Running faster than his mind could keep up with, Aaron bolted across the soft sand beach.
His shoes sank deep into the ground, nearly tripping him, but his sheer determination to get to the center of the island spurred him forward.
The furious roar of the Oblivacis in the distance shredded the boy's already damaged eardrums, blood dripping from the holes.
Less than a kilometer down the shore, the fiery creature had clawed up onto land, forcing its way forward with claws that jutted out of its fins.
The white sand below it turned crystalline as it was instantly melted, forming into a river of glass behind the monster.
Around the entire island, the temperature had skyrocketed—the air smelled like soot, and fires erupted anywhere they could burn.
It was utter chaos in every direction as the massive red giant, who had devoured dozens of Dormyrrs and even one young noble, stumbled ahead slowly.
In its old age, its senses had dulled significantly, failing to catch the presence of the Apex that raced across its island.
Aaron's leg hair sizzled and blistered as he finally reached the rocky plateau that overlooked the bright sunrise that lit up the horizon.
Various shades of orange and yellow mixed in the sky, sending a jolt of fear through the boy's heart, as he remembered the monster that chased him at that very moment.
Need to find him…
Feeling the gruesome wound on his left arm flare to life, he grabbed the tourniquet tightly, pulling it to a point where his hand turned purple.
At this point, he was sure that without medical help, he would almost certainly lose the limb.
Even with help, there would certainly be a permanent reminder, just like the mark on his pinky.
Gasping for air, the boy steadied himself, looking beyond the plateau into the distance where he felt the vibrations of a massive being moving across the land.
That must be where he is… His mission was here…
Ignoring the agonizing pain that plagued his entire body, he pushed his feet forward, leaping ahead in one large jump.
Crimson liquid dripped from his blackened shoes; however, he didn't waver for an instant, running for his life.
The Oblivacis itself did not need breaks, burning through rocks, trees, and dirt alike, reshaping the very terrain to make its way towards its prey.
Incinerating magma leaked from its lips, hardening into an obsidian trail that would blossom into rare minerals and ores.
Legs similar to those of a centipede burst through its scaly exterior, allowing its speed to double.
There was no stopping this machine of a monster as it tore through everything to achieve its revenge on the human who had deceived it.
…
Sweat soaked through the boy's pants, his shirt still absent, and his stamina at its lowest.
Between him and the earthquake-like footsteps lay a mountain towering high into the sky, so steep that even with mana, he doubted he could scale it.
What now?
Panic shot through his body as he felt another wave of heat brush against his neck, a warning that the terror had nearly made it to him.
His skin was bright red and peeling in many places, revealing flesh that looked like a perfectly cooked steak.
The sight made the boy gag, his head spinning with spots of white clouding his vision in droves, making him quiver.
Trying to tap the sapphire ring to summon Penelope, he was met with a sharp shock that told him all he needed to know.
She was out of commission, and he was on his own in this battle.
Dammit, where the hell is Mr. Crab when I need him! I could at least throw him—
His ankle immediately seared with agony as something sharp and powerful clenched it tightly.
Spinning around, the blond boy checked his surroundings before turning his gaze downward in realization.
Mr. Crab, whose size had remained, yet a few peglegs had returned, stared up at him, disappointment evident.
Next to him was Eleanor, who was carefully wrapped in an armored blanket, preventing her body from igniting.
When Aaron collapsed the Ghostship, under orders from the blond boy, the crab took the girl as far as he could.
The place he had chosen was the top of this massive mountain, but just as Aaron, Mr. Crab also realized he couldn't scale it in his present condition.
"Dammit, Crab! Get her out of here! That thing will be here soon, and if I'm going to die, then I don't want you or her to go with me!"
While Aaron screamed so loud that his voice echoed through the meadow, the black eyes of the creature gazed downward for a moment.
It was as if the crustacean was in deep thought, contemplating the choice of leaving his captain to die or obeying the order.
