Competitions between apothecaries often came down to each side's accumulated knowledge and the breadth of their expertise.
Just like this time — if Leilin hadn't recognized the type of potion that green barbarian across from him had created, it could have genuinely posed some obstacles.
But once he had seen through the other's setup, deciding the victor became an exceedingly simple and effortless matter.
When it came to accumulated knowledge and such, how could those green barbarians possibly be a match for Leilin, who possessed the Chip?
"You..." The green barbarian's fingers were trembling wildly, clearly somewhat frightened.
"What's wrong? Are you planning to use the Star Mark rune on your ring to activate the Frost Chill potion soaked into your belt, or are you going to directly use the Corrosive Poison Arrow potion on your back?"
Leilin looked the green barbarian up and down, the mockery on his face growing ever more pronounced.
"Oh! No wait — it looks like you're using those as a distraction to activate the Wind Elf's Wrath on your feet!"
Various expressions flashed across the green barbarian's face — it was impressive that it could produce so many movements and expressions on its wrinkled visage — but in the end, they all dissolved into terror.
"Aaah! You're a demon! A demon!"
The green barbarian apothecary let out a scream and, abandoning its own kind and companions, was the first to flee the battlefield.
Its status here was clearly very high. Upon seeing it flee, the other green barbarians were stunned for a moment before several of them screamed and swiftly followed, abandoning the field.
"Well done!" Robin called from nearby, a grin spreading across his face. He was the strongest of the three, and the grey-robed wizard opposite him could only barely hold his own for the moment.
On the other side, however, Kasha's luck had not been so favorable.
When choosing her opponent, she hadn't had the Chip to rely on — only her own judgment. And in the end, she had somehow selected this Bear Barbarian Ritualist who possibly possessed crystallization-level strength.
This Bear Barbarian Ritualist's strength was beyond belief, and its constitution was even more terrifying. Even Kasha's Petrifying Gaze could only cause it to stiffen for less than a second, with no other effect whatsoever.
Numerous first-level and second-level spells hammered into its head, only kicking up tufts of black fur and failing to inflict any meaningful damage.
As for third-level spells? Not only were their templates exceedingly rare, but casting them in a place like the Forgotten Land required an enormous price.
Not everyone was like Leilin — an Apothecary Grandmaster who could forcibly replicate the effects of third-level spells through potions.
"Woo woo!"
At that moment, the skull banner strapped to the Bear Barbarian's back began to crackle with sound again, issuing forth wave after wave of noise like war horns.
"Roarrr!"
Nearby Bear Barbarians went berserk upon hearing the horn calls, their eyes turning blood-red as their offensive power surged dramatically, immediately putting Luoya and the other warlocks at a severe disadvantage.
"That's the Blood Frenzy! All regular Bear Barbarians do this — but what about it?"
Leilin immediately shifted his gaze to the Bear Barbarian Ritualist.
As the horn calls resounded, the Bear Barbarian suddenly threw back its head and roared, pounding its chest muscles with tremendous force.
Thick, knotted veins coiled across its arms, chest, and back like the roots of ancient trees.
Crack! The Bear Barbarian's skull split open, exposing a massive brain-like organ that had begun to glow and radiate heat.
"ROARRR!!!" Amid its frenzied cries, the Bear Barbarian Ritualist's body began to swell explosively. Already standing at the height of a two-story building, it surged upward by another ten-plus meters, transforming into a colossal bear-humanoid monstrosity.
An aura of terrifying energy fluctuations — on par with those of a crystallization-level wizard — erupted from the massive Bear Barbarian.
"Cr-crystallization!" Kasha's lips were twisted with bitterness.
But the Bear Barbarian beast paid no heed to any of that. Its massive paw blotted out the sky as it slammed down toward Kasha!
Under that terrifying force, the very air seemed to solidify as it hurtled toward Kasha.
Boom!
Kasha's figure was sent hurtling backward, crashing through numerous structures.
"Explosive Fireball!"
Several massive fireballs detonated against the Bear Barbarian's head, but the furrowed, brain-like tissue showed not the slightest damage. The attacks did succeed in provoking the beast's fury, drawing its attention to the side.
"Kasha, how is it? Are you dead yet?"
"Is that really how you ask?" The rubble exploded outward as Kasha's figure emerged.
But her condition was far from good — her clothes were shredded, revealing the fine snake scales beneath. She had fully entered her serpentine transformation: Coimori scales covered her entire body, and even her eyes had become vertical slits.
Even in this Coimori warlock's strongest defensive form, a massive wound had appeared on her arm, and the limb was subtly twisted — even the bones had been damaged.
"I used a force-redirection technique I learned before to redirect most of the impact to my left arm!" Kasha raised her obviously twisted and deformed left hand, explaining with a bitter smile. "I didn't expect this Bear Barbarian's striking power to be this ferocious! Today has been really dangerous!"
It seemed that being defeated by a monster that relied solely on brute strength and physical constitution was quite a blow to her.
A wry smile appeared on Leilin's face as he quickly pulled Kasha aside, narrowly avoiding a massive black foot.
Crash! The building from before was utterly destroyed, leaving a massive foot-shaped crater in the ground.