As my comrades were able to fend off Kinnara's deadly assaults, the battle reached to a bit of a stalemate.
The 4-star Garuda then leaped to the air and flared both of her wings.
She decided to turn the duel into ranged combat.
The Garuda transformed the two double swords into a pair of long spears.
While throwing those spears toward my comrades, the Garuda also sent a rain of feather darts all over the dueling ground.
Crash!
Crash!
Crash!
There were so many projectiles rushing down, but my comrades managed to dodge and parry all that came their way.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Nimble Movement has levelled up twice to level 7!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up to level 6!]
['Tarran (★★★)'s Nimble Movement has levelled up to level 7!]
['Tarran (★★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up to level 6!]
Having survived the deadly rain, my comrades launched their counterattack.
Tarran summoned arrows to his bow and rapidly fired them toward the Garuda with great precision.
['Tarran (★★★)'s Rapid Fire has levelled up to level 10!]
['Tarran (★★★)'s Weakness Detection has levelled up twice to level 10!]
Despite how incredibly swift the Garuda flew in the air, my comrade was able to get his arrows reach their target.
All the arrows seemed to be chasing their target as the projectiles would even curve their trajectories in peculiar manners toward the flying Garuda.
The 4-star Priestess could barely parry them off with her wings mid-flight.
[Hero 'Tarran (★★★)'s Rapid Fire and Weakness Detection have been combined to create a new skill!]
['Tarran (★★★)' has obtained the skill, 'Sidewinder'!]
As the archer was seizing most of the Garuda's attention, Devisha vanished into the environment.
My Heaven's Eye skill could still detect her perfectly, however.
So I was able to see her moving about trying to escape the Garuda's line of sight.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Stealthy Movement has levelled up twice to level 5!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s Nimble Movement has levelled up to level 8!]
The Tsahanam assassin summoned a throwing spear the moment she reached the Garuda's blind spot.
After aiming carefully for a few seconds, she launched the projectile.
The 4-star managed to notice the spear in time to dodge it. But she was just a hair's breadth from being harmed.
['Devisha (★★★)'s Spear Throwing has levelled up to level 2!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s Weakness Detection has levelled up to level 3!]
Kinnara tried attacking the Tsahanam assassin.
But Tarran continued pressuring the 4-star with more arrows, allowing Devisha to vanish back into the environment.
My two comrades used this strategy to face the Garuda.
While using Tarran as distraction, Devisha would sneak around to the Garuda's blind spot and launch a deadly ranged assault.
She would shift between her throwing spears and daggers.
Each time Devisha managed to throw her projectile closer to her target.
Eventually she landed an almost-perfect shot that the Garuda had to catch the dagger with her bare hand.
Krch!
[Hero 'Devisha (★★★)'s Spear Throwing, Dagger Throwing and Weakness Detection have been combined to create a new skill!]
['Devisha (★★★)' has obtained the skill, 'Killing Aim'!]
The 4-star Garuda Priestess smiled at her bleeding hand grasping Devisha's dagger.
"You two might be wingless, but you are strong. As expected from the Prophesied's own comrades."
She began casting a Third Circle spell.
Strong wind current rushed throughout the dueling chamber.
A strange energy began emanating from the Priestess's wings.
"Seems like I no longer need to hold back."
Suddenly dozens of feathers flew off from her wings and suspended stiffly in the air as if held up by invisible strings.
['Kinnara (★★★★)'s exclusive skill Iron Tempest is activated!]
As the wind raged on, the suspended feathers transformed into large hovering blades, spears, lances, and arrows.
They flowed through the air with precise coordination as the Priestess moved her fingers.
I remembered reading something about this unique power of the Garudas.
They could truly do anything with their feathers.
"Enough playing around. Let's start the real training."
The 4-star Priestess said with eyes of a hunter.
Devisha and Tarran grasped their weapons tighter and steeled themselves against their overwhelming opponent.
Crash!
My comrades continued fighting the 4-star Garuda with greater intensity.
It was definitely a bountiful blessing to have the high-ranked heroes in the lobby.
By training with powerful 4-star heroes, my comrades were able to push their limit like they did in the Quintal Trials.
How much stronger would they be under the guidance of 5-star heroes?
In another dueling chamber of the training facility, the 5-star Andaman was sparring single-handedly against the 4-star Ulrica, Djhotti, and Graihan.
The members of the new Party 3 had been fully powered with their seal.
Ulrica was bursting with lightning, Djhotti flared with burning energy, and Graihan in his transformed state.
Their attacks were furious and deadly.
But none of the 4-stars could land a single scratch on the 5-star Tsamudran.
Andaman's movement was not that complicated.
But each swing and thrust of his golden trident was packed with an ocean of strength.
The 4-stars were easily overwhelmed by the 5-star hero.
"Haha! The three of you might be among the strongest in Master's army! But all of you still have much to learn! I can read your intentions perfectly!"
Andaman spoke with that powerful voice of his as he swatted the 4-star heroes in one clean swipe of his trident.
No.
It was not that Andaman's technique was simple.
He was just able to land the perfect blow at the perfect spot at the perfect moment.
Nothing less. Nothing excessive.
Precise and accurate.
Just like how a true master would fight.
Indeed.
This was the might of the Advanced Weapon Arts.
Our combatants must strive to achieve that level of skill mastery.
We were all aware of how much a difference a skill could make in battle.
