Arthur's sword glowed with an intense golden hue, cutting through the air with precision.
The strike landed squarely on Morbus.
Unlike before, the monster was already exhausted.
Its claws dug into the ground as if searching for support to keep from collapsing.
Even so, its gaze remained filled with fury.
Beside it, Evan was pale and dizzy, clearly feeling the effects of the attacks he had endured.
Jenna, kneeling beside him, cast a healing spell, her hands glowing softly as she channeled energy to ease the pain in his chest.
"You'll be fine, Evan."
Jenna's expression relaxed as she noticed his breathing begin to stabilize.
"Just don't overdo it now, okay?"
"Do I look like someone who could overdo anything right now?"
Jenna let out a short laugh, shaking her head as she continued the healing spell.
"Arthur. You still have that habit of showing up when the work's nearly done."
"We're just passing through, Seraphina. Besides, it looks like you left a bit of work for us."
Seraphina scoffed, but there was an amused glimmer in her eyes.
"Left work for you? I was about to finish this."
Derek approached shortly after, his eyes instinctively searching for Seraphina.
"Seraphina, are you okay? Looks like the fight was intense."
She cast a brief glance at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion, as if unsure why he was concerned.
"I'm fine, Derek. Why wouldn't I be?"
Her voice was direct, almost impersonal, but not intentionally rude.
"Ah… no, I just thought… never mind."
Derek shook his head, looking disarmed.
Unaware of his hesitation, Seraphina simply shrugged and turned her attention back to Morbus.
Arthur, who hadn't missed a thing, shot Derek a quick look, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
Derek noticed and scowled back at him, as if to say, Don't say anything.
Arthur chuckled lightly but held back the comment he clearly had ready, averting his gaze to avoid provoking his friend further.
Nearby, Rachel observed the interaction between Seraphina and the others, curious.
Still with her fists enveloped in a magical aura, she stepped forward, trying to understand the group's dynamic.
"So… you all know each other?" Rachel asked, her curious gaze shifting to Seraphina.
Seraphina studied her for a moment, her eyes moving from the purple aura around Rachel's fists to her determined expression.
Rachel was slightly taller than her, and her confident posture stood out.
After a few seconds of assessment, Seraphina offered a friendly smile tinged with curiosity.
"Looks like you ended up with this group of hardheads. But yeah, I've known them for a long time."
"I'm Seraphina."
Rachel nodded, returning the smile briefly.
"I'm Rachel. Nice to meet—"
"Raaaagh!"
The moment was cut short by a ferocious roar that made everyone turn instantly.
Morbus, with the last of its strength, rose again. Its heavy arms swung wildly, sending a wave of dark energy rippling through the room, filling it with an oppressive presence.
Kai, already nearby, repositioned himself quickly, adjusting his gauntlets.
"Alright, enough chit-chat, people!" he shouted.
"Let's finish this once and for all."
Evan, now steadier after Jenna's healing spell, stepped forward. The shadows around him began to stir once more.
Seraphina noticed his movement and moved closer, positioning herself beside him with her sword in hand.
"Hey, are you sure you're ready for another round?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
The shadows flickered in anticipation, stretching out around his hands.
Arthur gave a quick signal to the group, coordinating their movements for the final blow.
Kai was the first to advance.
He dodged Morbus's desperate charge with agility, evading the monster's heavy arms.
With a powerful move, he spun his gauntlets and landed a direct punch on the monster's back.
"Thud!"
Morbus staggered from the impact, but its furious glare made it clear it wasn't defeated yet.
Evan, standing back, felt the shadows pulsing around him, responding to his will.
They quickly formed into sharp, lethal tendrils, though fewer in number than before—a reflection of his drained energy after the previous effort.
Seraphina noticed this, her gaze analyzing Evan as she gripped her sword tightly.
'Still sharp tendrils, but… there are fewer than before. Is he holding back?'
The thought that Evan might be hiding part of his strength stirred an uncomfortable curiosity within her.
It wasn't the time to question.
Seraphina shook her head, dismissing her thoughts, and refocused on the battle.
"Jenna!" Seraphina called.
Jenna quickly raised her hands, casting a strengthening spell that enveloped the group.
Feeling the surge of energy, Seraphina stepped forward, the blade of her sword beginning to glow once more.
Maya, having caught her breath, extended her arms and concentrated deeply.
Sparks of fire danced around her hands, growing in intensity as she summoned a storm of flames.
