Ronan hadn't entered the "fully ancient giantified" state for quite some time. Besides having developed a more "cost-effective" "semi-giantified" state, which sufficed for most combat situations, the "fully giantified" state wasn't something he could access at will.
It required not only self-imposed pressure but also some external pressure.
Under the oppression from Laura and the twelve third-level wizards, he completed the final step of his transformation.
With over five hundred points in master-level proficiency in [Ascetic Body Tempering], he compressed and unleashed a tremendous life force energy, activating a small portion of the ancient frost hydra bloodline within him.
As a result, his appearance now differed slightly from the original "ancient giant" form.
His long white hair had a gradient of dark blue at the roots, his pure white eyes had a black vertical slit in the center, and his body showed snake-like scales and bulging veins, adding an exotic, sinister quality to his already menacing visage.
Ronan stood in the arena, the tungsten-steel and Neman alloy metal clothing thinly and snugly clinging to him, perfectly outlining his powerful, domineering physique.
The tension, almost freezing the air, broke with a short spell chant.
Several Resurrection Society wizards around Ronan suddenly began casting spells, while the others quickly retreated, attempting to distance themselves, working in seamless coordination.
Ronan squinted, a cold light flashing in the slit of his pupil.
[Lake of No Thoughts]!
Facing twelve third-level wizards alone, he felt no fear or anxiety, only a sense of excitement and anticipation.
Then these emotions froze, sinking quickly to the bottom of his mind lake.
"Boom!"
With a sound like thunder, Ronan's form vanished, leaving only a blurred wave.
He reappeared instantly in front of a third-level wizard.
The distance between them was less than a meter, and he could clearly see the ordinary, middle-aged man's face hidden under the hood, filled with shock and emotion.
"Ancient Power!"
A mysterious black tadpole-like rune quietly lit up in his right palm, and white lightning surged into his fingers.
The ancient, mysterious power awakened again as Ronan casually punched.
The man's pupils dilated, the spell he was casting dissipating, barely managing to reach for a ring on his hand before...
"Boom!"
The third-level wizard struck by Ronan's black-lit punch shattered like a ragdoll, his limbs and body parts exploding further.
"Thud!"
The impact left a black hole-like depression, a mist of blood dispersing, yet shredded by the terrifying aura surrounding Ronan before it touched him.
"Hmm?!"
Ronan wiped non-existent blood from his face, turning to look at a pale middle-aged man stumbling out from dozens of meters away.
He held a cracked, strange clay doll tightly, releasing it slowly, his gaze towards Ronan dark and unpleasant.
"A substitute technique?"
Ronan frowned slightly.
When he struck Laura earlier, he achieved a similar effect.
After all, they were third-level wizards. Regardless of their combat power, their wealth and knowledge accumulated over time likely included life-saving techniques.
Difficult to kill, indeed.
"Boom—"
In that brief moment, several spells blasted towards Ronan.
All were third-level, with a massive, viscous blood mass exploding around him, forming flower-like shapes, each petal carrying a crushing aura.
There was a giant green crystal entwined with fine electric arcs, sprouting countless sharp filaments piercing the void.
And a transparent, invisible hand, its fingers closing to exert terrifying collapse force.
Ronan lunged forward, arms spread wide, black, sharp fingers clanging, silver metal coating them, igniting a ghostly blue flame of dispelling.
"Boom! Bang!"
He shattered all three third-level spells, the exploding energy particles striking him like scattered lightning and whips, crackling against his skin.
Ronan walked out of the energy surge, his long, dark blue and white hair billowing like a cloak, sparks flickering across his body, tearing at the metal clothing but leaving his rugged, powerful form unscathed.
"Whish!"
"Bang!"
Ronan's figure vanished and reappeared.
With a flicker, another Resurrection Society third-level wizard's body exploded.
This wizard's body burst into countless blood-red bats scattering in all directions, Ronan casually swung an arm, his hand slicing the air, unleashing a massive crescent-shaped black blade, shredding the swarm of bats.
The remaining bats regrouped in another space, reforming into a thin humanoid.
Wobbling unsteadily, before they could stabilize, a lightning-fast figure struck them again!
"Bang—"
This time, only a few bats survived.
Ronan crushed them one by one, the last dropping a black ring from its belly.
He picked up the ring, turning to calmly survey the others.
The intense spell chanting and mental waves had almost entirely ceased, presenting Ronan with faces of shock and disbelief.
Under the obscuring black robes, a hand holding a staff trembled uncontrollably.
A hushed voice murmured.
"Even Saranqi, he can withstand third-level spells!"
"Brook is dead, I've lost all contact with his soul..."
"Is this bloodline or body modification... I don't understand."
"Ah—"
Someone screamed, lunging madly at Ronan.
"Why stop? Are you cowards?
He's just a second-level! He has the coordinates we need!
You useless, incompetent fools!"
"Whoosh—"
Ronan's figure disappeared, reappearing behind the frenzied figure.
The thrashing body halted, the twisted face showing a mix of hatred, pain, and unwillingness, slowly looking down.
Seeing a massive blood hole through her chest, Laura wilted like a dead vine, crumbling to dust.
A golden light flew from her body, shrouded in gray mist, revealing Laura's face, shifting expressions, emitting a vibrant life force.
"Immortal Wood?"
Ronan's eyes flickered, moving to grab the light, but a spell flew from nowhere.
