Chapter 131: The Niöhöggr versus the moonlight!
The wound on Tessa's shoulder knitted itself back together almost instantly, catching Anwari off guard. His monstrous, twisted features twisted further in confusion as he stared at her. "Normal Kaelrians don't heal like that. You… you truly carry the blood of Solaris and Lunara," he muttered, a mixture of awe and frustration seeping into his voice.
Tessa straightened up, rolling her shoulder to test her newly healed skin. "I understand why you needed their blood. I understand what desperation drives someone to do. But it doesn't make it right," she said, her voice steady yet tinged with a righteous anger. "You could've taken just enough to survive and let them go. You could have stayed hidden, spared their lives, and avoided this... massacre."
Anwari's eyes narrowed, glinting with disdain as a dark chuckle rumbled from him. "Are you truly that naive?" he scoffed, his tone as sharp as broken glass. "If I let them live, their memories intact, It would've been a sure beacon for exposure, drawing people like you to disturb my seclusion in this hidden prison. That's far too much trouble for me to risk. And as for them," he sneered, his eyes glinting with a dark edge,
"There's no guarantee that their minds would remain intact after encountering what I am, plus. I don't have the power to erase memories, only to plant fear so deep that it festers. That fear keeps my secrets hidden, but it only does so in the dead." He tilted his head, a mocking smile twisting his face as he looked down at her. "Or did you expect me to trust my safety to their silence? You know as well as I do that survival is not a game of mercy."
Tessa's eyes darkened, her muscles coiling as she assumed a fighting stance, her body tense with controlled rage. Every fiber of her being screamed for justice, for the lives lost in Anwari's twisted pursuit of survival. With a fierce resolve in her eyes, she readied herself to charge.
"Listen here, little girl," Anwari sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "I merely tested you. I have no interest in a fight. Let's go our separate ways, pretend this encounter never happened. You leave unscathed, I stay hidden in my prison, and we both walk away fine." He paused, his eyes narrowing as he assessed her. "Let's be honest—you're no Solaris, blood or not. And as for Lunara… she's useless against me. She couldn't harm me if she tried." His tendrils slowly curled into position, coiling like a poised serpent, ready to strike at any sign of defiance from Tessa.
Ignoring his taunts, Tessa sprang forward, a blur of raw speed and determination, launching herself like a missile straight toward Anwari's massive, serpentine head. Her fists clenched, eyes blazing with an intensity that defied reason, she aimed with unwavering precision at the monster's center.
Anwari barely had time to register her assault before feeling the shockwave of her approach. He was stunned—not just by her audacity, but by the unyielding force radiating from her. She moved as though nothing else mattered, her focus absolute, her courage reckless, as though she held no regard for her own safety.
For a moment, a flicker of doubt crossed the creature's mind. This was more than mere bravery; it was madness. Watching her close in, her every movement fierce and relentless, he found himself wondering, "What drives such resolve? What fury or purpose fuels her that she would face me without fear?"
In the silence that stretched between them, Tessa's resolve loomed as large as any weapon. Anwari felt a sliver of unease as he realized this girl—this child of Solaris and Lunara—held a power that went far beyond mere strength.
"Careful…" Adrian's voice slipped through the tense air, his tone calm but edged with caution. Standing off to the side, he watched Tessa intently, every muscle in his body coiled, ready for whatever might unfold. An ever-silent observer, he'd been listening to Anwari's words, piecing together what they revealed about Tessa's abilities.
Tessa hadn't awakened her full power—her sun legacy remained dormant, leaving her with only a fraction of the potential of her lunar inheritance. From what Adrian understood of the ancient texts, the legacy of the Moon had thirty distinct levels, each unlocking a deeper, more profound mastery. Right now, Tessa had only reached a mere grade 2. The moon's legacy, in its entirety, was both a force of creation and annihilation, capable of balancing light with darkness, building as easily as it could destroy. She had twenty-eight more levels yet to uncover, an untapped force waiting beneath the surface. If she ever reached the pinnacle, she would become the true heir to Lunara's power, wielding the full legacy of the Moon.
Adrian knew his own path was equally challenging. Though he possessed a grade 1 level of the sun's power, his journey had only just begun. The Eternal Flames he commanded offered a glimpse of what lay ahead—a shortcut, perhaps, but not a replacement for the true legacy. Like Tessa, he had an ascent to make, each level a trial toward unlocking the true essence of Solaris's power, of becoming the rightful heir to the Sun God's legacy, the embodiment of the solar body's might.
As he watched Tessa stand against Anwari, Adrian felt the weight of his own potential pressing upon him.
Tessa thrust her fist forward, smashing through the writhing tendrils that Anwari sent her way. Her leap had catapulted her high into the air, propelling her like a missile toward the beast's serpentine head. She moved with raw determination, aiming to strike at the very heart of the darkness before her.
Anwari, the monstrous Niöhöggr-like creature, was ready. A forest of tendrils shot out from his body, forming an impenetrable wall that snaked through the air like thick, sinewy webs. Each tendril coiled and twisted, blocking her path, absorbing the force of her attack and pushing back with a menacing strength.
The darkness seemed alive, shifting and bending toward her, its movement deliberate and calculated. Tessa felt the weight of its power, the sheer density of it pressing down as she summoned the moon's light into her palms. A brilliant glow pulsed from her hands, illuminating the shadowy tendrils in a silver hue. She struck forward, channeling the light of the moon, her fingers blazing with a determination that bordered on desperation.
But as her light met the darkness, it was quickly extinguished. The tendrils absorbed and deflected it, the moon's power bouncing back as if repelled by an invisible barrier. Tessa's eyes widened in realization—Anwari wasn't just deflecting her attacks; he was immune to the moon's influence. Her power, which had felled so many before him, was ineffective against the monstrous beast looming before her.
For the first time, a sliver of doubt crept into her heart, yet she held her ground, unwavering. She was the daughter of Lunara, and though her power seemed small against this ancient creature, she knew she couldn't back down.