Alex, alert to their surroundings, positioned himself in front of her, his bow ready to intercept anything that might disrupt Maya's attack.
"..."
Derek, strategically positioned, drew his bow, the arrow charged with magical energy. He fired, the arrow piercing through the monster's shoulder with a satisfying thud.
"Now!" Arthur shouted, signaling the coordinated attack.
Kai was the first to move, charging directly.
He struck with force, landing a powerful blow to the monster's side, forcing it to focus its attention on him.
Arthur and Seraphina followed closely behind Kai.
Arthur raised his sword, glowing with a golden aura, and delivered a powerful strike.
The monster instinctively raised one of its arms, blocking the attack with its claws, still showing signs of resistance.
But Arthur's attack was just a distraction.
Taking advantage of the opening created, Seraphina advanced, her blade glowing with an intense red aura.
"This is for all the trouble you've caused us!"
She struck at the same wound from before, widening the damage even further.
Yet, the monster refused to fall, its claws digging into the ground to maintain its balance.
It was clear to the group why Morbus wouldn't go down easily.
Its humanoid body was intertwined with twisted roots that absorbed part of the physical attacks, rendering them less effective.
To defeat it, powerful magic was required, and fire was the ideal choice.
Everyone knew this, and Maya was preparing to fulfill that role.
Behind the group, Maya finally completed her preparation.
"I'm ready!" she shouted, her hands glowing intensely as a storm of flames began to form around her, sparks dancing in the air.
Alex, who had repositioned himself to the side, wasted no time.
He raised his bow and fired an arrow directly at the monster, ensuring it couldn't turn its attention to Maya.
"Get ready!" Arthur commanded, aware that this would be the final blow.
Rachel and Seraphina, understanding the strategy, repositioned themselves immediately. Both struck precise, coordinated blows, forcing Morbus to stagger back with a roar of pain.
"Raaaagh!"
Suddenly, without the monster realizing it, black shadows enveloped its body, holding it tightly in place.
They were the dark tendrils Evan had created.
Morbus thrashed about, trying to break free, but its movements were restricted, and its low growls of frustration echoed throughout the chamber.
"Grrrrrhhh..."
Without hesitation or warning, Maya, having completed her spell, unleashed a powerful fire attack directly at the monster.
"Thud!"
"Take this!" Maya shouted, releasing the flames with a firm motion.
The blazing inferno struck Morbus head-on, engulfing it in a storm of intense heat and blinding light.
"Fwoosh!"
The monster let out a final roar, full of pain and fury, as the flames consumed its shadowy form and the twisted roots that made up its body.
"Raaaagh!"
Finally, Morbus fell to its knees, unable to continue, as its body began to disintegrate into a cloud of darkness.
Arthur lowered his sword, exhaling a sigh of relief as he glanced at Maya with a satisfied smile.
"Good work."
She smiled back, exhausted but relieved.
"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you all."
"...."
"..."
As the monster disintegrated into a cloud of darkness and ash, Evan, still maintaining his shadows around the enemy's body, made a subtle gesture with his hand.
The black tendrils binding Morbus began to unravel, slowly returning to their shadowy state and retreating back to Evan.
The moment seemed natural, but it didn't go unnoticed by the others.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes, watching the movement of the shadows intently.
It was expected that Maya's devastating attack would have destroyed Evan's shadows along with Morbus. However, not only had they remained intact, but they had also obeyed Evan's command to return.
Arthur cast an intrigued glance at Evan but chose to remain silent.
Evan, seemingly oblivious to the attention, wiped the sweat from his forehead, focusing on catching his breath.
Seraphina averted her gaze and responded firmly:
"Alright, now what?"
Luna, with a casual tone as if trying to break the tension in the air, chimed in:
"Let's see what it left as a reward."
When the dust from the battle finally settled, the soft glow of a purple stone caught everyone's attention.
It was evident that the item held great value.
Jenna stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the stone lying on the ground.
"Well, it looks like we've got a decision to make. Who gets this?"
Arthur crossed his arms, observing the scene for a moment before responding.
"We only got involved because you were in danger. This wasn't our fight to begin with. The stone is yours."
Kai, leaning against a nearby tree and cleaning his gauntlets, gave a relaxed smile as he picked up one of the smaller stones.
"Yeah, besides, we've already scored some points on the way. We're not exactly desperate."
