Athena nodded, raising her staff high. She focused all her remaining energy into a single point, creating a massive, glowing orb of Aether that pulsed with raw power. The creatures immediately reacted, their tentacles surging toward the orb, abandoning their attacks on the two adventurers.
Cyrus watched as the beasts converged on the orb, their writhing bodies merging into one giant mass. He knew they only had one chance. With a roar, he charged forward, his blade glowing with Aetheric energy. He leaped into the air, bringing his blade down in a powerful, two-handed strike.
The blade pierced the heart of the creature’s mass, and for a brief moment, everything went still. Then, in a blinding flash of light, the mass of tentacles exploded, disintegrating into dust.
Cyrus landed on the ground, panting, his heart racing. Athena lowered her staff, her face pale but triumphant.
The void around them fell silent, but the [Round 2] panel remained, flickering ominously in the air.
As the dust settled and the remnants of the tentacle creatures dissipated into the dark, Cyrus let out a shaky breath, his shoulders rising and falling with the effort to catch his breath. His grip on the aether blade loosened slightly, just enough to feel the weight of it again without the tension. For a moment, everything was still—too still. He was about to speak when a nervous laugh escaped his lips, unbidden.
"Haha... alright, we did it," Cyrus chuckled, but the sound didn’t carry far in the heavy air. It felt hollow, as if the very space around them was holding its breath.
Suddenly, the faint glow of the [Round 2] panel dimmed, and before Cyrus could fully relax, the words faded away, only to be replaced by something far worse: [Round 3].
His laugh died instantly, his eyes widening as a new wave of creatures began to form from the surrounding darkness. Black tentacles, thicker and more grotesque than before, writhed up from the ground like a living sea of shadows. Their forms twisted and merged into even larger monstrosities—this time with multiple humanoid heads and appendages that slithered and snapped like whips. These creatures were faster, their bodies more solid than the ephemeral shapes they had faced before.
"Not again," Athena muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing. Her grip on her staff tightened, her muscles tensing in preparation for the next onslaught.
Without warning, the nearest beast lunged forward, tentacles flaring out like a mass of serpents ready to strike. Cyrus reacted instantly, his body moving on instinct. He twisted to the side, dodging one tentacle that snapped past his head with a sharp crack. Another came from his left, but before it could make contact, he ducked low, spinning beneath its reach. As he did, he slashed upward, severing the tentacle with a clean swipe of his aether blade.
But the creatures were relentless. Two more lunged at him, their tentacles flailing wildly. Cyrus darted backward, narrowly avoiding the attack, then shifted his weight and dashed forward, ducking under one creature’s reach and slashing upward again. His blade connected with its torso, but the creature twisted its body unnaturally, regenerating almost as fast as he could cut it. He gritted his teeth, stepping back to regroup.
Athena, meanwhile, had her own hands full. She conjured an arc of Aether and flung it toward a creature that had flanked them, the blast of energy hitting its chest and sending it stumbling backward. But as it staggered, more tentacles erupted from its body, snaking toward her. She spun to the side, the tip of her staff glowing with a vibrant pulse of energy as she fired off a rapid barrage of Aetheric bolts, each one aimed at a different appendage. She was forced to keep moving, her steps quick and calculated, always staying one step ahead of the mass of writhing limbs that threatened to overwhelm her.
A tentacle lashed out at her from behind, but Athena twisted just in time, her sharp reflexes kicking in as she swung her staff upward, blocking the attack with a shimmering shield of Aether. The impact sent a shockwave through her arms, but she stood her ground, pushing the creature back. She countered with a thrust of her staff, sending a concentrated blast of energy straight into the monster’s core, causing it to convulse violently before disintegrating.
