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Chapter 21: A Close Brush with Death
Berkeley, with inexplicable strength, managed to push Owen, a gold-tier almost equivalent to a diamond-tier warrior, causing him and Erin to fly backward.
A loud voice echoed through the air, "Thinking of escaping? Too late!"
Owen and Erin, propelled by the push, should have flown straight out of the door.
But at the threshold, an invisible barrier rebounded them back into the shop.
Owen steadied himself and probed the doorway, but it was as if an unseen glass wall blocked their path.
Berkeley, with a grim face, said sternly, "This matter between you and me doesn't involve them. Let them go." f reewe b
"Brother," the young voice from above spoke again, "I know your strength. I'm afraid the moment I open the magic array, you'll find my weakness and kill me."
There was a pause in the voice, which then turned sinister, "So, I have no choice but to kill you all. It's better to have company on your way to hell."
Laughter filled the decrepit shop, the atmosphere within changing abruptly.
A chilling black fog swirled in from all directions, enveloping the shop in its grasp.
This malevolent force in the fog sent shivers down the spine.
The walls of the shop trembled, and the windowpanes creaked ominously, as if they could shatter at any moment.
With the gathering of the black fog, a vast Net of Death began to form.
Woven from countless black threads, each emitting a suffocating aura of death, they intertwined in the air, creating a massive vortex that enveloped the entire shop.
Everything inside the shop fell under the shadow of the Net of Death, filling the air with a scent of rot and decay.
Corner spiders fled in terror, sensing a fatal threat.
The shop's furniture and items were entangled in black threads, as if being pulled by the hand of death itself.
Under the embrace of the Net of Death, the shop transformed into a place of dark horror, akin to a gateway to hell.
"Net of Death? You've broken through to a level 6 arraymancer?" Berkeley's eyes widened in shock, his disbelief evident.
"Brother, I longed for progress so much. Thus, I borrowed some power from the dark deity and fortunately advanced to a level 6 arraymancer."
"This power is truly wonderful!" The voice from above sounded like a sinister deity, filled with a tempting force, luring one into the embrace of darkness.
Owen felt an invisible force enveloping him.
The threads of the Net of Death carried not only a potent aura of demise but also a power of imprisonment.
A sense of overwhelming exhaustion surged within him.
His body immobilized, the Gold Divine Dragon Blood within him stirred autonomously, forming a robust line of defense.
The Gold Divine Dragon Blood surged through his veins, emitting powerful energy waves.
This energy clashed with the malevolent force of the Net of Death, producing a series of sharp, ear-piercing sounds.
Owen felt as if his body was being torn apart, "To what realm does a level 6 arraymancer equate?"
"Grandmaster-tier," Berkeley responded, his gaze lowered in a mix of resignation and weakness.
"In the Laine Kingdom, there are no more than 30 Grandmaster-tier arraymancers. It seems my end is nigh."
With a hint of apology on his face, Berkeley looked at Owen's contorted expression and shook his head slightly, "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this... I fled to Toka, yet they still wouldn't let me be."
The ferocity previously in his eyes seemed as if it had never existed.
The life on the border town had long extinguished the fire in his heart.
Perhaps, death was the best escape for him.
"Grandmaster-tier?"
Owen's mouth fell open slightly, the term weighing on him like a massive mountain.
He knew Barlo's realm was at the Grandmaster-tier.
As a Grandmaster, Barlo had made a name for himself across Novalia, even slaying envoys of the angel race without burden.
This highlighted the significance of the title.
Eldrich, a key figure at the Grand Magus Academy, was also a Grandmaster-tier.
At the Saint Selection Ceremony, he had represented the myriad races.
The term 'Grandmaster-tier' symbolized the epitome of power.
"That's no reason to give up, I can help you," Owen shouted at Berkeley, his expression distorted, feeling the threads binding him tighten.
Erin had already fainted, entwined by the threads of death, her face pale, her condition critical.
"Help me?" Berkeley looked at Owen.
"With what? A level 6 arraymancer can battle ten masters. I'm just a level 5 arraymancer, without any chance of winning."
Internally cursing, Owen roared in anger, his body undergoing a drastic transformation.
His bones cracked, muscles expanded rapidly, and his skin hardened like iron.
His hands morphed into sharp dragon claws, and his feet into sturdy dragon hooves.
As the transformation progressed, Owen's body became covered in golden scales, gleaming brilliantly.
A pair of massive golden wings sprouted from his back, creating gusts of wind as they unfurled.
Once the transformation was complete, the Owen of before was gone, replaced by a magnificent and majestic Gold Divine Dragon.
Holy light showered upon the Net of Death, melting away the threads like early snow under the warm sun.
"Hmph?" A voice of surprise echoed from above. "I never expected him to be a dragon. What kind of dragon is this? I've never seen it before."
Berkeley too stared in astonishment, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an arcanergy fluid bottle.
No wonder Owen had recognized the fake dragon blood!
"If you were fully matured, I might fear you a bit. But now, you seem to be just a juvenile," the voice from above stated ominously.
"You appear to be a pure-blood dragon. Perfect. I've never tasted dragon flesh before, and now I can try dragon blood too."
As the arcanergy in the air rapidly changed, the Net of Death descended upon Owen once more.
This time, its power was even more formidable, as if intending to tear his soul apart.
Owen's skin began to disintegrate, blood oozing from the gaping wounds, overwhelming him with indescribable pain.
Each heartbeat felt like an endless torment, and his body trembled helplessly, on the verge of being devoured by this malevolent force.
With a dragon's roar, Owen cried out, "Do you really wish to die like this? Are you truly content?"
His appearance was so wretched that even Berkeley felt heavy-hearted.
Owen clenched his teeth, struggling against the assault of the Net of Death.
The Gold Divine Dragon blood within him surged once again, radiating intense light as it fought back.
However, this time, the Gold Divine Dragon blood seemed unable to withstand the malicious power of the Net of Death, its light gradually dimming.
"Ha ha ha, can't resist anymore, can you? I didn't expect such an unexpected gain today," the voice from above echoed with a derisive laugh, its arrogance deeply grating.
Owen felt his consciousness blurring, darkness encroaching upon his vision.
He knew he was teetering on the brink of collapse but refused to give up easily.
Drawing a deep breath, he mustered his last ounce of strength, attempting to break free from the Net of Death's clutches.
"To think of killing me? Dream on. Even if you are a lv6 arraymancer, I can defy fate!"
Owen internally invoked: "Prophecy... activate!"
To Berkeley, unseen were the workings of Owen's entry into the world of [Prophecy].
He only saw Owen's desperate roar, as torrents of golden blood spilled from his mouth, a sight of utter desolation.
Berkeley's gaze sharpened, profoundly moved by Owen's resolve.
With Owen's dogged determination against a lv6 arraymancer despite being only gold-tier, what reason did he have not to act?
Owen's tenacity and unyielding spirit shocked him.
"Alright, I'll join your madness this one time!" Berkeley laughed uproariously, his fingers dancing in the air as if playing a piano.
Arcanergy was frantically manipulated by Berkeley.
The defining trait of a Master-tier arraymancer is the ability to cast arrays in the void without the need for arcanergy tools or materials.
A surge of powerful void energy erupted from Berkeley, as a massive magic array materialized around him.
The array, composed of numerous glowing runes, emitted a mysterious and formidable energy fluctuation.