Mutrad strained his ears to listen to the whispers of the figures looming outside the protective barrier, their voices like the hissing of serpents in the darkness. He couldn't make out their features, but the way they spoke made his scales prickle with unease. These were no ordinary beings, and their intentions were clear - to slay the Dark Lord and anyone else who dared to stand in their way.

"Traitor," their voices grew louder and more menacing with every repetition of the word. Mutrad couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as he thought of his own past transgressions. Had he not served the Dark Lord in his quest for power, would he have become like these figures outside the barrier, lost in their thirst for vengeance?

"We will deal with you after we slay the Dark Lord," they said in unison, their voices carrying an ominous threat. Mutrad knew that Michael was powerful, but these beings were at a whole different level of strength. It was like trying to take down a dragon with a wooden sword.

But Michael was not one to be intimidated by threats. In fact, he seemed to relish the challenge.

"No, you will not," Michael replied, his voice cool and collected. "You will be all fish food when I'm done with you."

The figures outside the barrier let out a low, mocking chuckle. "We'll see about that," one of them growled.

As Michael unsheathed his dark swords, the figures outside the barrier began to move towards them, their movements slow and deliberate in the deep, dark waters. Michael's blades glinted menacingly in the dim light, casting an eerie glow on his face.

"You should have stayed in your kingdom, landwalker," one of the figures sneered. "The sea is no place for you."

Michael remained silent, his focus solely on the task at hand. He had faced many foes in his time, but never in such an unfamiliar environment. The pressure of the sea might be working against him, but the darkness strengthened him.

Mutrad watched with apprehension as the figures unleashed their spells, their movements fluid and graceful in the water. He could feel the energy in the water shift, the currents growing stronger and more chaotic as the spells were cast. It was a mesmerizing and terrifying sight, as the figures seemed to be in perfect harmony with the water, bending it to their will like a master conductor leading an orchestra.

Suddenly, the water around Michael erupted in a dazzling display of light and energy. Beams of energy, bolts of lightning, and explosions of fire erupted around him, illuminating the surrounding waters in a brilliant display of colors. Despite the ferocity of the spells, Michael remained calm and composed, his body moving with the fluid grace of a predator in the water.

The spells collided with an invisible barrier around Michael, casting a shower of sparks and energy that crackled in the water. The impact of the spells sent shockwaves rippling through the water, distorting the surrounding currents and causing the sea floor to tremble.

Michael stood firm, his dark swords drawn and at the ready. His eyes glinted with a cold, calculating light as he scanned his opponents, searching for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The figures continued to cast spells, their movements growing more frantic as they realized that Michael was not an easy target. The onslaught of spells from the black mist figures was relentless. The responsive shield struggled to hold up against the powerful magical attacks, and Mutrad watched in horror as cracks spider-webbed across its surface. But just when it seemed like the shield was about to shatter into a million pieces, Michael acted.

With a wave of his hand, Michael unleashed the death range, and the world around them was plunged into darkness. Mutrad felt the power in the air shift, and she knew that Michael had just entered the Half-Celestial stage.

In the darkness, Michael's power was amplified, and his enemies were left vulnerable. The cracks in the shield rapidly disappeared as Michael channeled his newfound strength, and the black mist figures were momentarily caught off guard.

Mutrad's eyes widened in astonishment as Michael defied the odds and dashed straight through the crimson red shield without a second thought. Mutrad himself had been born and raised in the sea realm, and his body had adapted to the immense pressure over time. However, even he knew that the deepest parts of the sea realm were impossible to survive without proper preparation. And yet, here was Michael, fearlessly fighting the black mist-covered hostiles on their own turf.

Mutrad watched in amazement as the Dark Lord's movements became a blur, his swords flashing through the water with lightning speed. The pressure of the water seemed to have no effect on him as he weaved in and out of his opponents' attacks . As the black mist-covered hostiles cast their spells at Michael, Mutrad watched in awe as the spells took shape in the water. One of them cast a spell that created a whirlpool of bubbles that rushed toward Michael, trying to ensnare him. Another cast a spell that created a stream of water spears that shot toward Michael with deadly precision. Yet another created a massive wave that crashed down toward Michael, threatening to engulf him.

But Michael was ready for them. With a swift movement, he unsheathed his Dark Swords and sliced through the spells with ease. The whirlpool of bubbles dissipated as his swords cut through it. The water spears shattered into harmless droplets as his swords passed through them. And the massive wave split in two as his swords carved a path through it.

The spells cast by the hostiles were specifically designed for underwater battles. The bubbles in the whirlpool created a disturbance in the water that made it difficult for Michael to move. The water spears were perfect for piercing through the water and hitting a moving target, while the wave was meant to be an overwhelming force that could crush any opponent.

Despite the formidable nature of the spells, Michael was able to cut through them with ease. His Dark Swords were specially designed to cut through anything, including spell or magic, and he had honed his skills to perfection. When Michael wielded the Dark swords, they emitted a menacing glow that illuminated the dark waters. The swords were encased in a fierce aura of crimson-red lightning, crackling and surging around them like miniature bolts of energy.

Michael deftly sliced through the spells cast by his opponents while the lightning around the swords intensified, illuminating the area around him with flashes of red light. The water around him seemed to distort and warp in the wake of the swords' movements, as though the energy of the lightning was warping the very fabric of reality.

