Chapter 146: Only Kids Choose, I Want It All!

Chapter 146: Children Make Choices— I Want It All!

Vilder glanced to the side, sensing a current of air drifting past.

He felt something strange.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Crash!

Li Wei arrived at the spot where he had encountered the lava lizard, only to find several mages besieging the beast.

"Glacial Freeze!"

Savis raised his hand and unleashed a stream of icy blue breath.

Molten magma froze instantly, solidifying into black rock.

The crimson runes across the lava lizard’s body dimmed, and it suffered heavy damage.

Cold and heat collided—steam erupted in an instant, flooding the entire cavern with thick mist.

"Forceful Gust!"

A violent surge of wind exploded before Wicks, scattering the suffocating heat that blanketed the cave.

"Torrential Surge!"

A female mage in blue robes launched a high-pressure water jet from her hands.

Bang! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The torrent, capable of splitting stone and shattering rock elsewhere, lost most of its power within the molten cavern.

It struck the lava lizard, cracking only its outer shell, dealing negligible harm.

Mage Meril’s expression shifted slightly—she felt trapped.

This environment severely suppressed her abilities.

She couldn’t unleash even half her strength.

And now, she began to worry about the third round of the finals.

She glanced at Savis—ice mages should have been even more restricted here than she was.

Yet Savis, with overwhelming power, turned the elemental opposition to his advantage.

"Freeze!"

Savis cast his spell, encasing the lava lizard in ice.

The others seized the moment, launching coordinated attacks.

With its defenses shattered, the frozen beast was soon left gravely wounded.

Just as Savis prepared to deliver the killing blow and claim the kill—

a searing wave of heat suddenly surged from behind.

Boom!

An ice wall burst forth behind Savis, blocking a jet of molten spray from the lizard.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The ice melted rapidly.

Savis whirled around, face darkening.

Two more lava lizards emerged from behind.

Three second-tier lava lizards—in this molten cavern, no less.

Together, they might stand a chance if they fought as one.

But the moment the new lizards appeared,

Wicks, Meril, and the others immediately bolted toward the Flame Lotus.

They abandoned the wounded lizard without hesitation.

Their intent was simple: seize the lotus and flee.

Suddenly, Wicks noticed a patch of shadow near the lotus.

The darkness enveloped the flower.

Then—explosion.

Lilith stood within her domain of shadows, lifting her gaze to see Li Wei.

Seeing her attempt to snatch the Flame Lotus with shadowy tendrils, Li Wei responded instantly—a tiny fireball detonated the tendril mid-reach.

He stared into the darkness where Lilith stood.

The shadows churned violently—then erupted with razor-sharp spikes of darkness, lunging at Li Wei.

The shadow spears pierced through his body.

Li Wei slowly faded away, vanishing from sight.

Lilith’s eyes narrowed instinctively turning toward the lotus.

All three Flame Lotuses were gone.

"Damn it."

Lilith’s brow furrowed.

If Li Wei had taken them by force, she could accept it.

But to be tricked—this stung deeply.

Wicks glared at Lilith and roared, "Hand over the Flame Lotus!"

He hurled a barrage of wind blades at her.

Darkness billowed around Lilith like a cloak, rising to block the assault.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Every wind blade struck the shadow-cloak and vanished.

Lilith had no intention of explaining. She turned to escape.

"Reveal Pulse!"

Meril released a faint ripple of blue energy. The wave passed over Lilith.

A force wrenched her violently out of stealth.

She tumbled from the shadows, plummeting toward the molten river below.

On the verge of being consumed, a shadowy tendril shot from the wall, coiling tightly around her waist, suspending her midair.

Her feet hovered less than ten centimeters above the magma.

The heat scorched the soles of her boots.

Lilith manipulated the tendril, lifting herself higher, away from the inferno.

She looked ahead—and saw Li Wei, forced out of concealment by the same pulse.

Meryl saw Levi so close before her, her heart leapt in alarm.

Wicks, on the other hand, wore a face brimming with joy.

"Armored man! Die!"

"Gale Slash!"

Without hesitation, Wicks cast his spell at Levi.

He had been searching for Levi for three long days.

Now, at last, he had found him.

Levi reached out across space—blue light flickered around Meryl—and she was instantly drawn before him.

Boom!

The ripple shield surrounding Meryl burst into a radiant spray of blue.

The shimmering light from the activated water shield masked the glow of Levi’s telekinesis.

Meryl noticed the faint blue aura of the controlling spell—

but under Wicks’ assault, there was no time to ponder.

She cried out, “Wicks, what are you doing?”

Seeing Meryl block his path, Wicks assumed she meant to protect Levi.

“Meryl, move aside! He’s my enemy!”

Meryl stared blankly. Everywhere except where she stood was molten lava—where exactly was she supposed to go?

Did he want her to stand in the magma itself?

As Levi’s figure began to fade, Wicks no longer cared about his temporary ally’s fate.

"Storm Assault!"

He unleashed his unique spell, empowered by his supernatural trait.

A horizontal tornado erupted, its terrifying winds whipping up the molten sludge.

In an instant, the whirlwind became a storm of lava.

Seeing this, Meryl screamed, “Have you lost your mind?”

"Aquamarine Guardian Shield!"

Caught in the maelstrom, dragged into the lava tempest, she had no choice but to reveal her ultimate defense.

A translucent dome of shimmering water formed around her body.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Outside the shield, crimson waves of molten fire swallowed all sight.

She felt her magic depleting rapidly, fear clawing at her chest—

terrified she wouldn’t hold on.

Even Wicks was taken aback, surprised at how much stronger Storm Assault had become when fused with molten fury.

He himself had been caught in the blast.

"Ice Ward!"

Savith shimmered with icy blue light as a hexagonal crystal of frost enveloped his entire form.

Whoosh! Sizzle! Hiss!

The lava storm raged past—Savith’s ice shield melted continuously under the onslaught.

Vilade was still on his way when suddenly ahead, flames surged violently.

“What in the world is that?”

“Damn it!”

"Stone Bulwark!"

Rocks rose abruptly, forming a dome that encased him completely.

Boom!

A thunderous impact shook the outside.

“Hell! What happened up ahead?”

Vilade muttered bitterly, feeling as if he were being roasted alive.

At last, the chaos subsided. Cautiously, he cracked open a gap and peered outward.

Scorching lava splattered everywhere.

Molten streams still oozed down the cavern walls, dripping like rain of fire.

There was nowhere to step.

Near the edge of a half-dried lava river, the gravely wounded lava lizard lay overturned by the storm.

Wicks stared at the scene, startled.

Could the Ironclad man be dead?

He only wanted to capture him, force him to reveal the spell formula—not kill him.

If Levi died, then the spell model he sought would vanish forever.

Suddenly, a figure materialized beside the wounded beast.

Wicks’ eyes widened in shock.

Surely he wouldn’t dare—

“Stop!”

(End of Chapter)