<< congratulation host for bonding with the Artifact. >>
<< the cleaver, tier 3 butcher knife. >>
"You! you know what you just did?!"
Sentinel Artifacts were considered national treasures. just like living creatures, they were able to cast spells. they had Elemental affinity. what they didn't have was a mana core of themselves. they usually leech off from their hosts or masters.
Ms. Christie looked very mad at him for just randomly bonding with it, without even knowing its value.
"Oh, this... I heard it telling me to put a few drops of blood on it."
he decided to lie with a straight face. she frowned a bit but didn't say more.
whatever the Treasure or Artifact it might be, it couldn't compare with her sister. she decided to leave it as it is.
"Ms. Christie, don't you think something is weird? we are on the 7th floor, yet we didn't encounter any monster beasts."
she thought for a moment but couldn't think of anything. this was totally different from when she was here before.
the Bloody moon showing its terror the Monsters should have become more aggressive. yet they didn't face any monsters beasts at all.
As they were walking past the Woods, they didn't notice the eyes that were lurking from hundreds of kilometers away.
the owner of the eyes was a man wearing a dark long peacoat, that contrasted with his Ghostly pale skin. long messy hairs flowed down to his shoulder blades.
he was floating in the air as his eyes follows their tracks. his purple eyes shining under the red sky, making it a phenomenon sight to behold.
he slightly opened his mouth uncovering two bat-like fangs. his lips curled up showing a vicious grin.
"Ah... young blood, the smell is so strong." he mused, as his breath became heavier. a slight tint of red covered her cheeks as his long and sharp nails scratched his neck.
Mark and Christie walked for a while then stopped, as they noticed something.
in front of them was a gigantic, purple flower bud shaking violently. its roots started to come out of the ground whipping around the other dried trees.
When the bud started to twitch, it spurted out pink mist around it. the pink mist spread through the area.
"Mark, don't inhale the pink mist!" saying that she took a few steps back. Mark stepped back to inhale some normal air.
"This can't be... " Ms. Christie made a stunned expression and looked at Mark and caught a similar expression on his face.
<< WARNING!!!
Dark Orchid, Rank S+ Magical Carnivorous plant. it devours living creatures to grow when it takes thousands of years to bloom. when the bud develops into a flower, it takes humanoid form. >>
"Ms. Christie!!" he shouted as a huge vine cleft the ground and wrapped around her body.
she immediately summoned her sword and used her light element to chop it off. she landed on the ground with a frown.
"Mark, we aren't its match. we should better hurry." she knew that even though she just slashed its vine off, she wouldn't last long if the main roots have captured her.
Mark was taken by surprise, as another Few vines appeared from the ground and grabbed him, lifting him off the ground.
"Arhhh.." the vines were so tight, that even with his tough body he felt the crushing pain.
"Mark! use your sword." Ms, Christie shouted and rushed at him with her sword.
Mark instantly summoned his sword and raised his sword, Miss Christie at the same time slashed at the vines from below. "Now!"
Mark swung his sword down and slashed the vines covering his body. Ms. Christie at the same time cut down the vines from below, making them lose their grip.
As Mark landed beside Ms. Christie, He could see her face was pale. "Are you alright? Ms. Christie? You look pale..."
"The Mist had entered my body and it feels like burning. As a light element user, dark energy isn't good for my body," she said and coughed a bit.
*Krrrrrrr*
More thicker vines started to come out of the ground, and thousands of vines started to move violently destroying everything within its vicinity.
"Oh, Shit! We are done for."
Looking at the vines coming in their direction, Christie summoned a think light barrier.
*creak* *boom*
But in front of a Rank S+ creature, even her light barrier shattered. one has to know that as an A-Rank adventurer, she had as a lot of experience in the support field. but the vines destroyed the light barrier in an instant.
Mark noticed her condition is getting worse. Just as he looked at the system screen with complex emotions.
<< it looks like the host's life is in danger, and overdrive mode is unlocked. The host can use the overdrive mode to break the limits of his mortal body in exchange for his life force. >>
As he was about to use the overdrive mode a shadow covered the whole area.
he snapped out of his daze and looked above. There was something that covered the red moonlight.
Mark widened his eyes as he recognized something, those were bat wings. Bat wings, big enough to cover the whole sky.
Ms. Christie shifted his gaze to the violent vines directed at them. She again cast a light barrier to sustain the impact.
But... as it was a meter away from hitting them a rad white arc of light rushed at a terrifying speed from the sky and slashed all the vines launched at them.
*krrrrrrr*
The Plant retracted most of its vines and growled, in resentment.
Mark and Ms. Christie both looked at the sky, to see, in the center of two gigantic bat wings, there was a human-like figure...
"Arkha bane tu!" these words came out of its mouth, and a magic circle appeared beneath Mark and Ms. Christie. and a purple light barrier surrounded them, trapping them inside. It happened so fast, that they didn't have time to react.
"OH, Dear Ceyonne, did you think you can just take my prey? Looks like someone forgot their place." a voice came from the sky. And the bat wings disappeared leaving behind a handsome man in a black Peacoat.
He slowly descended to the ground and looked at the struggling dark orchid.
"Who are you?! Let us out!" Mark shouted and punched the barrier with his full strength.
The punch bounced on the surface and he got thrown away. Ms. Christie stayed silent and slowly muttered something, not audible to anyone.
The man ignored them. "Hm... It's been long since I had some delicious blood umm..." he said as he waved his hand, making Mark and Ms. Christie float.
"As for you, since you did not hurt my prey, I will let you off the hook for now," he said to the dark orchid and walked back to them.
"As for you, you are coming with me...
[ a/n - from here the story begins, support the story with power stones. ]