Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 505: Bob's Return

[ Consume is… ]

[ Consume is… ]

Thousands of those message flew before his vision in a second like never before.

The cord to Bob pulsed unlike before, compressing in on itself.

Like squeezing a flask of water, everything stored inside was gone.

Max’s head rocked backward as he felt the surge of power and a presence he had yearned for return.

[ Skill Consumed is Lower Rank of Current Skill ]

[ Power stored for future use ]

That message came dozens of more times, yet Max didn’t care. Instead, all that mattered was what he heard in his head.

The voice he heard sounded almost sweeter than Tanila’s.

BOB! You’re–

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

His skill activated, and as his vision returned, Max knew it hadn’t been him who had done that.

Still, the traces of a blood lance were noticeable in his sonar.

Focus! We can talk later! I will handle this thirst, I need to–

Bob stopped speaking as Max felt his skill accessing both memories and gazing at the scene beneath them.

Savantus… he…

Yes! Now, are you okay? What–

Later. It appears I have missed much… you have grown… let me see what I can do to help.

As Bob spoke those words, the pressure and the amount of focus it took for Max to manage all the spells vanished.

Gone was the need to try and handle a hundred different things on his own.

The weight that had seemed difficult to carry alone was now shared between the two of them and Max couldn’t help but smile.

Your friend… Bob… he is… back?

YES! Max exclaimed as Rakonath reached out.

Do not bother us for now, little one. It appears we need to-

[ Blink ]

Four more lances of blood came, and Bob dodged two of them gracefully, using the ability only because there was no other way to evade the last two.

I shall not bother. Welcome home, Bob.

The tiniest of chuckles and also a groan rose inside him, and Max watched as his skill unleashed eight spells at the same time while managing their flying.

What is this…

Bob stopped his question and Max felt a sense of panic from his skill.

What is it?

Savantus has a blood ability, one from the Consume Skill, and it is dangerous. We need to avoid it.

[ Ability Reset ]

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

[ Ability Reset ]

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

Half a dozen blood lances came at them and Max held up his shield as Bob focused more on evasion for a moment than offense.

Those elves. Each death empowers him, yet I know we cannot allow the army to reach the city. Still, there are about 5,000 left, and the kind of power they will give Savantus will make this fight much worse.

Can I block these attacks? My gorgon shield?

No reply came as Max found himself back on the ground, reducing some of the King's vision of him.

Dust clouds rose as Bob commanded the air, creating a visual barrier between them and the Elven King.

It might block it or it might not. The risk is great and if it fails… we would play into his hand. None of your spells worked against him?

Each one was stopped before hitting him, on a barrier of some sort.

He pulled his bow out, sending arrows at the elves charging at them as Bob continued to keep a cloud of dust active, not running in a straight line.

Occasionally, a lance of blood would come through his sonar, off by anywhere from a few yards to thirty.

I… I missed you.

There, in the middle of combat, they cut down the number of elves even faster. Max shared the pain he felt due to the absence of his skill.

As did I, but focus. There is no time and I am hungry. That lust you felt welled up inside me. Part of me wants to take over but the other part knows I must not. You have learned to fight better. This boulder idea is genius.

Dozens of boulders had been sent racing into the rows of soldiers, flattening them like dough under a roller.

The earth turned into a quagmire as Earth Mastery made it harder to move through, and every stone beneath them rose to the surface, riddling the elves with holes.

Blades of wind, spears of ice, fire nova and more all rained down destruction upon the army. The numbers had been whittled down to less than a thousand in no time.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Between his bow and Bob’s ability to manage most of the spells, they again became the reaper.

Now we must prepare for–

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

[ Blink ]

As if Bob had somehow sensed that things would change, a wave of blood rushed toward them.

Over twenty feet tall, it crashed against the ground, turning upward and giving chase as they sped across the sky.

Ignore the rest… the few at the gates and walls must handle them. It is time.

Zig-zagging through the sky, Max watched as the flow of blood that extended from Savantus became thinner, stopping its chase as they rose higher.

Lighting erupted around them as it had the first time, and now the bolts were blue.

A curse came from Bob as they took a strike from one to his shield.

Electricity raced through Max’s body, and the damage was worse than the first one he had sustained at the start of this battle.

The ground, we need–

No! The blood is worse, we will endure this!

Shields of air and ice formed above them as the spell assaulted them.

Max felt the contents of his storage pouring out. All the stone and metal items he had kept inside were now being controlled by Bob, who infused them together, creating a dome above him.

Every strike broke off chunks of stone and metal, but Bob quickly fused them back to the growing sphere, summoning boulders and using them to reinforce it more.

Gods I’ve missed you.

