Riven's POV
"Hey, Riven. Wake up."
The voice reached me through the darkness. I frowned and slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was MorriVayne.
She was sitting in front of me with one leg crossed over the other, her long crimson hair falling over her shoulders. That familiar smirk was already plastered across her face.
"Finally," she said. "The sleeping beauty has decided to return to the world of the living."
I blinked several times. "MorriVayne…You're back. How are you? Are you alright?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine." She leaned forward slightly and Her smirk widened. "But tell me…How comfortable was sleeping in your princess's lap?"
"…What are you talking about?"
MorriVayne pointed behind me.
"See for yourself."
I slowly looked and immediately regretted it. Princess Lyria was sitting beside the carriage window, quietly watching the scenery outside. One of her hands was supporting her chin. Her other hand was resting gently on my head.
My head was on her lap!!!!! I stared at the situation for several seconds without moving. Then I slowly closed my eyes again.
I asked MorriVayne without opening my eyes. " What should I do? Should I pretend to be asleep? But for how long will I pretend ? I have to get up, but this is so embarrassing. What should I say to her when I wake up?
MorriVayne raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who got yourself into this situation."
"I didn't do it intentionally!. I don't even know how I ended up like this. now tell me what to do."
MorriVayne laughed. "Oh, my little puppy is shy. and Don't worry, your princess doesn't mind if you fall asleep in her lap."
"I don't know why I asked you in the first place."
MorriVayne leaned back with a satisfied grin. "So? What's your plan?"
Princess hadn't noticed that I was awake yet. "…I'll get up. My wound is starting to hurt anyway."
MorriVayne's expression changed slightly. "Oh?"She tilted her head. "I see you've copied some new abilities."
"Yeah.I copied Malvias's abilities. Shadow Step and regeneration."
MorriVayne's eyes narrowed with interest. "Interesting."
Instead, I slowly opened my eyes. The moment I moved,princess noticed. Her expression immediately brightened. "Oh, Riven. You're awake." She looked at me with genuine concern. "How are you feeling?"
I carefully lifted my head from her lap and sat upright. "I'm fine." My voice sounded slightly hoarse. "How long was I asleep?"
"Several hours."
I looked away. My face felt strangely warm. I cleared my throat. "I'm… sorry."
Lyria tilted her head. "For what?"
"I don't know how I ended up sleeping on your lap." The last words came out awkwardly. I could feel heat crawling up my neck.
Princess Lyria stared at me for a moment. Then—She giggled.
I frowned. "Why are you laughing?"
Her smile widened. "Riven…" She leaned closer. "Are you blushing?"
"What?, No. No, I'm not."
"You are." Princess's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Then why are your ears red?"
I covered ear with my hand. "They're not!
She laughed even harder.
"Can you please Stop laughing! This isn't funny." I looked away, trying to hide my embarrassment.
"But this is adorable. I've never seen this side of you before." Princess smiled. "And besides…I was the one who put your head in my lap; you were tired and sleeping in such an uncomfortable position."
I stared at her. She stared back. Then she smiled mischievously. "So…" She leaned closer. "Was my lap comfortable enough for you?"
My brain stopped functioning. I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. MorriVayne burst into laughter. "Look at yourself speechless!"
Princess laughed softly. Then, without warning, she leaned toward me and rested her head against my shoulder.
I stiffened. My body became rigid.
She closed her eyes. "I'm tired too. Let me borrow your shoulder for a little while." She adjusted herself comfortably. "We'll be in Aurelia soon."
I stared straight ahead. I didn't know what to do. MorriVayne was looking at me from across with the most obnoxious grin imaginable.
After a few moments, princess chuckled softly. "Relax, Riven." She closed her eyes more firmly. "I won't eat you."
"I'm relaxed. But I don't think my shoulder is comfortable enough to sleep on."
"You don't look relaxed and It's comfortable for me. now lower your voice, I'm trying to sleep here."
I took a breath then lowered my shoulders.
She said in a low voice, "Hmm, this is better."
MorriVayne spoke. "You really are like a well-trained puppy whenever you're around your princess."
I looked out the window. "I must get closer to her if I want her to tell me where the First manuscript is hidden. I need her to trust me."
I sighed and said, "When will I find that damn manuscript so I can leave this place as soon as possible?" I looked at Morivine and said. "And you, are you alright?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"
"You possessed my body. You cast that spell even though your soul and power aren't completely stable yet."
