The first spell Punk cast was a formal-level summoning spell—Summon Earth Element!
When dealing with a behemoth like the Temptor, maintaining distance was crucial. Most Temptors possessed additional spell-like abilities, and while the one before him seemed newly advanced, Punk wouldn't dare underestimate it. He had to be especially wary of its Confusion Technique—one misstep, and it was game over.
Summoning an earth element to absorb damage was a solid strategy. Crazed demons lacked the awareness to prioritize summoners, so when the Temptor spotted the more conspicuous earth element, it lunged without hesitation. Its massive, filth-tainted claws tore into the elemental's body.
Chunks of earth and rock shattered, three deep gashes carved into the elemental's chest. A filthy, twisted aura wrapped around its form, causing its once-fluid movements to become stiff and convulsive.
Unclean Strike.
As a racial ability of Temptors, this melee spell was as natural to them as breathing. The moment its attack landed, chaotic abyssal energy flooded the earth element's core. Punk could sense the corruption seeping in, warping its very essence.
Within seconds, his summon was reduced to rubble.
Punk's pupils shrank slightly—this beast outclassed him by at least three spell levels. Though holy magic could restrain it, casting such spells might attract even more powerful demons. No, he needed to exploit the Temptor's single-minded aggression instead.
He summoned another earth element. Its purpose was clear—buy time. And the Temptor, true to its nature, obliged. With a guttural roar, it lunged once more at the newly summoned elemental.
Now, it was the mage's turn.
Punk unleashed a barrage of Kinetic Bursts, the familiar violet spheres hurtling forward at speeds exceeding fifty times the speed of sound.
Then—art met destruction.
A deafening explosion shattered the air. The dark green carapace on the Temptor's head—lined with jagged spines—ruptured under the violent kinetic energy. A rain of thick, black blood splattered across the battlefield. One of the demon's eyes was obliterated in the blast. Though its wounds were regenerating, it would remain blind for at least two minutes.
Yet instead of retreating, the Temptor only grew more frenzied.
Punk could feel its emotions—there was no fear, only euphoric bloodlust.
What a lunatic…
Cursing under his breath, Punk layered himself with flight-enhancing magic. Under the Advanced Swiftness spell, his speed and maneuverability now surpassed that of a fighter jet, but even so, he couldn't let his guard down.
The Temptor had a charge ability—Grasp of Chaos. The memory inherited from his lineage described it in one word:
Fast.
Too fast.
No hesitation—Punk pushed his flight speed to the limit.
Blinded but undeterred, the Temptor lashed out wildly. Its massive claws—wreathed in dense abyssal energy—tore through the air, leaving behind blood-red arcs. The sheer force of its attacks sent dust and debris flying in every direction, carving deep trenches into the ground.
Punk retaliated with more Kinetic Bursts, but the Temptor's monstrous arms—imbued with Unclean Strike—deflected most of them. Of course, this came at a price. Each deflection shattered sections of its claws, but with its insane regeneration, such wounds were meaningless.
A few energy spheres managed to break past its defense, slamming into its torso and ripping apart chunks of flesh. Black mucor gushed from the wounds, staining its greenish carapace crimson.
But to a formal-level demon, these injuries were cosmetic at best.
One of its eyes had already healed.
Now, it began tracking Punk directly, though it still couldn't land a Confusion Technique on him. Punk had been careful to keep his distance, but the Temptor's Unclean Strikes showed no sign of stopping.
For the Temptor, getting hit meant a minor wound.
For Punk, getting hit meant… death.
He had no choice—he had to retreat.
While theoretically he could exhaust this mana-burning monstrosity, prolonged combat was risky. The Abyss was chaotic and unpredictable. If another demon arrived—or worse, a group of them—his situation would spiral out of control.
With a snap decision, Punk cast Advanced Stun on the Temptor. Though the spell's effectiveness on high-level monsters was limited, it was enough—the demon froze for a few seconds.
That was all he needed.
Punk followed up with Fossil to Mud, liquefying the ground beneath the demon's feet. Its massive form immediately sank into the bloody, dust-filled sludge.
The blinded demon struggled, its enormous bulk sending shockwaves through the shifting terrain. Bone spurs punctured the soft earth, carving deep, jagged holes.
The moment it regained movement, it roared and flailed—but Punk was already ahead of it.
"Stay down."
His next spell had already arrived—Kinetic Suppression!
A colossal lavender shockwave blasted into the demon's legs, crushing them under unrelenting force. The sheer weight of energy shattered its bones, sending cracks through its carapace. The Temptor let out a bone-rattling scream as waves of destructive force rippled across the battlefield.
The earth itself fractured.
Because of its sheer size, Punk couldn't fully envelop the demon in his attack, so he focused on crippling its mobility.
The longer it stayed down, the better.