Chapter 54: Spore Bomb
Without thinking, Volk balled his massive fist, and suddenly, a transparent swirl of wind began to encase it, shimmering with a strange energy he had never felt before.
His eyes widened, but before he could fully comprehend what was happening, his voice boomed throughout the cave, as if on instinct:
"NUCLEAR DEVASTATION WIND STRIKE!" He shouted in his Grum-gar form, "GALE BOMB!"
BOOM!
His fist shot forward, smashing into the air with an earth-shattering sound, but the impact didn't reach Zenveil.
Instead, a brilliant magic circle flashed into existence between them, glowing a bright white with intricate designs of swirling blue lines weaving through it.
It hovered in the air for a brief moment before vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.
For a split second, silence filled the cavern, and then Zenveil's maniacal laughter echoed through the walls, reverberating like a haunting melody.
"Kakakakakakakaka!"
Zenveil howled, his laughter almost hysterical.
He looked down at Volk with mocking eyes, a sneer of condescension painted on his twisted face.
"Oh, this is rich! You think magic is that simple, Orc? Do you even understand the first thing about how this works?"
Volk, still seething with anger, felt his frustration mounting as Zenveil continued to taunt him.
The Warlock raised his hand, gesturing grandly as though he were a teacher addressing a clueless student.
His voice dripped with arrogance as he began to explain.
"Magic is not just about brute force, little buzzwark Orc. It's not something you can simply will into existence. Magic requires control, mastery, and a deep understanding of its nature.
"You don't just snap your fingers and summon the winds! Kakaka! No, no, no. It takes years-of-years-of-years of study, practice, and most importantly, integration with magical beasts."
Zenveil's words oozed with disdain as he went on.
"You see, we Warlocks are far beyond anything your simple mind could comprehend. To use a beast's unique magic, we must first hunt the creature, extract the magical core from its body, and then fuse it with our own essence.
"Only through this painstaking process can we gain access to the magic that creature once held. And even then, we must study the limits and strengths of the magic we've stolen to wield it effectively."
Volk's eyes narrowed as he listened to Zenveil's lecture.
The words felt like needles piercing his pride, but his anger was focused elsewhere.
While Zenveil's voice droned on, Volk's gaze shifted to the system interface that had appeared before him.
| Ding!
| Nuclear Main Vessel elemental mana mastery of Nuclear Wind Mana is too low. |
Volk scowled.
That explained why the attack hadn't worked.
He wasn't skilled enough in controlling the Nuclear Wind Mana yet. His fists clenched tightly, his mind racing.
What should he do now?
There had to be something else, right?
| Ding!
| Available attack: Nuclear Devastation Botanical Strike. It is level ten mastery. |
Volk's brow furrowed in confusion. "Botanical?" he thought.
He had no idea what kind of attack that was, but if the system said it had high mastery, it was worth a try.
Before he could fully grasp the idea, Zenveil's mocking voice cut through his thoughts once more.
"Well? Are you going to try again? Or have you finally realized just how outmatched you are?"
Zenveil taunted, his tone dripping with condescension. The Warlock waved his hand dismissively.
"Come on, try harder, Orc. Give me a real challenge, if you can!"
The taunt hit Volk like a slap to the face. His entire body tensed, and a growl rumbled deep within his chest, vibrating through the cave.
His radioactive form seemed to pulse with anger, the green energy surrounding him flickering wildly. He couldn't hold back any longer.
"NO ONE UNDERESTIMATES VOLK!!!" he roared, his voice so loud that it shook the very stones of the cavern.
His fury was a tangible force, and even Zenveil seemed momentarily taken aback by the intensity of Volk's rage.
But Zenveil's surprise was short-lived. His mocking laughter only grew louder, more grating. "Kakakakaka! You think shouting will change anything? Pathetic!"
Volk's eyes blazed with rage as he thrust his fist forward again, Bang! this time with the intention of unleashing the Botanical Strike.
A new magic circle appeared, deep green and pulsating with a strange, earthy energy.
As the circle spun in the air, Volk felt something building, something far more dangerous than before.
SWOOSH!
| Ding! You have created an attack!
| Nuclear Devastation Botanical Strike: Spore Bomb.
A twisted smile spread across Volk's radioactive form face.
His radioactive form seemed to glow brighter as he stared Zenveil down.
He raised his fist high, the energy swirling around it like a storm.
"SPOOOOOORE—"
The magic circle began to pulse faster, and Volk's voice boomed through the cave as he finished the attack's name.
"BOOOOOMMMBBB!!!"
BANG!
Suddenly, a cloud of strange, chemical-like spores appeared out of thin air.
The spores swirled around Volk's fist before shooting forward like a gust of wind, aimed directly at Zenveil and the three-headed dog beneath him.
Swoosh!
The spores moved with unnatural speed, surrounding the beast and Zenveil in an instant.
Zenveil, initially unfazed, waved his hand dismissively, a bored expression on his face.
"What is this? Some kind of dust?"
He chuckled, shaking his head as if Volk's attack were nothing more than a joke.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The three heads of the monstrous dog began to twitch.
One of the heads sniffed the air and let out a small sneeze.
Ahchoo!
Zenveil frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What…?"
Ahchoo!
Ahchoo!
The sneezes grew louder and more frequent.
Soon, all three heads were sneezing uncontrollably, their massive bodies shaking with each convulsion.
The sneezes grew stronger, more violent, and Zenveil, now clearly alarmed, shifted in his seat atop the beast.
"What is happening?! Why won't it stop?!"
Volk watched in amusement as the sneezing fit overtook Zenveil's monstrous companion.
The Warlock's confident grin had completely disappeared, replaced by a look of bewilderment and growing frustration.
But the sneezes weren't the only thing happening. Zenveil's expression shifted again, this time to one of discomfort.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wincing as if something wasn't quite right.
"What…?"
Zenveil muttered, his voice trailing off as he squirmed. His eyes widened in realization.
Something was very, very wrong.
Volk's radioactive form grin widened as the system screen popped up in front of him, revealing the effect of his latest attack.
| Ding!
| Spore Bomb effect: Random spore activated.
| Current spore effect: Laxative. |
Volk burst into laughter.
"GRUHAHAHAHAHA!!"
He couldn't help it.
The mighty Warlock, the self-proclaimed superior being, was now battling not just Volk, but his own body.
The sight of Zenveil, squirming atop his beast, unable to control the sneezing three-headed monster beneath him, was more than Volk could have hoped for.
Zenveil's face twisted in a mix of fury and horror as he realized what was happening. "Y-you… YOU DID THIS!" he screamed, his voice high-pitched and panicked.
Volk nodded, still laughing, his massive form shaking with mirth.
"VOLK FOUND WARLOCK FUNNY, GRUHAHAHAHAHA!"
Zenveil's body tensed, his muscles spasming uncontrollably as he tried to maintain control of the situation. But no matter how hard he tried, the sneezes from the three-headed dog and the… other effects were too much for him to handle.
For a brief moment, Volk allowed himself to revel in the small victory.
The mighty Warlock, so full of arrogance and superiority, was now reduced to a squirming, sneezing mess. But Volk knew this was far from over.
Zenveil might be humiliated now, but the battle wasn't won yet.
Volk cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for the next phase.
"VOLK NOT DONE!"
He took a deep breath, focusing his mind.
There was still more power within him.
The Nuclear Devastation Strike had more to offer, and Volk was ready to tap into all of it!