Aurora wondered if there was something wrong in his head.
Liam said, "The only profound technique I've learned is Water Serpent, so I'm not really using my full potential. Well, whatever. You've given me a good fight, but it's time to end this."
Aurora scoffed and replied, "I'm just getting started."
"Before we continue, why don't you watch this?" Liam smiled and said.
Suddenly, Liam stabbed his sword to his right. With mist covering the area, it wasn't clear what he had struck, but soon blood spilled, revealing what—or rather, who—had been stabbed.
Aurora watched in horror as she saw a familiar figure with silver-white hair standing there, Liam's sword buried deep in his chest.
Aadi tried to pull the sword out but coughed up blood in the effort. It was clear that there was no hope for him, as the blade had gone straight through his heart.
He slowly turned his almost lifeless eyes toward Aurora and weakly said, "Run, Aurora. He's too powerful. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain."
Liam smiled as he yanked the sword out and tossed Aadi's body behind him. Aadi's eyes, now dimming, gazed warmly at Aurora one last time as he whispered his final words, "...run."
Aurora's sword, Flamingo, slipped from her hand as she rushed toward Aadi in a panic.
Liam had been waiting for this moment. He coated his sword with water elemental energy, preparing for Aurora to come within range.
When Aurora was just two meters away, yellow lightning began crackling around her. In an instant, she closed the gap between them, holding a thin needle of dense lightning in her right hand. Its mere presence made the surrounding air heavy, the temperature rising dramatically.
Liam, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, was too late to dodge. In a panic, he hurriedly conjured a barrier of profound energy in front of him.
Aurora didn't seem to care about the barrier, intensifying the lightning around her as she thrust her right palm toward Liam's left chest.
Liam's barrier shattered like glass the moment it made contact with Aurora's lightning. Her palm struck his chest, and she drove the lightning needle straight into his heart.
"Boom," Aurora whispered as the needle detonated, blowing Liam's left side to pieces. Blood and flesh erupted everywhere as lightning crackled violently around them.
Aurora wiped the blood from her face, watching as Liam staggered and fell backward, landing in a growing pool of his own blood. His eyes were wide with shock and confusion as they locked on her.
Aurora walked over and sat beside him, almost comfortably, as she began to speak. "When I said I was just starting, I meant it, dumbass. You know, I was beginning to enjoy the fight, but you just had to pull the worst card. If you're wondering about that illusion formation of yours—don't worry, it worked on me. But the target you chose? Wrong move."
She started laughing as she recalled Aadi's face in the illusion. After a moment, she composed herself and continued, "Though I've only known my master for a short time, there are some things I already know about him. First of all, he's arrogant to the core. Him admitting someone else is stronger than him? Don't make me laugh. That illusion was full of flaws. You couldn't even touch him, let alone defeat him. So, I knew from the beginning that it was just an illusion formation."
Liam smiled bitterly, realizing that he could have fought a better fight had he used more of his skills. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate as he waited for death.
Aurora then pulled out a healing pill that Aadi had given her and swallowed it. She also retrieved a small, strange, red transparent sphere. After channeling some profound energy into it, she placed it near Liam.
"I don't know how it works, but since my master made it, it should do something," she murmured. Standing up, Aurora glanced around at the once beautiful hall, now in ruins from their battle, and nodded in satisfaction. After checking her condition—most of her wounds were healing—she dashed toward the corridor where everyone else was.
As soon as she entered the corridor, the others turned wide-eyed at the sight of her. No one could find the words to speak. The same thought ran through all their minds: *How is she even standing with those wounds? And why is she covered in so much blood?*
Aurora was indeed a sight to behold—covered in blood from head to toe, cuts marking her body, and her clothes torn in several places. She looked like a beast emerging victorious from battle.
Ignoring their stares, she said, "I've severely injured him, but he's activated a formation that's going to blow up this entire tomb. If you want to live, run to the entrance."
With that, she turned and headed deeper into the corridor. The others exchanged glances before quickly following her.
Shihab caught up to her, his voice filled with admiration. "You defeated him? You're really powerful. He must've been way stronger than the Red Horned Rat, and yet you still beat him."
Aurora shook her head, regret evident in her voice. "I just got lucky. If he'd been at his full strength, I would've died within minutes. Besides, we didn't get any treasures."
Shihab fell silent, thinking to himself, *We're just happy to be alive, and you're upset about not finding treasures?*
He wisely chose to end the conversation there.
Meanwhile, unknown to them, a gray mist began to swirl around Liam's lifeless body. As the mist enveloped him completely, his body disappeared.
"Hehe, Asty, looks like it's starting now," Aadi said with a smile.
"Yes, it seems their opponents are going to be quite troublesome. This is getting interesting," Asty agreed.
"But still," Aadi added, his tone thoughtful, "I didn't expect the Infernals to be the ones invading." He recognized the gray mist—it was an innate technique used by many Infernals.