Rive's sword descended, a blur of vengeful steel aimed to end Lucas's journey permanently. But Lucas wasn't there. At the last possible second, he dove, not away, but sideways, rolling behind the very Sunpetal he was protecting.
The blade slammed into the earth, carving a deep furrow where he had just been standing. The [Berserker's Charge] gave Rive incredible speed, but its drawback was a momentary lack of fine control after a missed power attack. It was a window of less than a second, but for a strategist like Lucas, it was an eternity.
As he came up from his roll, his hand was already moving. He threw a small, crudely made clay pot he had crafted days ago. It shattered at Rive's feet, releasing a puff of fine, shimmering powder.
Rive, his lungs heaving from the exertion of his charge, inhaled the dust without thinking. It was a Glimmercap-laced powder, a novice-level alchemical irritant.
"What is this cheap trick—" he began to roar, but the world tilted. His vision blurred, and phantom images of Kael flickered at the edge of his sight. A [Disoriented] status icon pulsed angrily in his vision.
"He's been debuffed!" the healer shouted, finally getting the mage back to his feet. "Jax, cover me!"
The Ranger and healer began to advance on Lucas's position, but Kael, shaking off the blow from Rive, was already moving. Though injured, the wolf was a flash of gray fury, his loyalty overriding his pain. He lunged, not at the heavily armored Ranger, but at the fragile healer, forcing her to abandon her advance and defend herself.
The battlefield was now a chaotic series of skirmishes. The warrior was still struggling to climb out of the pit. The mage was low on mana. Kael had the healer and Ranger occupied. It all came down to Lucas and the disoriented, enraged Rive.
Lucas didn't attack. He focused his [System Insight] on his primary foe.
[Player: Rive | Status: Berserk (00:45s remaining), Disoriented, Bleeding (Minor)]
[Hidden Debuff (Berserker's Charge): After effect ends, user will enter a state of 'Exhaustion' for 5 minutes, reducing all stats by 30%.]
He didn't need to win. He just needed to stall. For forty-five seconds.
The deadly dance began. Rive, swinging his sword wildly at phantom wolves, was a terrifying but predictable force. Lucas, using the trees and rocks around the clearing as cover, became an untouchable ghost. He was always just out of reach, a frustrating shadow that Rive could never quite land a solid blow on.
The timer in Lucas's vision was a second, even more critical countdown.
[Sunpetal Growth: 00:05:00]
[Sunpetal Growth: 00:03:00]
[Sunpetal Growth: 00:01:00]
The other mercenaries finally managed to push Kael back, and they began to converge on the clearing, trapping Lucas in a pincer.
"Nowhere left to run!" Rive roared, finally shaking off the worst of the disorientation. He cornered Lucas against a large boulder, the Sunpetal just a few feet away. "Got you now!"
He raised his sword, his face a mask of triumph.
At that exact moment, two things happened.
The red aura of the [Berserker's Charge] vanished from Rive's body, instantly replaced by the crippling [Exhaustion] debuff. His muscles screamed in protest, his raised sword suddenly feeling as heavy as lead. He stumbled, his strength abandoning him in a dizzying rush.
Simultaneously, a brilliant, pure golden light erupted from the Sunpetal. The flower pulsed once, releasing a wave of gentle, fragrant energy that washed over the clearing. A system notification chimed, audible only to Lucas.
[Sunpetal has reached full maturity. Ready for harvest.]
Rive stared, his sword arm trembling, his mind unable to process his sudden weakness. The other mercenaries froze, momentarily blinded by the flower's radiant light.
Lucas ignored them all. The hunt was over. The siege was won.
He calmly turned his back on the weakened, bewildered Rive, took three steps to the glowing flower, and knelt. He reached out, his hand steady, and his fingers brushed against the golden petals. The reward for his patience, his strategy, and his sheer, stubborn will to survive was finally within his grasp.