The mysterious monster of the Serpent Forest stood before Finn as the house burned. It was a massive wolf, its ebony fur glistening under the flickering flames. The well-defined muscles in its limbs and body hinted at its formidable strength. Its eyes, as dark as the abyss, held a chilling depth, while its legs sported obsidian claws, razor-sharp and ready for action. Two enormous canines, reminiscent of a sabretooth tiger, protruded menacingly from its maw.
Adding to its aura of intimidation, a pair of fiery red bull horns adorned its forehead. Strangely, the creature appeared eerily calm, in stark contrast to the frenzied nature of other creatures Finn had encountered.
Finn instantly used appraisal on the creature, and the transparent screen displayed,
"Midnight Flamehowler
Threat Level – B
Description – Flamehowlers are the rarest creatures in the world, and Midnight Flamehowlers are the rarest flamehowlers of them all. They are solitary nocturnal creatures and practically the alpha predators in their habitat. They are known to breathe fire like a dragon and are very agile and intelligent creatures. They can also light their body in flames. The flames don't hurt them, but it gives them a tremendous advantage in close-quarter combat. Even though they are threat level B, they are on the verge of becoming level A.
Length X Width X Height – 20 feet X 5 feet X 8 feet
Weight – 2,500 kg"
"A fire-breathing wolf, huh? That's new," Finn remarked, raising an eyebrow. To capture the Flamehowler's attention, he boldly shouted, "I'M RIGHT HERE, YOU WANNABE DRAGON! Gripping his sword tightly, he prepared for a confrontation.
Finn's tactic worked, but unlike his previous encounters, the Flamehowler remained strangely composed. It approached Finn slowly, its menacing presence undeniable, until it halted a few feet away. Finn, perplexed by the sudden pause, watched in bewilderment as the creature inhaled a vast volume of air. Simultaneously, a fiery sphere began forming in its gaping maw. Before Finn could fully grasp the situation, the Flamehowler exhaled a torrent of flames in his direction.
For several tense moments, the Flamehowler unleashed its fiery assault upon Finn. However, when the flames finally subsided, Finn remained unscathed. However, the intense heat had caused the section of the frozen lake behind him to melt and steam.
With a triumphant smirk, Finn locked eyes with the Flamehowler and declared, "Many have tried to harm me, but they've all fallen short. And now, so will you."
Meanwhile, Moonlight was using her ice magic to control the fire spreading on the house, and within a few minutes, she was able to control all the fire. With the immediate danger averted, Moonlight and Creambell retreated to the safety of the hall. They shared a mutual assumption that Finn would confront and handle the mysterious creature just as he had done with the previous threats they had encountered.
The showdown between Finn and the Flamehowler raged on. Finn, displaying his teleportation prowess, materialized just in front of the Flamehowler, thrusting his sword into one of its massive legs. In response, the Flamehowler ignited its body, flames billowing around it as it leaped backward.
Finn, undaunted by the creature's fiery defenses, attempted another teleportation attack, only to be astounded as the Flamehowler anticipated his movements, swiftly relocating itself to avoid his strike. This pattern repeated when Finn made a second attempt, leading him to believe that the Flamehowler's evasions were far from mere flukes.
Realizing that a change in strategy was necessary, Finn abandoned his teleportation-based attacks. Instead, he unleashed a barrage of sticky threads and deadly slime upon the creature. To his dismay, every thread and drop of slime disintegrated upon contact with the Flamehowler's searing flames.
Finn, undeterred by his previous failed attempts, launched a sonic blast and a drill spike at the Flamehowler, hoping to find a weakness in its fiery defenses. However, these attacks, too, proved futile against the formidable creature.
With limited options remaining, Finn decided to unleash his water gun against the Flamehowler. In response, the Flamehowler countered with its searing fire breath. When the two opposing forces collided, they created an immense plume of steam that enveloped the battlefield. Seizing this opportune moment, Finn swiftly teleported near the Flamehowler, driving his sword into its chest. The blade inflicted a significant wound, but it fell short of delivering a fatal blow.
In agony, the Flamehowler deactivated its fiery body skill, retreating a few paces. By coincidence, it had now crossed the perimeter of the island, standing just outside its bounds. The creature, panting heavily from the inflicted wounds and brimming with anger, unleashed a devastating fire breath directed at Finn. However, much to its frustration, the attack simply passed through Finn, its scorching flames melting the ice on the frozen lake behind Finn.
Finn, in his determination to vanquish the Flamehowler, remained oblivious to the fact that the creature had backed away beyond the boundaries of the house's area. Intent on exploiting the creature's weakened state, he initiated a teleportation attempt, only to find himself reappearing near the island's edge. His widened eyes locked onto the Flamehowler, standing a few feet away, and he belatedly grasped the reality of the situation: the creature was no longer within the confines of the house.
Initially startled by Finn's teleportation, the Flamehowler soon realized that it was no longer under immediate threat. Calming itself, it gradually regained composure. In a matter of moments, it resumed its use of the fiery breath skill, igniting random spots on the island. However, as it noticed that only the house seemed to be catching fire, it shifted its focus and began concentrating its fiery onslaught on the house.
