>>6141265“Of course, just give me the signal. And... Good luck Chilli.” your sister replies, ending the mental link. You take a deep breath and sigh out, going over all the enchanted items and preparations you'd made just in case a deity had come for you. Although you'd expected it would be Jergal, had Future Chilli's fate happened to you as well, you'd secretly hoped you would never have to do this. But now that it's come to this, you're thankful that you had planned for just such a situation, drawing upon the leylines once more as you ready yourself to set the stage for your victory. Stepping once more up on the rampart, weapons down by your sides, you take another deep breath before unleashing the spell that could decide this entire battle.
“Crystal Magic: Paledrake's Lair!” you call out, raising your staff while firing your spell. From the base of your tower crystals grow along the ground and spread, crystallizing everything. Channeling the full power of the confluence, mana storming through your body like a firestorm as you channel it through your staff out into the world. You watch, vision flickering as the crystals expand down the mountain, reaching the Crimson Demon Village. Your crystals cannot cover the Chaos magic, instead growing around it as you channel more and more of the leylines' power. For over two minutes you keep channeling the magic, filling the entire valley with your Paledrake's Lair spell almost all the way to the ridge the undead are pouring over from until the strain becomes too great, pushing the limits of mana too far until something gives.
Luckily for you, the fail point isn't your weakened body, but the strain is too great for your staff to bear. Causing it to detonate two-thirds of the way up the haft, breaking your concentration and ending the spell. Collapsing back-first flat onto the roof behind you, you simply lay there a minute, catching your breath. You've never channeled so much power in so weak a state, the effort leaving you feeling physically exhausted. However, you feel magically recharged, the overabundance of mana still coursing through your veins. Amplifying your recovery, you taking around twenty breaths, slowing your heart rate back down before rising up to your feet to inspect the damage. Unfortunately, your staff is toast, you tossing the broken end back onto the roof behind you. Something to repair later, if you get a later. But it did its job, you looking down and seeing damn near the entire valley covered in your crystals. Perfect.
