Is this really a Game?!

Laura continued casting while not saying a single thing, even her eyes were still closed, her entire being focused only on casting the spell, nothing else.

She had learned a total of 4 spells from the Dark Tome previously, and this one, it was the last one the tome had to offer.

The truth was that there were more spells inside the tome, but none of them were that good. Some were incredibly complicated and not powerful, some had weird effects, and others were simply incompatible with Laura's powers, making it nearly impossible for her to learn them.

Thus, she had learned the final spell of the tome, which was undoubtedly the most powerful one, but also the most difficult to not only learn but cast after learning. Even Laura, who had spent a lot of time learning the spell, had a lot of difficulties when casting it, which was obvious since it was taking her so long.

The serpent continued moving erratically, writhing in pain as it struggled with the loss of vision and the damage it sustained. The lake churned, the waters of the lake forming large waves, going out of control as the serpent unleashed everything it had, not caring for a target.

Tank had to move, placing himself in front of Laura, defending her from the powerful waves so that she could cast her spell. Nobody was attacking the serpent any longer as they knew that if they wounded it further, it would definitely decide to leave this place, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

The serpent continued thrashing in the water, its powerful tail whipping through the lake as the group kept a careful distance, readying themselves for Laura's spell. Despite its injuries, the massive creature was still dangerous, but it was clear that the battle was tipping in their favor.

The serpent's control over the water was faltering, its earlier precision replaced by chaotic, desperate movements.

"Hold on!" Reign shouted over the crashing waves. "It's almost done! Just a little longer!"

Laura's eyes remained closed, her body motionless as the air around her shimmered with dark energy. The spell she was casting was unlike anything she had used before. Tendrils of black and purple energy circled her, growing thicker with every passing second.

Even the water beneath her feet seemed to tremble under the weight of the power she was summoning, growing slightly calmer with each passing second.

Tank stood firm in front of her, his shield glowing as he absorbed the impact of the water crashing down around them. He didn't flinch, even as the force of the waves pushed him back. His only focus was keeping Laura safe until the spell was ready.

Meanwhile, Wolf, Reign, and the others kept their eyes on the serpent, which was still disoriented. The creature's movements were erratic, but they knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. It was a cornered beast now—desperate and dangerous.

"How much longer do you think she'll need?" Jin asked, his fists crackling with energy as he prepared to strike if necessary.

"I don't know," Reign replied, his eyes locked on the serpent. "But whatever she's preparing, it's going to be big. We just need to hold out a little longer."

Suddenly, the serpent reared up, its head high above the water, as if sensing something was about to happen. Its remaining eye gleamed with fury, and the water around it surged upward, forming towering walls of liquid that surrounded it. The serpent let out a deafening roar, its body glowing with energy as it prepared to unleash a final, desperate attack.

It had grown furious at Reign and the others for wounding it in such a manner, and now, it was going to use everything it had to decimate them.

"Get ready!" Reign shouted. "It's going to strike!"

The serpent lunged, its massive body coiling as it launched itself at the group. Its jaws opened wide, aiming directly for Reign, who stood in the middle of the lake, his swords raised in preparation. He knew he couldn't dodge this—there was no room to escape. But he wasn't planning to.

At that moment, Laura's eyes snapped open.

"Now!" she shouted, her voice filled with power.

In an instant, the air around her exploded with dark energy. Tendrils of black magic shot outward from her, dissipating in the air. Nothing happened, and for a moment, Reign and the others thought she failed to cast the spell, but that soon proved not to be true, the serpent's actions made them aware of that.

The creature froze mid-lunge, using her water manipulation to stop, and the to suddenly turn around and dive in the water, its eyes betraying the fear it felt.

Just as it was about to dive in, tens of small ripples appeared in the air around it, as well as in the water, and what looked like small portals opened. Chains came out of each portal, and in an instant, the chains lunged at the snake, coiling around it and grabbing it tightly.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The serpent let out a furious roar, thrashing against the magical chains, but it was no use. Laura's spell held it in place, the dark energy growing stronger as she poured more of her power into it. The tendrils coiled tighter around the serpent's body, immobilizing it completely.

The portals and chains then started moving, going upwards, lifting the entire beast out of the water and holding it in place in the air as Laura continued focusing and pouring more power into the spell.

"What... is this?" Wolf muttered, staring at the sheer force of the magic Laura had unleashed.

Laura's face was pale, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead as she strained to maintain control of the spell. "This... is the Dark Binding," she said through gritted teeth. "It's the strongest spell I've learned... but it takes everything I've got to keep casting it."

The serpent continued to struggle, but the more it fought, the tighter the dark tendrils became. Its roars grew weaker, its movements sluggish as the energy drained from its body. The once powerful and terrifying creature was now trapped, unable to escape the bindings that Laura had summoned.

"Alright, Laura has immobilized the thing, let's attack!" Shadow said, only to be stopped by Laura.

"The spell is not finished, there is no need for you guys to act." She said calmly.

"The binding is only the first part of the spell, and I can keep it active without using the second part, but for this battle, I want to see just how powerful it is."

"Do be close to me, I might use too much power and end up fainting for a brief moment," Laura told Tank before she moved her hands, drawing several symbols in the air in front of her.

"Judgment of the Bound, activate."

As Laura uttered the final words of her spell, the air around the group thickened with dark energy. The symbols she had drawn in the air began to glow with an eerie light, pulsating in rhythm with the serpents' weakening roars. The massive serpent, still held aloft by the dark chains, shuddered as if sensing its impending doom.

"Judgment of the Bound?" Reign muttered under his breath, keeping his eyes on the serpent as Laura's magic swirled and intensified.

Wolf's chaos flames flickered out as he stepped back, his instincts telling him to stay clear of whatever was coming. "Whatever it is, it's big."

The chains binding the serpent pulsed with dark energy, tightening even further as the creature's movements slowed. A heavy silence fell over the lake, broken only by the faint crackle of Laura's magic and the low growl of the serpent, which was now barely able to thrash in its bonds.

Suddenly, the dark symbols that Laura had drawn shot upward, embedding themselves into the sky above the lake. The symbols expanded, forming a massive, glowing circle above the bound serpent. The ground beneath their feet trembled as the symbols in the sky flared, casting an ominous glow over the entire area.

Laura's voice, now calm and resolute, echoed across the battlefield. "This spell passes judgment on those who are bound by its power, and I am the judge, which means I can choose what punishment they will face."

"Punishment for going against us is death, you shall be destroyed by the anger of the dark heaven."

The glowing circle above the serpent flashed brighter, and a beam of dark energy shot down from it, striking the serpent directly. The impact was immediate—the creature let out one last, furious roar before its body seized up, the dark energy coursing through it like lightning. The scales on its body cracked, and steam hissed from its molten wounds as the serpent's body began to get ripped apart.

The dark energy didn't just destroy the serpent—it unraveled it. The very essence of the creature was pulled apart, dissolving into the air like ash. The massive coils, once so powerful and dangerous, turned to dust as they were consumed by Laura's spell. Within moments, the entire creature was gone, leaving nothing but a few stray sparks of energy crackling in the air.

The lake, once churned into chaos by the serpent's thrashing, grew still again. The dark symbols in the sky faded, and the chains that had bound the serpent disappeared into nothingness. The battle was over.

Laura swayed on her feet, the immense strain of the spell clearly taking its toll on her. Tank was beside her in an instant, catching her as she nearly collapsed. "I'm fine," she said weakly, though her pale complexion and shaky breath told a different story.