MorriVayne waved her hand. "I'll need some time to recover. Other than that, I'm fine. But tell me what happened while I was asleep."
I began explaining everything from the beginning to the end.
When I finished, MorriVayne remained silent. Then she smiled faintly. "So…You fought Malvias without your abilities…And won. That is impressive."
" No , not impressive. not at all, I nearly died, I am still weak." I sighed. "But there's something else that bothers me."
Her expression became serious. " what?."
"Do you remember when we reached the castle where the princess was imprisoned? We felt something watching us."
MorriVayne's eyes darkened. "I remember. It was powerful. And extremely dark."
I nodded. "She came to me."
MorriVayne immediately became more attentive. "What? what did they want? And who was the person behind that great aura?"
I frowned. "I don't know. She was a woman completely covered in black clothing. From her head to her feet. I couldn't see her face."
MorriVayne's expression hardened. "What did she say?"
"She told me I was weak. She said I needed to become stronger. And she said…She had been watching me since the beginning of my first life."
MorriVayne's eyes widened slightly. "Since the beginning of your life?"
A long silence filled the carriage.
Princess Lyria sleeping peacefully beside me, unaware of our conversation.
MorriVayne finally spoke. "If she's telling the truth…" Her voice had lost all traces of her usual teasing. "Then she know who you really are."
"I thought the same thing."
"Did you discover who she was?"
"No." I shook my head. "She disappeared before I could learn anything."
"What else did she say?"
I remembered her final words. "She said my next fight…is waiting for me when I return."
MorriVayne stared at me.
"That isn't good."
"I know. If someone that powerful has been watching me for this long, then she may already know about our plan." I lowered my gaze. "And that could put everything at risk."
MorriVayne nodded slowly. "We need to be careful. We need to know who she is and what she wants from you. and If she pose a danger to us, we must get rid of her."
Silence fell between us The carriage continued forward. Outside the window, the landscape gradually changed. The distant silhouette of enormous walls appeared on the horizon.
Aurelia. We had finally returned. I stared at the city ahead.
I had thought the journey to Velmora would simply be another step toward finding the First Manuscript. But now…Someone was waiting for me. Someone who knew more about me than she should. Someone who had apparently been watching me from the very beginning.
I stared through the carriage window, watching the familiar landscape slowly pass by.
I narrowed my eyes. "If she's watching me, then she must be close. And if she's close," I continued quietly, "I'll find her eventually."
Morrivayne crossed her arms and gave me a faint smile. "You sound awfully confident."
I shrugged and I looked back through the window. "Let's talk about this later. We're almost there."
Morrivayne nodded and slowly faded back into my consciousness.
The carriage became quiet again. I sat alone, staring ahead while countless thoughts raced through my mind. I clenched my fist. "What do you want from me…?"
I glanced toward Princess Lyria. She was still asleep. Her head had been resting on my shoulder, and judging from the peaceful expression on her face, she seemed completely comfortable.
"Princess." She didn't move. "Princess Lyria. You need to wake up. We're almost at the city gate."
Her eyelashes finally fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes, looking confused for a moment. Then she glanced through the window.
"Oh…" A smile appeared on her face. "We've arrived." She stretched slightly before looking at me. "Thank you for lending me your shoulder."
"Yeah. No problem."
I turned back toward the window. The walls of Aurelia were becoming visible in the distance. home.!! Or at least, what I considered home in this life.
Yet something felt wrong. The moment we approached the outer gates, I noticed something. There were no guards.
"Where is everyone?" Princess leaned toward the window. "That's strange. There should be guards stationed at the gates."
The carriage passed through the open gates. And then—We heard screaming. People were running through the streets. Some were carrying children. Others were covered in blood. Several buildings had been damaged, and the streets were filled with debris.
A man suddenly ran past us. Kara immediately stopped him. "Wait!" The man froze, breathing heavily. "What happened here?"
His face was pale with fear. "A monster…a big monster. In the middle of the city!" His voice trembled. It appeared out of nowhere! It's killing everyone! The soldiers tried to stop it, but nobody can!"
Princess's expression hardened. "How did a monster get this far inside the city?"
The man shook his head. "I—I don't know!" He immediately ran away.
