer Aelira. My name is Gunnar the Absorber".

"And why would the Seer Aelira want the legendary swords?" Xia pressed, refusing to lower her guard.

"Does she intend to wish for victory in the war and proclaim herself queen?" Gunnar slowly shook his head, as though amused by the question.

"Oh, no. Aelira doesn't believe in that foolish legend. The swords don't grant wishes. Each of them possesses a unique power, and those powers, if used properly, can turn the tide of any conflict". Xia fell silent for a moment.

"And how did you know we had them?"

"Some time ago, you fought the Seer's son, Baldovino the Giantling. He gave me a rather vague description of you, so I began searching. I spent months following every possible lead…until I sensed the swords' aura". The smile vanished from his face. His eyes suddenly turned icy.

"But enough talking". Gunnar stretched both hands toward Xia. The ground exploded. Black stakes, resembling gigantic living spears, burst from beneath the earth with terrifying force. They pierced the mage's body in multiple places, impaling her limbs, torso, and finally her head. One drove through her temple. Another pierced beneath her chin, completely immobilizing her. Xia let out a muffled scream of agony. Instinctively, she struggled to free herself, straining every muscle in her body, but it was useless.

She couldn't move so much as a finger.

"What are these stakes?" she gasped.

"Absorption Stakes". Gunnar's voice remained calm.

"They slowly drain your magical energy until nothing remains but bones". Felicity tightened her grip on the hilts of her swords. Without wasting another second, she charged. With a swift motion, she summoned a massive tornado that crashed toward the mage. Gunnar merely raised his right hand. The vortex was sucked into the palm of his hand as if it were nothing more than a passing gust of wind. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

With his left hand, he immediately hurled it back at its owner. Felicity reacted instantly, conjuring a second tornado. The two vortices collided head-on. The impact unleashed a violent blast of air that hurled debris, dirt, and splintered wood in every direction. Invisible wind blades tore through Felicity and Leah. Both of them suffered countless shallow cuts across their arms, legs and faces. Not far away, Ethan glanced at Agnes.

"See that tree with the split trunk?" he whispered. She followed his gaze.

"Yeah. So?"

"Hide there. Now". Agnes shot him an annoyed look.

"I already told you I don't want to be protected by-".

"Please". Ethan's voice trembled ever so slightly. Agnes stood motionless for a few seconds. She met his eyes, and behind his attempt to remain calm, she saw the panic he was desperately trying to suppress. Without another word, she nodded and ran toward the tree. Meanwhile, Xia continued struggling against the Absorption Stakes. Every effort was futile.

"I've never seen magic like this before…" she muttered, her breathing growing increasingly labored.

"I already feel exhausted. Any ordinary low-ranking mage would be dead by now". Gunnar teleported in front of Felicity. The movement was so fast that he seemed to vanish from reality itself. Before she could even react, the mage extended one hand. A massive shockwave erupted from his palm. Felicity was struck head-on. She didn't even have time to raise her guard. Her body was hurled backward, crashing violently into the trunk of a tree. A searing pain shot through her back. Her vision immediately began to blur.

Her head spun harder and harder. She tried to stand. She couldn't. Her legs gave out. The world faded into darkness as she lost consciousness and collapsed heavily onto the ground.

"You bastard!" Leah shouted. She lunged forward. Her blades unleashed a rapid succession of precise slashes aimed at the mage's vital points. Gunnar conjured a transparent barrier. Every strike bounced off it with a sharp crack. It was like striking an invisible wall. Leah accelerated her attacks even further. Pointless. The barrier remained perfectly still. Gunnar watched her with complete indifference. Then he threw a single kick. It struck Leah squarely in the stomach.

The force of the impact launched her dozens of meters away. Her body skidded across the ground, dragged over rocks and tangled roots. When she finally came to a stop, she was covered in blood. The many cuts she had suffered during the tornado's explosion had split open even further. With tremendous effort, she somehow managed to get back to her feet. Gripping her sword with both hands, she returned to a fighting stance.

"You really don't know when to give up, human". Gunnar's voice dripped with contempt.

"Too bad, by the Seer Aelira's orders, I can't kill you. Not even the little fish". An instant later, he disappeared again. He teleported just inches away from Leah. She didn't even see him appear. A swift, precise elbow slammed into her liver. The air exploded from her lungs. She spat blood and saliva. Her eyes rolled back. She lost consciousness instantly and crumpled to the ground. Still pinned by the Absorption Stakes, Xia watched the scene from the corner of her eye.

She could feel her strength slowly slipping away.

"Why don't you want to kill us?" she asked.

"You only need the swords…don't you?" Gunnar slowly approached her.

"The Seer Aelira considers you an extraordinary mage". He paused briefly.

"Almost her equal". Xia remained silent.

"She doesn't merely want the swords".

"She wants your powers as well". The mage looked her straight in the eyes.

"She knows, however, that you would never cooperate willingly". A cold smile spread across his face.

"So we'll use blackmail", He leaned slightly closer.

"Either you join us or I'll kill every single human here". For a brief moment, silence fell over the clearing. Then, without warning, a violent explosion of flames erupted behind Gunnar. The heat swept across the entire clearing. The mage spun around and immediately raised a barrier. The flames crashed against it, bathing the forest in an orange glow. As the fire slowly began to fade, a figure emerged from the blaze. Ethan. He gripped the Legendary Sword of Fire firmly in his hands. His eyes were locked on Gunnar.

There wasn't a trace of hesitation in his gaze. Only unwavering determination. Gunnar studied the weapon carefully.

"The Legendary Sword of Fire…" he murmured, his mind already calculating his next move.