The dark swords themselves appeared almost alive in Michael's hands, writhing and twisting as though they were eager to slice through anything in their path. Their edges were razor sharp, glinting ominously in the red light of the lightning surrounding them.

Michael cut through the spells cast by his opponents with ease, as if he and the dark swords were one, moving in perfect unison to slice through the threatening magic. His opponents' powerful spells had no effect on him as he remained unfazed, confident, and skillfully maneuvering through the underwater battle.

The spells cast by Michael's opponents created brilliant flashes of light that illuminated the surrounding waters. Still, they were no match for the all-encompassing darkness that blanketed the ocean depths. In fact, the more the light shone, the more the darkness seemed to grow, as if it were feeding off the energy released by the spells. And as the darkness intensified, so did Michael's power. His body seemed to absorb the darkness like a sponge, and with each passing moment, he became more formidable, more invincible. It was as if the darkness was a part of him, empowering him to effortlessly slice through the spells that threatened him and the dark swords that crackled with crimson red lightning.

After effortlessly cutting through the spells, Michael locked his intense gaze on one of the Half Immortals among the group. His eyes began to glow with a fierce intensity, as he summoned a dark energy from within. The energy flowed through his body and concentrated in his eyes, which then emitted two laser-like black beams that shot through the water with incredible speed.

The beams were so powerful that they vaporized the surrounding water, creating a momentary cloud of steam, and penetrated the figure through the black mist. The Half Immortal screamed in agony as the beams burned through their body, leaving the Half Immortal in pure agony. The Half Immortal's screams of pain echoed through the water, but it was abruptly silenced as Michael dashed towards him. The black mist surrounding the figure did nothing to slow Michael down as he swung his dark swords with deadly precision. The swords sliced through the water with ease, leaving behind a trail of crackling red lightning.

In a split second, Michael's swords made contact with the Half Immortal's neck. The blades cut through the water and through the figure's neck like a hot knife through butter, sending his head flying off his shoulders. The surrounding water turned red as blood mixed with the ocean, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Michael stood there, his body pulsing with power, as he watched the Half Immortal's headless body drift away. The other figures watched in shock and fear, realizing that they were facing a truly formidable opponent.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a Half Immortal level 8 warrior. The reward is 1,000,000 Experience points and 20,000 Badass points]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 15000 Badass points]

Upon killing one of the eight enemies, Michael heard the notification from the system ringing in his head. He ignored the system notification and focused on the task at hand.

"Use the light," bellowed one of the Immortals, his voice carrying a commanding tone that left no room for argument. Without hesitation, the others followed suit, their hands raised towards the darkness that surrounded them. Suddenly, a brilliant orb of light materialized, pulsating with an intensity that made Mutrad squint and close his eyes. The radiant light illuminated the ocean around them, revealing the eerie black mist that enveloped the hostile figures. The pulsating energy emanating from the orb was so strong that Mutrad could feel the pressure increasing around him, almost suffocating him.

The intense brightness from the orbs clashed with the overwhelming darkness from Michael, and the collision created an eerie grayness that engulfed the entire area. The two opposing forces seemed to be locked in a tug of war, each one striving to overcome the other. The struggle between light and darkness was so intense that Mutrad could feel the pressure building up around him, making it difficult to move. He watched in awe as the two powerful forces pushed and pulled against each other, neither one giving in.

The pulsating orbs of light emitted a powerful energy that Michael could feel even from a distance. As the wielder of the dark flames, he was intimately familiar with the energy of primordial flame, but the energy emanating from the orbs was completely different, yet somehow familiar. It was as if the energy of the light orbs was the opposite of the dark flames but still connected in some way. Michael could feel the opposing forces trying to cancel each other out, but the balance between them remained fragile and uncertain.

As the orbs of light pulsated with immense energy, Michael's body began to feel the strain of the opposing force. He could sense the energy from the orbs, a kind of primordial flame that was completely opposite to his own dark flames. The collision of the two energies resulted in a strange grayness that seemed to swallow everything around them.

"Light flames," Michael muttered, his forehead creasing with concentration. The war between the darkness of his death range and the light from the orbs was diminishing the strength of the darkness. The absence of complete darkness due to the conflict with the orbs of light had made Michael's powers not as potent as they were before.

With Michael's power weakened by the presence of light flames, one of the Immortal figures seized the opportunity. He swiftly conjured a ball of energy, his movements fluid and precise, while the others watched intently. The ball of energy pulsated with an intense brightness, almost blinding Mutrad's eyes. Michael was their target, and they waited expectantly to see his next move.

The ball of energy, crackling with power, sliced through the water with ferocity, hurtling towards Michael. Just as it was about to strike him, the responsive shield flickered into existence around him, absorbing the spell but not completely. The remaining power of the spell struck Michael in the chest, sending him back a few inches. The force of the impact reverberated through his body, and a tiny drop of blood oozed out of the corner of his mouth, mixing with the water and creating an eerie red cloud around him.

Michael smirked as he emerged from the blast, seemingly unfazed by the spell. "Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, his voice carrying through the water. The energy from the spell had hit him, sending him back a few inches, but Michael stood tall and resolute. He knew he was far more powerful than these beings who had dared to challenge him. Even with the power of the light flames on their side, they were no match for him.