Chapter 18

Hesitant, the creatures watched the growing fireball slowly ascending into the sky. Its flames intensified as it moved away from the ground, melting all the snow around it.

Their paws scraped the ground, carrying the little snow that had already gathered back in place, and then a step back was instinctively and synchronously taken. All the wolves were preparing to flee from a possible attack.

As it reached dozens of meters off the ground, the fireball compressed and then expanded its size several times.

Simultaneous jumps were made. The wolves backed away immediately. However, the wendigos weren't as fast and ended up lagging behind, under the grand fireball that kept increasing in size; a small sun amidst the night darkness.

"Hmm... I knew I'd spend a lot of mana, but... I didn't imagine it would be this much."

Some of the creatures who couldn't flee in time raised their arms in an attempt to defend themselves from the imminent attack. However... it didn't happen.

"Alright, I guess that's enough. If I overdo it, I'll end up running out of mana to use again later."

The expansion of the fireball began to slow down. The creatures looked on, curious yet hesitant and distant.

"It's nothing compared to the original, but it's more than enough." some of her bones cracked as she stretched, especially those in her legs. "Now, what are you going to do without your main advantage?"

The fireball glowed in the sky, illuminating the entire battlefield and removing the last problem Elizabeth had been facing until then. However, all that glitters is not gold, and this choice brought consequences for Elizabeth reminiscent of her previous problem of mana shortage.

The amount of mana she spends using the "second skin" of fire is practically superfluous, not representing a "real" mana expenditure. After all, the amount of mana she can absorb from the environment almost automatically is naturally greater than that spent maintaining the heat barrier itself.

However, the situation with that fireball is different. The amount of mana spent to create it is incomparably greater, almost a bit less than the exorbitant expenditure she had to maintain the pure mana barrier around her body initially.

However, fortunately, the amount of mana spent to maintain the fireball is not as great as that used initially to create it and, if managed well, not ending up in a situation similar to what she was facing a little while ago, Elizabeth won't face major problems.

But that doesn't mean she could simply attack using the smaller fireballs as she normally does. With little mana available, a different approach will need to be implemented.

"Since that's how it is... If you won't come to me..."

Dragging her feet through the snow, Elizabeth searched for a firm spot where she could stand.

"I'll come to you!"

A precise dash was made. At an essential speed, she approached the nearest wendigo, grabbed its head with one hand, and threw it towards the duo of wolves ahead.

All creatures were startled. Elizabeth was fast and precise, making no unnecessary movements. They didn't even see her approaching, and the wolves only saw the wendigo that had been thrown in their direction when suddenly their vision darkened, and it was already being consumed by the flames before their eyes.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

"According to the constant mana expenditure... Every 3... no, every 5 minutes, more than half of my mana will be spent just to keep the fireball in the sky lit. That's a lot of mana, but..."

Elizabeth disappeared before the creatures' eyes; her speed couldn't be compared to any of theirs. It was only with the cries of the trio of wolves echoing from the center of that hole where they were that they were able to locate her.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

"If I keep leveling up constantly, this won't be a problem."

Acting swiftly, soon the creatures gathered around her, completely encircling her.

"Do you want to restrict my movements again? But..."

The brightness generated by the fireball suddenly began to diminish, and looking up at the sky, Elizabeth saw the remaining yetis' freezing breaths simultaneously hitting her "artificial sun."

"Ah, so that's it... You're proving to be smarter than I ever imagined..."

In synchronized fashion, the creatures attacked randomly and without any planning.

"The goal is really just to keep me here until you can extinguish the sphere in the sky? But what about those dying... don't you care?"

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

In a brief moment, Elizabeth raised one hand and intensified the flames of the fireball in the sky. The glow intensified, and the constant attacks of the yetis became obsolete before that burning fire.

With one hand, Elizabeth grabbed a wolf's tail and tossed it upwards. Despite having leveled up less than three minutes ago, thanks to the intensified flames, her mana was nearly reaching the limit of what she could use without having to deactivate the "artificial sun."

Elizabeth leaped toward the wolf in the sky, immediately followed by the creatures surrounding her.

