"Yes, Shadowclaw has indeed summoned a Bronze Savage Bull. It's a beast of bronze-level, and now we're really in a fix," the bright-eyed thief's voice trembles with fear.
"My life guardian is a Flower Fairy, utterly powerless against such a creature. I should've opted for Shadowclaw's surprise attack right from the start. Now, what do we do?" She glances at Eddie, eyes wide with a mixture of desperation and faint hope.
In her gaze, Eddie sees an echo of despair and fear, reminiscent of Empress Feiwen's look when trapped in the dark void. It's a moment calling for heroism. He feels his protective instinct roar to life.
With a comforting arm around her, Eddie tries to alleviate her fear. "Just a bull, right? No worries, I'll handle it."
Instead of calming her, his words cause tears to brim in her eyes. "You don't understand! It's not just any bull; it's a Bronze Savage Bull! Just one glare, and we're done for! How do we escape this? I'm not ready to die; there's still so much left undone. You're supposed to be a genius, right? Find us a way out!"
"Stay calm; I've already got a plan!" Eddie confidently asserts, drawing a surprisingly small dagger.
"You're not thinking of charging out there, are you?" she gasps, mistaking his intent for a reckless attack on Shadowclaw. But how could they possibly defeat Shadowclaw, let alone with the additional threat of Evilfire?
Even if by some miracle they avoided the Bronze Savage Bull's lethal gaze, the stone golem's crushing fists, and the war eagle's talons, could Eddie really handle Shadowclaw himself?
The thief's heart sinks at the thought of Eddie's probable death in a seemingly hopeless battle. Yet, there he stands, dagger at the ready, a determined glint in his eye, prepared to face the daunting adversaries before them.
Even if Eddie somehow managed to reach Shadowclaw, what could he possibly achieve against such a seasoned third-tier hero with just a small, cheap dagger?
The idea of stepping out from the protection of the light shield seemed like nothing short of suicide.
The bright-eyed thief, understanding the gravity of their situation, grabbed Eddie's wrist with an urgency that spoke volumes, "I have one last attack, but it's a long shot.
You need to escape now! If by some miracle you make it out of the Death Blood Realm alive, please visit Butterfly Flower Valley for me. Tell the valley lord that I have... I've fallen in battle."
Evilfire, observing their predicament, let out a sinister chuckle. He pulled out a dark gemstone, chanting an eerie spell and spitting a mouthful of blood onto it.
The war bee, lying on the ground, exploded into bits with the completion of the chant, its greenish blood splattering and revealing the previously concealed Shadowcat. The stone golem, with its massive fists, and the swift war eagle descended upon them.
Despite the Spider Witch's absence and the consequent fading of its poison and webs, the war eagle remained a formidable force, leaving deep gashes on Shadowcat's back.
The Bronze Savage Bull charged with thunderous fury, emitting a fireball from its nostrils that landed squarely on Shadowcat's hindquarters. It then lowered its head, delivering a devastating blow like a battering ram.
Shadowcat's anguished cry filled the air as it was violently hurled skyward, tumbling helplessly before crashing down.
The Bronze Savage Bull, with its blood-red, deathly gaze, swiftly ended Shadowcat's misery, reducing it to a lifeless form in a mere instant.
Spectators from the Happy Forest's windows and balconies were gripped with fear, sweat drenching their bodies as they witnessed the terrifying power of the Bronze Savage Bull.
Despite the Bronze Savage Bull's Death Gaze having a small activation chance, its indiscriminate and instantaneous lethality was terrifying.
Apart from inanimate constructs like the stone golem, only the life-shielding beasts unique to those with tomes could withstand such an attack.
Any ordinary warrior or beast caught by the Death Gaze of the Bronze Savage Bull was doomed.
As the bright-eyed thief was in the midst of summoning their most potent beast for a desperate stand, they couldn't complete it in time before Shadowcat was vanquished.
The psychic backlash from the death of a connected beast was enormous, especially during intense concentration. Blood spurted, staining the mask, and just before collapsing, the bright-eyed thief reached out a hand towards Eddie, gasping, "Run..."
Eddie quickly caught the falling figure. He could have intervened earlier, preventing the psychic collapse of the bright-eyed thief, but he didn't want to expose his true capabilities just yet.
To him, all the onlookers and adversaries were as good as dead.
As the bright-eyed thief lost consciousness, the protective light shield faded away, and the silver tome turned into a stream of light, reentering its owner's body.
The stone golem, war eagle, and Bronze Savage Bull immediately charged towards Eddie, sensing the disappearance of the shield.
Both Shadowclaw and Evilfire laughed heartily, a familiar satisfaction for them in overpowering an enemy.
If not for facing a formidable fourth-tier champion with a silver tome, Shadowclaw wouldn't have risked the backlash to summon the Bronze Savage Bull.
"Shut up!" Eddie was annoyed.
He didn't like others laughing in such a manner, feeling that such smug laughter was his trademark.
Seeing Shadowclaw and Evilfire so delighted irked him, feeling as though they had stolen his signature act.
Eddie's finger tapped, summoning his Bronze Tome. A faint red glow quickly emerged, forming a light red shield around him and the bright-eyed thief.
The Bronze Savage Bull charged at the red shield, its immense force causing only a slight ripple on the surface before dissipating without a trace.
Similarly, the Stone Golem's earth-shattering punch proved ineffective against the red shield. The weakest of them all, the War Eagle, was outright repelled by the shield.
"What's this, another tome contract holder? But just a beginner apprentice?"
" Haha, foolish! Just a beginner apprentice and you think you can struggle for survival? "
"How ridiculous! Thorns?"
" Ah, hahaha, I can't take it, he's summoning a thorn plant, oh my god, I really want to see how he uses a thorn plant to kill my Stone Golem and Bronze Savage Bull!"
Shadowclaw burst into laughter, his tears streaming down from excessive laughter.
"I'd rather fight a strong opponent; killing noobs is no fun!" Evilfire dismissed Eddie as a beginner apprentice without a second thought.
"Ha, on the contrary, I love bullying noobs, especially listening to their screams before death, it's absolutely delightful!"
Shadowclaw licked his lips like a starving ghost facing a feast. In his eyes, Eddie, the beginner apprentice, was just a noob ready to be slaughtered.
Even as a tome contract holder, Shadowclaw didn't take Eddie seriously. A beginner apprentice could summon only one beast per day, and Eddie had already summoned Thorns.
The onlookers on the balcony of Happy Forest shook their heads and sighed.
Not even the gods descending from the divine realm could turn this fight around.
"Just a lousy bull, what's there to be arrogant about!" Eddie didn't stay within the shield. He walked out confidently, leaving the bright-eyed thief and the thorn plant within the protective light.
"Ah?" His action dumbfounded all the onlookers.
A tome contract holder isn't supposed to leave the light shield; otherwise, the shield would immediately disappear. How could this young thief walk out from it?
Was everyone seeing things? Or was this an actual miracle unfolding?