Princess turned toward Kara. "We need to see what's happening."
Kara nodded.
The carriage stopped. We quickly got out. The soldiers followed us while princess Lyria stayed close to Kara. I could already hear the sounds of battle in the distance. Metal clashing. Explosions. People screaming.
But something else caught my attention. I stopped walking. "This mana…" I closed my eyes for a moment, sensing the energy filling the air. "It feels familiar. this is a mana belonging to a high priests seraphiel."
Kara frowned.
"Could the High Priest be helping the soldiers?"
But there was another presence. Something much stronger. And much darker. I could feel it pressing against my senses like an invisible weight.
We moved deeper into the city. The further we went, the stronger the sounds became. We stepped into a wide street. I expected to see soldiers fighting a monster.
Instead…I saw soldiers fighting each other. Hunters were attacking soldiers. Soldiers were attacking hunters. Some were screaming accusations while others fought without saying a word.
Princess Lyria stared in disbelief. "What is happening?" She looked around. "Where is the monster? Weren't they supposed to be fighting a monster?"
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted several streets ahead. The shockwave shook the ground. Someone was thrown through the air and slammed into the side of a building. Smoke rose into the sky.
The figure slowly stood. A girl. She was injured, but alive. She looked toward us. Her eyes widened.
"LOOK OUT!"
A massive sphere of fire was flying directly toward us with speed. There wasn't enough time to move. I raised my hand.
"Shield."
A translucent barrier formed around princess Lyria, Kara, and the soldiers. But I remained outside.
The fireball struck me. Flames engulfed my body. For a moment, everything disappeared inside the heat. "Absorption." The enormous amount of mana contained within the attack poured into me.
I absorbed it. The flames vanished within seconds. The only remaining evidence was the smoke rising from my sleeve. I looked down. The edge of my white shirt was burning. I extinguished it with my hand.
Princess Lyria and Kara rushed toward me.
"Riven! Are you hurt?!"
"You're burned!, Why didn't you stay inside the shield, you idiot?!
"I needed the mana." I looked at my hand. "Since my mana vessel was damaged, it's leaking mana continuously."
Her expression changed.
"You're still having problems with your mana vessel?"
I shrugged. "So I have to absorb mana periodically to replenish what I'm losing. I'll be fine in a few days."
I slowly turned my head. On top of a tall building. A massive creature stood motionless, staring directly at us. Its presence made the air feel heavy.
Kara followed my gaze.
"What? The monster." Princess ooked up. Her expression became tense. "So that's what everyone was fighting…"
Before anyone could move, hurried footsteps echoed behind us. A girl came running through the smoke. She stopped in front of us, breathing heavily.
Kara's eyes widened. "Catherine?" She stepped forward. "When did you get back? Where are your friends?, Did you come back alone?."
Catherine looked toward the monster standing on the rooftop. Then she looked back at us.
"They're gone."
Kara's expression froze.
"Gone…?"
Catherine pointed toward the street ahead.
Several men and women were fighting the soldiers—Their movements were frantic, almost animalistic. Their eyes were empty, their expressions twisted with aggression as they attacked the very soldiers who had been fighting beside them moments ago.
"We were fighting the monster together," she explained. "But when the monster wounded them, something strange happened."
She pointed toward one of the men.
"He changed. It was almost as if he became a puppet in the monster's hands. He started defending the monster against the soldiers and hunters."
Her expression became serious. "So be careful. Whatever you do, do not let that monster wound you."
Kara frowned. "Is the monster really that strong? Strong enough that you can't defeat it?"
Catherine hesitated. "I'll admit that it's powerful. I could defeat it. but The problem is that none of us can get close enough to fight it. if it wounds us, we'll fall under his control."
Kara stared at the controlled soldiers. Then she slowly drew her sword. "So how exactly are we supposed to defeat it if we can't approach it?"
Catherine answered immediately. "Long-range attacks are our only option."
I stood slightly behind them, listening. But I wasn't really listening anymore. My mind had already gone somewhere else.
Is this what that woman in Velmora was talking about—that my next battle awaits me when I return?
Another memory surfaced. The High Priest of Seraphiel. The information he had given me about the leader of the Black Gate . A creature that could control others. An ability that spread through contact.
An ability that turned living people into obedient puppets. Could this monster be connected to the Black Gate? I sighed, I don't have enough information.
