My mind was racing, filled with panic and determination, as the gruesome scene of my father in the clutches of the Land Crawler played out before my eyes. But in that chaos, a spark of inspiration lit up my mind. Memories surged back from earlier days in Tarvernia, during the Avatar of Dragon's thief case scene. I had managed to conjure sturdy pillars then; could I do it again?
My father's lessons echoed in my head: "Applying alteration to an existing object is easier than creating one from thin air." The words reverberated, guiding my desperate thoughts.
I was too far away, and time was slipping through my fingers. My eyes darted around, desperately searching for anything that could help, and landed on the trees surrounding us. An idea began to form.
I reached out and touched the tree behind me, my body instinctively assuming a sprinter's position. My voice rang out, clear and strong, despite the turmoil within me. "Alteration of Springs!"
A set of springs burst from the tree, propelling me towards the Land Crawler. I felt a surge of hope, but it was short-lived. The springs' strength was not enough, and I landed near my father's axe instead, grabbing hold of it on the ground.
"Dad, do you know the basic Conjuration of Light Orb spell?" I shouted, my voice tinged with desperation.
Antrodos, his face pale and his body wracked with pain, swayed his head, his voice weak. "I'm not experienced with it, Max."
"I believe in you, Dad!" I replied, tears welling in my eyes. "Remember what drives you the most in life. Your love for Mom, Illyanna, our family. Your duty to our kingdom. Relax, we've got this!"
My father closed his eyes, his face a mask of concentration as he listened to my instructions. I could see his body tremble as he tried to gather his strength.
I began to channel another spell, my fingers touching the ground under the giant axe, my heart pounding in my chest. Time seemed to slow down as I focused on my task.
My father's voice, filled with determination, rang out. "Conjuration of Light Orb!" A faint orb glowed and hovered in place, confusion in his eyes.
"Put it near the monster's eyes and overload it! Make it explode!" I commanded.
A grin spread across my father's face, his eyes filled with understanding. "I like your idea, Max!"
The monster's roar filled the air as my father channeled an absurd amount of mana into the orb. It exploded into a blinding flashbang, making the monster release him and cry out in pain.
"Alteration of Spiked Earth Pillars!" I yelled, and the ground erupted, giant earth pillars bursting forth, slicing through the monster alongside my father's axe. It screamed in agony, its body writhing and twisting.
I rushed to my father, my heart in my throat, fear and relief mingling. He was injured, but his sturdy armor had protected his vitals.
"It's not over yet, Max," he said, his voice filled with grim determination as the monster continued to wiggle, trying to break free.
I looked into my father's eyes, seeing the love and pride he had for me, and I knew we would face this challenge together. No matter what lay ahead, we were united, our bond unbreakable. The battle was far from over, but we were ready.
The monster's eyes began to glow with a chilling bright red mana, morphing into a blue that resembled a crackling thunderstorm. Electric sparks snapped and crackled from its mouth, a prelude to something terrifying.
"Dad!" I cried, my voice high-pitched with panic.
"Get down, Max!" Antrodos roared, his eyes wide with understanding.
The monster's mouth opened, and a thunderbeam-like laser burst forth, obliterating the pillars that held it in place. The world was consumed by a wave of bright light, and I felt my father's strong arms shield me as we hit the ground.
When we finally dared to open our eyes, the monster was gone. The silence was deafening, broken only by our ragged breaths.
"It's not over yet," Antrodos said, his voice taut with concern. "It might be invisible, circling us like a predator."
I nodded, my mind racing as I remembered the earlier illusions. "But its illusions didn't cause the ground to tremor when it was trying to catch me. And they can let out noises, too."
My father's eyes widened, realization dawning. "Yes, and we saw blood dripping from it after the injuries it sustained earlier."
My heart pounded in my chest as I continued, my voice filled with determination. "We must pay no attention to the monster that doesn't bleed and doesn't make the ground tremble."
Antrodos nodded, a proud smile on his face. "That's my boy. You're thinking like a true warrior."
His expression grew serious again as he added, "But the monster must be desperate now. It might unleash all of its might next time, especially Destruction spells."
I felt a chill run down my spine at the thought, but I knew we were prepared. We had each other, and we had our wits.
We stood together, back to back, our senses heightened as we scanned our surroundings. The silence was thick with tension, the monster's presence felt, though unseen.
"Dad, we'll get through this," I whispered, my voice filled with a mixture of fear and determination.
"We will, Max," he replied, his voice strong and reassuring. "We'll face this monster together. Your mother, Laussinna, your little sister, Illyanna, Matterinna our housemaid, and Lucianna, your close friend, they're all waiting for us. We must return to them."
His words filled me with renewed strength and determination. We were a team, father and son, united in purpose and love. The monster may have been cunning and powerful, but we had something it didn't have: family. No illusion or destruction spell could break that bond.
The battle was far from over, but I knew in my heart that we would prevail. The memories of our loved ones filled my mind, fueling my determination. We would not let this monster defeat us. We would fight, and we would win.
"Dad, what are you doing?" I gasped, my voice filled with confusion and concern as Antrodos told me to stay put while he ran away.
"Trust me, Max. It's a plan." His eyes were filled with determination. "Remove your armor and leave it near the cover."
"But, Dad, that's very risky!" I protested, my heart pounding in fear.
"I know, son." He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, his eyes softening. "Go away from the spot but stay close enough to activate the trap. We'll lure the monster in."
Understanding dawned on me, and excitement bubbled up inside me. "I'll set up another trap too," I said, my voice filled with newfound confidence.
"Precisely," Antrodos grinned, his face lighting up with pride.
With that, he swung his giant axe around, taunting the monster, the noise echoing through the air. I could feel the tension in the air as I watched from my hiding spot.
From the distance, the Land Crawler appeared, rushing towards my father with a ferocious roar. But something was off. There were no tremors, no blood dripping from its wounds. It was another illusion.
Antrodos's eyes narrowed, his body tensing as if to brace for impact, but I knew he was aware of the illusion. I could see his other hand holding a conjured Light Orb, ready to unleash its power.
A smirk played on my lips as I heard the real Land Crawler behind me. We had it now.
The illusion lunged at my father, who swung his axe with a fierce cry. The real Land Crawler laughed, lunging for what it thought was me. But to its surprise, it slashed only my armor, empty and motionless.
Its confusion was our opportunity. My father unleashed the Light Orb, exploding it into a blinding flashbang. The monster reeled, disoriented.
The giant axe flew through the air, latching onto the monster's mouth, injuring it severely. Its cry of pain was music to my ears.
I didn't hesitate. "Alteration of Spiked Earth Pillars!" I shouted, my voice filled with determination.
The ground trembled, and giant pillars impaled the monster. The force pushed it upwards, and the heavy axe sliced its jaw in half. It was over.
"Dad, we did it!" I cried, running to him.
He touched the monster, his face filled with relief. "Yes, son, we did. It's the real body."
We both collapsed, sprawled on the ground, too tired to move but filled with the joy of victory.
We looked at each other, our eyes filled with a shared understanding, a bond forged in battle and trust. We had faced the monster together, relying on each other's wisdom and courage.
And we had won.
As we lay there, the memories of Mom, Laussinna, little Illyanna, Matterinna our housemaid, and Lucianna, my close friend, filled my mind, a warm glow of love and connection.
We would return to them, our family and friends, with a tale of bravery and triumph. A tale of a father and son, united by love and trust, who faced a fearsome monster and emerged victorious.