Lucius stared at Ash, who had the white flower lily in his hands now. He still seeemd confused on how he was supposed to eat a flower? But Lucius had no time to explain it to him.
"It's a special kind of plant that increases one's own potential. There is a risk of it being too much for the body to bare, but."
"Alright, I'll eat it then," Ash spoke with a smile. Lucius was momentarily taken aback by Ash's response, but ultimately a smile tugged at Lucius's lips. Right, he's the protagonist after all, he thought.
Lucius gaze than returns back tot he fight happening between Elandrialith and the Vrymag. Every movement calm and measured as he sized up the grotesque creature before him. Its writhing form was a living nightmare, a mass of dark mana that twisted itself into something barely resembling flesh. He remembered the novel's description of the creature: a "natural disaster," created from an amalgamation of residual mana and dark forces, unstable and devoid of true shape, imitating a physical form only in patches.
Elandrialith was holding her ground, but Lucius noted her exhaustion. Her breaths were labored, and her wounded arm hung stiffly by her side, the tendrils of dark mana still licking at her skin from their last encounter. Lucius stepped forward, keeping his gaze locked on the creature but speaking lowly to her.
"Not much mana left, huh?" he asked, almost nonchalantly.
She scowled. "I don't need you pointing out the obvious."
Ignoring her irritation, Lucius extended a hand, transferring a small yet vital reserve of his own mana into her. The warm rush of energy flowed through her, momentarily surprising her, and she looked up at him with genuine curiosity.
"Why would you waste your mana like that?" she asked cautiously. "You need it more than I do."
Lucius simply kept his focus on the creature. "I need you on your feet. We have a deal, remember?"
A screech shattered the air, and Lucius swiftly aimed, firing rapid shots at the creature. Each bullet hit with pinpoint accuracy, and the creature staggered, convulsing in pain as each mana-infused bullet disrupted its chaotic energy. Every time it attempted to retreat, Lucius followed with unerring shots, driving it back further.
"Use the mana to heal your wounds," he told Elandrialith firmly, his gaze never leaving the creature.
Elandrialith hesitated, sensing the sincerity in his tone. "How can you trust I won't just use this chance to escape or betray you?"
Lucius let out a faint scoff, a hint of his usual dismissive expression creeping into his features. "You're too smart for that. We both know you need me as much as I need you right now."
Despite herself, Elandrialith felt a flush of pride at his indirect praise, and she nodded, focusing her mana to mend her injuries. She muttered under her breath, "Fine, but only until that thing's dead."
Lucius smirked at her answer, immediately turning back to the creature as it began dodging his bullets more accurately. Realizing it had adapted to his attacks, Lucius unsheathed his dagger, gripping it tightly. He knew this was about to become an even closer confrontation.
With his usual calm, Lucius approached the creature, his mind already piecing together its patterns of movement, each twitch and flinch betraying its next moves. The fight was brutal and unrelenting, with the creature lunging forward, aiming for Lucius with its sharp, dripping claws. Lucius met each attack head-on, evading, parrying, and countering with swift stabs of his dagger. His movements were precise, each one calculated to exploit the creature's every vulnerability.
Meanwhile, Elandrialith finished stabilizing her injuries. She stretched her limbs and summoned the surrounding forest to her aid. Vines and roots surged from the ground, snaring the creature's limbs and pulling it back whenever it tried to advance on Lucius. She watched with a newfound respect as Lucius used the openings she created, slipping past the creature's defenses and stabbing it repeatedly in vital areas.
Seeing an opportunity, Lucius drove his dagger deep into one of the creature's limbs. Black sludge sprayed from the wound, and the creature howled, thrashing violently and tearing free from the binds.
"It's going to get more violent," Lucius warned, stepping back to give himself some space.
Elandrialith hesitated, noting the creature's crazed response. "What's it doing?" she asked, uneasy.
Lucius kept his eyes on it. "It's reached its breaking point," he replied. "We've damaged it enough that it's losing control."
The creature's body twisted in unnatural spasms, black mana oozing out in thick, revolting tendrils. It began scratching at its face in a frenzy, tearing off its own decayed flesh. Elandrialith shuddered involuntarily at the sight, recoiling from the dark energy pulsing around it.
"Stay focused," Lucius murmured, nudging her gently in the waist to snap her out of her fear. She flinched, shooting him an indignant look.
"Why did you—"
Lucius gestured towards the creature, his face serious. "Are you really going to let it have its way? You've pushed it this far. No turning back now."
Elandrialith swallowed hard but met his gaze, determination hardening her resolve. "I'll see this thing destroyed. It's desecrating my forest—I won't run from this abomination."
A sudden movement caught her eye, and she turned just in time to see the creature leaping towards her, its claws aimed at her throat. She had only a split second to react, her heart freezing in terror, when—
The claws hit the ground inches from her feet, tearing through the earth with deadly force. The creature's head jerked up, scanning the area in confusion, its prey having suddenly vanished from its reach.
A sharp whistle broke through the eerie silence, drawing the creature's gaze to the spot where it had attacked. Standing there was Lucius, holding Elandrialith in his arms, his face calm as ever. She blinked, disoriented by the sudden change in position, her cheeks heating up as she realized she was being held in a bridal position.
"Hope you don't regret your decision," Lucius said, his tone as neutral as ever.
She squirmed uncomfortably, both annoyed and flustered. "Put me down, Lucius."
He obliged, setting her gently on her feet. But before she could gather herself, the creature snarled in fury, its gaze fixed on them with a murderous gleam.
Elandrialith took a deep breath, her resolve strengthening. "This ends here."
Lucius nodded, readying his handgun and dagger. "Let's finish this then."