<h4>Chapter 243: Burned</h4>


    Loud cheering filled the audience area, alling from those paying attention to Arena 7. zing mes and overpowering darkness shed in a battle of wills, roaring mes radiating heat all around the arena, while shrinking around an acolyte trapped in the middle. Meanwhile, another acolyte kept on creatingplicated gestures in the air with his hands in order to direct the spell.


    "Hey, Emery! I think you should just give up!" Gerri shouted from outside the mes.


    "Nope, not happening!" Emery answered.


    "If you stay any longer, you might be today''s dinner… Roasted Emery, with charred skin and ashen bones… Urp, now that certainly is a disturbing image…" Gerri''s face turned pale and he scrunched up his expression in disgust.


    "Damn, Gerri! You really have quite the disturbing mind!" Emery shouted, trying to keep his expression straight.


    "Come on, my friend! Just give up! I don''t want you to die!" Gerri shouted.


    "… Wait, since when are we friends?" Emery asked.


    "Dammit, Emery, you hurt my feelings! Remember, I saved your sorry ass from the madman Lodos back in the virtual game! You don''t think of me as a friend already?"


    "Okay, my friend. Can you release me from this me prison, then? It''s so hot."


    Gerriughed. "How about you just give up? I''ll treat you to some cold drinks afterwards, I promise."


    "Haha!" Emeryughed at Gerri. "Honestly, that is a very tempting offer, but nope, I need to win this game no matter what!"


    "Suit yourself then." Gerri shrugged and continued casting. "Don''te crying to meter on."


    The ming sphere kept on shrinking, encasing Emery in a tighter prison following the ticking of the clock. The increased defense he obtained from [Granite Skin] was losing its effect and Emery could feel the mes licking his skin directly now. He felt as if he was being slowly cooked.


    He needed to think of a way out, very fast. Even though all the heat had started to make him dizzy, Emery was still able to think. He sensed that the ming sphere was less dangerous, as he did not use Gerri''s purple mes. There might be a reason why Gerri did not choose to burn his body to a crisp right away.


    From the way the mes shrank and how they moved far too slowly, Emery concluded the main strength of the spell did not lie in its trapping purpose, but in the damage over time resulting from the slow, but sure increase of the heat. Those who were able to realize this fact would know the only way to escape was to walk out.


    It might seem counterintuitive to walk out of the spell, since he would get burned the moment he walked through the ming wall. However, the damage he would sustain over time if he kept on staying here would be much worse. It would be better to run out straight away than to waste his time thinking.


    There was no other way and no other reason to dy other than a futile attempt of keeping himself safe. Emery decided to pull all the energy from his spirit core into another [Granite Skin] spell, before jumping out of the shrinking sphere.


    Upon seeing the trapped Emery jump out from the me prison, the audience cheered. However, Emery was not out of the woods yet. The audience could see that, even though he managed to escape, some of the mes from the sphere were stuck on his body and started to wreathe his mmy skin in ufortable mes.


    "Wrong choice, Emery! I told you, you can''t get away from my spell that easily!"


    Gerri kept on casting the spell, and the mes scattered to follow Emery from different directions, always sticking close to him like shadows, even though he moved quickly in order to avoid them.


    No matter where he went, the mes would persistently follow and stick close to him.


    Emery was able to tell that his [Granite Skin] was reaching its limit. In addition, when Gerri decided to unleash all his strength, the orange mes following him started to glow purple. Gerri had just increased the strength of his spell to the limit.


    Within moments, Emery''s defensive spell crumbled down. The feeling of the purple mes'' full might made Emery tumble and kneel down.


    "Give up, Emery! You have no chance to win!"


    "No!"


    Emery briefly entertained the thought of using his fey transformation. If anything, perhaps the increase of physical would give a good solution for his current problems.


    Emery pushed through the me, even though wounds had started appearing on his skin. He channeled all his energy towards his dark core, trying to maintain his [Granite Skin] spell even if, deep down, he knew his attempts would be futile. As if answering his plea, all of a sudden Emery could feel an unusual reaction from his darkness core. The stage four darkness core seemed to expand and reach out, brimming with power to defend against the relentless assault of the mes. In an instant, he felt a new connection form between darkness, earth and another element.


    The element he had been practicing thest 10 days. The green spirit, nt element.


    Emery was able to let the elements sessfully converge together. Their convergence carried a burst of energy coursing through his flesh and bones, reinforcing it with ayer of magical energy and a dark green, shining cover simr to that of a beautiful crystal.


    [Skin hardness increased!]


    [Elemental resistance increased!]


    [You have learned a new spell!]


    [Jade Skin]


    [Spell categorized as tier 4]


    Even though his body was still aze with violet mes, the dark green crystal that formed all around his body somehow made the fire less painful than before. Emery gathered his strength and stood up.


    "What?! No fucking way! What did you do?!" Gerri shouted in disbelief.


    Emery gritted his teeth and decided to ignore the violet fire still burning atop his body and picked up his fallen sword.


    He was about to dash forward and attempt to attack Gerri once more. But right as he took his stance, the mes all over his body started to fade before dying off in a puff of smoke.


    Emery looked at Gerri and saw the acolyte raising both his hands.


    "Okay, okay! I give up!" Gerri said yfully, grinning while still raising his hands.


    "..."


    "Don''t be too surprised ok.. I told you before, my limit is ten minutes. Now, I''m out of gas already, so… I give up. This is your win, friend."


    Right as the words of surrender left Gerri''s mouth, a notification appeared in Emery''s mind.


    [Congrattions! You won the second match!]


    Emery stared at the notification, still a bit startled his opponent would just give up like that. He was unable to dwell on it too much. Right as the notification disappeared, Gerri threw something at him, hitting his face.


    It was a piece of robe.


    "Hey, Emery, I know you''re happy, but seriously, it''s inappropriate to go around naked in a public ce like this."