Chapter 12: The Battle of Elements
Upon seeing the two blazing flames, Midalin cried out, “Those are fire elementals! I never expected that after all these years, there would still be unclaimed fire elementals.”
Yet at that moment, Li Mingxing had neither the time nor the mood to ask Midalin for information about fire elementals, nor to wonder how she could tell these were unclaimed. His Blackstone Warriors and Greystone Fighters charged forward, weapons raised. They were the most fire-resistant members of Li Mingxing’s party, with formidable defenses. If even they could not withstand the fire elementals’ assault, then the party would surely be annihilated here.
Of course, as the three dwarves rushed ahead, Li Mingxing did not let his other companions idle. He commanded his battle leopard to knock down the flying carpet that had drawn the fire elementals and ordered the dwarf bombardiers to target the golden rings of the elementals. Li Mingxing wanted to see if destroying the rings would defeat the elementals.
The dwarf bombardiers were highly obedient and opened fire at once. However, Li Mingxing’s command posed a challenge; their attacks relied on high power and wide area, and precision was not their forte. So, over a dozen dwarf bombardiers missed the golden rings entirely, much to Midalin’s relief.
Before they could fire again, she finally called out, “Don’t attack their golden rings! If you destroy the rings, they’ll explode. Aim for the center of their flames—hit there and they’ll be wounded.”
Midalin’s shout made all the dwarf bombardiers halt. Li Mingxing immediately called out, “Do as she says—she understands this place best right now.”
The bombardiers had no choice but to adjust their aim, raising their muskets to target the upper bodies of the fire elementals.
The elementals realized the threat posed by the bombardiers and tried to evade, but two Greystone Fighters stood before them, impervious to their flames.
At that moment, the Blackstone Warrior seemed to be instructing the Greystone Fighters in using their skills, directing them without joining the attack himself.
When the bombardiers shifted their aim, the Blackstone Warrior had the Greystone Fighters change theirs as well, hacking upward at the lower bodies of the fire elementals.
The flames on the elementals surged and shimmered, growing fainter under the dwarves’ assault.
The elementals seemed to realize their demise was imminent if the fight continued. They exchanged a glance, then slammed into each other.
At the collision, Li Mingxing and his companions were blinded by a flash. Suddenly, nothing was visible.
Li Mingxing immediately recognized that he and his party had been hit by a spell akin to Blindness, a magical attack with no remedy but to wait for their sight to return.
If the fire elementals chose to attack at full strength now, Li Mingxing’s forces would suffer heavy losses.
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For a time, Li Mingxing heard only chaotic footsteps, but no cries of pain or death, which surprised him.
When his vision began to return, he discovered the fire elementals were dead, and standing before their golden rings was his own brave Giantkin Warrior.
A crimson flame pattern appeared on the Giantkin Warrior’s purple skin. Brandishing his scimitar, he turned proudly to Li Mingxing and said, “I killed them both, and because of that, I’ve advanced—I am now a Giantkin Fire Warrior.”
Li Mingxing was stunned for a moment before recalling, “Ah, Giantkin aren’t affected by Blindness spells.”
As everyone recovered from the spell, Li Mingxing had Midalin retrieve the whirlwind scimitar she had stored earlier.
“This blade is your reward for this feat. Keep up the good work—those who contribute will never find me stingy.”
The Giantkin Fire Warrior accepted the powerful scimitar and began to brandish it with delight. Li Mingxing noticed the nearby desert fighters’ eyes burning with fierce flames; next battle, they would surely fight with newfound ferocity.
As Li Mingxing pondered how best to lead his party, Midalin approached the golden rings left by the fire elementals. She carefully picked up the rings and examined them. Li Mingxing walked over and asked quietly, “Well? Are they damaged?”
Midalin had been so absorbed in studying the rings that she hadn’t noticed Li Mingxing’s arrival; his question startled her. “No, they’re still usable.”
“What were you thinking just now? Were you considering summoning new fire elementals?” Li Mingxing asked with a smile. “You seem to know quite a lot—could you tell me about the fire elementals?”
Midalin nodded and began to explain the origins of fire elementals and others to Li Mingxing.
Long ago—ten thousand years, she said—the four great elements were enslaved in this world. Back then, people hadn’t yet invented golems and puppets. Instead, they crafted golden rings to imprison the elements and force them into service.
But the number of elementals in this inner world was limited. When they had captured them all and still needed slaves, they turned to other inner worlds—or, as Midalin described it, other planes.
When they first opened the doors to other planes, however, they inadvertently opened a gate to a far more powerful plane. From there poured forth mighty elementals. These newcomers, seeing their kin enslaved, erupted into fury, causing chaos and eventually organizing an elemental army that battled the three great powers of the time: the Djinn, the Naga, and the Titans.
The result: the entire inner world became a desert. The pureblood heirs of the three powers were nearly wiped out, and the elementals lost one sixth-level and two fifth-level champions. Even a so-called sixth-level Wind Elemental Prince was forcibly left behind, doomed to wander the desert as a whirlwind.
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After that, fewer and fewer people could wield the elements. Yet elementals remained the essential energy for floating cities, so those who could master the elemental belts and control the elementals became city lords by default.
“So the Gem Pool—?”
“That predates the Elemental War. I don’t know its origins; my family never had much information about it.”
“What did your family do before? Why do you know so much?” Li Mingxing asked curiously.
“Nothing special. A few generations ago, my family produced a city lord, so we had greater access to records. But by the time it came to me, I can’t control elementals, and I can barely sense them,” Midalin replied, sounding discouraged.
Li Mingxing did not wish to dampen her spirits further. He changed the subject, “So, do you know how to use these golden rings now? Are elemental belts made from the same rings?”
“Of course not,” Midalin shook her head. “These golden rings are ancient tools for enslaving elementals individually, used before the Elemental War. Elemental belts can control earth, water, wind, and fire all at once, letting the user summon whichever element they need.”
“I see.” Li Mingxing finally grasped the situation. “Judging from these rings, it seems where we are now was once a storage place for elementals. Can we find an elemental belt here?”
“We probably can, but it’s not safe. From what we saw—the fire elementals’ behavior, the missing flying carpets—it’s clear other inhabitants dwell in this underground world. Yet I had no idea.”
“That’s normal. Think about it: you live in the sky and aren’t allowed in the desert. How could you know this place existed?” Li Mingxing comforted her.
“But surely some people have managed to escape the whirlwinds alive. Didn’t they leave any records?”
“Escape is one thing; finding an exit safely is another. In fact, I agreed to your plan this time because I had no intention of seeking an exit. I believe this underground world has no exit,” Li Mingxing said firmly.
“And yet you dared to follow me down here,” Midalin remarked, looking at him.
“That’s because I already have a foolproof plan. Well, we’ve rested long enough. Let’s go to where the fire elementals appeared—maybe we’ll discover something valuable.” Li Mingxing clearly did not wish to dwell further on the topic and stood, heading toward the giant elephant that stood nearby.
His companions were ready for action, having rested well. Li Mingxing glanced at the Giantkin Fire Warrior, who sat proudly atop the elephant, and smiled, “Alright, everyone, let’s move out.”