Alchemist In The Apocalypse: Rise Of A Legend!

In the end, Ace managed to slay the Flame Serpent while conserving his mana. He felt satisfied with the end result. Despite not having reached level 30 yet, he already possessed the physical prowess of a rank 2 evolved monster and even surpassed the early ones.

Ace was content with the outcome, but he wanted to test one more thing before returning to the settlement. He wished to experiment with his two new flames: the sunny red one and the dark, gloomy one, individually. To do so, he needed to find two different groups of rank 2 monsters to engage with.

Ace no longer concerned himself with rank 1 monsters or considered them a challenge, as he had vastly outgrown that rank. Perhaps there were rare rank 1 beings capable of posing a threat to him, but even then, encountering them would be exceptionally challenging.

After stowing the Flame Serpent's body in his storage ring, Ace promptly mounted Blue and set out in search of a new test partner.

After a while, Ace finally encountered a suitable monster. 

It was a rank 2 ice deer, and a 20-metre radius around it in the forest was covered with ice, creating its own elemental-marked territory. 

Surprisingly, this ice deer was smaller than its fellow rank 2 monsters, standing at a height of around two metres. This was the first time Ace had encountered a rank 2 monster of such a diminutive size. 

Ace suspected it might be a special monster, given its unique ability to influence its surroundings. It seemed that the frozen part of the forest had naturally transformed into ice, rather than being blasted with it.

Recognizing the need to take this new opponent seriously, Ace launched an attack as he descended to the ground from mid-air. He attacked with a compressed air punch.

The ice deer had long noticed his presence as he fell from mid-air and calmly stared at him. The deer didn't move, and an ice wall formed in front of it, blocking Ace's air punch.

Ace landed gracefully on the ground and continued to observe his opponent. 

[Rank 2 Ice Deer Level 53]

Immediately after landing, Ace fired a 2-metre reddish-golden fireball at the ice deer.

As Ace's fiery projectile hurtled toward the ice deer, it had a surprising reaction. The ice deer didn't attempt to dodge or defend itself; instead, it stood its ground. In a moment that caught Ace off guard, the ice deer extended its graceful antlers forward, and as the fireball struck them, it burst into an impressive display of ice crystals, each one deflecting the fiery attack in various directions.

Ace could not help but be amazed by the ice deer's unique ability. The air around them shimmered with the clash of elements—fire and ice. The fireball, now deflected, dissipated harmlessly into the surrounding forest.

The ice deer regarded Ace with an almost curious expression, its icy eyes meeting him with a sense of intrigue. This creature's mastery of ice was unlike anything Ace had encountered before.

Ace quickly assessed the situation. He knew that a frontal assault against this remarkable monster would be challenging, especially with its control over ice. He needed to adapt his approach.

With a determined look in his eyes, Ace decided to test his own mastery of fire. Focusing on the goldish red flame within him, he created a swirling vortex of fiery power source in his palm, forming a flaming, crescent-shaped blade. With a swift and calculated motion, he sent the fiery blade slicing through the air towards the ice deer.

The ice deer responded swiftly, creating a defensive barrier of ice that engrossed the fiery attack. The two opposing elements clashed once again, releasing intense steam and a mesmerising dance of fire and ice.

Ace was intrigued by the ice deer's control over its element. This creature was truly exceptional in its ability to manipulate ice to both defend and counter. He realised that he needed to investigate the full extent of his own elemental powers to overcome this unique opponent. The fight of fire and ice had only just begun, and the forest bore witness to the remarkable display of elemental mastery.

Ace's fiery crescent blade sliced through the air with precision, heading straight for the ice deer. But just as the flaming attack closed in, the ice deer summoned its ice barrier once again, creating a wall of frozen defence that engrossed Ace's fiery assault. The fiery crescent clashed with the icy shield, releasing an eruption of steam and an enchanting spectacle of swirling elements.

The forest became an arena for an elemental showdown. The intense steam swirled around Ace and the ice deer, creating an otherworldly atmodimension in their battleground. The two forces, fire and ice, seemed to be locked in a mesmerising dance, each pushing against the other with unwavering determination.

Ace was fascinated by the ice deer's miraculous control over its element. The creature's ability to manifest and manipulate ice to not only defend but also counter an opponent was truly exceptional. 

This was not Ace's aim though. Ace wanted to see if his flames had any unique properties apart from burning hot.

********

Dear cherished readers,

I desire to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support and for choosing to accompany me on this thrilling literary journey. Your presence here today is not taken for granted, and it's a source of immense inspiration for me as a writer.

Your comments and votes mean the world to me. 

Your active participation in the story's development, your thoughts, and your feedback have all played a pivotal role in shaping the narrative. Your engagement is what breathes life into the characters and makes this world come alive. 

I value your input immensely.

Remember, your support is the lifeblood of this novel, and I am deeply grateful for your continued presence. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing you all again tomorrow for the next chapter, as we continue this epic adventure together.