"Mia, you and the others should keep your distance," Ethan directed, gazing at the monstrous entity that had emerged.
The oppressive aura radiating from the creature was beyond anything Ethan had ever encountered; it sapped even his usually unflappable confidence.
Most pressing of all was the shrinking barrier in the distance, signifying that no one would be able to escape.
His only option was to ask Mia and the others to distance themselves, lest they get caught in the crossfire.
Those who had escaped also noticed this alarming change, their faces simultaneously paling.
Despite their muttered curses, they obediently moved to congregate with the others.
Soon, the group was assembled once more.
Alaric surveyed the faces around him before speaking, "I hope we can put aside our differences and work together in earnest. The creature's power is escalating. If we don't eliminate it, we're all dead."
"Absolutely," Luke quickly chimed in, turning his eyes toward Ethan.
"Ethan, perhaps there's been some misunderstanding between us. I'm willing to apologize. If you require compensation, that's negotiable, but right now, we must focus on taking down this monstrosity."
"I agree," Luvi added.
Although Ethan suspected that Luke and Luvi might only be making verbal concessions while harboring different thoughts, he chose not to call them out.
It would be a foolish move at a time like this.
Instead, he shifted the conversation, "Let's share what we know. Perhaps we can pinpoint a weakness in the creature."
With that, Ethan looked toward Alaric.
Alaric hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "I'm afraid I don't know much about this creature either."
"Really? You don't?"
"Alaric, you were the one who suggested collaboration. Now you're not willing to share even the most basic information about the creature? That doesn't seem like a sincere effort to work together," Ethan probed deliberately, sensing something amiss in Alaric's demeanor.
The monster, formed from the fusion of the Bloody Queen and Oksd's heart, was extraordinarily powerful.
It was currently absorbing residual energies to bolster its strength, granting Ethan and the others a brief window for deliberation.
Yet, Alaric's eyes betrayed a sense of overconfidence.
Though he seemed frightened, it was not the dread of impending doom, but rather a fear rooted in witnessing such a formidable being—an important distinction.
Savi, another adventurer, exuded a similar aura.
Moreover, Ethan sensed a palpable animosity from him, along with the air of someone from his past.
Despite wracking his memory, Ethan couldn't place him.
"Apologies. I truly don't have information on the creature," Alaric finally admitted. "However, based on its past behavior, it seems to be vulnerable to fire."
This honest admission eased the collective tension.
Ethan chose not to press further, revealing his own assets instead. "I have Dragon Blood lineage. I can engage it from the sky."
Upon hearing this, the others began to voice their thoughts and strategies.
What surprised Ethan the most was Luke producing a scroll— a potent piece of space magic that could unleash a space blade capable of slicing an enemy in half.
It was a formidable skill that even Ethan found unsettling.
Of course, Luke and Luvi had their conditions. "I'll offer this scroll freely, but you have to ensure my safety."
Naturally, the conditions were agreed upon.
Once discussions concluded, roles were clearly delineated among the group.
Alaric would pelt the creature with spells from a distance, while Savi and Ethan would engage it in close combat.
Should the monster take to the skies, Ethan, in his dragon form, would pursue.
Luke and Luvi, meanwhile, would stand in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to unleash the space blade scroll for a killing blow.
The plan seemed solid, but its success remained uncertain.
Reality, as it often does, took a turn for the worse.
The creature seemed to have regained enough strength to plummet to the ground like a cannonball, causing the earth to tremble. The group scattered.
"Insects, your end has come!" the monster roared, emitting a piercing sonic wave that swept towards them.
Fortunately, most were powerful enough to withstand the creature's assault, all except Luvi.
He coughed up blood, his vitality withering away as he collapsed.
Even before the clash had truly begun, they were already one man down—a grim portent that darkened everyone's mood.
But what followed was even more disheartening.
Alaric summoned a massive fireball and hurled it at the creature, which didn't even bother to evade.
Instead, it opened its maw and swallowed the fireball, belching comfortably afterwards. "Is that all you've got, little insect? Your feeble fireball can't even harm me!"
In the blink of an eye, the creature appeared in front of Alaric.
He barely had time to react before a tentacle sprouted from the creature's finger, impaling him through the chest.
In a critical moment, Ethan intervened, slicing off the tentacle. Alaric collapsed to the ground.
"Thank you," Alaric gasped, his gratitude directed towards Ethan.
Ethan nodded, his face etched with solemnity as he coldly eyed the monstrosity before them.
The creature was visibly enraged, having been robbed of its prey.
It launched dozens of tentacles at Ethan, who dodged nimbly.
The tentacles, undeterred, pierced the earth and wove through the subterranean darkness to strike at Ethan again, tracking his every evasive maneuver.
In a fleeting moment of respite, Ethan cast a sidelong glance at Savi.
The adventurer appeared focused, a faint outline of fire flickering around him, as if beckoning some horrifying entity.
Soon enough, a silhouette of flaming humanity materialized behind Savi—a visage clearly of a woman, alluring yet mysterious, noble yet arcane.
She glanced at Savi, then fixed her gaze on the monster chasing Ethan.
"Intriguing," she murmured. "Savi, your timing is impeccable."
The figure was none other than a summoned clone of the Flame Witch Hilna, albeit a fraction of her true power.
"I'm honored by your praise, my queen," Savi said, bowing his head in exhilaration.
Ignoring Savi, Hilna flew towards the engaged combatants.
With a flick of her wrist, a roaring inferno erupted on the battlefield.
Terrifyingly, the flames were not just external but seemed to originate from within the bodies of Ethan and the creature, rendering them unquenchable.
The monster emitted a harrowing scream, and Ethan, in a fit of rage, questioned Savi, "What do you think you're doing?"
Immersed in the sea of flames, Ethan had failed to notice Hilna's silhouette.
But after his outcry, Hilna's clone materialized before him, declaring, "What feeble humans you are; I'm amazed those fools have let you live this long."
Hilna's clone shook her head, clearly displeased with the competence displayed by Savi and the others.
At this moment, flames erupted from Ethan's eyes, ears, and mouth.
Grimacing against the internal torment, he glared at Hilna's clone, demanding, "Who are you? Why do you feel so familiar?"
Upon hearing this, the clone visibly wavered.
"Silence!" she spat.
"You, a mere mortal, dare to claim familiarity with me?"
She attempted to annihilate Ethan, to reduce him to mere ashes, but found herself inexplicably unable to do so.
Another, fainter consciousness within her original self surged forth with astonishing strength and thwarted her actions.
The flames burning within Ethan's body were extinguished.
"Damn it!" Hilna's clone appeared increasingly translucent, as if she was struggling to maintain her form.
"I'll spare you this time," she told Ethan, begrudgingly. "But next time, once her consciousness is entirely gone, you won't be so fortunate."
"Her? Who is 'her'?" Ethan pressed.
Without giving an answer, Hilna's clone dissipated.
Meanwhile, Savi was left stunned.
His queen, whom he had so faithfully served, had left without taking him along.
Now, he was the focus of the monster's malicious gaze.
With an agonized roar, the creature conveyed its torment and fury.
Though the flames that enveloped it were quenched, its aura had significantly weakened—a clear indication that it had been severely wounded.
This only intensified its hatred for Savi.
The moment Hilna's clone vanished, the creature materialized before Savi.
Its crimson hand snatched him up and effortlessly tore him in half.
With Savi dealt with, the monster's attention shifted back to Ethan.
Ethan was also gravely injured from the flames and found himself half-crouching on the ground, barely able to move.
"It's your turn now!" the monster lunged into the air, plummeting down towards Ethan with fatal intent.
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