"Hm? Haven't you heard about the magical creatures that escaped recently?" Alaric asked, crouching to examine the scattered plant samples on the ground. As he looked up at Perry, his expression was a mix of exasperation and confusion. "Henry, what's wrong with you? Yesterday, you even forgot my name, and now you're acting like you don't know about this major event in the academy. What's going on with you?"
Perry's heart tightened, and his face turned slightly pale. He had anticipated that Alaric might notice something was off, but he hadn't expected him to confront the issue so directly. Forcing a stiff smile, Perry tried to steady his nerves, but his thoughts were racing. Damn it, so my behavior yesterday already tipped him off.
Alaric studied Perry for a moment, his gaze sharp and probing. "If it weren't for the fact that the carnivorous plant didn't attack you when we first arrived, I'd be seriously questioning if you're someone in disguise."
Perry felt a cold sweat break out on his back. So he's already set traps like that to test me? Is it his innate beastly intuition or just because I've been acting too suspicious?
Taking a deep breath, Perry tried to keep his voice as calm and natural as possible. "That's because… I lost my memory."
"What?! Memory loss?!" Alaric froze, staring at Perry with wide eyes, his voice full of shock. After a moment, his brows furrowed deeply as if he were struggling to process the revelation. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!" His tone carried a hint of reproach, but mostly it was concern. "Honestly, Perry, you really don't treat me like a friend. You've always been so lively and outgoing, but now… to be honest, you seem weighed down by something."
Perry lowered his head, avoiding Alaric's gaze for fear of giving himself away. In a soft voice, he said, "I'm sorry, Alaric… I really have forgotten so many things. I'm scared of myself, too."
Alaric was silent for a moment before he firmly patted Perry on the shoulder, intending to comfort him. Unfortunately, his strength was a little too much, and Perry nearly stumbled backward from the impact. Suppressing a wince at the sharp pain, Perry steadied himself with effort.
"It's fine," Alaric said, his tone lightening as he offered a reassuring smile. "If you've lost your memory, we'll help you get it back. Don't worry too much. Besides, we're partners, aren't we?"
"…Thanks," Perry muttered, rubbing his shoulder. The ache reminded him just how "rough" Alaric's comfort could be, but a sense of warmth still crept into his heart.
Alaric stood and started walking ahead again, waving for Perry to follow. "Alright, enough of that for now. Let's focus on completing the task with the star fern. Once we're done, we can figure out how to deal with your memory loss."
"Got it," Perry replied, quickening his pace to catch up. Inside, however, his emotions were in turmoil. Alaric's trust and genuine concern filled him with guilt. How much longer can I keep hiding this from him?
The two of them carefully packed the star fern into their collection bags and began making their way toward the east wing. The air around them grew increasingly oppressive, as if some unseen force was lurking in the darkness, watching their every move. Perry glanced around periodically, scanning for signs of anything unusual, but aside from their echoing footsteps, the corridor remained eerily silent.
As they stepped into the east wing, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. The air became dense, and a low, resonant humming seemed to come from every direction. Perry stopped abruptly, his senses on high alert as he peered ahead.
"The ground…" he muttered, pointing to the faintly trembling floor beneath their feet.
Alaric sensed the unusual disturbance as well, and his expression immediately grew serious. He pulled out a small magical detector from his belt. A red marker suddenly flashed on the screen, indicating an abnormal energy fluctuation. "This isn't right… this kind of wave isn't like an earthquake."
Before he could finish speaking, a dark crimson light suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway. Within the light, a massive shadow began to take shape, moving slowly, its form grotesque and alien.
Perry held his breath, gripping the protective rune at his belt tightly. His voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Alaric, do you have clue what is that?"
Alaric's gaze remained fixed on the figure ahead, his expression uncharacteristically stern. "I don't know, but it's clear that we shouldn't take it lightly." His voice was low as he extended one hand backward, signaling Perry to stay behind him.
The tension in the hallway thickened as both of them fell silent. The crimson glow grew more intense, and the patterns on the walls seemed to twist and distort in response. A peculiar burning sensation filled the air, prickling against their skin.
Sweat began to form in Perry's palms. He whispered, "Should we move forward? Or retreat and report this to the professor?"
"Retreat?" Alaric glanced back at him, a faint smirk of disdain tugging at the corner of his lips. "If we wait for the professor, the entire east wing could be leveled by then. Don't forget, we're magic apprentices. Running from trouble will only make us look weak and more importantly, if we can capture this magical creature, we'll earn a credits."
Perry rolled his eyes but nodded reluctantly. Looks like Alaric's enthusiasm outweighs his caution.
As they moved closer, the figure within the red light became more distinct.
"Is it one of the escaped magical creatures?" Perry asked nervously.
