Aria swung her Divine Smite again, enveloping the still-morphing mass of flesh in golden light, seemingly trying to interrupt its "transformation."
After all, transformations in reality didn't grant invincibility frames. Of course, you had to attack relentlessly while the opponent was vulnerable!
Daphne wanted to help, but her Divine Smite couldn't be projected for ranged attacks like Aria's. To strike, she would have to charge into close combat. Gazing at the grotesquely mutating mass before her, she prepared to do just that.
However, after she had taken only two steps, the Pixie materialized beside her and warned sternly, "Don't go! This transformation is already irreversible! Even if you rush in and land a few blows now, you absolutely cannot stop this process!"
"Instead, you should consider the impact this thing will have on the forest once it fully manifests! This is the Mother of Flesh! Even if it's just a mimicry forcibly catalyzed by a Divine Artifact, its power aside, the corruption it will unleash upon arrival will be devastating!"
Soon, vast swathes of the forest would transform into writhing masses of flesh. Environmental contamination would be the least of their worries. By then, the entire battlefield would likely become nourishment for the Mother of Flesh, providing it with a continuous stream of power and making the monster even harder to kill.
"Construct a barrier! Now! Immediately!" the Pixie commanded all the Warlocks.
Just as they had done with the Father of Oaks, they could erect a barrier here to reverse reality and the Dream Realm, temporarily halting the spread of corruption and protecting the forest.
Daphne's mind raced, instantly grasping the situation. She turned and sprinted toward the center of the battlefield, where Douglas was located. Simultaneously, all the accompanying Warlocks began to move under the Pixie's direction, scattering to various positions around the basin.
Each Warlock would serve as an Array Core, with Daphne as the central hub. Constructing a Reversal Magic Circle with this setup wasn't difficult. The problem was that the True Body of the Warlock Divine Artifact wasn't here to provide power. As a result, this temporary Reversal Magic Circle was destined to have a very short duration.
After giving orders to Daphne, the Pixie flew to Aria's side. "Conservatively," it said, "the Reversal Magic Circle can only last for ten minutes. We must defeat this enemy within that time. The longer we delay, the worse the situation will become!"
Killing an enemy whose power approached that of a Greater Divine Power in just ten minutes would have left anyone else gaping in disbelief, stammering, "Dude, are you serious?"
But Aria didn't hesitate for a second. She nodded firmly. "Understood. I'll do everything I can to take it down within ten minutes!"
She knew she was facing a terrifying foe, but this wasn't a question of whether she could do it—it was something she had to do. If they failed, and this incarnation of the Mother of Flesh was unleashed upon the world, it would be an apocalyptic disaster.
Aria took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the mass of flesh before her, her resolve hardening into steel.
At the edge of the battlefield, watching the Warlocks scatter, Feidric began preparing his magic. At the same time, he couldn't help but glance at Phainon beside him. Since joining the team and claiming he would help, the man hadn't lifted a finger, simply trailing behind the group like a mere attendant.
Feidric couldn't resist speaking. "Lord Phainon..."
But before he could finish, Phainon offered a warm smile. "Go all out. Don't be afraid."
Feidric paused, then understood. So he's our safety net...
Though he didn't understand why Phainon wouldn't intervene directly, he assumed there must be a reason. Feidric didn't press the matter, instead turning his focus back to the battlefield, particularly on Aria, Cipher, and Douglas.
A stream of incantations flowed from his lips as his hands wove through various spellcasting gestures. However, any other Wizard present would have noticed that Feidric's words and gestures were incredibly basic—almost like those for a First-Level Abjuration spell, such as the Shield spell.
Yet, something was different. After all, a First-Level spell wouldn't require such a lengthy incantation or such prolonged gestures.
Normally, the average casting time for a spell is six seconds, with incantations and gestures being relatively brief. But Feidric had already been chanting for nearly thirty seconds, and he was still going, his incantations even accelerating.
In the "past" constructed by Evernight, Feidric had encountered a Wizard named Jay, who he suspected was his past self. He had learned a great deal from him.
Magic wasn't always better for being more intricate or complex. Sometimes, returning to simplicity—casting the most basic spell in the most fundamental way—could yield remarkable results.
Since then, Feidric had dedicated himself to research, focusing on the Abjuration School and how to better protect his companions.
Not long ago, a new spell was born.
If it were Jay, he might have named it Ninth-Level Abjuration: Feidric's Shield, just like his own Jay's Illusions.
But Feidric was not Jay. He had no desire to name the new spell after himself. Instead, he imbued it with his purest wish, christening it...
Ninth-Level Abjuration: All Is Well.
Instantly, a nearly invisible 'wave' emanated from Feidric, enveloping Aria, Cipher, and Douglas. The spell had almost no outward signs; despite being protected by a Ninth-Level Abjuration Spell, the three showed no visible shields or other special effects.
Aria didn't even notice the strange protective layer cast upon her. Her focus was so intense that she had already entered a 'Flow State'.
Finally, the mass of flesh ceased its transformation. A giant infant, over ten meters tall, appeared before them.
Creatures corrupted by the Mother of Flesh typically displayed grotesque mutations—extra heads, arms, or legs. Yet the Mother of Flesh (Imitation) itself, the very source of the corruption, appeared so... pristine.
Its form was utterly unremarkable, looking for all the world like an ordinary baby—except for its colossal size. From another perspective, this very normalcy was the most bizarre thing about it.