"What the hell kind of snake is this?" I shouted, tense from its sudden appearance.
"That's the damn pet of the Soul Devourer," Grey replied.
"Soul Devourer? Who's that?" I asked, confused.
"Hero, it's a long story. We don't have time right now. Let's focus on taking down this serpent."
With a swift movement, the serpent lunged at us. We dodged easily, and Charlie jumped into action, using his agility to distract the monster, drawing its attention away from us. As the serpent chased after our loyal companion, an idea sparked in my mind. I grabbed one of the cores we had collected from the healing goblins and threw it towards the massive creature. The serpent, confused by the sudden change of target, paused for a moment, roared, and began coming straight for me.
Just before it could reach me, its shining scales reflecting the sunlight, Elise quickly notched an arrow in her bow and aimed at the creature's fiery red eyes.
"I'll try to blind it!" she shouted, pulling the bowstring taut.
The arrow flew at high speed, striking one of the serpent's eyes. It let out a painful roar, writhing, but it wasn't enough to stop it.
With the serpent momentarily stunned, I seized the opportunity, charging with my sword, aiming to slash through its gleaming scales. But the serpent was fast. It slid to the side, dodging my attack, and countered with a swift strike from its tail.
"Hero!" Elise cried, firing more arrows to distract the beast.
"Be careful! This serpent is quicker than we thought!" Grey warned, healing my wounds.
Charlie kept running in circles around the serpent, barking and growling to keep it occupied while I struggled to get back on my feet. His quick and unpredictable movements were a nuisance to the giant creature.
"We can't retreat! We have to face this monster head-on and defeat it!" I said, rising and lifting my sword, delivering heavy strikes.
Charlie leapt and dove in with rapid attacks, assisting me in the battle. His barks echoed in the air, encouraging us all.
Grey focused on shielding us from harm while casting lightning bolts that momentarily paralyzed the serpent's movements.
"Stay calm. Stand firm and trust in your skills," Grey said, confidently.
Elise, with her dexterity and precision, shot arrows swiftly, slicing through the air.
The battle intensified, with the serpent delivering powerful blows and unleashing destructive flames. We responded with coordinated and strategic attacks. Amidst the dodging and synchronized strikes, I shouted to my companions.
"Together, we're unbeatable! We won't let this creature defeat us!"
Grey concentrated, summoning a thunderstrike that completely paralyzed the monster, exposing several openings in its defense.
With Grey's attack weakening the beast, its once radiant scales dulled. I launched myself off a nearby rock, attacking with multiple slashes, aiming for the finishing blow.
The serpent reawakened just as I was defenseless in mid-air. Preparing for what I thought would be my end, I glanced over at my friends, but then I saw Grey sprinting towards me.
"Damn it!" Grey muttered.
He jumped incredibly high, and with his bare hands, struck the serpent that was about to devour me. I crashed to the ground, unscathed and shocked by Grey's sudden assault.
After the punch, the monster wobbled but used its immense tail to counterattack. Grey blocked it, but blood trickled from his lip and forehead, as well as his arm.
Healing himself completely, Grey leaped again. The serpent tried to whip him with its tail, but he grabbed hold of it, using the momentum to propel himself quickly towards the creature's head.
Grey unleashed a barrage of punches to the serpent's head, and when it flung him aside, he swiftly materialized a bolt of lightning in his hand and hurled it at the monster.
"Die," he cursed calmly, a malicious smile curving his lips.
The serpent's head exploded, its blue blood raining down on the ground like a storm. Grey landed on a large rock nearby.
Sunlight reflected off Grey's silver hair, creating a blinding glow. His crimson eyes gleamed, and his expression was serious.
The rest of the serpent's body burst apart, revealing thousands of hatchlings. My body ached all over, leaving me unable to move. Elise stood frozen, her face etched with fear.
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered swiftly across the sky, blanketing the horizon. The air around us became electrically charged, and my hair stood on end from the energy building up.
Thunder roared from the clouds, and powerful lightning bolts rained down on the serpent hatchlings, annihilating every last one of them.
"Gr… Grey?" Elise whispered softly.
I could only watch the scene unfold as all the pain in my body ceased. With Grey's final strikes, the reality hit me — the gap between our powers was enormous.
"So, this is the power of someone with a spirit..." I whispered.
Suddenly, Grey fell from the large rock. Elise rushed over to help him. I stood and ran after her. She rested his head on her lap to help him recover.
"Lucky bastard..." I thought.
After a few hours of unconsciousness, Grey finally woke up, and we were ready to head back to the guild.
"Good morning," Grey said, yawning.
Charlie barked joyfully, licking Grey's face and jumping around the group in a playful celebration.
"Good morning? Damn it, I was afraid you wouldn't wake up at all..."
"It was reckless of you to attack that monster alone," Elise scolded.
Grey just laughed instead of replying. It was the first time I'd seen him laugh since we started this group.
After the intense battle in the forest, we were exhausted, but we still needed to report everything to the guild. We got up and started our journey back.
"Stop right there! Who's responsible for all this destruction?" A male voice stopped us.
I turned around, curious to see who it was, and to my surprise, there weren't just one or two men, but about fifteen, all wearing the guild's exclusive armor. It seemed they had come for us.
Grey took the lead and explained the whole situation to them.
"I see. Still, could you accompany us to the guild? We need detailed information."
"No problem," Grey replied.
"Free ride," Grey whispered to me and Elise.
After arriving at the guild, Grey and I were taken to a room where we explained everything that happened in full detail. Elise was not with us, as she had been taken to another room.
We were quickly released, and after selling all the goblin cores to the guild, we returned to the streets of Avalon. As we walked towards the tavern, the evening began to fall, and the lanterns lit up the bustling streets. Charlie ran ahead, excited and sniffing everything along the way.
We arrived at the tavern, and the cheerful sound of conversations and laughter filled the air. We found a table in the corner where we could talk without being disturbed. Elise called the waitress, and we ordered a feast to celebrate.
As we toasted to our victory, Elise and I couldn't help but wonder about the Soul Devourer. So, we finally asked Grey.
"Grey, you mentioned the Soul Devourer during the battle. Who is he? And what's his connection to the serpent we fought?" Elise asked.