Dust filled the air behind him.
’’What!’’ The man shouted, spinning back around.
Theo imdiately scanned the room.
His friends stood at the very back, Owen bleeding from a scrape on his head while his earth shield sizzled from poison, while Iris stood beside him with her spear raised.
The man himself had walked past him to close the distance, now putting him in the center of the room with Theo behind him.
’He must’ve used a lot of mana on that stone prison and all those walls,’ he thought. ’This is definitely doable now!’
The man’s expression twisted, as if thinking the exact sa.
He glanced between Theo and the three people behind him, all already forming spells.
’’These fucking brats!’’ he said, jaw clenched in anger. ’’If only I had poison spells.’’
He paused for a mont, eyes darting across the room.
Finally, his gaze fell on sothing on the side of the cave.
He gritted his teeth, flicking his wrist towards it.
An earth spike shot out of the ground, clanging loudly as it collided with sothing tal.
Everyone froze for a mont, watching the cage holding the D-rank shatter.
’’I don’t care about this damned research anymore!’’ the man shouted. ’’I want all of you dead!’’
Behind him, the wolf’s body jerked violently.
A deep growl rumbled out of its throat as its eyes snapped open.
The thick tubes embedded in its flesh trembled as its muscles began to twitch uncontrollably.
It slowly stumbled out of the cage, discharging very unstable winds made of mana from its body.
’’You’ve got to be kidding ,’’ Theo muttered, his gaze darkening.
Even though it seed like the D-rank creature was weakened, there was no way they could handle both the man and it at the sa ti.
His gaze shifted to the others.
All of them were clearly exhausted and in a rough situation on their own.
’I can’t fight both,’ he thought. ’And there’s no escape either.’
He clenched his fists, his mind racing as he searched for a way out.
Finally, he made a decision.
’’Hold off the wolf as long as possible,’’ he shouted. ’’I’ll take care of this maniac and co help right after.’’
Owen’s head snapped toward him. "You’re serious—"
"Yes," Theo interrupted, already dashing towards the man.
Owen and the others glanced at the wolf, who seed to have clearly woken up now.
It let out a distorted snarl, its body twitching violently as unstable wind mana lashed out around it, tearing grooves into the ground.
Before it could head for them, thick vines shot out of the ground, shooting towards the creature’s legs.
’’Go!"’ Emma shouted, glancing at Iris.
Just as the first vine wrapped around its leg, a violent burst of wind exploded outwards, shredding them to pieces.
The wolf let out a low growl, its eyes locked on Emma.
A large wind disk ford in front of it the next second.
’’Co on then!’’ Owen shouted, quickly forming an earth shield in front of them.
Beside him, Iris flicked her wrist, sending a barrage of tal shards toward the wolf’s head.
Theo didn’t look back, his full attention on the man.
’’You’ll quickly kill ?’’ the man tilted his head before bursting out in a laugh.
His tone dropped, a strange smile on his face.
’’What made you think you can do that?’’
A small purple ball ford in his hand as he shook his head.
’’Your plant elent friend is gone,’’ the man said, floating the poison ball above his palm. ’’How are you planning on blocking this now?’’
With that, he fired the purple ball towards Theo.
It soared through the sky at rapid speeds, reaching him within three seconds.
But that was just enough ti.
A blue glow left Theo’s hands, forming a large, spiked shield in front of him.
The mont the sphere struck the shield, the water rely rippled.
It sucked the poison in, twisting it around a few tis before it disappeared under the pressure.
The man’s eyes widened imdiately.
’’...That,’’ he muttered. ’’You’re a silver core?’’
Then he shook his head rapidly, his eyes narrowing.
’’No... you’re not.’’
Theo didn’t respond.
His eyes remained locked on the man, lightning flickering faintly around his fingers as his breathing grew heavy.
’I can’t drag this out any longer,’ he thought, clenching his fist.
Without another thought, he dashed towards the man.
’’A bronze core with two elents,’’ the man continued, tilting his head. ’’If I deliver you to a harbinger... won’t I be promoted to a reaper right away?!’’
Theo didn’t hesitate, pushing forward with lightning crackling around his arm.
The man snapped out of it, narrowing his eyes as he glanced at Theo.
With the flick of his finger, a dozen earth spikes ford around him, all of their tips aid at Theo instantly.
Theo raised his hand, lightning mana vanishing.
A spiked water shield appeared in front of him instead.
The earth spikes shot towards him, slamming into the shield one by one.
For a mont, the water rippled.
Then it swallowed all of them.
The water twisted violently, sending cracks through the spikes before completely crushing them.
Theo’s breathing slowed for a mont.
’It’s draining too much,’ he thought, feeling his mana leave him.
But he didn’t stop.
There were no earth spikes anymore, giving him a free path forward.
The man clicked his tongue as he saw Theo unhard.
He raised his hand, forming a thick earth shield in front of him.
At the sa ti, he stomped his foot on the ground, quietly forming a spike aid at Theo’s torso from below.
Theo’s eyes flickered down for a split second.
Just in front of the man, he ca to a stop.
A burst of thin water droplets exploded from his hand in an instant.
It spread like mist, going right around the earth shield before swallowing the man completely.
The man froze, feeling a heavy weight press down on his body.
’This is it,’ Theo thought, jumping back.
Lightning crackled above his remaining arm.
A single bolt shot forward, heading straight into the mist.
CRACKLE!
’’—Agh!’’
The man’s body convulsed as the lightning ran through the mist, his muscles locking up as a faint smoke rose from his skin.
Theo’s eyes sharpened, imdiately raising his hand again.
’Now—’
Suddenly, a scream echoed through the cave.
’’OWEN!’’
Theo’s head snapped to the side.
The wolf let out a growl.
Its claws tore straight through the shattered remains of the shield, sending Owen flying across the cave.
A deep gash stretched across his chest, blood spraying into the air as his body slamd into a tank of dark, murky water.
BOOM!
The glass cracked instantly, the liquid inside subrging Owen’s body for a mont.
’No...’
Theo stared helplessly at the scene.
Beside him, the man let out a low laugh, his body still trembling faintly.
’’Your friends are going to die,’’ he said, his voice hoarse but filled with amusent.
’’That water...’’ he continued, a grin slowly spreading across his face. ’’We made it at the Calamity Covenant.’’
Despite his body being paralyzed by lightning, the man managed to let out a laugh.
’’It forces its way into your affinity, stimulating it until your core explodes!"
For a few seconds, the cave remained completely silent as nothing happened.
Then—
Owen’s body jerked violently in the water.
An inhuman scream echoed through the cave as thick waves of mana erupted from his body.
The ground shook violently, almost making Theo lose his balance.
A spike shot out of the ground beside him.
Then another, and another.
’No...’ Theo’s eyes went wide, staring at his best friend.
Violent dark mana swirled around him, growing thicker by the second.
BOOM!
Hundreds of earth spikes shot out of the ground in every direction, tearing through the cave without target.
They pierced into the walls, the ceiling, even into the wolf’s body.
And finally—
Straight towards him.
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