Hearing the word "desperate," Seraphina shot him a sharp look, her eyes narrowing as if his comment had been meant to provoke her.
"Desperate? You talk like we were begging for help."
Kai raised his hands in surrender, laughing.
"Relax, Seraphina. I just meant we're good, that's all."
Seraphina scoffed, cleaning her sword blade before resting it against her shoulder. She gave Jenna a sidelong glance, her expression indifferent.
"Hmpf." ― Do as you like.
Jenna seemed relieved but still hesitated, looking at Evan for his opinion.
He shrugged, appearing indifferent to the discussion, but spoke up.
"If that's the case, it's only fair we give them something. On the way here, we defeated a few smaller monsters. We've got some lower-value stones."
Jenna quickly rummaged through her bag, pulling out a few stones with a dimmer glow.
"It's not much, but it's something," Jenna said, extending the stones to Kai and Luna.
Luna accepted them with a polite nod, but Kai, quick to comment, said:
"I'm not complaining. Earning points without sweating much is a good deal."
Before he could say more, Luna delivered a sharp elbow to his ribs, making him choke slightly.
"Agh!" ― "What was that for?"
Kai protested, looking at Luna with a mix of surprise and indignation.
Luna crossed her arms, giving him a stern look before turning to Jenna with a genuine smile.
"Thank you for the generosity. You did most of the work here, so this is fair."
Jenna smiled back, clearly satisfied.
Kai muttered something under his breath, still rubbing his ribs, but didn't dare say more after receiving a warning glance from Luna.
"...."
"..."
While the rest of the group chatted animatedly, Evan stepped away a few paces.
Still feeling the weight of the battle, he took the moment to review the system's message in his mind.
The warning remained unchanged.
"An entity is watching you. Confronting it will be inevitable."
He frowned, perplexed by the persistence of the message.
'What exactly does this system expect from me?' he thought, the mental exhaustion weighing as heavily as the physical.
"Deep in thought?"
Evan looked up, finding Rachel standing a few meters away, her expression attempting to appear casual.
"Not really, just… processing."
He replied, trying to sound equally nonchalant.
Rachel crossed her arms, her eyes carefully assessing him before speaking again.
"You did a good job controlling your shadows in that fight. It's not easy to use abilities like that so precisely, especially under pressure. It was impressive."
Evan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the direct compliment. He scratched the back of his neck, averting his gaze.
"Not sure if it was resilience or just stubbornness."
Rachel let out a light laugh.
"Whatever it was, it worked. But I wonder… your shadows, shouldn't they have been destroyed by Maya's attack?"
Evan hesitated for a moment, considering the question.
"Maybe. But I think my powers are a bit different from regular magic."
Rachel tilted her head slightly, as if she had expected that answer.
"Different? How so?"
"I can't really explain it, but… it feels like they're connected to me. Like they're a part of me, not just something I summon."
Rachel kept her gaze fixed on him for a moment longer before replying.
"That makes sense. People with unique elemental powers often have a stronger affinity with them. It means your powers aren't just something you create but something you feel as part of yourself."
"I've never thought of it that way… but maybe you're right."
Rachel gave a small smile, almost as if she was satisfied with something.
"Who knows. Either way, it seems you understand more than you let on."
As she stepped away, Evan remained silent, processing her words.
Seraphina, who had been slightly apart but listening, glanced up from her sword, observing Rachel with curiosity.
"Alright, and now?" Luna asked casually, her tone light, as if trying to dispel the lingering tension and shift the focus of the moment.
"Let's see what it left as a reward."
'Unique elements, affinity…? She knows more about his abilities than I do...'
The thought flashed through Seraphina's mind, and she frowned.
It wasn't just curiosity that tied her to Evan's abilities; it was the dark shadow of her past.
Since the day of her father's death, any mention, idea, theory, or demonstration of abilities similar to those of the assassin who killed him ignited a storm of conflicting emotions within her—distrust, anger, and an almost obsessive determination to find and kill the one responsible.
"..."
Evan shrugged, trying to shake off the weight of the conversation.
"As long as they work, I'm fine with it."
Rachel gave a slight nod and headed back toward the rest of the group.
Seraphina continued to watch, her eyes trailing Rachel.
'Who is this girl? Does she understand Evan's powers?'
The unease didn't fade, but Seraphina kept her thoughts to herself, deciding to remain even more vigilant about Rachel.
"Author's Note: Image"