I remained silent, lost in my thoughts. Then—A presence appeared directly in front of me. Too fast. My instincts screamed.
"Riven!" Princess's voice tore through the battlefield. "Riven, watch out!"
I looked up. Too late. The monster was already in front of me. Its massive body had launched itself from the building with terrifying speed. I barely had time to raise my arms before—
BOOM!
Its weight slammed into me. My back crashed against the ground hard enough to knock the air from my lungs.
"Ghk—!"
Before I could move, one enormous hand wrapped around my throat. Its fingers tightened. Hard. My body was pinned beneath it. I tried to push its arm away, but its strength was absurd. I couldn't breathe.
The monster leaned closer. Its mouth stretched into a hideous smile. Rows of long, jagged fangs filled its mouth. And then it spoke. Its voice was deep and distorted.
"Finally." Its claws tightened around my throat. "You've returned. I've been waiting for you." Its eyes gleamed. "You…" The monster's grin widened. "You're the one who defeated Malzaryth so easily by yourself. And you walked out of a Black Gate…without a single scratch."
I grabbed the hand around my throat. "What are you talking about?"
The monster laughed. A horrible, wet sound. "Still pretending?" Its face moved closer to mine. "Are you going to deny it and lie again?, Just like you lied to your own team."
The monster continued.
"I saw you." Its voice became almost excited. "I saw you when you emerged from the Black Gate. I saw Malzaryth's mana surrounding you."
Its claws pressed harder against my throat. "You're incredibly powerful." The monster's smile became almost hungry. "And that is exactly what I want. A powerful body…"
Its free hand moved toward my heart. Its claws extended. "…strong enough to contain all of my power without collapsing."
My instincts screamed.
"Now relax." Its claws hovered above my chest. "Don't resist." The monster's grin widened. "Your body belongs to me now."
The next instant—Its claws pierced my chest. Pain exploded through my body. I clenched my teeth.
But—Nothing happened. The monster froze. Its expression changed. Confusion. Then disbelief.
"What…?" It stared at its claws. "Why?" It tried again. Its mana poured into the wound. Nothing. Its eyes widened. "Why can't I possess your body?"
I looked down at the claw buried above my heart. Then I slowly reached up. My fingers wrapped around its wrist. I pulled its claws out of my chest. Blood ran down my clothes.
The monster stared at me.
I smiled. "There are already someone else who lives inside me…" My grip tightened. "And I don't think she will accept any other roommates."
Then I threw it. The monster's body flew across the street and smashed through the wall of a building. I pushed myself to my feet. My breathing was rough. Blood trickled from my mouth. I wiped it away with the back of my hand.
"Riven!" Kara reached me first. She immediately looked me over. "Are you alright?" Her eyes widened. "Oh my God… you're bleeding."
Princess Lyria arrived seconds later. Her expression changed the instant she saw my neck. "Riven…" She stepped closer. "Your neck…" She looked at the blood covering my chest.
Dark bruises were already forming around my throat. I coughed twice. My throat burned. My voice came out rough. "I'm fine."
She didn't look convinced. Before she could approach me again, Catherine suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Lyria!" Catherine pulled her backward. "Stay away from her!"
Princess Lyria looked at her in confusion.
"What?"
Catherine pointed toward the wound above my heart. "The monster stabbed her! If it wounded her, she could already be under its control!"
Princess Lyria froze. She looked at me. For a brief moment, I saw genuine fear in her eyes.
I glanced over my shoulder. The monster was slowly climbing out of the ruined building.
I sighed. "I said I'm fine." I looked back at them. "And right now, we have a bigger problem." I nodded toward the monster. "Let's deal with that first."
Kara narrowed her eyes. "Riven. What exactly did that thing mean when it said it was going to take your body?"
I pulled my sword from my waist. The familiar weight settled into my hand. "That monster…was a High Priest."
Kara's eyes widened.
"A High Priest?"
"Or rather…" I tightened my grip around my sword. "It used to be one."
Catherine stared at me.
I continued. "The monster. He has another ability that allows him to possess other people's bodies."
Kara's expression became serious. "That is truly dangerous, and what will we do now?."
Catherine studied me carefully. Then she asked quietly, "Are you really alright?"
I didn't answer.
She stepped closer. "Do you feel anything strange?"
