Elysis burst out swinging her axe, but before she could locate Thorne, she was engulfed by ice arrows again.
She sneered, her axe spinning rapidly, emitting yellow light that deflected all the arrows. A piercing whistle erupted from her mouth.
The sound was so penetrating that Thorne was unaffected, but the Huang Tribe members underwater fainted. Even Shelley, exhausted and recovering, grimaced in pain.
Thorne saw the ice arrows posed no threat to Elysis. Numerous beasts still lingered in the water, hindering his control over it.
These beasts instinctively avoided Elysis, not attacking her—a natural outcome, as the elves, orchestrating the beast tide, surely had ways to command them.
Seeing Thorne halt his assault, Elysis knew he wouldn't reveal himself easily. She swung her axe again, carving another deep trench. The lake's water level dropped visibly.
"This can't go on. I need to end her fast."
Thorne resolved to use every means to eliminate this madwoman. If the elves behind the tide found him, he'd be in dire straits.
But going all-out meant he couldn't protect those underwater. After a brief deliberation, he decided to risk exposing his secrets to resolve the immediate threat.
Shelley felt an unstoppable force thrust her into a mysterious void—darkness all around, no walls, her soul force unable to extend.
This was Thorne's system space.
He tossed the unconscious Huang Tribe members in too, then ignored them.
Maintaining living beings in the system space drained energy every second. Today's battle had already cost plenty—he couldn't delay.
"Ice Cage!"
Four cages trapped Elysis.
"Hmph, same old trick. Let's see how long you can hide," she scoffed, not bothering to dodge. Breaking these cages was just a matter of a few axe swings.
Thorne hadn't intended to trap her with them—just buy time.
"Use Water Bind."
"Use Water Arrow."
"Use Ice Cage."
"Use Water's Deterrence."
"Ghost Thorn, strike!"
In an instant, Thorne unleashed everything.
Elysis broke the first cages, only to find her feet bound. As she tore free, dozens of ice arrows flew at her. After shattering them, more cages enclosed her.
She'd smashed through several layers. Though not difficult, it wore her down.
Emerging again, Elysis's face twisted with rage. As a Black Forest member, she'd never been so toyed with on a mission.
Before she could vent, Thorne's overwhelming Water's Deterrence stunned her. She finally realized she wasn't facing a water-magic creature hiding below, but the lake itself.
While Elysis was dazed, the Ghost Thorn Tree struck. Having gorged on blood and souls from the tide, it teetered on a breakthrough, brimming with power.
Dozens of ghost thorns shot at Elysis, who dismissed the tree's puny spikes.
Her robust physique could shrug them off.
But Thorne had anticipated this. A faint gleam flickered.
Elysis felt a searing pain in her back.
The Magic Dragon Gecko, per Thorne's orders, had hidden in a beast corpse nearby. As the thorns struck, it teleported behind her, shredding her back with its invincible claws.
Normally, such wounds wouldn't faze her, but the thorns hit the gashes, frantically draining blood and souls.
Elysis felt her blood pouring out, her soul wracked with agony.
In a frenzy, she discarded her axe, pulling a bow and three arrows from a scroll—far larger than typical elven bows.
Mad with rage, she nocked an arrow and aimed at the Ghost Thorn Tree.
Thorne, alarmed, encased the tree in Ice Cages and raised a water wall.
Just as he finished, Elysis's arrow flew, piercing the water like paper and shattering the cages.
A "boom" resounded as it struck the tree.
Thorne heard the tree's soul scream in agony. Sensing its state, he found it gravely injured—its exposed trunk splintered, the ten-meter-tall body crashing down.
Elysis nocked another arrow. Thorne's heart raced.
"She can't fire a second shot."
"System, refine the dead beasts in the lake now!"
"Use Water's Deterrence and Water Arrow."
"Ice Arrow!"
While refining corpses, Thorne bombarded Elysis with skills to stop her shot.
"Ding, refinement complete. Host gains 100,000 energy points."
"Upgrade immediately."
"Ding, upgrade successful. Host gains skill: Water Dragon Soars."
"Upgrade Ice Cage, Water Arrow, and Water Dragon Soars to Lv7."
Issuing rapid, precise commands while distracting Elysis—her next arrow must not fire, or the tree would die.
"Ding, insufficient energy points."
Even 100,000 wasn't enough. Thorne swept countless nearby corpses into the lake.
"Keep refining!"
"Ding, refinement complete. Host gains 50,000 energy points."
"Ding, upgrades successful."
Finally done.
"Ice Cage!"
A chilling cage descended, far sturdier than before.
Elysis, trapped, pounded it with "bang, bang, bang," but couldn't break free instantly.
"Use Water Arrow."
"Use Water Dragon Soars."
A water dragon leapt from the lake, roaring deafeningly, charging at Elysis.
She barely broke the cage with one arrow, facing both attacks.
Reacting swiftly, she fired her last arrow, weakening after nullifying the water arrows. Before she could scream, Water Dragon Soars engulfed her.
Silence fell. The once-rampaging beasts had fled far during Thorne and Elysis's clash, leaving a field of corpses.