Chapter 182 - Powerful Segast

"Kill them!" Kadyn shouted as he jumped down off the back of Jeeran with his companions. Everyone on the battlefield was stunned briefly. It was indeed just a brief moment. They again engaged in life and death struggles, fighting even harder.

Hayla looked at Kadyn's group and a smile appeared on her face. "I didn't help him in vain, after all."

Kadyn's shop became famous in such a short time, it was all thanks to her. She had used her sources to spread the positive reviews regarding his shop. Though before doing that she had used the artifacts and potions by herself, making sure not to trust Kadyn blindly.

"Boom!"

Hayla starred in the distance and found a rank 3 enemy mage, racking havoc among the empire's army. She dashed towards him with her long wand in her hand, as she smashed whoever came to block her path.

Kadyn, on the other hand, arrived where the emperor was lying and looked at his body that was covered in blood, healers trying to patch his wounds that would burst open from inside every time. "Stay back!" one of the guards surrounding the emperor shouted towards Kadyn.

"He is with us," the Left Minister said from behind the guard. Then walked towards Kadyn.

"He is poisoned?" Kadyn asked.

"How do you…?"

"Even someone stupid would be able to tell that much, looking at his condition," Kadyn said. "I don't think their spells would work until they remove the poison from his body."

"Do you have any solution?" asked the Left Minister.

"If the poison is below rank 4, I can help him remove it."

If it was before he became rank 3 mage—or before he updated the shop—he might not have been able to help the emperor. However, after reaching Creation Rank, he could concoct rank 3 poisons. Who could compare to the poisons inside the shop's library? Leader of Poisons Hall or not. 

Similarly, he could find a solution to deal with all the rank 3 poisons.

"Please, help him," said the Left Minister.

"We have to take the emperor to my shop. I need to brew some kind of special… um, potions." Then he looked towards the sky where Jeeran was gliding, a mage hanging in his sharp claws. "Jeeran!" he shouted.

The beast gulped the hanging man and swiftly landed near Kadyn. Kadyn looked at the Left Minister and said, "Hope on it and take the emperor to my shop."

"What about you?" asked the man.

"Don't worry about me. I will be there before you," Kadyn said. He looked at the ongoing battle and said. "But before that I need to end this shit. Go!"

The Left Minister didn't ask any more questions. He climbed the back of the beast together with the half-unconscious emperor and the healers. As Jeeran spread its wings, Kadyn turned his attention towards Segast who was playing with Xod, Oswyn and Eugan. "It seems my guess was wrong." Then he grinned and dashed towards the man. "No matter what. Let's experience the strength of the peak rank 3 mages."

[8 minutes before]

"Earth Golem!" Oswyn shouted. The soil started to mould all around him and in no time it took the form of a colossal golem. "Crush the bastard!" he commanded.

The giant complied with his master's command and punched Segast. The man, however, just grinned and waved his hand. His entire body turned into water and then splashed on the golem. The golem tumbled around like a dolt and then its body started to melt, turning into mud.

"Fuck, he is using his water element to overcome my earth element," Oswyn said, gritting his teeth indignantly.

"Let me do it," Eugan took a step forward and the fire started to burn all over his body. This spell was the counterpart of the spell that Segast used against the golem just now. Turning into a fire-human.

"Let's do it together," Xod interrupted. "You are fire mage while he is water. You couldn't win against him when he was at your level. What made you think that you could win now?"

"I—"

"Let's attack together!" Oswyn said, as he formed another golem. Xod nodded and then touched the nearby tree. As soon as he did, the tree started to wave its branches like tentacles and then it pulled its roots out of the soil. Xod touched another and another and another. In just two breaths, five trees were standing behind him. Xod turned pale. 

"My limit was four, now I can awaken five, hehe," but his face contained a rare smile. "Though Awakened Trees are a minor-level lower than me. But they could still crush the high rank 3 mage."

[Author Note: Minor levels are low, intermediate, high and peak.]

"Humph, futile struggle," Segast reformed into his physical form and snorted. However, his expression had turned graver—if anyone could hurt him that was Xod. Wood element was the nemesis of water. 

The water attacks that were deadly against Oswyn and Eugan might help Xod to recover his strength. Xod and his Awakened Trees could use water to heal themselves. Every element had its pros and cons, wood elements had its own prose.

"Attack!'' The trio surrounded him and attacked. Segast paid no attention to Oswyn and Eugan and dashed towards Xod. Immediately, afterwards, his skin shone and a blue layer formed over his body. 

"Divine Whale Conversion." As he shouted an image of the whale appeared behind him and then merged inside his body. Segast directly punched the stem of one Awakened Tree and then did the same to another. The punch shattered the trees into two parts. The scene shocked the trio beyond their beliefs.

"Surprised?" Segast grinned. "It is the spell Bone Spear Tower has given me. It can convert Mana into physical strength. The strength that could rival the strength of the whale."

"So what?" Xod said. "How long can you maintain that form?"

"How many trees can you awaken?" Segast grinned at his former companion. "One more thing: though there is a limit for how long I can maintain this spell. I won't feel weak after the effect ends.. The mana that has been converted into physical strength can once again turn into its former form."