I raised my brow and I looked at her.
"Anything at all?" Her voice became mocking. "Do you feel the urge to attack your friends or kill them?"
I stared at her. Then I looked toward princess Lyria. She was still watching me with concern. I turned toward the monster. "I don't feel anything."
I began walking. My wounds had already healed, and the bruises on my neck had completely vanished.
"Kara." She looked at me. "Keep the princess safe." I glanced toward Princess. "And take her somewhere away from here."
Kara nodded. I continued forward. The monster was staring directly at me. Its expression had changed. It no longer looked amused. It looked hungry. And somehow…excited.
I stopped several meters away from it. My sword lowered slightly at my side.
The monster slowly walked. Its broken bones twisted back into place. Its wounds began to close. Regeneration. Another ability. Another problem.
A voice suddenly came from beside me. "I'll fight that monster too." I turned my head. Catherine stood there. A small smirk appeared on her face. She raised her weapon. "And I'm not going to let you take the victory all by yourself."
Catherine glanced at me, then at the monster standing across the ruined street.
"Hey, you. Since that monster can't control you, you should fight it." She pointed her weapon toward the creature. I'll support you from behind."
I turned my head toward her. I stared at her for a moment. "Why don't you step back and let me take care of the monster?"
Catherine blinked.
I continued calmly, "I don't want you to end up like your friends."
Her expression became serious for a moment. Then— She grinned. "Don't even dream about leaving me behind." She tightened her grip on her weapon. "And don't worry. I can take care of myself."
I shrugged. "It's your funeral."
"Wow." Catherine laughed. "That's comforting."
I ignored her. My attention returned to the monster. It was standing in the middle of the ruined street, surrounded by broken stone and burning debris.
Then it stepped forward. Each step made the ground tremble slightly.
"So…" Its voice was deep and rough. "You defeated Malzaryth. That doesn't mean you can defeat me." Its smile widened, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs.
"I am far stronger than him. I am faster than him. and I am better than him in every respect." It lowered its body slightly. "prepare yourself. Because I will take your body. Even if I have to break every bone in it first."
I stared at him silently. Then I reached for my sword. Catherine watched me. The monster smiled. But instead of drawing my sword—I pushed it back into its sheath. I rolled my shoulders.
"If you think I'm going to go easy on you just because you're possessing the body of a High Priest…" I cracked my knuckles. "…you're mistaken. And let me warn you of something. I can't completely control my power."
I took one step forward. A faint pressure began spreading from my body. The air around me seemed to grow heavier. "So you'd better prepare yourself to die ."
I smiled faintly. "And besides…" I looked down at my hands. "I've been wanting to test my strength since my last fight."
The sensation inside my body was difficult to describe. Ever since I had absorbed Malvias's blood and power, something had changed. There was more strength inside me. More mana.more power and pressure.
It felt as if something enormous had awakened beneath my skin. I wanted to know exactly how much stronger I had become.
The monster suddenly burst into laughter. His voice echoed through the ruined streets.
"HAHAHAHA! You?" He spread his arms. "I am Dreadmaw, the strongest among my kind!" His claws dug into the ground. "Do you truly believe I will be defeated by some little girl who intends to fight me with her bare hands?"
Morrivayne spoke. "Are you seriously fighting without your sword? That will take forever."
"I know."
"Then why?"
"Ever since I drank Malvias's blood and acquired his power, I can feel an enormous amount of strength moving through my body. I just want to know how strong I became after that fight."
Morrivayne was silent for a moment. "You're insane." She sighed. "Fine. Just don't die."
I smiled faintly.
Catherine suddenly shouted, "Hey! Wait! Are you seriously going to fight that thing with your bare hands? Are you crazy?!"
I didn't answer. I lowered my stance.
Catherine took a step forward. "You can't just—"
I disappeared. The ground exploded beneath my feet. The force of my acceleration shattered the stone beneath me, sending cracks racing through the street.
Catherine's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
I crossed the distance between us and Dreadmaw almost instantly. My fist was already drawn back. The monster reacted. Fast. Much faster than I expected. He raised both arms. My fist slammed into his guard.
KRAAASH!
The impact erupted like an explosion. The shockwave tore through the street. Dreadmaw was launched backward. His feet left the ground. He flew across the street before crashing into the side of a building. The wall collapsed around him. Dust filled the air.
