Chapter 132: The fear of the Eternal Flames!
Tessa's moonlight condensed, forming into the shape of a glowing blade that shimmered with a pale, ethereal light.
Though its translucent nature gave it a fragile appearance, the blade's true power was anything but weak. With a determined grip, she aimed the luminous weapon at the approaching web of tendrils.
The blade sliced through the first tendril effortlessly, severing it with a speed that defied the eye's ability to follow, then cut cleanly through a second, and a third in rapid succession. Each strike was as swift and silent as a flash of lightning, leaving no time for the Niöhöggr to react.
Severed tendrils fell to the ground, writhing briefly before dissolving into wisps of darkness, as if the creature's severed parts couldn't survive apart from its core. An agonized roar tore through the air as the Niöhöggr felt the pain of his lost limbs, a bellowing scream that reverberated through the shadows.
"You will pay for this…" the creature snarled, his voice thick with fury and pain.
The monstrous Niöhöggr recoiled, flinging its tendrils outward like a whip aimed at Tessa with fury unmatched. A primal rage blazed within the creature; several of its precious tendrils had been severed, and with them, the seeds they held—seeds that were its legacy, containing the very essence of the next generation of Niöhöggr. By slicing through those tendrils, Tessa had not merely wounded the beast; she had destroyed its chance to pass on its lineage, reducing the number of potential offspring that might one day emerge.
For a Niöhöggr, producing a viable offspring was a rarity, a near-miracle with only a one-in-eighty chance of yielding a thriving heir. Each seed was a precious fragment of its own survival, holding within it the faintest glimmer of hope for its species' continuation. Thus, the Niöhöggr had evolved to produce as many seeds as possible, tending to them with unwavering care, ensuring every condition was met to maximize the slim chances of success.
But Tessa's relentless assault had shattered those hopes. With each cut of her blade, she had stripped away more of the Niöhöggr's dwindling future, reducing its already slender odds of birthing a single, intact offspring. The creature's anguish and rage surged, driven by the loss of its unborn progeny—a fury that now fueled every strike aimed at Tessa, desperate to protect what little remained of its line.
With a flick of her wrist, Tessa conjured more moonlight blades, each one gleaming with a silvery radiance. She moved with an ethereal grace, dodging the vicious tendrils as they lashed toward her, her body as fluid as water, each movement seamless and precise. She was like a river flowing around rocks, bending but never breaking, slipping effortlessly past each strike.
She navigated the Niöhöggr's wrath with an unearthly expertise, weaving through the relentless assault as her eyes darted toward Adrian. Despite her skill, she sensed a mounting frustration; the moonlight blades, beautiful and sharp as they were, could only slice through the creature's tendrils—they barely seemed to scratch its hardened core. And though she had cut through many of those tendrils, their anger seemed only to deepen, as if each severed strand carried more than mere tissue.
Tessa's mind raced as she attempted to decode the creature's rage. Why did it retaliate with such fury, each blow seeming to strike out of desperation? As she dodged another snap of a tendril, her eyes met Adrian's. A single glance told him everything she couldn't say aloud in the heat of battle. In her gaze was a silent plea, a question without words: Could he do something to stop this creature?
Adrian nodded, catching her meaning instantly. It was time to unleash the Eternal Flames. He reached deep within himself, summoning a force ancient and wild, a power that flickered with the heat of a thousand suns. Flames burst to life in his hands, shimmering with a fierce intensity, casting a golden light across the clearing. The air around him began to sizzle, the heat radiating outward, his very presence exuding an aura of unstoppable fire.
As Tessa continued her graceful dance with the Niöhöggr, Adrian prepared to unleash those flames with a fury that would burn through the creature's hide, a force that went beyond mere flames—a primal fire that could sear through even the toughest of skins. This time, they would strike not just with precision, but with the wrath of an inferno.
The Eternal Flames, sourced from the revered Sun Temple in Stormway City to the east, had been with Adrian for quite some time now. Over the course of their journey, a fragment of this ancient fire had fused with his very being, almost like a second organ pulsing within him. As Adrian tapped into the well of fire residing inside, he had felt the raw, overwhelming power—a profound connection to the sun itself that made his veins hum with heat and life.
The Niöhöggr-like creature, sensing the fearsome aura radiating from Adrian, was keenly aware of the threat. It knew that if Adrian were to unleash the full might of the Eternal Flames, the consequences would be catastrophic not just for itself, but for its precious offspring as well.
With desperation lacing its voice, the Niöhöggr pleaded, "Please… spare my young. I will yield to you, but understand—I only have a one in eighty chance of producing offspring, and you've severed forty of my tendrils, each holding a seed of life." The creature showed no concern for its own survival, only for the safety of its vulnerable young.
Hovering midair, Tessa turned to Adrian, her eyes locking with his in a silent exchange of understanding. Without a word, they both agreed to pause their battle and hear the Niöhöggr out, granting it a moment to explain.
Tessa began to piece together the puzzle, understanding why the Niöhöggr had been so ferociously protective after she'd cut through its tendrils. "It's because of the seeds," she realized, a pang of guilt surfacing at the thought.
Noticing the shift in both Tessa and Adrian's demeanor, the Niöhöggr let some of its rage dissipate, sensing a small window of understanding. In a deep, resonant voice that echoed through the chamber, it began to explain.
"I have long abandoned any hope of escaping this prison. My kind is all but extinct, and I am the last remnant of our once-great lineage. I sought only to preserve a future—at least one descendant, one spark of my species. I tried to nourish my offspring using the blood of the dead humans, thinking it might sustain them. But none survived. Their blood was not what my young required."
It paused, its tone thick with sorrow. "I kept my seeds alive as best as I could, sheltering them within my tendrils, clinging to the chance that they might thrive one day. But now, with forty of them lost, I have only one hundred and sixty remaining. My odds have dwindled, and even if two seeds from each group of eighty were to survive, it grows less likely with each death."
There was a note of desperation as it continued, "I have acted recklessly, but only out of despair. Please, put aside your anger. Forgive my arrogance and trespasses." The Niöhöggr's massive, weary form sagged slightly, as if bearing the weight of centuries. It glanced hesitantly at Tessa, unsure if she could trust its words, but too desperate to withhold its truth any longer.