Chapter 333: Mana Vortex + Kinetic Mana

Alex created a Mana Shuriken behind himself and used it to propel his body upward, flying directly toward an enormous water hammer approaching his companions. The weapon was moving at an incredible speed, and its size alone was enough to crush several people beneath it.

As the hammer approached, Alex activated Mana Vortex Spell, surrounding himself with rapidly circulating Disruption Mana. Unlike his previous pulse-type Mana Spheres, the vortex contained a much higher concentration of Disruption Mana within a smaller area, allowing it to exploit the weaknesses in the water hammer’s structure more effectively.

The enormous weapon rapidly disintegrated upon entering the vortex, but Alex immediately noticed another problem. The Mana Shuriken propelling him through the air was also breaking apart, causing him to lose his ability to fly.

Alex quickly deactivated Mana Vortex Spell and reconstructed the Mana Shuriken before he could fall too far. However, the brief experience gave him an interesting idea, and instead of descending toward the monsters, he accelerated upward until he nearly reached the ceiling.

The powerful pulses of mana spreading from his body immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding Krakens. Within seconds, dozens of enormous water weapons were launched toward him from different directions.

Most were comparable in size to trucks, while those created by the High Rank Species Krakens were as enormous as buildings. Alex examined the approaching attacks through his mana perception before taking a deep breath.

’Let’s see how far I can push this,’ Alex thought, activating Mana Vortex Spell at its maximum output.

The Mana Shuriken behind him instantly disintegrated, and Alex began falling toward the floor. However, he remained calm, concentrating on the enormous weapons approaching from every direction.

Even with Mana Vortex Spell operating at maximum capacity, there were simply too many attacks for him to destroy before they reached him. He might survive being struck by one or two, but receiving dozens of attacks simultaneously would almost certainly kill him.

Nevertheless, Alex had no intention of retreating yet. He began infusing Kinetic Mana into the circulating wisps of Mana Vortex Spell, carefully modifying their instructions without interfering with the Boomerang vibration pattern.

As the mana wisps traveled outward, the Kinetic Mana contained within them absorbed portions of the kinetic energy carried by the approaching water weapons. When the wisps returned, Alex collected the accumulated energy before sending them outward again.

The first few cycles were relatively slow, requiring considerable concentration to maintain the circulation while transferring the absorbed energy. However, as Alex became familiar with the process, his casting speed increased dramatically.

The approaching threat of death forced his mind into an extraordinary state of concentration. Everything unrelated to his mana and the incoming weapons gradually disappeared from his awareness, leaving him completely focused on manipulating the circulating wisps.

Within moments, he had accumulated an enormous amount of kinetic energy. Alex released a portion of it to propel himself upward, narrowly escaping the first wave of attacks.

Several weapons disintegrated within the Mana Vortex, while the others slowed enough for him to avoid them. However, Alex wasn’t particularly satisfied with the result, since he had still been forced to dodge.

’Let’s try stopping them completely this time,’ Alex thought, turning his attention toward the second wave.

He increased the amount of Kinetic Mana circulating through his vortex, allowing the wisps to absorb energy from the approaching weapons at a much faster rate. The enormous projectiles gradually slowed, their movements becoming increasingly sluggish as Alex continued extracting their kinetic energy.

Eventually, the first water spear stopped completely in midair. Several other weapons followed, remaining suspended around Alex as their movement was continuously suppressed by his Kinetic Mana.

The suspended weapons couldn’t accelerate downward because Alex kept continuously absorbing the kinetic energy they gained from gravity. Meanwhile, the Disruption Mana circulating through his vortex continued breaking apart those weapons whose structures couldn’t withstand its vibrations.

However, maintaining such an enormous amount of stored kinetic energy placed Alex under tremendous strain. Kinetic Mana could store energy much like a battery, but exceeding its capacity would cause it to release that energy uncontrollably.

If even a small portion exploded, the resulting disturbance could trigger a chain reaction throughout the energy he had accumulated. Considering the enormous amount he was currently holding, such an explosion would instantly tear his body apart.

Yet strangely, the danger only made Alex calmer. He trusted his abilities, along with the control he had developed through repeatedly pushing himself beyond his previous limits.

’I can handle this,’ Alex thought, concentrating on maintaining the stability of the accumulated energy.

He used a portion of the stored kinetic energy to keep himself suspended in the air while continuing to intercept the incoming weapons. Eventually, he stopped using Disruption Mana altogether, relying entirely on the Boomerang vibration pattern to extend the effective range of his Kinetic Mana.

The strain on his body continued increasing. Veins bulged beneath his skin, and blood began leaking from the injuries from his previous battle as they reopened.

However, Alex barely noticed the pain. His enhanced concentration remained entirely focused on controlling the enormous amount of energy circulating around him.

Before long, hundreds of gigantic water weapons were suspended throughout the air surrounding Alex. Every new attack launched toward him gradually slowed before joining the others, leaving the Krakens unable to reach him.

Even the monsters eventually stopped attacking, seemingly realizing that their weapons couldn’t touch him. For a brief moment, the enormous hall became strangely quiet as everyone stared at the countless weapons hanging motionlessly overhead.

Then Alex finally made his move. He gathered the enormous amount of kinetic energy he had accumulated and began transferring it into the suspended weapons.

One after another, the enormous projectiles accelerated downward, returning toward the monsters that had originally launched them. However, Alex wasn’t merely returning the energy he had absorbed from their attacks.

While the weapons had remained suspended, gravity had continuously attempted to pull them downward, providing additional kinetic energy for him to absorb. By accumulating that energy over time, Alex had obtained considerably more than the Krakens had originally invested in their attacks.

The first enormous water hammer struck a Kraken directly, crushing its body beneath the impact. Several spears followed, piercing through other monsters before exploding against the floor and sending powerful shockwaves throughout the hall.

Alex continued releasing the accumulated weapons, directing them toward different groups of Krakens. Each projectile struck with even greater force than it had originally possessed, causing devastating damage throughout the enormous chamber.

The bombardment continued until every suspended weapon had been launched. To Alex, the entire process felt as though it had lasted an hour, although his concentration was so intense that he had completely lost track of time.

When the final weapon struck the ground, Alex remained floating near the ceiling, breathing heavily as he gradually stabilized the remaining kinetic energy within his body. Then, several familiar notifications appeared before his eyes.

[Level 9 Kraken (High Rank Species) killed.]

[Level 9 Kraken (High...]

[Level 8...]

[...]

[You have leveled up. Level 16 → Level 18.]

[Mana Vortex Spell has leveled up. Level 2 → Level 4.]

[Soul Recovery Spell has leveled up. Level 2 → Level 4.]

[Advanced Battle Instinct Spell has leveled up. Level 5 → Level 7.]

[Mana Sphere Spell has leveled up. Level 8 → Level 9.]

[Kinetic Field Spell detected.]

[Would you like to learn Kinetic Field Spell?]

[Yes/No.]

..

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