He shattered it with a swipe, but was blocked, watching as the golden light, clutching Laura's soul, tore open a space and disappeared.
"Damn?!"
Ronan turned sharply towards the spell's origin, his icy gaze causing a black-robed figure to instinctively retreat several steps.
Even with the robe's concealment, his tension and fear were palpable.
"I can't stay trapped here!"
Ronan's eyes flickered, focusing on Laura's escape route, drawing the mirror dagger, stabbing himself lightly.
"Shhh—"
He vanished from the platform space.
It wasn't a repeat of previous futile attempts.
With most Resurrection Society third-level wizards gathered here, and having killed one, their strength in the independent spaces should be weaker.
It was his best chance to escape.
With luck, he might even catch up to Laura.
Seeing Ronan disappear, the Resurrection Society wizards on the platform exchanged glances.
"Saranqi!"
Someone called softly.
"Do we pursue?"
The wizard who had opposed Laura earlier shook his head.
"And Laura?"
"Forget her, you shouldn't have blocked Ronan!"
Saranqi, the black-robed wizard, glanced coldly at the one who had shielded Laura, his eyes flickering, "The coordinates are much stronger than we anticipated.
Even if we capture him, the cost could be severe.
No one wants that outcome...
Report to the Dark Leader."
Saranqi took a deep breath, speaking slowly, "Let the Dark Leader handle him personally."
"He seems able to escape the 'Empty Mirror Cube' trap.
If he's determined to flee, he might not wait for the Dark Leader..."
"Doesn't he have a grudge with that crazy Laura?
Use her as bait, lure him, send him to kill her if needed...
It should delay until the Dark Leader arrives."
The Resurrection Society wizards nodded slowly, calming themselves, stepping into the mirror-like void, disappearing one by one.
"Shhh—"
Ronan's figure appeared.
As he completed the teleportation, several figures stood abruptly, watching him with tense, wary eyes, as if facing a formidable enemy.
They were young-looking second-level wizards, wearing identical black robes, unlike the pure black robes of the Resurrection Society. Their robes were intricately designed, with a white skull emblem on the chest, beneath which shadows flowed unstably.
They were wizards from the Black Mire.
Ronan ignored them, using the mirror dagger's cooldown to consider his escape route.
He had two choices: escape alone or regroup with the Silver Ring members.
Escaping alone was more certain, but regrouping with the Silver Ring could make facing the Resurrection Society's pursuit easier.
But either choice required solving one problem—
The entire venue, under the Resurrection Society's Dawn artifact, was a massive spatial prison, divided into countless independent "cells."
Though Ronan had the mirror dagger for moving between "cells," he couldn't break free, only circle within.
"If only I knew the pattern of these space shifts..."
Ronan thought, preparing for another teleportation.
At that moment, a silver spatial energy seed within his mind trembled, releasing a cloud of silver mist.
"Buzz—"
Ronan's mind buzzed, feeling his mental power naturally extend, brushing against fleeting lights before retracting quickly.
In his mind, the silver mist formed silver lines, weaving into a slowly rotating cube.
The silver cube consisted of hundreds of small blocks, each rotation shifting the blocks' positions.
Ronan paused, quickly realizing.
"Is this the Resurrection Society's Dawn artifact?"
Was there a mysterious link between the silver staff with the spatial energy seed and the cube, both artifacts of the Dawn Mirror Court?
Ronan didn't know, but the energy seed's anomaly was a major boon.
He quickly located his position on the cube's map, timing a rotation to align with a direction, activating the mirror dagger.
"Shhh—"
Ronan vanished, reappearing in an empty, isolated space.
The ground was the Goblin Plains, the air tinged with faint blood.
"Moved one space... as I intended."
Checking the "cube map," Ronan felt a surge of excitement.
Waiting thirty seconds for the mirror dagger's cooldown, he seized the moment, activating it again.
"Shhh—"
"Roar—"
A non-human roar suddenly sounded, and Ronan landed amidst severed limbs, tattered robes, and a strong stench of blood.
This space was like a river of blood.
"Die, Resurrection Society scum!"
A strange growl sounded, accompanied by a sharp, terrifying whistle.
Ronan turned sharply, seeing a blur of blood.
His eyes narrowed, long blue-white hair flaring back, runes glowing in his palm, black light surging, countless white lightning coalescing, he punched towards the blood.
"Boom!"
It was like two heavy objects colliding.
At the impact point, blood and black light intertwined, space collapsed, then exploded with a hurricane-like pressure.
"Thud, thud, thud—"
Ronan staggered back several steps, his face showing surprise.
Even in "fully giantified" state, someone could physically repel him?
Incredible.
Looking ahead, Ronan saw a four-meter-tall, muscular flesh monster retreating rapidly.
As it retreated, half its body burst like firecrackers.
Amidst flying flesh, a thin, pale human figure emerged.
When half the face under the flesh appeared, Ronan's expression faltered, blurting out.
"Rufus?!"
A pale, handsome face, hair like flowing blood, eyes mostly white.
It was Rufus, the top genius of the Crimson Tower.
Rufus's shock far exceeded Ronan's, especially after recognizing Ronan's appearance and identity, his shock intensified.
The towering pure white form, the grotesque flesh monster.
The two stood at opposite ends of the void, their gazes meeting like ancient mythological creatures staring each other down.