As Norian remained fused with the Abomination, anxiety simmered beneath his steely facade. Though Lucian might not know the limitations of Norian's current state, Norian was all too aware of them.
The fusion with the Abomination granted immense strength, but the longer they remained merged, the harder it would be to separate. If they stayed united for too long, Norian would be fully assimilated into the creature, becoming the "soul" of his creation—a fate he could never accept.
Once fused with the Abomination, he'd lose any hope of advancing as a wizard and might even become a mindless puppet for more powerful wizards to manipulate, eventually losing his sense of self entirely.
"Lucian, aren't you here to kill me?" The Abomination, now fully merged with Norian, taunted in a thunderous voice while devouring a nearby corpse to strengthen itself.
Hidden in the shadows, Lucian narrowed his eyes, silently observing the Abomination's movements and looking for an opening.
"If you don't come out, I'll just leave!" the Abomination roared, still poised for battle yet masking its eagerness to end this encounter quickly.
Suddenly, a shadow streaked forward from behind the Abomination. Lucian emerged both hands wreathed in dense shadow energy. With a flick of his wrists, he launched two shadowy whips toward the Abomination, aiming to bind it.
In response, the gaping maw on the Abomination's stomach twisted into a ghastly grin, sneering at Lucian's feeble efforts. With surprising agility, it spun gracefully to evade the shadowy whips, then swatted them away, seizing the whips in its massive fists before yanking with brutal force.
Lucian felt a tremendous pull threaten to drag him off balance, and reluctantly released his shadow whips, letting them dissolve into darkness.
"Shadow Stealth is meant for stealth and escape, not direct combat," Lucian reflected with a hint of regret. Attempting to rely solely on his shadow abilities to fight an opponent of this magnitude was risky.
Yet Norian was pleased, seeing Lucian relinquish his shadows and reveal himself. Without the cover of shadows, Lucian had lost his elusive advantage.
"That shadow technique of yours is quite intriguing," the Abomination sneered, advancing in a thundering charge. Although Norian wasn't using any supporting spells, the creature's massive size and strength alone promised a brutal outcome if it connected. "Tell me what it is, and maybe I'll spare your soul once I've killed you."
Lucian dodged, barely avoiding the Abomination's colossal hands that swept down with enough force to crush him into a pulp.
With a scowl, Lucian flipped backward, narrowly escaping the crushing blow. As he straightened up, he summoned a weapon into his hand—a lightning-forged spear he had acquired from Apollo.
Sparks crackled around Lucian's body as he cast a rare enhancement spell, Lightning Bolt (Arrow). This lightning-based spell increased his speed and imbued his attacks with crackling electricity, intensifying his weapon's destructive power.
Zzzzt— Lucian crouched low, weaving through the Abomination's massive fists with serpentine movements. Finally, he lunged, driving his spear deep into the Abomination's colossal leg.
The upgraded lightning energy pulsed through the spear, focusing on the tip, where a searing pinpoint of white light burst forth. The moment it pierced the creature's leg, the energy detonated, blowing a charred, festering hole through the flesh and scattering fragments of decayed fat and bone.
But for a creature as massive as the Abomination, the wound was merely superficial. Foul yellowish fat oozed from the injury, hardening and sealing the wound within moments.
Lucian frowned and braced himself. Though his attacks were making an impact, he'd need far more to bring down the beast. He couldn't help but think back to his strategy from a game in his previous life—a simple, straightforward technique called "chipping away."
This would be a battle of persistence.
Norian, realizing Lucian's strategy, grew increasingly desperate. He maneuvered the Abomination with relentless determination, swinging the creature's fists and twisting its body to prevent Lucian from landing repeated blows on the same spot.
A few more attacks left the Abomination littered with patches of hardened fat. Lucian could feel the toll on his body, too—a sharp pain stabbed at his side where a stray rock had bruised his ribs.
