NOVPUB
Chapter 352: 352
Aduke, covered in a green healing glow, was trying to mend her severed hamstring, but the process was slow. Struggling through the pain, she dug her claws into the earth. Drawing upon the last of her strength, she summoned a wave of thorned vines that erupted from the ground, wrapping around Garrock’s legs and immobilizing him momentarily. She gritted her teeth as she fought to maintain her focus, her limbs still unresponsive but her will unbroken.
Garrock let out a furious roar as the thorned vines twisted tighter around his legs, drawing fresh blood that ran down his stone-like skin. His body bulged with raw power as he strained against the restraints, and Torrent, struggling to his feet, could see that Garrock was quickly adapting, finding weaknesses in the vines to tear through.
"Not so fast," Aduke murmured through gritted teeth, her voice a mix of exhaustion and defiance. She pushed her energy into the vines, thickening them with layers of thorned roots, trying to keep Garrock immobilized just a little longer. This made her transform back to her apeling form.
Okon, observing the battlefield with calculating eyes, quickly recognized the students’ attempt to buy time. A cold smirk crossed her face as she lifted her whip, water gathering around it, forming sharp, ice-like barbs along its length. She turned her focus to Aduke, seeing her weakened state as an opening. With a flick of her wrist, Okon sent the whip cracking forward, the water-coated weapon snaking toward Aduke’s arms.
Aduke, unable to dodge in time, cried out as the whip wrapped around her wrist, slicing into her skin. The pain made her grip on the vines falter, and Garrock seized the chance. With a powerful burst of strength, he tore through the last of the roots, breaking free with a mighty stomp that shook the arena floor.
"Torrent!" Aduke shouted, struggling to pull the whip free. She could see Garrock charging toward Torrent, his axe raised for a devastating swing.
Torrent’s eyes flashed with determination, despite his injuries. He lifted his hand, summoning a torrent of water that spiraled up around him like a shield. But Garrock, already anticipating the move, adjusted his footing and swung low, his axe smashing through the watery barrier with brutal force.
Before Torrent could react, Garrock slammed his shield forward, the impact knocking Torrent back into the arena wall. Torrent gasped, struggling to rise as pain radiated through his body.
Meanwhile, Kuro reappeared behind Ndidi, who was still in his bird form, focusing on keeping Garrock at bay. With an eerie silence, Kuro’s dagger flashed, aiming for a swift strike to Ndidi’s wings. The blade caught Ndidi’s side, forcing him to revert to his Apeling form, clutching his injured wing-turned-shoulder as he fell to one knee.
Askue found herself able to move looked over at her teammates. She could feel the weight of defeat creeping in, but a fire sparked in her eyes. She refused to let this be the end. Summoning a last surge of strength, she reached into the earth once more, summoning the last remnants of her magic to create a barrier of thorned roots around herself and her team, buying them precious seconds to regroup.
"T-Torrent...Ndidi..." Aduke’s voice wavered, but her resolve was unbreakable. "We’re not done yet."
The cursed clan paused, a smug confidence in their stance, but Aduke could see their breathing had grown heavier. They had pushed themselves as well, though they hid it well. A glimmer of hope sparked within her.
"On my mark..." Aduke whispered, locking eyes with her teammates.
As the barrier of thorns began to dissolve, Torrent and Ndidi understood her intent without a word. This could be their final chance. The moment the last vine slipped away, Aduke let out a fierce, defiant roar, launching her remaining vines toward Garrock and Okon in a desperate assault.
In that split second, Torrent summoned a fierce wave, aiming it directly at Kuro, while Ndidi, mustering his last reserves, conjured a whirling cyclone, pushing the cursed clan back. The arena exploded into chaos—a tempest of water, wind, and thorned vines whipped through the air, blinding the cursed Apelings in a frenzy of elemental power.
Torrent’s water surged forward in a spiraling vortex, a powerful column designed to snare Kuro, forcing him into a vulnerable position. The torrent moved with a life of its own, twisting and curling, intent on tracking Kuro’s every move.
