Nox's body refused to move.
His nerves burned, his limbs locked in place as if unseen chains bound him. The moment Zul'gor's spectral energy wrapped around him, the battle had shifted in the old orc's favor.
Damn it… I can't move! Nox cried internally.
Zul'gor's glowing green fingers stretched toward Nox's chest, the eerie light pulsing like a slow-beating heart. A suffocating pressure pressed down on him, sinking deep into his bones.
"You rely too much on speed, human," Zul'gor said calmly, his eyes gleaming with ancient knowledge. "Strength, skill, even talent—they all mean nothing if you do not understand the battlefield itself."
His fingertips finally touched Nox's chest.
At that moment—
A pulse of energy erupted from his hand.
BANG!
Nox's entire body convulsed. His vision blurred, muscles spasming as an unseen force invaded him. It was as if his own mana was rebelling against him.
"What… is this?" he gritted out, forcing his voice through clenched teeth.
