Shroud Arcanum

Chapter 28: - Titan of Yore(2)

Liam's eyes darkened as he saw Irys being thrown. His heart raced as an inferno of anger welled up inside him. As he plummeted downwards, he used the "Seismic Stomp."

Through experimentation, Liam had tested utilizing his flame energy in place of arcane energy. Although it didn't possess the pure strength of arcane, this flame energy transformed his abilities, imparting them with special characteristics.

As Liam descended, a fiery aura enveloped his legs. When his feet forcefully connected with the titan's massive forehead, there was an explosion of vibrant flames, scalding its skin. Along with this fiery impact, deep, resonating tremors travelled with force from the point of contact, echoing through the titan's very being and reaching its skull. Momentarily disorienting the massive beast.

Seizing the moment, Liam activated his 'strength augmentation'. Intricate magic patterns began to form and snake across his skin, and a surge of power started coursing within him. A scorching heat emanated from Liam in waves, creating an almost palpable hot aura around him. His Talonstrike, now enveloped in a roaring flame,

The titan's skin starts sizzling as it gets burned slowly, Liam then proceeds to slash as fast as he can. Each slash he delivers is like a choreographed dance of fire, both impactful and deadly. For each cut he inflicted, each wound sizzled, the intense heat from Liam's blade instantly cauterizing the wound as he dashed to the beast's eyes.

locked onto it. Without a moment's hesitation, he poured the full force of his flame energy into a singular, powerful thrust. In an instant, he released a burst of pure flame directly into the titan's head, eliciting a deafening roar of agony from the titan.

As Liam's boots hit the ground, he immediately sprinted towards Irys's last position, the sounds of ongoing bombardment echoing as runic bullets continued to rain on the titan. Emerging from the cloud of dust and debris, Irys stood, a bit battered with visible bruises but otherwise intact.

Catching sight of her, relief washed over Liam, and he skidded to a halt. She shot him a smirk, "Don't worry about me," she chided, "never turn your back in battle, airhead." Taking her advice to heart, Liam spun on his heels, redirecting his full attention back to the looming titan.

The titan, its face now marred with deep scars and with only one eye glaring malevolently, squared off against Alric, Zalya, and Liora. The battleground seemed to come alive as Liora skillfully conjured thick vines that snaked and coiled around the titan's limbs, hindering its movements.

Zalya, with pinpoint accuracy, unleashed a barrage of metal projectiles targeting the titan's wounded leg, trying to nail the titan's colossal feet in place. Yet, her attempts didn't yield the desired effect. Realizing she needed more power,

Zalya shouted, "Alric! Buy me some time." Taking a deep breath, she began concentrating. Slowly, she started moulding a much larger, razor-sharp projectile, its shimmering form indicating the sheer force and power she was pouring into it.

Alric, with his sharp reflexes, darted in. His staff danced in his hands. Summoning a sphere of water at the tip of his staff, Alric hurled them at the titan's blinded eyes."Over here, you lumbering brute! Can't catch a mere ant?" His voice was laced with a mocking tone.

In retaliation, the titan swung its massive claw. Liora, sent tendrils of thick vines to wrap and pull at the claw, trying to halt its deadly trajectory. Seizing the momentary delay, Alric summoned a sheet of water beneath his feet, using it as a makeshift slide to glide swiftly beneath the titan's hulking form.

As he emerged unscathed on the opposite side, without missing a beat, he conjured a high-pressure jet of water, blasting it at the titan's flank to antagonize the beast even further.

Seizing her opportunity, Liora commanded her vines to rise higher, reaching for the titan's other legs and attempting to restrain it. Compensating the weak strength of the vine, she multiplied the numbers. Like a tidal wave of green, the vines surged forward, each layer wrapping tighter than the last, digging into the titan's scaly skin.

Zalya, having finished her preparation, stepped forward, "Now!" she yelled.

Understanding her cue, Alric summoned a swirling vortex of water around the titan's legs, making it difficult for the titan to move. As the titan struggled against the water and vines, Zalya launched her massive metal projectile. It soared through the air, its sharp edges gleaming menacingly before striking its target - the titan's wounded leg.

A deafening crash echoed as the projectile embedded itself into the titan. In its growing frustration, the titan unleashed a deafening roar. Its claws start glowing with a magical pattern. With a swift, forceful motion, it smashes against the ground, shattering Liora's restraining vines, triggering a formidable shockwave that radiates outwards, knocking the trio off their feet. Simultaneously, the very earth around the titan cracked open, giving rise to towering spires of jagged rock, poised menacingly in the air.

Reacting swiftly to the imminent threat, Liora summoned thick vines that acted as lifelines, pulling both Alric and Zalya toward her. The three combatants then synergized their unique skills: Liora conjured a robust wooden barrier interwoven with her vines, Zalya reinforced it with sheets of durable metal, and Alric enveloped the group in a protective bubble made of water.

The earthen spikes launched by the titan didn't target them directly, but several came perilously close. They shattered the trio's combined defences but were stopped just in time, mere inches from their faces. With a jarring impact, the group found themselves thrown to the ground.

The titan then began to crouch, every muscle in its vast body tightening as the razor-sharp spikes protruding from its back glistened ominously. In a display of sheer power, the spikes were launched into the air, almost like guided missiles.

Yet, even as the older spikes soared, new ones were already forming in their place. Mid-air, the larger spikes detonated, shattering into countless smaller shards that descended like meteor showers, turning the battlefield into a chaotic maelstrom of destruction.