"Maybe. Or maybe it's something worse," Alaric replied cryptically, raising his detector to analyze the creature's energy signature more thoroughly. "But one thing's certain, it's noticed us."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the creature let out a deafening roar. The sound reverberated through the hallway as the massive beast charged toward them with the force of a hurricane.
"Fall back!" Alaric shouted, quickly raising his hand to summon an earth barrier. The barrier formed just in time to intercept the creature's attack, but its power was far greater than Alaric had anticipated. The barrier shattered almost instantly under the force of a single claw swipe, sending debris flying and forcing the two to retreat further.
Perry kept his eyes locked on the crimson light at the end of the hallway, his grip tightening on the protective container holding the star fern. He didn't dare let it get damaged in the chaos. A quick glance at Alaric revealed that his companion, though outwardly composed, was visibly strained, his clenched jaw betrayed the pressure he felt.
"Stay quiet and don't make any sudden moves," Alaric whispered, his voice steady but firm. With a swift motion, he conjured a faint earthen shield that encircled them both. Though its defensive capabilities were limited, it was enough to mask their magical presence for now, preventing the creature from honing in on them.
The red light crept closer, accompanied by a chilling hum that made Perry's skin crawl. Through a gap in the earthen barrier, he caught sight of the creature, a grotesque magical beast shaped like a massive centipede. Its body was composed of dark red energy, resembling molten flames hardened into a living form. Each movement it made left scorched marks on the floor, and the air filled with the acrid stench of sulfur.
"What is that thing?" Perry asked in a hushed tone, his voice trembling.
"Bad news. It's a variant of the Molten Crawler," Alaric answered, his voice steady but quick. "These things usually dwell in deep caves. Lucky us, it's one of the magical creatures the academy has been searching for the past three weeks. And we just happened to run into it. We're not equipped to fight it. Worse yet, this beast is relentless. It won't stop once it starts pursuing prey."
Perry frowned. "So what do we do? Will it attack us?"
"Not immediately," Alaric said, scanning their surroundings. "Molten Crawlers are hypersensitive to magical fluctuations. As long as we keep the barrier stable and don't get too close, we might make it through unscathed."
Perry nodded, carefully adjusting his breathing, trying to suppress his magical fluctuations as much as possible. Yet he knew deep down that the energy radiating from the star fern couldn't be completely concealed. The only option now was to traverse the hallway quickly and deliver the precious plant to the storage room.
The Molten Crawler lingered in the hallway, coiling and twisting as if searching for something. Its antennae quivered slightly, seemingly picking up on faint signals. Beads of sweat rolled down Perry's forehead as he felt the creature steadily closing in on their position.
"Perry, don't move," Alaric warned in a low voice, reinforcing the earthen barrier around them. "I'll distract it. You use the chance to slip past and get the star fern to the storage room."
"Are you insane?!" Perry hissed, his eyes widening in alarm. "Once it locks onto you, it won't stop chasing. If something happens—"
"We don't have time to argue!" Alaric interrupted sharply, his expression resolute. "The fire energy from this thing is already interfering with the fern's growth. If we wait any longer, the plant will be ruined."
Before Perry could protest further, the Molten Crawler's antennae suddenly jerked, its movements snapping in their direction. The earthen barrier trembled slightly, struggling to mask the star fern's energy fluctuations.
Taking a deep breath, Alaric gritted his teeth. "Follow my instructions. I'll drop the barrier in three seconds and draw its attention. You'll take the left side corridor and use the hidden passage to reach the storage room."
Perry's heart pounded wildly, but he knew there was no other choice. He nodded reluctantly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Fine. Be careful."
"Three, two, one!"
The barrier shattered instantly, and Alaric unleashed a burst of earth-element energy, striking the Molten Crawler's antennae with precision. The creature let out a piercing screech as its fiery aura flared violently, engulfing the hallway in blistering heat.
"Go!" Alaric shouted, dashing in the opposite direction and deliberately amplifying his magical output to bait the creature away.
Perry clenched his jaw and stopped hesitating. Clutching the container tightly, he sprinted toward the left-side corridor, his footsteps light yet swift. Behind him, the thunderous roars of the Molten Crawler and the chaotic tremors from Alaric's earth magic filled the air, each step feeling like walking a razor's edge.
Racing through the hidden passage, Perry was hyper-aware of every sound. Despite the silence around him, his mind was consumed by the image of Alaric. He'll be okay. He has to be okay, Perry repeated to himself, forcing his focus forward.
Finally, he arrived at the storage room entrance. Gently placing the star fern into a stabilizing device, he exhaled deeply, but relief didn't come.
"Alaric…" Perry whispered, his gaze drifting back toward the corridor he had come from. "I can't just leave him behind."