Aaron's face tightened as he sensed the rapid approach of the murderous monster breaking through the island itself to reach him.
There is no time…!
Feeling the ground bend in like clay, he watched as the terror breached the grass, soaring through the sky like a dolphin that had come up for air.
Its horrific form had shifted into a hybrid of centipede and whale, lava and steam flowing out of holes in its skin, so hot it would roast him alive.
The terrors' mouth widened, magma melding and forging together an attack that would exterminate anything it stuck.
Watching the mana appear in the normal realm without even the help of his enhanced vision, he realized that there wasn't any time left.
"DUCK!"
Turning his body faster than the crab could react, he leaped into the air, falling atop Mr. Crab and Eleanor's bodies, pushing their faces and shells into the ground.
A molten roar split the sky—FWOOOOOOSH!—followed by a blistering hiss as the air itself seemed to melt.
Aaron's flesh erupted into flames, eating away at his blood and muscle without remorse.
His hair was a mess of fire and dried blood as blackened bone tore through the destroyed skin that wrapped around his body.
Opening his mouth to scream, he realized that he couldn't even breathe, his eyes shutting outside his own volition, and his heart skipping a beat.
The boy's eyes stung like hell, and his limbs felt heavier than boulders as he forced his head upward.
Mr. Crab's exterior had turned a horrific white, the shell burnt to pieces, and the animal inside was nothing but smoldering meat.
Its body shrank rapidly, disappearing into a ball of turquoise light that flew like a comet into the boy's ring.
The crab's state was critical; an immediate evacuation into the heart of the Ghostship was needed, or else death would be imminent.
Attempting to breathe a sigh of relief, the boy turned his gaze downward, where Eleanor slumbered beneath him.
Around her back, there were small burns and scrapes; however, in total, he had shielded the brunt of the impact, allowing her to survive.
G-Good…
Aaron's sight waned as he fell to the side, turning his gaze upward into the rising sun that hugged the horizon.
The Oblivacis's movements had ceased, its attention being redirected towards something behind the dying boy.
With the sheer power of the strike, the mountain that once stood in Aaron's way had been pierced, sporting a massive hole in its center.
Earthquakes shook the island as the sight of a red giant appeared in the gap, allowing the molten creature to gaze upon it.
The urge to devour the human who had humiliated it vanished in an instant as it sensed that the giant's core would be many times more valuable than Aaron's.
As it opened its maw to charge another strike, the blond boy began to steady himself, standing up and inspecting the damage to his own body.
The skin on my back is…
Long strands of gooey flesh clung to his bones like melted cheese, the wound being cautierized, preventing mass blood loss.
If the flames had dug even a centimeter deeper, they would've incinerated his spinal cord, killing the boy instantly.
Aaron's trembling hands were covered in soot and ash, fingernails gone and nailbeds burnt to a crisp.
His legs were somehow fine, only blistering wounds and a frightening lack of leg hair irked him as he stood up.
In a moment of silent understanding, he knew that if he was even a moment too late at dodging the blast, he wouldn't be here.
And for that, he finally could thank himself instead of another, a product of his strength, not weakness.
Ahead of him, the terror's body shook with power as it charged up another beam of molten hot rock.
Following its gaze, Aaron noticed the lumbering giant that seemed to pay no mind to the Apex that was on the verge of obliterating it.
T-This is my chance to run…
Reaching down to grab Eleanor, his head was immediately filled with ghastly roars, the feeling of life pervading around him.
The Naelith had awoken, and with that came a brief wave of mana that flooded the blond boy's core.
Faster than he could cut the connection, he felt an immense amount of energy flow into the sapphire ring that rested on his index finger.
A bright burst of turquoise erupted from the object, flowing out in long, stringy threads of magic that wound together.
Each one wove together beautifully, forming a familiar shape.
Mr. Crab had been reborn, yet this time, much smaller, and with exclusively peg legs.