In a panic, Finn hastily used his water gun to douse the flames engulfing the house. However, the Flamehowler's fiery attacks were relentless and skillful, targeting different sections of the building each time. This made it increasingly difficult for Finn to keep up and extinguish all the spreading fires. Meanwhile, Manual's repeated warning echoed in his ears, "Health is reducing," heightening his sense of imminent danger.
It was the first time since Finn's existence in this world, that he felt the fear of death. The house was burning, Manual was continuously saying, "Health is reducing," and he was desperately trying to extinguish the fire.
But when it seemed that all hope was lost, a powerful ice beam streaked through the air and struck the blazing parts of the house, extinguishing the flames far more effectively than Finn's water gun ever could. Relief washed over him as he turned to the source of the icy salvation, discovering that Moonlight had taken charge.
Relief surged through Finn as he turned his gaze toward the origin of the ice beam. It was Moonlight, her hands raised in an enchanting display of icy magic directed at the burning house. Beside her stood Creambell, and a still-unconscious Butterbell.
In that stressful moment, as their eyes met, Finn found comfort in the smiles shared by Moonlight and Creambell. Without uttering a word, their expressions reassured him that the house would remain safe from the relentless inferno, their commitment unwavering.
With his faith in Moonlight's ability to combat the fire, Finn turned his full attention back to the Flamehowler. He steadfastly obstructed the creature's attempts to unleash its fiery breath upon the house, and it appeared for a moment that the beast might relent.
However, just when things seemed to be under control, Finn was jolted by Creambell's desperate cry for help. "FINN, HELP!"
In an instant, Finn's focus shifted to the pixies. He quickly scanned the scene and discovered a new threat emerging from the lake. Water salamanders were now coming out of the melted ice area, and they were approaching the pixies. With Butterbell unconscious, Creambell was bravely struggling to defend his companions from this unexpected menace, and Finn knew he needed to act swiftly.
Observing the dire situation, Finn immediately abandoned his assault on the Flamehowler and teleported to the pixies with his sword. He swiftly began taking down and trapping the encroaching water salamanders, while Moonlight continued her valiant efforts to extinguish the fire.
However, the Flamehowler, fixated on Moonlight's presence as she assisted Finn, abruptly changed its focus. Instead of targeting the house, it charged straight at her. Moonlight was quick to react, halting her ice beam and conjuring an ice shield in front of her. Unfortunately, the shield proved insufficient to withstand the brute force of the Flamehowler's assault.
The ice shield spared the pixies from a potentially fatal blow, but the shards and debris produced upon its shattering struck Moonlight and Creambell, rendering them unconscious in an instant. Moreover, the shockwave from the attack propelled them a considerable distance away. Creambell landed safely on the island, but Moonlight's fate was less fortunate. She was thrown toward the section of the lake where the ice had melted, the same area where the water salamanders were emerging, right before Finn's eyes.
In a desperate attempt, Finn reached out instinctively to grab Moonlight's hand while she was suspended mid-air. However, because of his ethereal body, Moonlight's hand passed right through his hand, leaving him with a sense of helplessness.
All this time, Finn had experienced the strengths and benefits of his new form, but at that moment, he experienced the helplessness of his new form.
In a mere fraction of a second, Moonlight plunged into the icy waters of the lake, her descent swift and unforgiving. In the next moment, she was already beyond Finn's grasp. The area beneath the lake's surface lay outside the confines of the house's boundaries. With every passing second, Moonlight sank deeper into the lake's enigmatic depths, surrounded by menacing and bloodthirsty creatures.
Finn found himself torn between two overwhelming fears. On one side, the Flamehowler continued its destructive rampage, consuming his physical form, the house, and everything in its path. On the other, he grappled with the prospect of losing one of the few friends he had forged in this new world, a friend who. He had to choose, and choose faster because with each passing second, chances of saving himself or Moonlight were getting slimmer and slimmer.
As Finn was making his decision, Manual's voice continued to sound the ominous alarm: "Warning. Health is below 3000. Warning. Health is below 3000."
In that moment of intense stress, Finn made a selfless decision. First, he shielded the unconscious Creambell and Butterbell under a protective dome woven from sticky threads. Then he used the Dead Control ability on one of the dead water salamandars.
Once he had command of the salamandar, Finn leaped into the frigid waters, plunging into the dark abyss. The absence of light offered no visibility in the depths, but by tapping into the salamander's heat-sensing abilities, he managed to pinpoint Moonlight's location. Guided by the salamander's aquatic nature, he propelled himself towards her. As he reached Moonlight, a strange, electrifying sensation coursed through his body. By the time he finally reached her, Moonlight had touched the lake's bottom.
However, what awaited him at the lake's depths was an even more baffling reality. There was no sensation of buoyancy typically associated with water; it felt as if he were standing on dry land. Moreover, the once-hostile environment of the lake had inexplicably transformed, allowing him to breathe as if he were in the open air.
Just when the situation seemed surreal enough, a distinctive, echoing slithering sound cut through the darkness. It was followed by the voice of a woman who asked, "Have you come to kill me or save me?"