Three miniature storm clouds ford instantly above the Defilers, crackling with condensed lightning as heaven’s wrath rained down upon them.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The cavern lit up almost imdiately as the strikes burnt the rocky floor right in front of the hooded figures.
"What the—?!" one staggered back, just to realize what was happening. But another had already moved, conjuring a small earthen barrier around the three of them that blocked the attack.
"Ambush!"
"Tch..." Emily clicked her tongue in disgust.
She actually attacked—why?
"Damn it—!" Marcus grunted, sprinting out from behind the hiding spot they were just in.
"What the hell are you doing?" he put a hand on Emily’s shoulder and turned her around. "You picked a fight with them for no reason!"
"No reason?" she replied imdiately, swatting off his hand from her shoulder. "Them being poachers isn’t enough of a reason?"
"You think a researcher like can stand those who kill animals for their own gain?"
"We’re not here to play heroes," Marcus snapped. "We’re here to survive."
Emily’s eyes flared. "And just watch them take whatever they want?"
"That’s exactly what we do if the alternative is dying," Marcus shot back.
"But—!"
Before she could respond, the earthen barrier shattered. Fragnts of rock exploded outward as one of the hooded figures stepped up.
"Well well," one of them said, a grin creeping into his voice. "Looks like we’ve got company,"
Even from here, Luna can sll the stench. The foul sll of corrupted ether swirling within their bodies, the telltale sign of being a demonic cultivator.
Marcus’ eyes widened as he took a sniff, realizing the exact sa thing. "Shit...we’re in over our heads."
The second one slowly got up. "Who the hell are you guys? Think you can just attack us as you please? Huh?!"
Luna focused, reading their level before her eyes widened as well. She tapped Marcus on the shoulder.
"Not good..." she whispered. "The two on the side seem to be Line 4s. And the middle, who looks like their leader...is already a Line 5."
"Tell sothing I don’t already know."
After a mont of both sides staring each other down, Marcus exhaled slowly before raising one hand and stepping forward.
"...Alright," he said evenly. "Let’s calm this down."
Emily stiffened beside him. "Marcus—"
"My teammate acted out of line," he continued, ignoring her. "That’s on us."
"We’re not here for whatever you’re doing. We’ll leave and you can continue. We want nothing to do with it or your group."
The Defiler in the center tilted his head slightly, as if considering it.
"...Oh? Seems like you’ve got a smart head on those shoulders!" the man said excitedly. "So you’ll just walk away, and we’ll never see each other, right?"
Marcus didn’t hesitate. "Yes."
"...Sounds reasonable...NOT!"
"Kill them."
A barrage of flas suddenly surged from the right Defiler’s hand, instantly forming itself into the head of a snake. It accelerated into the group fast, opening its mouth as the shadows swallowed all the mbers whole.
"Full Morph!"
Instantly, both earth particles and steel fragnts from the surrounding dragged themselves towards Marcus, snapping into place to form a gigantic tower shield that filled the entire cavern from ground to ceiling.
PSSSHHHHH!
The fire serpent ramd straight into his shield, flas dispersing as Marcus slid back.
"Grghh!" he grunted, bearing the impact of the attack.
"Tch," Iris clicked her tongue. "Why can’t it ever be easy?"
"Spread out!" Marcus barked.
The mont the words ca out, the entire shield collapsed, fragnts of earth and steel breaking off and reforming into smaller plates that hovered around him like orbiting guards.
Iris moved instantly, using a gust of wind to blast her into the air, right above the three Defilers.
"Eat this."
Three bullets of compressed air flew right through the air and straight at the attacker. Yet, the mont they got close enough, the man swiped casually, flas following and consuming it all.
The mont the flas died, the right guy turned to their leader, imdiately whispering sothing.
"...Tch. Don’t waste ti," the middle figure said flatly. "They’re not weak."
As soon as he finished his sentence, the central figure vanished, appearing right next to Marcus the very next second. The senior’s eyes widened but managed to block the attack.
CLANG!
Ice t his shield before bouncing right off, the impact sending Marcus skidding back a few ters.
Iris yelled out. "Marcus, no!"
"Distracted, are we?" one of the henchn flew up to Iris, dagger drawn as he swung. The dagger punctured straight through Iris’s neck, but her body disappeared a second later—a mirage.
The real Iris dashed to the other side of the room, making space to reload her rifle.
"Got so tricks up our sleeves?" the man smiled as he gave chase.
anwhile, the last Defiler rolled his neck slightly, watching as the others split off into their own fights. His gaze shifted back toward Luna and Emily.
"...Man," he muttered. "They really left the two weakest?"
A faint grin crept onto his face. "Well...whatever."
Flas surged violently around his arm, running up on it like a snake, slithering and snapping at its prey.
"Die."
The serpent lunged again, its body dripping molten flas on the floor as it launched into the air. Emily stepped forward imdiately, slamming her hand on the ground as roots coiled around her legs.
"Entangle!"
Thick vines burst from the ground in an instant, shooting upward to intercept the attack. It wrapped around the serpent’s body, layers of it trying to suppress the attack.
But the heat was too much. The serpent burned hotter, its body shaking off the blackened vines before tearing through them completely.
Emily’s eyes widened.
"...What?!"
With no ti to think, Luna reacted instantly.
"Crystallization."
Frost surged into her arm, layering itself over in an instant. The flas slamd into it hard.
It’s...too hot! The ice...it’s gonna lt!
Under the heat, Luna twisted her body before the ice could dissipate, getting under the attack before she pushed the attack skyward.
The blazing body tore through the cavern ceiling, with stone and crystals exploding as fire pierced through the rock layer above.
A mont later...
BOOM!
The explosion rang out from above, entire cavern trembling as debris rained down from the impact point.
"Not bad, little girl."
"But...can you survive another one?"
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