"Die already!" The Abomination roared, and Norian, fused within, was growing increasingly frantic. He knew that Lucian was suffering injuries with every exchange, while his creation could regenerate.
But Lucian's eyes were hard and unyielding as he avoided another crushing strike. If anyone dies today, it'll be you!
He summoned another spell, this time a modified Scorching Fire. Flames erupted across the Abomination's body, the searing heat catching in the monster's yellowish fat and spreading like wildfire.
Yet Lucian quickly realized a fundamental flaw in his plan: the Abomination didn't feel pain, nor did Norian within it.
"Die!" the Abomination bellowed, unfazed by the flames, as it swung a massive rock column down upon Lucian. The beast's eyes glowed with green malice as Norian's fury reached a fever pitch.
For the first time, Norian truly felt a flicker of fear.
This shadow technique, these sudden flames, and that intense lightning spell—Lucian's abilities revealed a depth of skill Norian hadn't expected. In his eyes, Lucian's mastery over these arcane arts hinted at something far more dangerous, perhaps even a potential rival to his future ascension.
But there was no choice now. Norian triggered the Abomination's self-ignition ability. Black flames entwined with the purple blaze of Scorching Fire, surrounding the Abomination in a hellish aura.
The Abomination's body began to shrink as it consumed itself, burning away its fat reserves for a burst of speed and strength. Black mist swirled around its limbs, enhancing its might. The massive rock in its hand struck down at Lucian with newfound force.
At the last moment, Lucian summoned a shield of ice between himself and the Abomination's descending weapon.
Crack— The shield shattered, buying Lucian a split second to retreat further into the shadows. Just as he slipped underground, a chunk of stone skimmed past, narrowly missing him.
Thud, thud, thud— With each heavy step, the Abomination lumbered back toward the Greybone Academy, Norian desperate to escape before his energy reserves depleted.
Lucian's gaze darkened as he pursued, the Abomination's flames lighting the way like a beacon. He skillfully manipulated shadows around them, subtly hindering the Abomination's movements to buy himself time.
"Damn it! Damn it all!" Norian cursed from within the Abomination. The prolonged fusion had accelerated the process of his own body merging with the creature's, a change he could already feel taking root.
He wanted to break free, but Lucian was hot on his heels, preventing him from separating. If he left the Abomination now, he'd be too weak to defend himself and Lucian would surely strike him down.
"Lucian!" Norian's voice growled from within the Abomination, almost pleading. "Let me go, and I'll sign a contract with you…"
Lucian continued to pressure the Abomination, his shadowy pursuit unyielding.
Lucian's steps faltered briefly as if considering the offer.
"Come on…" Norian thought frantically, urging Lucian to hesitate a moment longer.
But what he received was Lucian's deadly final strike. Bursting from the shadows, Lucian wielded his thunder spear with lethal intent. The weapon's tip glowed a blinding white, brimming with charged energy.
In his final act of desperation, Norian tried to cloak the Abomination in a dark mist, hoping to slow Lucian's approach. He threw everything he had into this last-ditch defence, feeling his life hanging by a thread.
The spear's white-hot point pushed through the shroud of darkness, piercing into the Abomination's neck and cleaving into the "heart" that sustained its grotesque life.
"Lucian… has a…" Norian choked out, his voice rasping. He wanted to expose Lucian's secret, to take him down even in death.
At that moment, three fiery arrows arced in from the distance, striking directly into the Abomination's gaping maw.
Boom, boom, boom! The successive explosions silenced Norian's last words, his words swallowed in the roar of flame and thunder. Lucian's spear shattered, the unleashed energy obliterating the Abomination's heart, leaving Norian with no hope of survival.
The last flicker of life in the Abomination's eyes faded as it crumbled to the ground.
Turning toward the direction of the arrows, Lucian's eyes met those of Carrie, who stood with her bow, a mixture of concern and relief shining in her gaze.
"Master Lucian…" she called out, her voice filled with warmth as she lowered her bow.