I stared at the destroyed building. That was only one punch with a half my strength. A grin slowly appeared on my face.
But Dreadmaw wasn't finished. The rubble suddenly exploded outward. He emerged from the dust. Not injured. Not even slowing down. His eyes burned with excitement. He planted one foot against the wall of the building.
Then—The wall exploded behind him. He launched himself toward me. I moved at the same time. We rushed toward each other. His fist came toward my face.
I could have dodged. Instead—I raised my fist. Our fists collided. The explosion was enormous. The shockwave tore through the surrounding streets. Windows shattered. Cracks spread across nearby buildings. The ground beneath our feet split apart. Dust and debris were thrown into the air.
For a moment, neither of us moved. Our fists remained locked together. Dreadmaw's grin slowly widened.
"You're strong." His eyes narrowed. "But…You aren't using your full strength. Are you underestimating me?"
His smile became wider. "Or are you afraid? Afraid of hurting the High Priest whose body I'm possessing?" He laughed. "Then let me tell you something." His voice became colder. "The High Priest died the moment I took his body. There is nothing left of him."
He pulled his fist back. "And soon…I'll do the same to you."
I laughed. "Of course I'm holding back. I don't want to kill you with a single punch; where's the fun in that?." My smile widened. " and I'm looking forward to seeing you try to take my body."
His expression twisted with rage. I grabbed his arm. I twisted my body. Then—I threw him. His massive body flew through the air like a projectile. He crashed directly into another building. The entire front of the building collapsed.
I didn't stop. I sprinted forward. The ground shattered beneath every step. Dreadmaw pushed himself out of the rubble. Too slow. I was already there. I jumped. My knee drove directly into his stomach.
The impact bent his enormous body backward. His eyes widened. A violent roar escaped his throat.
"AAARGH!"
He swung his fist at me instinctively. I twisted away. His claws cut through the air inches from my face. I jumped backward once. I landed several meters away.
Dust drifted between us. Dreadmaw slowly straightened. His hand covered his stomach. His expression was no longer amused. I stood opposite him.
My fists were raised. My breathing was steady. And despite the destruction around us…I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I looked at him with a faint smirk.
"So this is how strong I've become."
Dreadmaw's roar shook the street. He lunged at me. His enormous claws extended toward my chest, moving with frightening speed. I shifted my weight, preparing to counter—
But before I could move—A flash of red passed beside me. Dreadmaw's arm was severed at the elbow. His blood sprayed across the street.
I turned. Catherine landed beside me, her long red sword held low at her side. She had moved so quickly that even I hadn't noticed her until the attack was already over.
Before Dreadmaw could react, Catherine twisted through the air. Her boot slammed into the side of his head. The monster was sent flying.
He crashed through several meters of rubble before finally stopping. Catherine landed beside me and flashed me a grin.
"You're strong." She rested her red sword against her shoulder. "But don't underestimate me. Now let's finish this fight together before he destroys the entire city." Her eyes moved toward the surrounding streets. "There have already been too many victims—"
She didn't get to finish. The rubble exploded. Dreadmaw emerged with both hands engulfed in flames.
"Move!"
Catherine and I jumped backward at the same time. The place where we had been standing disappeared beneath a massive explosion. Fire spread across the street.
We continued jumping backward, putting more distance between ourselves and the blast. But Dreadmaw didn't stop. He suddenly changed direction. Straight toward Catherine.
He's targeting her. Dreadmaw swung his claws. Catherine raised her sword and blocked. The impact pushed her backward. Before she could recover, his other hand flashed toward her throat. Catherine reacted instantly. She jumped backward in short steps, constantly maintaining distance.
But Dreadmaw was relentless. Every time she retreated—He advanced. Every step she took backward, he took two forward. He swung again. Catherine ducked beneath his arm. Her red sword flashed upward.
All of his claws were sliced away. They fell to the ground. For half a second, Dreadmaw stared at his hand. Then his fingers began growing back. Instantly.
The severed claws regenerated before they even finished hitting the ground. Catherine's eyes widened.
"Seriously?"
Dreadmaw grinned. His back suddenly split open. Six long, grotesque tentacles erupted from behind him. They twisted through the air like living serpents. Then all six attacked Catherine simultaneously.
