A traitor to their race would always bear the mark of unreliability — did anyone truly think they could thrive in the opposing camp?
Besides, Leilin had confidence in humanity's resistance!
Even if the North Domain Guardian had fallen and the entire Dark North Domain had fallen into enemy hands, he still believed the underground human race couldn't possibly be this weak.
Therefore, Matron Alisha's temptations had absolutely no effect on him.
In fact, facing this Second-level Matron before him, a restless impulse to test himself stirred in Leilin's heart.
"Perfect! The Second-level Spell Templates I acquired before, and the several Second-level Spell Models the Chip deduced — I can try them all out now!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Leilin's eyes, sending a chill through Alisha on the other side, giving her a terrible premonition.
"Shadow Blaze!"
Leilin gave her no chance. He struck first — dark crimson flames surged skyward, forming a roaring pillar of fire.
"Shadow Blaze: Second-level Spell | Element: Darkness, Fire | Power: 120 degrees (accounting for spiritual element enhancement)"
This was the quantified data provided by the Chip. Shadow Blaze was an enhanced version of his former Shadow Fireball.
Over the past decade or so, Leilin had obtained a large number of Second-level Spell Templates from the Nature's Alliance, and equally, from those academies he had destroyed, he had scavenged plenty more. Among them, the Misty Forest Academy — a mid-tier institution — had contributed the largest share.
After extensive exchanges in Doulun City, his collection of Second-level Spell Templates had grown quite rich. He had even, by sheer fortune, come across two incomplete Third-level Spell Templates, which he had recorded as though they were priceless treasures, commanding the Chip to attempt deducing them.
The power of this dark crimson flame had already far surpassed his former Searing Touch.
Matron Alisha's expression turned grave. She suddenly cracked her whip hard against the air.
*Crack!* The barbed leather whip compressed the air, producing a sharp, explosive snap.
"Come forth!" Complex black patterns surfaced on Alisha's face, spreading like a mask that covered the entire right half.
"Master! I obey your command!"
The void seemed to tear open, and a spider as white as jade emerged from thin air.
Upon its jade-white carapace ran thin red veins, yet rather than appearing fearsome, they gave it an oddly endearing quality.
*Squeak, squeak!* The Matron emitted sounds similar to a spider's cry.
The white jade spider immediately aimed at Leilin and spun from its spinnerets a dense mass of frost-laden silk.
The threads intertwined tightly, forming a white cocoon that enveloped both the beast and its master.
"Frost Abyss Spider — a variant of the Abyssal Ice Spider, possessing extremely powerful mutation capabilities. Strength: 35 | Agility: 16 | Constitution: 46.9 | Spirit: 27 | Special Abilities: 1. Silk Defense: The Frost Abyss Spider's silk carries glacial energy, making it the bane of fire-element spells. 2. Stealth: The Frost Abyss Spider can reflect light off its carapace to simulate a stealth effect…"
The Chip's blue glow flickered, instantly producing the white jade spider's full profile.
After joining the Wizard Academy of the Dark Domain, Leilin had never once ceased expanding the Chip's database. By now, it had catalogued the vast majority of special creatures and items in the entire region.
"A Matron-level bonded Ice Spider? And it's naturally resistant to fire-element spells?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Leilin's mouth.
"Too bad — the key to my Shadow Blaze isn't the fire. It's the darkness!"
At Leilin's will, the dark crimson pillar of fire transformed instantly. At its center, the red glow rapidly faded as pitch-black darkness swallowed the majority of the space.
In the span of a single heartbeat, the power of shadow had come to dominate the flames.
"Go!" Leilin thrust both hands forward, sweeping the massive pillar of fire toward Alisha's enormous white cocoon.
*Hiss, hisssss!*
Clouds of white steam rose from the cocoon's surface, evaporating furiously.
*Squeak —!* Leilin could even hear the faint, agonized shrieks of the enormous spider.
*Boom!* The massive white cocoon suddenly burst apart, scattering the dark crimson flames to shreds.
And amid the billowing white mist, a figure emerged.
The Matron had now fused her body with the Frost Abyss Spider, becoming a half-spider, half-elf monstrosity — instantly reminding Leilin of his subordinate, Shigley.
"Now that look — it suits Shigley perfectly!"
Leilin sneered, though he certainly understood the difference between the two. Shigley's form was the result of physical transformation from his own Meditation Method, whereas this Matron had merged her own body with her companion's — and there might even be spiritual involvement!
In terms of raw power alone, this dark elf Matron who had already ascended to the Second level left Shigley far, far behind.
"Human! Damn humans!" The elf's upper body, perched atop the spider, continued to shriek.
*Clang! Clang!*
The elf seized a spider leg that gleamed like white jade. The limb instantly reshaped itself into a curved white blade.
Along the blade's elegant arc, beautiful patterns radiated luminous light.
Wisps of white mist drifted from the cutting edge, reflecting cold, glinting light.
"Die!" The elf's voice dissolved into a dazzling streak of light and vanished into thin air.