But Kuro, ever the elusive predator, narrowed his eyes, sensing the attack’s rhythm. Rather than evade outright, he let the water draw near, gauging its flow. In a single, decisive movement, he drove his daggers into the ground, then pivoted off them, vaulting over the spiraling wave with impossible grace.
Torrent, anticipating Kuro’s escape, tried to redirect the water mid-air, but Kuro was faster. He landed lightly atop a stone pillar summoned by Garrock, his dagger slicing downward in a quick, slicing motion. Dust and pebbles cascaded from the pillar, blinding Torrent momentarily. When Torrent cleared his vision, Kuro had vanished, leaving him dazed and vulnerable.
Meanwhile, Ndidi unleashed a fierce cyclone, whipping the sand and grit into a blinding storm that engulfed the arena. The howling winds disoriented the Apelings, giving Torrent and Aduke a chance to reposition. It was both a barrier and an attack, a swirling fortress of wind.
But Garrock met the cyclone head-on. With a roar, he thrust himself upward on a stone pillar, breaking it apart mid-flight as the pieces clung to his frame, enlarging him further. He raised his massive shield and drove it into the ground with a thunderous slam, sending a shockwave through the earth. The cyclone faltered, its winds scattering as the ground trembled. Without hesitation, Garrock charged through the storm’s remnants, his massive feet leaving deep prints in the sand as he barreled straight for Ndidi.
Garrock swung his shield ahead of him, deflecting stray gusts with ease. Ndidi, caught off guard by his sheer force, scrambled backward, trying to regain his footing.
Aduke, seeing her allies struggle, knew she had to act quickly. She summoned her deepest reserves, commanding a dense web of thorned vines to surge toward Garrock and Okon, aiming to trap them long enough for her team to regroup. The barbed tendrils raced forward, twisting and branching to box in her opponents with razor-sharp precision.
Okon’s eyes gleamed as she understood Aduke’s intent. She stepped forward, her whip shimmering with an icy blue energy as she channeled the remnants of Torrent’s water attack. With a flick of her wrist, Okon unleashed a blast of freezing mist, coating the vines in a layer of frost. The moisture hardened instantly, freezing Aduke’s vines into brittle, fragile strands.
Seeing his chance, Garrock stomped on the frozen vines, shattering them into fragments. He swept his massive axe in a wide arc, obliterating any remaining tendrils and leaving no opening for Aduke’s assault.
Aduke, drained from her efforts, felt her strength slipping. Her vision blurred as exhaustion settled in, while Garrock and Okon closed in, their shadows looming over her.
Elsewhere, Torrent barely had time to react as Kuro reappeared, ghost-like, behind him. Torrent only sensed him when it was too late; Kuro’s dagger plunged into his shoulder, twisting just enough to paralyze his arm. Torrent cried out, his vision dimming as Kuro struck again, a quick stab to his thigh that forced him to his knees.
Seeing Ndidi rush forward to aid his friend, Okon lashed her whip toward him, jagged ice shards now trailing its length. The whip coiled around Ndidi’s legs, biting into his skin with icy claws. Okon pulled sharply, sending Ndidi crashing to the ground, his guard shattered as he fell.
Garrock loomed over Aduke, who was struggling to stay upright, her body still coated in a dim healing glow. With a grim, unrelenting expression, he raised his massive axe and swung down, but Aduke managed to dodge at the last second, rolling to the side. However, this was what Garrock had anticipated—he followed through with a brutal kick, catching Aduke in her side and sending her sprawling across the ground, gasping for breath.
looking at the apeling students, The announcer appeared in the stage once again as he began counting two "Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, And the apeling students are out" The announcer shouted into the mic as the crowd began shouting.
Okon walked towards the apeling students, the water around her gathering as each student was covered in a ball of water that was slowly soothing them.
Looking at Aduke, she said "We thought Torrent was the heart of your team but you were, too bad you let your guard down around Kuro"
Aduke forced herself to sit up, wincing as the soothing water from Okon’s spell eased her bruises and aching muscles. She glanced at Torrent and Ndidi, who were both similarly encased in the restorative spheres, their wounds slowly mending under the gentle influence of Okon’s magic. Despite the pain and exhaustion, a faint smile tugged at her lips as she listened to Okon’s words