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Cyrus and Athena were back-to-back now, surrounded on all sides by the swarming mass of tentacles. Each movement they made was precise, born out of necessity and survival. Cyrus ducked and weaved, his blade a blur as he slashed through the never-ending tide of limbs. He focused on staying nimble, using his speed to dodge the attacks and strike at the creatures’ weak points. Every step he took was a calculated dodge or counter, every slash of his blade aimed at disrupting the flow of the monstrous appendages that sought to entangle him.
At one point, a tentacle wrapped around his arm, yanking him toward one of the creatures. Without hesitation, he twisted his body, using the momentum of the pull to swing his blade upward and sever the tentacle. As he landed, he immediately dropped to the ground, rolling out of the way of another creature’s grasp, then came up with a powerful upward slash that tore through the monster’s chest.
On the other side, Athena was using her Aether to control the battlefield, blasting away clusters of tentacles that threatened to close in on them. Her staff glowed brightly, each pulse of energy precise, aimed to create openings for her and Cyrus to maneuver through the chaos. She was calm, her sharp eyes tracking the movements of the creatures, always anticipating their next move.
But the monsters were learning. Their attacks became more coordinated, more deliberate. One of the larger creatures lunged at Athena, its tentacles spreading wide as if to envelop her completely. She reacted instantly, forming a barrier of Aether around herself just as the tendrils crashed down. The barrier held, but cracks began to appear under the immense pressure.
"Athena!" Cyrus called out, slashing through a wave of tentacles to get to her.
With a roar, he charged toward the creature, his blade glowing with intense aetheric energy. He leaped into the air, bringing his sword down in a powerful strike that cleaved through the creature’s tentacles, freeing Athena from its grasp. As he landed, he quickly followed up with a sweeping strike, severing the remaining limbs.
"Thanks," Athena said breathlessly, but there was no time to rest.
More creatures were closing in, and they both knew they couldn’t keep this up forever. They needed a strategy.
"Focus on the big ones!" Cyrus shouted, his eyes darting between the towering masses of tentacles. "We take them out, the rest might fall apart!"
Athena nodded, already gathering her energy for a concentrated attack. She lifted her staff, the Aether around it glowing brighter and brighter. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent a massive wave of energy crashing into the largest creature. The blast tore through its body, momentarily halting its regeneration. Cyrus took the opportunity and rushed forward, his blade flashing as he slashed through the creature’s core, causing it to collapse into a heap of writhing limbs. Find more chapters on freewebnovel
But there was no time to celebrate. Another wave of tentacles was already converging on them, larger and more aggressive than before. Cyrus and Athena were forced to split up, each dodging and weaving through the mass of limbs. Every movement was a delicate dance of survival, each strike a calculated effort to stay alive.
Cyrus leaped into the air, dodging a tentacle that snapped toward his legs. As he came down, he thrust his blade into the ground, sending a shockwave of Aether through the earth. The energy rippled outward, knocking several creatures off balance. He immediately followed up with a series of rapid slashes, cutting through the weakened monsters before they could recover.
Athena, on the other hand, was using her Aether to control the battlefield. She created barriers, funneled the creatures into narrow spaces, and blasted them with concentrated bursts of energy. Her movements were precise, every spell aimed to create openings for Cyrus to exploit.
But the creatures kept coming, and it was clear they couldn’t keep this up much longer.
"What the actual fuck is this!" Athena shouted, her voice strained from the constant barrage of attacks.
Cyrus nodded, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the largest creature still standing. He gathered his remaining energy, channeling it into his blade. The aetheric light around the sword grew brighter, crackling with raw power.
"Ugh! FUCK! FUCK THESE STUPID ASS TENTACLE HENTAI MONSTERS! JUST DIE!" he shouted with tension.
Athena raised her staff, channeling her own energy into a single point. They both unleashed their attacks at the same time—Cyrus’ blade slicing through the creature’s core while Athena’s blast of Aether disintegrated its tentacles. The monster let out a deafening screech before collapsing into a pile of ash.
But even as the last creature fell, the ominous [Round 3] panel flickered, taunting them with the promise of yet another wave.