Connor's vision swam as the blood loss continued to sap his strength, making the world around him a blur of shadows and frenzied movement. The amputation of his leg caused his body to ache, yet the temporary metal zip tie provided temporary relief. Connor felt as though Jacob, who was still unconscious, was dead weight on his side, weighing him down and limiting his range of motion. Connor clenched his jaw, determined not to let this be the end of them. Despite being in pain, he looked at Jacob as he looked at the adventurers in the distance.
The adventurers and the beast remained engaged in combat; although their attacks were effective enough to severely hurt the beast, they were insufficient to permanently subdue the beast or cause it to flee, but it was good enough for the beast to not carelessly attack. The air was filled with the sounds of clashing steel, the conjuration of magic can be heard hissing, and the menacing growls of the beast. It was unrelenting, darting in and out of the adventurer's shadows like fog, striking quickly and forcefully before slipping back again. Every time it resurfaced, the beast appeared more damaged; its dark fur was matted with blood, yet its eyes glowed with rage and unwavering energy, as if though retreating was an alien idea. Due to the beast's unwavering will, there was no room for compromise; it was a fight to the death.
Connor concentrated He believed he needed a plan. He couldn't only depend on the explorers by themselves to complete the task, and since Jacob was unconscious, their shared body wasn't in a position to engage the beast head-on. He glanced down at the mana bar—still sitting at three—what followed was a sigh. Not enough for another spell that can shift the tide of the battle in their favor—he needed something, anything, or someone to tip the scales in their favor.
"Think, damn it, think," Connor muttered, scanning the battlefield. His breath came in ragged bursts, his heart racing. The beast was circling the adventurers looking for openings, preparing for another strike. This time, it wouldn't retreat—it would go in for the kill as both the beast and the adventures looked like they were on their last legs trying to hold on.
Subsequently, an idea appeared in his mind like a bright light bulb. They felt a connection, like if they had some kind of soul skill, even though Jacob was dead. Maybe, just maybe, they could pull off one last stand if he could channel Jacob's skills. battleling through the pain and exhaustion, closing his eyes and sending a mental hug to his brother.
"Jacob... come on, wake up." Connor whispered while he was in a room. He looked at his hands; he was in what looked like an astral projection. Finally feeling the weight of Jacob's consciousness somewhere deep in a dark or room place in what seemed to be their shared mind, he levitated and flew to what looked like another astral projection, likely Jacob. He made his way there. and said, "I need you. We need to do this together."
For a moment, nothing seems to have happened. The darkness in his mind threatened to pull him under, but then, slowly, Connor felt a faint stir coming from the astral projection. The other astral projection had a bit of energy stirred up. It was as if Jacob's presence flickered back to life, weak but there.
"What the heck is going on? Jacob's voice sounded feeble, bewildered.
Connor said, "You passed out," with a wave of relief. We're not quite done, though. We must bring this to an end since the beast is still out there.
As Jacob's consciousness slowly came back, his presence appeared to become more intense. "What's our mana like?"
"Low. Only three points left. But if we work together, we might be able to pull off something, something real big." How many mana points do you have left? Connor asked Jacob and answered fifteen.
Jacob said nothing for a long moment as he weighed the situation. Then, taking a big breath, he responded, "Okay. Come on, let's do it once and for all.
Connor had a surge of energy as their brains appeared to synchronize. There was a sense of unity and a shared objective despite the pain and exhaustion the twins were going through. planning to pool their last bit of mana together and focus on doing one last spell; hopefully this will rid them of the beast.
The beast, having forgotten the twins' plan, unleashed yet another savage attack on the adventurers. It sprang for the nearest fighter with its claws, but the daring adventurer dodged in time, sending a stream of flame in the beast's direction. Its fur shrieked in anguish as the flames singed it, yet now was the time.
Connor and Jacob reached deep within themselves, drawing on the last reserves of strength they had. The metal zip tie spell had been useful, but it wasn't enough. They required something far more potent, something that would put a permanent stop to this battle once and for all; after all, if they had one shot after this, they would definitely pass out. Their minds fused, united as one, and then suddenly, an idea materialized.
"Steel Bind," they murmured together as if they had come to a serious realization.
The magic circle formed, glowing softly from the mana flowing through their combined bodies. They focused the spell on the beast with the last of their might.The creature appears to be trapped in a motionless state, with sleek-looking chains emerging from the ground.With a feral snarl, the beast tried to break free from the shackles that were restraining its movement, but the chain stayed in place and wouldn't move in the slightest bit. The beast trying to break out wasted its energy on a futile and meaningless task; as a consequence, it was unable to defend itself from upcoming attacks.
A sudden ding followed, signaling the unlocking of a skill:
{Steel Bind (Common)}
"Now!" Connor shouted, his voice hoarse.
The explorers acted without hesitation, as if they were waiting for a moment like this. Seeing their chance, they threw caution to the wind and launched an all-out assault, not caring about defense because the beast was bound. Lightning blows, arrows, and fireballs were all unleashed on the beast that was bound by chains. If the adventures kept their distance, the beast was no longer a problem. The onslaught was persistent, and as its health bar decreased, the creature's howls of anguish resonated throughout the forest, and there was nothing that the beast could do; it was bound. It violently tried to rip the magic bind the twins were placed on, but that was proven to be largely unsuccessful.
Connor's vision blurred again from the pressure of the spell. Despite everything, they had fulfilled their mission. The beast was weakening, its massive form collapsing under the relentless attacks of the adventurers. Its once-bright emerald eyes dimmed, as if it were on the verge of departing from this world.It took him long to sense his sleepiness return after Jacob.