Chapter 186 - Markings (1/2)

The mages began to cast mid to high-tiered spells and bombarded the monsters from afar. The melee fighters began to buff themselves with combat skills and spells and they braced themselves for contact.

Up at the northern lane, the Little Kings had all straightforwardly rushed head on to meet with the five monsters.

Lucia was at the forefront and just before they made contact, Lucia flashed forwards and launched a large Ascending Blade at the monsters.

With that skill as the opening attack, the rest of Little Kings rushed forwards to attack their assigned monsters. Each of them confronted one Dark Wood Elf while Fina was at the back giving support to every one of them.

Magic spells and combat skills flew at the monsters and they retaliated with their corrosive vines and dark elemental spells.

”Hurry! We have to kill them quickly!” Fina yelled.

With her incentive, Lucia and the other 5 increased the intensity of their assaults. Fina and her familiars sent spells to support the 5 while she herself rushed over to Yuna's aid since the dragon girl wasn't a melee fighter.

Lucia was able to slice off the monster's head, but it still didn't die. She then began cutting apart the monsters entire body, but she still couldn't kill it. It only regenerated its injured parts and continued attacking her.

Just as she was about to yell something, Yuna quipped up before her.

”Guys, I think there's a core that powers these monsters! Activate Mana Sight and find it!”

Lucia had her Mana Sight already activated and the rest of Little Kings followed suit. Just like Yuna said, they were able to find a part of the monster's body that was constantly moving around that emitted a higher density of mana than the rest of the monsters' body.

”Found it!” Lucia flashed close to the Dark Wood Elf's body and stabbed her sword into it.

”KIISSSSHAAAAA!!!”

The monster began to shriek in pain and it soon began to rot away. Eli saw this and she quickly jumped back.

She released her Intent and lowered her body. ”CRIMSON SKIES!”

Eli disappeared and reappeared right in front of her monster's body. She stabbed forwards and the lower body of the dark wood elf she was facing disintegrated into nothing with a flash of red.

Her rapier had stabbed into its core that was covered in a protective membrane. Her monster shrieked and also began to rot away.

The other members of Little Kings began to activate their strongest skills and destroyed the dark wood elves' core that they were facing. Ainz destroyed the entirety of the monster he was facing using his Elemental Blaze.

Fina and Yuna coordinated with each other. Yuna opened up a Misty Gate just behind her dark wood elf and Fina jumped through it and pierced her mana armament into the monster's core.

Velicia was more straightforward. She pulled up one of the trees in the surroundings and began pounding her monster into the ground. Eventually she was able to crush the core and kill the monster as well.

”Guys! Grab the cores! I think there's some kind of reward inside!” Lucia exclaimed when she took another look at the cores with her Mana Sight.

”Keep them in your spatial rings! We have to hurry and support the other lanes! Since we know how to kill them now; Lucia, Eli you take the eastern lane, Ainz and Velicia take the western lane while Yuna and I will go support the southern lane!” Fina yelled. She had Yuna open a Misty Gate to the southern lane and the two stepped in and teleported away.

Lucia opened up a Misty Gate into the center of the plaza and brought the rest over. When they reached the plaza, the 4 split into 2 groups as per Fina's arrangement and went to support the lanes assigned to them.

******

Back up on the tree tops, inside of the 3rd extra trial's tree dome. Cecil had finally regained consciousness.

”Urgghh...what happened?”

He was slumped on the pedestal so when he woke up he stumbled down and fell on his back.

”Ow!”

Cecil shook his head, but the piercing headache wouldn't go away. He took a look at the wooden sword still in his hand and shook his head.

”Man, the shit I go through just to get this one sword...sheesh,” Cecil groaned and complained.

After the headache went away, he stood up and dusted himself off. Cecil wasn't sure how long he was out, but that didn't matter.

Cecil stored the Perseverance into his white spatial ring and looked around the dome, but didn't see any sort of exit. He returned to the pedestal and tried to see if he could find something.

He began touching the pedestal all over. Then he tried pushing it and to his surprise it actually gave way.

He continued pushing until finally it fell off from the small wooden platform it was on. With the pedestal gone, Cecil finally found some sort of array on the small platform that was blocked by the pedestal.

He activated his Mana Eyes and saw that it was another teleportation formation.

”Just what's up with the World Tree and teleportation?”

Cecil shook his head and injected his mana into the formation. The formation began to glow and the teleportation soon activated.

Cecil's body lit up and he was teleported away.

In the empty tree dome, vines began to grow around the small platform and they coiled around the fallen pedestal and carried it back on top of the platform. Then the vines receded back down into the tree dome's floor and silence returned to the dome.

*****

Cecil was teleported back to the clearing where he first entered the trial. He stretched his body and yawned.