At the moment Ryan's fist collided with the sorcerer's, thin black tendrils burst out and wrapped around Ryan wildly, trying to restrain him. The tendrils quickly detached from the sorcerer, and Ryan found himself struggling against them as they coiled around his body.
"Damn you, you stupid worms—get off!" Ryan tried with all his strength to pull them away, but he couldn't. His strength began to fade, as if these tendrils were absorbing every particle of energy from him.
The sorcerer smiled wickedly as he looked at Ryan.
"Hahaha, this truly is a special day. I won't just capture you—I'll make you submit to me! Hahaha!"
While the sorcerer enjoyed the moment, Ryan suffered terribly as he tried to break free, but without success. It seemed all his strength had already been drained. And the situation grew even worse—the tendrils wrapped around Ryan's body as if devouring him entirely. His features vanished; nothing remained except a black mass.
At that moment, the sorcerer began muttering incomprehensible words, as though performing some ritual or casting a powerful spell. Ryan's fate had become completely unknown.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Carlos was fighting the mutant under the sorcerer's control.
"Tch, you're really strong. Judging by the level of aether you possess… you're definitely a stage-three mutant. But don't think you can defeat me with just that."
Carlos pointed his palm toward the boy, and suddenly, waves of powerful aura burst out from him. A sphere of wind formed in his palm and shot toward the boy at tremendous speed—so fast he didn't even have time to react. It struck him directly, sending him flying backward and crashing into trees and rocks. It was a blow strong enough to kill an A-rank beast.
But the sight revealed to Carlos was shocking.
He hadn't expected this at all… this boy was extremely strong—and incredibly troublesome. His shirt had been torn, but what appeared beneath it was even more intriguing.
"Haaaah… this looks fun. I'm looking forward to working with you in the future."
The mutant soon regained consciousness; the blow had knocked him out briefly. When he opened his eyes, Carlos was right in front of him. He tried to attack immediately, but couldn't—he was restrained. Tree branches had wrapped around his neck, hands, and feet. He struggled, but could not break free.
"Don't tire yourself out. It's not that easy. Look at yourself—you're a stage-three mutant, but still a beginner. Hmm… from a practical standpoint, you're equal to Ryan in strength. He, too, can be considered as having entered stage three now. But you're both beginners, so don't compare the aether I possess to what you have."
"Anyway… bottom line is, you won't escape no matter what you do. So don't waste your energy."
Carlos might as well have been talking to a wall. The newcomer wasn't listening at all, still struggling to break free.
"Well, I don't mind if you try. It's your choice."
Carlos said that, then turned and examined the area.
"Haah… look. You destroyed all these trees with your stubbornness and wild behavior. Do you know how bad this is?"
The area where Carlos had attempted to tame the mutant was now a complete mess. The boy was truly powerful—he had forced Carlos to use one of his strongest abilities.
Carlos: "Judging from everything, I can guess the type of mutation you're made of. You're undoubtedly a chimera mutant. With all the mutations you used, there's no room for doubt. And I've also noticed many chimeras in this region, even though they're supposed to be extremely rare. Their presence here is definitely not a coincidence. Clearly, that organization is hiding many secrets."
Carlos returned to the restrained boy after trying to restore the damaged trees.
As a mutant from the elves, nature and forests were the source of his power—so seeing the trees destroyed like this was unpleasant for him.
He patted the boy's shoulder and asked, "What's your name?"
The boy remained extremely stubborn, still trying to break free.
Carlos sighed and put his hand on his head.
"Haaah… you're just as stubborn as Ryan. Great… now I have two Ryans on the same team."
While Carlos was busy with the boy, Ryan was fighting for his life.
"Gaaaaah! Get off! Crush! Tear!"
Ryan was in a completely different place. He didn't know where he was exactly. All he remembered was the tendrils wrapping around him, and then the world turning into something disgusting—twisted shapes and darkness clinging to him desperately.
He tried to pull them off in every possible way, cutting them with his claws and crushing them with his fists, but nothing worked.
Every time he tore one apart, it reformed again. Eventually, the grotesque creatures engulfed his body entirely, as if consuming him and hiding him within their darkness.
"Gaaaaah! Help! Ggggh! Damn you! Get off! Get off!"
Griiigh–chi! The creatures released strange, unpleasant noises. In the end, Ryan was buried beneath them, disappearing completely. His screams faded with him.
Meanwhile, the sorcerer continued chanting. It seemed he had not yet finished his ritual or spell, but satisfaction filled his face.
It looked as though Ryan's will had been extinguished and buried deep in the abyss.
At that moment, Carlos felt something strange. He turned toward Ryan and the sorcerer's direction. His expression shifted to shock, and he dashed forward with all his strength.
"Damn it! What's happening there? I can't sense Ryan's energy anymore… all I feel is the sorcerer's aura—and something else beside him… but I'm certain—this energy doesn't belong to Ryan. It's dark and incredibly dense…"
Carlos was terrified as he rushed toward the scene.
Far away, in a completely unknown place… a flame appeared—
A strange flame of pure white.
That flame pulled Ryan out of the abyss he had been sinking into.
He opened his eyes and saw something astonishing.
The world had become brilliantly bright, as if the darkness surrounding him moments ago had turned into pure light—a world made entirely of white.
There was nothing there except Ryan. Confusion filled his face.
"This is the first time I've seen this place… what's happening?"
Suddenly, without warning, a radiant white aura burst around Ryan's hands and wrapped around his entire body. His feeling at that moment was completely strange. It felt as if he was rising upward, though he couldn't understand how.
At the same time, the sorcerer opened his previously shut eyes in shock and stared at the black mass covering Ryan's body. His expression showed both fear and disbelief.
He had no idea what was happening before him.
The black mass—like a cocoon—began changing color gradually into brilliant white.
The light was so bright that it shattered the darkness and destroyed the sorcerer's spell entirely.
Soon, a small crack appeared in the glowing cocoon.
End of Chapter