She spun through the air, planting her feet on the wolf's belly and using it as leverage to jump towards the nearest yetis.

Seeing her rapid approach, the creatures ceased using their freezing breath and prepared to attack, filling their mouths with air.

When the beasts that leaped alongside Elizabeth touched the hovering wolf, a massive and intense explosion occurred, consuming all those within its reach and leaving many other creatures severely wounded.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

"Wow! That was insane! I thought I... No, I won't say that again. At some point, it might end up happening because of it..."

Moments before using the wolf's body as leverage to jump in the air, Elizabeth accumulated the flames surrounding her body in her feet and transferred them to the creature's body the moment they touched.

Without the flames protecting her, it didn't take long for her body to be affected by the mountain's icy air. Her arms froze rapidly, and soon her whole body began to be consumed. In moments, more than half of her body was frozen.

Acting quickly, upon hearing the explosion, Elizabeth immediately activated the heat barrier around her entire body. However, this was only enough to stop the advance of freezing, requiring even more intense flames.

When the freezing breaths came her way, Elizabeth, with her movements still compromised by the freezing, barely managed to raise her hand to use an explosion to deflect.

"Argh!"

The deflection was a success, partially. One of her arms was caught by the freezing breath and left in an even worse condition. Looking at the state of her arm, Elizabeth realized, "External flames alone won't be enough..."

The freezing breaths returned, and Elizabeth, with no options, used her only arm still moving with extreme difficulty to create an explosion in an attempt to deflect.

After the explosion, her body plummeted rapidly towards the ground. The collision raised a large amount of dust. The flames weren't working, and if she tried to increase the intensity even more, Elizabeth would end up running out of mana to keep the "artificial sun" activated.

"Damn it! But what's the point of having light if I can't see...?"

All creatures approached slowly. Not out of fear or hesitation, in their walk Elizabeth saw; confidence and satisfaction.

"These bastards... Are they not attacking because they know I can't fight anymore?!"

A yeti came, with its large body, and kicked Elizabeth's belly. Her body flew towards the other creatures and was hit by the paws of one of the huge wolves, then thrown towards the ground.

With its claws, a wendigo grabbed her clothes, lifting her slowly, and then letting go, kicking her immediately afterward.

"These damn creatures! Are they playing with me..?!"

With its fists, a yeti jumped and hit Elizabeth, crushing her on the ground; "Argh!" Even with her body largely frozen, she still felt that blow whose impact created a small crater.

The yeti lifted her by the arm, and for a moment, Elizabeth could swear she saw a satisfied smile on its grotesque face.

Again her body flew through the air after being hit head-on. Caught by a wolf mid-air, which then struck her to the side with its paws.

The creatures continued with that game for a long period, none of them stayed out, each of the dozens remaining participated in some way. Some of the attacks caused pain, but none came close to being strong enough to be fatal.

While her body was again thrown towards the skies, as she spun through the air, for a moment her eyes met the "artificial sun" shining amidst the night sky. Elizabeth smiled as she was hit once again by one of the wolves; "You want to play..., huh?"

The huge fireball in the sky pulsed for a brief moment, enough to make all the creatures pay attention to it.

"They noticed?" Elizabeth wondered, as her body fell to the ground without being attacked by any of the creatures, after all, they all seemed to be focused on something else. "Damned creatures... It doesn't matter anymore, you bastards. It's too late now..."

Pulsating again, the fireball descended rapidly towards the location where Elizabeth and the creatures were. The beasts ran in different directions, each of them seeming to run desperately for their own lives.

"...This is the end."

Stopping once again in mid-air, just a few meters from the ground, the huge fireball pulsed one last time. Its glow intensified, and the flames became completely unstable, constantly struggling to separate.

When the glow reached her back and illuminated the ground beneath her feet, melting the snow there, the creatures realized; this was a completely futile escape attempt.

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

.

.

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28 times later...

[Congratulations]

[You leveled up]

[Name: Elizabeth Berseba

Status

Level: 190

Mana: 940

Strength: 736

Resistance: 733

Agility: 740]