The contrast of a hero's performance just by having one useful skill.
Like my Heaven's Eye, for instance.
It was simply astonishing how that skill allowed me to perfectly witness all the sparring matches unfold through my mana.
Everything was so vivid like I was observing the battles directly.
That was the power of my Heaven's Eye.
And it was possible I was only scratching the surface of its potential.
The same with my Divine Touch skill.
It combined my enchantment magic, healing magic, and dimensional magic altogether.
Formulating enchantments was no longer such a chore. All I needed was to think of what I wanted to do and the spell formulas would just piece together instinctively in my mind.
Performing healing magic which required extremely delicate mana conversion and manipulation was now as easy as breathing.
So was dimensional magic.
Combined with my Heaven's Eye skill, I could designate any spot I wanted and teleported myself there in an instant.
The complex formulas for dimensional magic were now as simple as First Circle formula to me.
Also with the help of my Heaven's Eye skill, I could cast any enchantment from afar.
A practical test would confirm that theory of mine.
I marked my comrades' presence in the lobby, readied my enchantments, transferred the spells using dimensional magic, and casted them.
['Serafina (★★★★)' is casting multiple enchantments.]
[Enchantment casted!]
['Jonah (★★★)'s stats have increased by 25% for a period of time!]
['Shanny (★★★)'s stats have increased by 25% for a period of time!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s stats have increased by 25% for a period of time!]
['Tarran (★★★)'s stats have increased by 25% for a period of time!]
I looked through my detection field and saw my comrades performing much better in their sparring matches.
It was confirmed I could now cast enchantments from long distance.
If someone from the other parties were injured in the Quintal Trial and they were not close to my position, I could immediately heal them even from afar.
The synergy provided by my two skills would certainly be helpful for our climb.
So would my Alchemist Hands skill.
I could now directly create golems without golem cores.
Moreover, my golems could be instilled with even more advanced spells that should make them more durable, powerful, and versatile.
My knowledge on alchemy had also deepened that it should benefit our equipment crafting and enchantment stone production.
Djhotti mentioned about the state of our workshops and the resource supply which restricted the type of weapons and equipment we could make.
There were also precious potions I had been wanting to create but was lacking the resources, facilities, and abilities to make them.
With my Divine Touch and Alchemist Hands, most of the problems should now be easy to solve.
I had greatly improved in terms of supportive abilities.
My offensive skills were not falling behind either.
All my elemental magic skills had combined into Myriad Elemental Arts.
It was different from Yuxia's Intermediate Unified Elemental Arts skill.
I still needed to investigate the difference between Yuxia's and mine.
But I no longer had difficulties casting multiple elemental magic at once.
Even if they were Fourth Circle spells, I could wield the elemental runes simultaneously with ease.
Naturally, casting a single element was no longer a labor. It was barely a thought, even.
I could instantly cast a Fifth Circle fire spell without long preparation beforehand.
My mind was now simply capable to process complex elemental formulas in such short period of time.
It might also have to do with my Judgment Rain skill.
Judgment Rain allowed me to designate many targets at once and cast my spell on them.
I had seen the 20th floor record.
Back then, I used the skill to eliminate all the faraway enemies surrounding the other parties.
But the skill also worked for supportive spells.
What I did to cast enchantments on my comrades earlier were more likely to be the effect of Judgment Rain.
By synergizing with the Heaven's Eye, the Divine Touch, and my offensive skills, I could strike enemies and support my comrades no matter where they were in the battlefield.
I had also obtained a new killing magic.
Destructive Void Arts.
It was a form of magic that utilizes aether. Quite a powerful sorcery.
Aether transcended the realm of elements.
Should there be opponents that were resistant to elemental magic, then aether would be an effective alternative against them.
But it was an extremely powerful magic. Cost so much mana.
Its basic First Circle spell was worth a Third Circle elemental spell.
And I used a Seventh Circle aether spell to kill off the 20th floor's chimera.
No wonder I passed out for fifteen days.
But it was still unbelievable that I casted such high-level magic.
I never attempted to cast a Seventh Circle sorcery before in my life.
Even most of the High Mages of the Tower of Circle could not cast it on their own.
Back in Dunia, the casting of Seventh Circle spells and above were always recorded in magical history.
It was simply because not often such powerful sorcery was casted.
The spell Yuriana Bromstead casted to repel the Guntur invaders was also Seventh Circle.
That was why I still found it hard to believe I managed to accomplish the same feat.
My Ars Magna skill had a role in making that happen.
It allowed me to comprehend the vast complexity of high-level spells and cast them.
The more I levelled up the skill, the easier it would be for me to cast Seventh Circle magic or even stronger type of sorcery.
That skill would be crucial in the higher floors.
It was more than likely we would face stronger enemies than the chimera we faced in the fourth Quintal Trial.
Considering the Circle of Kali was helping Samesta, we would definitely face more monstrosities akin to that Cursed Abomination.
My Demonslayer skill should also be a great help against that kind of opponent.
I obtained it after killing the chimera.
Alam said the Demonslayer skill increased my assault effectiveness against beings tainted with curses or other corruptive matter, like the Cursed Abomination.
I would need to think of some measures for my comrades as well. Enchantments that would help them fight against corrupted beings.
What the 5-star Tsamudrans told me about their experience concerned me.
The nightmare we experienced at the end of the fourth Quintal Trial would not be our last.