She moved. Her sword intercepted one tentacle. She ducked beneath another. She twisted away from a third. The fourth came from behind. She turned and blocked it. The impact sent her sliding backward.
She managed to defend against every attack, but the sheer force kept pushing her away. Then—Her foot caught on a piece of broken stone.
She fell. Dreadmaw noticed immediately. His eyes widened with excitement. He lunged. His claws extended toward Catherine's chest. She was on the ground. Too late to dodge.
I moved. "Time Manipulation."For one second—Everything became almost still. Dust hung motionless in the air. Dreadmaw's claws crawled through space. Catherine's eyes widened.
I appeared beside Dreadmaw. My fist connected with his face. The sound echoed across the city. Dreadmaw's enormous body flew away. He crashed through a building and disappeared beneath the rubble.
I glanced down at her. "Be more careful."
She stared at me. Then her face lit up. "Woooow!" She laughed. "That was one hell of a punch!" She looked toward the destroyed building. "That was way too close."
she looked back at me. "Thanks for saving me." She extended her hand toward me. I looked at it. Then I looked at her. I walked past her.
Catherine's hand remained suspended in the air. "…Did you just ignore me?" I kept walking. She lowered her hand dramatically. "You hurt my feelings."
I didn't respond. Behind me, I heard her laugh. She got back to her feet and followed me. When we reached the rubble, we stopped.
A hand emerged. Dreadmaw slowly pulled himself out. Blood covered his body. His clothes were torn. His skin was split open in dozens of places. Blood dripped onto the ground.
he looked genuinely damaged. But his wounds were already closing. Much slower than before.
Still…He was healing. He raised his head. Then laughed. A dark, sinister laugh.
"Hahaha…" His body trembled. "I admit it. You two are strong." His smile widened. "You've forced me to release almost everything."
The atmosphere changed. The air around him began to distort. Mana flooded the area. It became difficult to breathe. The pressure was immense.
My eyes narrowed. He's been holding back too? The air trembled. Then—He disappeared. I didn't even have time to react. He appeared directly in front of me. His fist was already inches from my face.
There was no room to dodge. Too fast. I activated my ability. Time Manipulation. The world slowed. One second. That was all I needed. I raised both arms and blocked.
BOOOOOOM!
The force of the impact was monstrous. My feet left the ground. My body flew backward. I smashed through a building. The entire structure collapsed around me.
Pain exploded through my body. I lay beneath the rubble for a moment. Then sighed. I pushed a stone away.
"Damn." I touched my side. Warm blood covered my fingers. "Looks like my wounds opened again. and The time-manipulation ability consumes a massive amount of mana; I don't think I can use it again."
I climbed out of the rubble.
Across the street, Catherine was already fighting Dreadmaw. Their movements were almost impossible to follow. Sword. Claws. Tentacles. Explosions.
They traded blows continuously. And somehow—Catherine was keeping up with him. I stood nearby. I crossed my arms. And watched.
Catherine glanced toward me in the middle of the fight. Her expression immediately became annoyed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
I said nothing.
"Are you seriously standing there with your arms crossed?!"
Dreadmaw swung at her. She blocked.
"ARE YOU NOT GOING TO HELP ME?!"
I calmly answered, "I thought you said you could take care of yourself."
Catherine's eyebrow twitched. "You're unbelievable!" She swung her red sword toward Dreadmaw's neck.
He jumped backward. The blade missed by inches. Catherine landed and glared at me.
"I can defeat him easily!"She pointed her sword toward Dreadmaw. "But one tiny scratch from him could end me!" Her expression became serious. "Unlike you. You can take his attacks."
I remained silent.
Catherine narrowed her eyes. "But why aren't you fighting seriously?"
She glanced toward the destruction around us.
"I've been watching you." She took a step toward me. "You're playing with him." Her voice became sharper. "What are you trying to accomplish?"
Catherine pointed around us. "Look around you!"Her voice shook with anger. "Half the city is already destroyed!, There are innocent people dying! So what are you actually doing here?"
I looked around. Half of Aurelia's street was destroyed. Buildings had collapsed. Fire burned through the city. People were being carried away by soldiers. The screams of the wounded echoed through the streets.
I said without looking at her. "I could draw my sword. I could cut off his head right now. But I'm not going to."
I looked toward Dreadmaw. "I won't be the one who kills a High Priest. We need to separate them first. Then we'll kill the monster."