Laughter erupted inside his head, and Max grinned, floating in the sky near the clouds as whatever spell Savantus had used couldn’t breach the barrier Bob had created.

So what are we up against? You must know how bad Dagon was. This elf is supposed to be worse.

I do not know, but everything you thought was right. How did he know we weren’t supposed to be here, and why is this army the way it is? The elf is no fool and sets traps both at home and here. I cannot believe he would sacrifice his people so easily without a reason.

Thuyja… it has to be her.

I would agree for now. Which means we are against a foe who most likely knows more about us than we might hope. That in turn means this fight will be won by tactics and thinking. Even with how strong you are, Savantus is old and powerful. He will have many plans in reserve. The only thing he won’t be able to count on is how long we can last.

Both of them stared at the Elven King below, receiving a gaze back in return.

After almost a minute of nonstop lightning strikes, the spell subsided, and Max reached out, touching the protective barrier, and stored it.

Now what?

We go on the offensive. He’ll be hard to hit, and I have no doubt that we cannot kill him in a single blow. Our problem comes in different ways, and I’m not sure we should ask Sog’thollech to assist, as you had considered.

But he is strong, much stronger now than before. Surely he–

No… he is connected to you and the skill I believe Savantus has will make him stronger if he tastes the blood of your demon. You can sense my concern about him tasting ours.

Max felt Bob's overwhelming concern about that. It was like wearing wet clothes, and they stuck to you, making everything you did feel weird.

And if he does taste our blood?

Then this fight will be much harder. He grows stronger from the blood he tastes. It is how he controls the elves and if he drank enough of yours… I might struggle to hold back his ability. Savantus is a real threat, unlike any you have faced before.

Still hovering in the air, Max took a deep breath and considered what Bob was saying.

Worse than Igarra and Kazrak?

Worse than Igarra… Kazrak… he would probably lose to Savantus depending on what all the King has ability-wise. That is another reason not to use Sog unless you must. The risk is too great.

Max started to reply but stopped when he noticed that the Elven King was starting to move toward the city.

He was alone, the army that had surrounded him dead or charging on ahead.

Max knew that staying up here meant he wasn’t a threat, and with whatever spell Savantus had cast and Bob had nullified, the King was making him act.

So face a foe stronger than us, don’t get hurt, and keep them from the city. Sounds like our usual day.

A chuckle arose from inside and Max grinned.

I’ll focus on not getting hit and trying to land a few. As always, I’ll trust you with everything else.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

With the decision made, Max flew towards Savantus, his bow out and arrows raining down upon the King.

As he halted his approach toward the city, the elf’s wrists and fingers started to move, spears of blood forming in the air beside him.

Each arrow struck a barrier a few yards before the King and vanished.

Bob was pouring mana into three different spells, creating a trio of offensive capabilities as they came at their opponent.

Once in range, Savantus sent over twenty different spears at him. Sometimes, it was a pair or a trio with another set sent flying a moment after the previous one took off.

Bob unleashed his spells, sending an ice and stone spear at the King while curving the wind blades to attack from both sides.

Facing forward, Max equipped his gorgon shield, praying that it would stop the six-foot-long spears, thicker than his wrist.

The first one he couldn’t dodge struck the center of his shield, erased all his momentum, and Max was sent backward, almost tearing his defensive item from his hand.

[ Demonic Teleportation]

Pain radiated through his arms briefly as his Regeneration worked to heal the impact.

What was that?

Power… true power. Do not do that again in the air.

Bob’s words were short and to the point. Both spears he had sent shattered upon an invisible barrier, and the wind blades found the same fate a second later.

Fight on the ground.

Twisting and turning as they continued their path at the King, Max couldn’t help but appreciate how Bob had used their momentum from being knocked back with the Demonic Teleportation to not lose much speed.

Max’s weapon appeared in his hand as more blood spears appeared and flew at him.

[ Blink ]

[ Cooldown Reset ]

Are you going to be okay with this?

I shall be fine. You have no idea how much power I got from those weak warriors. This will be another one of those fights. Retreat isn’t an option. From this point forward, we fight until one of us dies.

What about my Dimensional Space?

I would not trust nor depend upon it. If what I believe is true, he won’t be caught and placed in it. Likewise, if you choose to hide inside it, he will simply move toward the city and I doubt he would go as slow as he did a moment ago.

A quick glance showed that there was smoke rising to the south, a sign that the army had reached the outer section of the capital and had set fire to the houses they had come across.

Focus Max. Nothing else matters right now but this moment.

He knew Bob was right and forced himself to ignore the concern about Tanila and the others if he was facing this kind of monster. Right now, everything depended upon this moment.

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