"What the hell is this?!" Cain's eyes bulged in disbelief. Despite being a ninth-tier powerhouse, he couldn't recognize the Darkmoon Divine Armor Kael wore, leaving him utterly baffled.
"We... we actually survived?" Arjun gasped in relief, vaguely realizing that Kael's strange attire had something to do with their miraculous escape.
Lucian's gaze flickered toward Kael, curiosity flashing in his eyes. Yet, he still paid little attention to the two—not out of mercy, but because he didn't consider them worthy opponents.
Humiliated by his failed spell, Cain's face flushed crimson. Already bested by Lucian in their earlier clash, his fury had driven him to vent on Kael and Arjun—only for the Darkmoon Divine Armor to effortlessly nullify his attack, rubbing salt into his wounded pride.
"What kind of trickery is this?!" Cain snarled, his voice trembling with rage.
The black-armored man scoffed. "Pathetic, Cain. Can't even handle two eighth-tier ants?" His tone dripped with disdain. For all Cain's seniority, his repeated failures against "lesser" foes made him a laughingstock.
"You insolent brats—DIE!" Cain's fingers clenched around his staff, knuckles whitening. Kael and Arjun had made a fool of him, and now he'd make them pay.
His chant this time was intricate, weaving a spell so potent that the very elements trembled in response.
"Oh no—the old bastard's going all out!" Arjun yelped, frantically scrambling for cover alongside Kael.
Kael, however, remained calm. The armor's power reassured him, and his eyes gleamed with calculated focus, as if waiting for an opening.
The air itself seemed to scream as elemental resonance erupted. Even Kael's composure wavered slightly under the crushing pressure.
"Endless Frost!"
Snowflakes materialized midair, swirling violently as the temperature plummeted. Frost crawled up the walls, and a bone-deep chill seeped into Arjun's bones, making him shiver uncontrollably.
Inside the Water Dragon Vault, a thick layer of ice had completely encased the surroundings. The sheer density of the frost was a testament to Cain's overwhelming power—only a ninth-tier mage could alter the environment so drastically in an instant.
Had this spell been unleashed in an open area, it would have transformed kilometers of land into a frozen wasteland!
"Damn it, this is insane! Is this the true might of a ninth-tier spell?!" Arjun's pupils contracted violently as he finally grasped the terrifying potency of Cain's magic. Those earlier spells had been mere warm-ups—this was the old monster's real strength!
The ice and snow seemed almost sentient, surging toward Kael and Arjun with lethal precision. Meanwhile, a cold smirk curled Cain's lips. He knew the boy had some trick up his sleeve, but he refused to believe he could withstand this attack.
Lucian and the black-armored man stood apart, maintaining a wary distance from each other. Neither intervened—joining forces to suppress two eighth-tier ants would be beneath their dignity.
Besides, neither believed Kael could survive Cain's assault a second time.
A deafening boom reverberated like a colossal bell, the frigid tempest crashing down with relentless fury.
Yet, just as the cold threatened to consume them, the Darkmoon Divine Armor on Kael's body shimmered once more. Its silver glow was subtle, almost gentle, yet it drained Cain's mana like a sieve, weakening the spell until it nearly dissipated into nothingness.
Of course, the magic didn't vanish entirely—a residual force remained. But Kael, prepared for this, had already raised his Lightning Shield.
Crackle!
Countless arcs of electricity danced around him, intercepting the remnants of Cain's attack with a chorus of sparks.
A ninth-tier spell—neutralized again!
"How the hell is this possible?!" Arjun's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. To him, this defied all logic—Kael had effortlessly blocked Cain's magic twice now. Just moments ago, he'd been certain death was imminent.
"This…"
A glint of sharp awareness flashed simultaneously in the eyes of the black-armored man and Lucian. Their gazes inadvertently met, each recognizing the other's surprise and wariness.
That kid… there's something off about him!
Meanwhile, Kael exhaled in relief. Regardless of anything else, the Darkmoon Divine Armor had proven its worth—even a ninth-tier spell couldn't breach its defenses.
"The armor can only block attacks, keeping me alive at best. My current strength still falls short of the ninth tier. Taking on these bastards head-on is impossible!" His eyes flickered with calculation. Cain's repeated provocations had ignited a smoldering fury in him, and he was determined to make the old fool pay dearly.
"Th-This can't be!"
Cain's voice cracked with disbelief. His face burned as if scalded, his eyes bulging like a man who'd swung a thousand-pound hammer only to hit air.
He stared at Kael, unable to fathom how a mere brat could so effortlessly dismantle his ninth-tier magic!
His mind churned with chaos. Failure after failure had finally shattered his composure.
"What in the world is going on…?" Cain forced himself to steady his breathing, his gaze darting wildly until it locked onto Kael's peculiar attire.
"I didn't see him wearing that strange outfit earlier. Could it be… because of that?!" His eyes gleamed with malice—and then, abruptly, with greed.
If that armor could nullify ninth-tier spells, then it wasn't just a treasure—it was a legendary artifact!
The realization ignited a feverish hunger in his stare.
At the same time, Kael continued evading Cain's attacks, his own eyes scanning the surroundings for… something.
"This Water Dragon Vault is overflowing with treasures—there must be something here capable of countering ninth-tier experts! These three fools are strong, yet they've ignored all these riches to fight over a single staff. How laughable!" Kael inwardly scoffed at Lucian and the others. The vault held countless treasures, yet they'd fixated solely on the magic crystal staff, wasting precious time.
Of course, none of them possessed Kael's discerning eye. Even if the Darkmoon Divine Armor forged from Eternal Meteor Iron were placed right before them, they'd likely overlook its true value.
"Let's see how long you can keep this up, brat!" Cain sneered, raising his staff once more to cast another spell.
At that moment, Kael's eyes lit up—he'd spotted something extraordinary in a corner.
It was a crimson cannon, no taller than half a person, its structure bizarre yet mesmerizing. The weapon's smooth, egg-like shape and jade-like sheen made it resemble a polished red gemstone rather than artillery. One could easily mistake it for a decorative piece unless examining it closely.
"This… could it be the legendary Arcane Crystal Cannon?!" Kael's pulse quickened with excitement.
The Arcane Crystal Cannon was a relic from ancient times. If this was genuine, its destructive power would be terrifying—enough, at the very least, to let him stand toe-to-toe with ninth-tier experts!
Cain's magic crashed down again, but Kael paid it no mind. The Darkmoon Divine Armor's defenses had already been proven; blocking a few more spells was trivial.
"Arjun, grab that cannon for me!" Kael barked, keeping Cain's assault at bay while ordering Arjun to secure the weapon.
Though confused, Arjun obeyed without hesitation, darting forward to retrieve the cannon.
True to form, Cain's spell was weakened upon impact, its remnants easily deflected by Kael's Lightning Shield.
Cain's face purpled with rage, his knuckles whitening around his staff. He was on the verge of coughing up blood from sheer fury.