Standing at the doorway, his hand still resting on the stabilizing device, Perry's mind raced as he plotted his next move. He forced himself to calm down, analyzing the situation. The Molten Crawler was undoubtedly drawn to Alaric's earth-element magic. If Alaric was still holding its attention, Perry might have a chance to find a safe route back to help him.
A glance at the academy map hanging on the wall beside him revealed a possible path: a narrow ventilation duct on the right side that led directly to Alaric's location. It was tight and far from ideal, but it would keep him out of the creature's direct path.
Perry grabbed the map and tucked it away.He needs to know the route here so they can know where to exit.
"I'm not leaving you to face this alone," he muttered under his breath before pushing open the storage room's side door and slipping into the passage.
The air in the vent was damp and stifling, each step quickening his pulse. Perry kept his movements as silent as possible, avoiding any unnecessary noise. Amid the quiet, distant sounds began to grow clearer: the Molten Crawler's high-pitched screeches and the deep rumbles of Alaric's earth magic reverberating through the space.
"He's still fighting!" Perry's chest tightened, his determination hardening as he pressed forward at an even faster pace.
At the end of the corridor, the iron gate sliced the view into narrow slits. Through the gaps, Perry could see the battle unfolding: Alaric stood in the center of the hallway, his hands steady but his face pale, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Opposite him, the Molten Crawler coiled in place, its body glowing like a field of molten lava, the red light intensifying with every moment.
"It's about to launch a fatal attack!" Perry's mind screamed with alarm. Without hesitation, he cast a Water Shield to protect Alaric.
A faint blue barrier wrapped around Alaric, shielding him entirely. At the same time, Perry shoved the iron gate open and sprinted into the corridor.
"Perry! What are you doing?!" Alaric shouted in shock, instinctively stepping back.
"Shut up and follow my lead!" Perry barked as he cast a healing spell to mend Alaric's wounds. "You can't hold out much longer. I have a plan!"
Before Alaric could protest, the Molten Crawler's attention was drawn to the sudden burst of blue light. It let out a deafening roar and lunged at Perry without hesitation.
"Now's the time!" Perry focused every ounce of his mental strength, suppressing his fear as he guided the shield to meet the creature's attack head-on.
The moment the blue shield collided with the fiery creature, a sharp explosion rang out. Sparks flew everywhere, illuminating the corridor like daylight.
The shield shattered almost instantly under the intense impact, but it bought enough time to halt the Molten Crawler's advance momentarily. The beast growled in fury, momentarily disoriented.
"Trap its lower body with Ground Rupture!" Perry shouted, seizing the opening.
Alaric snapped out of his daze and channeled earth energy, causing a massive fissure to open beneath the Molten Crawler. The ground caved in, trapping the creature up to its midsection. It thrashed and writhed, trying to free itself, but Alaric poured every ounce of his power into holding it in place.
"Finish it quickly! We can't hold it for long!" Alaric gritted his teeth, his voice trembling with urgency.
At that moment, Perry's system chimed in:[The fire elemental crystal on the wall is a magical device used to stabilize temperature in the academy. Detonating it could destroy the Molten Crawler.]
Perry's eyes darted to the crystal embedded in the corridor wall. It was old but intact, radiating a faint fiery glow.
"That might work," Perry muttered, then yelled to Alaric, "I'm going to use the crystal to blow this thing up!"
Alaric's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't hesitate. He immediately redirected his earth energy to create a platform beneath the crystal. The fire elemental crystal began to tremble violently, its surface cracking with intricate patterns as it emitted a piercing hum.
The Molten Crawler, sensing the imminent danger, thrashed even more violently. Its roars echoed through the corridor as Perry and Alaric gritted their teeth, pouring all their remaining strength into maintaining their control.
"Ready!" Alaric shouted. "Fall back now!"
Perry quickly retreated, ensuring his shield didn't falter entirely.
The next moment, the fire elemental crystal detonated in a blinding explosion. A massive shockwave of energy surged through the corridor, engulfing everything in searing flames.
When the light and heat finally subsided, Perry shakily pushed himself up from the ground. He wiped the soot from his face and scanned the area. The Molten Crawler was gone, reduced to a pile of charred remains on the scorched floor.
"Alaric!" Perry stumbled toward the figure collapsed nearby.
Alaric slowly lifted his head, his face pale but wearing a faint, exhausted smile. "You reckless idiot… You actually pulled it off."
Perry let out a relieved laugh, sinking to the ground beside him. "Don't underestimate me. I told you, I'm not letting you shoulder all of this alone."
The two exchanged a long look before breaking into tired but genuine laughter. Though their bodies ached and their energy was nearly drained, they both knew this shared trust was their greatest victory.