Chapter 177: That’s Not How You Use Fate Magic!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: That’s Not How You Use Fate Magic!
In the next instant, a storm imbued with the Nine Elements erupted from the silver greatsword.
BOOM—!!!
Flames soared into the sky as nine distinct elements intertwined, instantly sweeping across the entire battlefield.
The surrounding shadow puppets vanished within the storm, leaving a massive clearing in their wake.
After unleashing this strike, Kairos was left utterly depleted and weak.
Seeing this, Nimo grabbed Kairos and spoke urgently. "Kairos, while they’re still reforming, we have to get out of here!"
Just as he prepared to lead Kairos away, Dim Snake Eye’s voice rang out again from nearby.
"Cough... It seems the top genius of the Dome is indeed something else. I didn't expect you to pull off a breakthrough at a time like this..."
As she spoke, Dim Snake Eye’s form emerged from the receding dust and smoke.
Compared to before, the form she manifested now was even more gargantuan.
She had become a dark, fifty-meter-long giant serpent. Around the main head, countless smaller snakes writhed and hissed. A single purple eye sat centered on the main head, staring fixedly at the two boys.
"I originally thought I’d have to save this form for Ivy. Very well..."
In the next second, the shadows beneath Kairos’s feet suddenly surged.
"But did you two forget whose domain this is?"
As soon as she spoke, the erupting shadows firmly bound Kairos’s body, seizing the opportunity to knock the silver greatsword from his hand.
Nimo tried to strike the shadows off Kairos, but his own shadow surged up immediately after, binding his hands and feet as well.
The situation reversed in an instant.
The shadows suppressed the flow of mana within Kairos and stripped him of his weapon, completely neutralizing his last means of resistance.
"Hmph, let’s see how you struggle now..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Dim Snake Eye froze.
Despite being tightly bound by the shadows, Kairos’s body actually managed to move a fraction as he struggled with all his might.
"What? He can still move?!"
Without hesitation, Dim Snake Eye immediately transformed the newly reformed shadow puppets into a swarm of shadow serpents.
The shadow serpents swarmed over Kairos like a tide, binding him once more with crushing force.
Under the weight of absolute power, the momentum Kairos had gained from his breakthrough was completely suppressed by Dim Snake Eye.
Seeing Kairos finally stop struggling, Dim Snake Eye let out a sigh of relief.
"Heh... Hehehe. No matter what, you’re just a student. How could you possibly defeat me?"
As she spoke, Dim Snake Eye’s massive serpentine body slithered slowly toward Kairos. Just as she raised her tail to sweep them both away—
Swish—!
A spear of light suddenly shot toward the purple eye on the serpent's head.
"Tsk, aren't you people annoying? Always showing up at the critical moment."
Dim Snake Eye grumbled, raising her tail to block the strike.
BANG—!
Unexpectedly, the spear of light didn't hit Dim Snake Eye. Instead, it exploded in mid-air.
Under the impact of the light's explosion, the shadow serpents binding Kairos instantly dissipated.
The two boys seized the chance to break free.
"Professor Ivy!"
Seeing that the newcomer was indeed Ivy, Kairos immediately pulled Nimo away from Dim Snake Eye and retreated to Ivy’s side.
Ivy glanced back at Kairos and Nimo, saying casually, "I’ve left a guide at the exit. Once you find it, leave this place immediately."
Hearing this, Nimo looked worried. "But what about you, Professor?"
Faced with Nimo’s question, Ivy gave a gentle smile.
"Don't worry. It's just a big black snake. I can handle it."
"But this..."
At that moment, Kairos spoke up. "Nimo, Professor Ivy means that we’re the ones limiting her. She can only truly cut loose once we’re gone."
"Is... is that so?"
Nimo looked at Ivy with some hesitation, then followed Kairos as they fled the area.
Once the two were gone, Ivy looked up at Dim Snake Eye.
"I don't know why you're looking for me. But as long as you don't lay a hand on my students, I’m willing to play along until the end."
In response to Ivy’s words, Dim Snake Eye coiled her massive body, staring down at the petite, blue-haired girl from a height.
"No matter how I look at it, you’re just a frail little girl. I truly don't know where you get the confidence to face me..."
Dim Snake Eye lowered her head, looking Ivy in the eye as her forked tongue flickered.
"But since you care so much about those two students, I’ll just finish them off after I’ve killed you..."
Before she could finish, a dazzling golden light erupted from Ivy, instantly piercing Dim Snake Eye’s vision.
"ARGH—!!!"
Dim Snake Eye recoiled, clutching the purple eye on her head in agony.
"My eye! My eye!"
She struggled to pry her eye open just a crack.
At some point, Ivy’s long, blue-gray hair had transformed into a brilliant, shimmering gold.
"Wait, what is this power? You... you..."
Before Dim Snake Eye could make sense of the situation, a glowing golden card manifested beside Ivy.
[Gift of Fate - Fate]
Ivy raised her golden eyes, looking coldly at Dim Snake Eye.
"I told you... not to touch my students."
As her voice fell, a series of brand-new cards manifested behind the golden card.
[Light], [Wisdom], [Judgment], [Purification], [Destruction], [Silence]...
The cards circled Ivy, and waves of overwhelming pressure gathered upon her person.
For a moment, the previously arrogant Dim Snake Eye was stunned.
It was as if she saw the shadows of True Gods reflected in Ivy.
"This is... an ability of the Fate Faction?"
Dim Snake Eye was at a loss.
While she knew a bit about using Fate Cards, she had never heard of any existence that could literally manifest the symbolic powers within the cards!
That’s not how you use Fate magic!
You’re supposed to lay out the cards first, then choose a divination mode through specific arrangements. Then, you step-by-step deduce the opponent's Lines of Fate, and finally interfere with them by shifting the cards.
Powerful masters of the Fate Faction could skip some of those steps, sure.
But how can you just pull the symbolic powers straight out of the cards to fight?!
Do Fate Cards even have that function?!
Ivy began to walk slowly toward Dim Snake Eye.
Seeing this, Dim Snake Eye couldn't help but retreat.
Just as she was frantically trying to think of a way out, a figure suddenly appeared atop her serpent head.
"Mm, as I suspected. You are indeed the one most beloved by the gods among the Witches—the Witch of Fate."
Dim Snake Eye stared up at the figure, her eyes wide with surprise.
The person who had suddenly appeared on her head was none other than the black-clothed man who had given her the commission at the tavern.
"How did you get in here? Didn't I set the access permissions?"
"And get off my head this instant! Who gave you permission to stand there!"
The black-clothed man acted as if he hadn't heard Dim Snake Eye’s demands.
He raised his right hand and spoke to the serpent beneath his feet.
"Your current power is too weak. It isn't enough to oppose Fate."
He paused.
"It just so happens that I’ve recently refined a new product."
With those words, a black crystal emitting a distorted light appeared in the man's hand.
[Demigod-Level Chaos Core]