As if there was an unspoken signal, the battle went up a notch between the two, exploding into a new level of intensity—literally.
Whether it was boulders or sudden trenches, ice spikes, slippery ground, or the like, the area around them had become dangerous.
It got so intense that every other fight that happened nearby moved several meters away, leaving them a clear area to fight with minimal collateral damage.
During this time, Garan had eaten a number of mana cookies while Baltimore had drank another mana potion. Baltimore frowned, surprised at the fact that Garan could still use his elements after so long.
His eyes zoned in on the cookies, and realized they must recover Mana somehow. It was not unheard of, especially for towns and above, though definitely rare in villages.
The two continued to exchange blows, with those surrounding them going farther and farther for their own safeties. At some point, another ice spire headed straight to Baltimore, and he—as always—blocked it with a condensed rock.
What he didn't expect were sharp and long needles to go through!
Baltimore's eyes widened a bit, barely avoiding it. His survival instincts activated and he moved his body, but he still failed to avoid a needle.
"AH!" he groaned as he pulled out the needle that was buried in his arm. It was a palm's length and the part that was embedded in him was as deep as his thumb.
Gritting his teeth, he yanked the needle free, blood seeping from the wound. There was no time to recover however, and he immediately bolted to the side—he had to because the bastard started attacking him again!
This time he used varying ice and metal techniques and it really caught him off guard, getting an ice pick and another needle to hit him.
He also noticed that inside his ice blade, there was metal that seemed to act like its skeleton, increasing its strength.
Another thing Baltimore didn't know was that the metal was a good conductor of heat and cold, and it distributed the freeze across the blade, making it even more durable.
What Baltimore did know was that Garan was proficient in both elements! Dual elementalists were rare even in cities, let alone such experts! Seeing this simply confirmed his supposition of Alterra being backed by a city!
Most people would feel regret going against a territory backed by a city, but not Baltimore. Their master city was among the most powerful city in the human territory, and taking over Alterra would mean getting connections to whoever it served.
He waved around his sword, knowing he wouldn't be able to sustain such endless use of his abilities. Similarly, Garan was also experiencing the same problems. After all, mana cookies recovered mana bit by bit with time, let alone he was already level 20 so the food's effects were limited on him.
The ebony-haired man resumed just using his sword which was reinforced by his abilities, which was still impressive and still did consume some mana.
However, the difference between his sword and the others was that he could control it at his will. Others would not be able to build on the weapon.
After all, equipment couldn't be built upon as walls and buildings couldn't. Solid elements were different from skills like fire, which could be used with the weapons though the weapon acted as a point of control than anything else.
The two continued exchanging massive blows, the sound of clashing blades resounding in the area. They were also going quite fast, and equally skilled with the weapon, even if they did have a huge level gap.
At some point though, Baltimore did feel a bit shaken.
This was because he saw that Garan didn't have any injuries yet! How?
He hadn't notice it before because their battle was so messy with the elements flying around, but now that they had resumed the close combat battles, he could see it clearly.
Did he have a full-body armor that he couldn't detect? Or perhaps a magic tool?!
This fact irked Baltimore very much, and it was evident with his attacks becoming harsher and harsher. It caused Garan—who always maintained a clear head—to see an opening.
The ebony-haired man immediately sliced the sword at his enemy, and Baltimore used his ability, adding movement to his feet so he was pushed backward, barely avoiding the slash.
Garan's eyes sharpened and his blade extended another meter, managing to bury in Baltimore's chest.
It was on the right chest, however, it was not that deep. The attack was unlikely to be deadly—not at Baltimore's level—but it sure snagged a good part of his health.
"ARGH!" He screamed, eyes red.
"Milord!" His cronies yelled, realizing the lord was in real trouble. A few headed forward to help out. There were several level 20s around Baltimore and they immediately went to his assistance.
Before they could get close to the ice corralle though, strong wind delineated them, forcing them to step back lest they receive its sharp edge.
"I'm pretty sure you were dealing with me," Sammy said, and next to him were Gill and other soldiers, similarly blocking their paths.
Gill waved his spear and a small crack filled with magma lined the way. Anyone who had gone against him knew that he would be able to control the molten rocks, and it would stick to their skins and burn them!
The others were not to be underestimated either. They were not only elementalists, but they were all proficient with their powers. It didn't matter if they were a few levels lower, it was no problem to them at all!
The cronies gritted their teeth. Most of these people had reached level 20 as well, or at least near it. This average level was too high for a village!
Guia had a few dozen level 20s and a level 30+ lord because they had the backing of a city!
What was Alterra? Why was it so troublesome?!