"And if you want to kill him now…" I shrugged. "I won't stop you." I looked at her. "But I won't help you either."
Morrivayne suddenly spoke. "Wait. You actually want to save the High Priest?"
I frowned. I looked toward Dreadmaw. "I don't care whether the High Priest lives or dies."
Morrivayne was silent.
" I want his ability.but I need to separate them first."
"Of course you do."
"His ability to control people through a simple wound…I really want it."
Morrivayne laughed. "I knew it." Her voice became amused. "You really are cold-hearted."
"Then tell me, little puppy…" Her tone became teasing again. "How exactly are you planning to separate them?"
I stared at Dreadmaw. I slowly began walking toward him. "I have a way. But…I'm not sure it'll work." I flexed my fingers. I took another step. "But I need to absorb more mana first. a lot of it."
Dreadmaw's expression changed. He seemed to realize something. The air between us became tense. Around us, Aurelia continued burning.
Catherine looked at me, her expression unusually serious. "So how exactly are we going to separate them? "Do you have a way? Because I have no idea how we're supposed to do that."
I started walking toward the monster.
"Yes. I have a way." I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. "But I need some time."
"Time?" She frowned. "How much time?"
"I'll tell you when I'm ready."
That answer clearly wasn't what she wanted. But I didn't wait for another question. I reached behind my back and pulled out two daggers. The familiar weight settled into my hands.
Dreadmaw noticed me approaching. His lips curled into a vicious grin. I lowered my stance. I can't kill him yet.
If I killed him while the High Priest's body was still under his control, I would lose the chance to copy the ability I wanted.
So I needed to weaken him first. Force him to spend his mana. His regeneration was powerful, but it wasn't free. Every wound required mana. Every regeneration consumed more.
The more damage I inflicted, the more mana he would have to use. And eventually—He'll run out.
Once his body became too weak to regenerate, separating him from the High Priest would be much easier. I smiled faintly. So let's see how much punishment you can take.
I disappeared. Dreadmaw's eyes widened. I appeared directly in front of him. My first dagger collided with his claw. The impact sent sparks flying.
His claws were hard. Almost like iron. He swung his other arm toward my head. I raised my left hand. I blocked it. The force pushed me slightly backward, but I immediately stepped forward again.
My second dagger flashed. The blade carved a deep wound across his chest. Dreadmaw roared. He tried to punch me. I slipped beneath his fist. My dagger cut across his side. He swung wildly.
I ducked beneath his arm. My blade sliced through his thigh. Dreadmaw screamed. His back suddenly erupted. Several long tendrils burst from his body and lashed toward me.
Morivain laughed and said mockingly, "Do you want to copy this ability too?"
"What? No, of course not! I don't want my back to split open and have those tentacles come out—ugh, that's truly disgusting."
Morivain laughed loudly, but I ignored her and moved. One passed over my shoulder. I twisted away from another. A third came toward my chest. I spun and cut it apart.
I didn't stop. My body moved almost automatically. Dodge. Strike. Every wound I created was another portion of his mana consumed.
Within a minute, the street was covered in severed tendrils and blood. Dreadmaw turned toward me. His eyes burned with rage.
"You little—!"
He lunged. His fist came at me with even greater force than before. I crossed both arms in front of my body. The impact sent me flying backward several meters. My boots scraped across the ground.
Before I could fully stabilize—Dreadmaw was already coming after me. I prepared to counter. Then—A massive rock slammed into Dreadmaw from the side.
He staggered. I looked toward the source. Catherine stood on top of a partially collapsed building. Several enormous pieces of rubble floated around her. another rock shot toward Dreadmaw. She was throwing them one after another with incredible speed.
She grinned.
Dreadmaw raised his arms and smashed the first few apart. But Catherine didn't stop. More rubble rose from the destroyed buildings around her. Hundreds of kilograms of stone floated into the air.
Morrivayne's voice suddenly sounded in my mind. "Telekinesis. That's quite fascinating. You should copy that ability."
I watched Catherine effortlessly manipulate the rubble. "I was thinking the same thing."
Catherine looked down at me with a grin. "I told you I'd watch your back!"
Another enormous chunk of stone flew past me. It smashed into Dreadmaw. Then she raised both hands. The surrounding rubble began to tremble. Dozens of stones lifted into the air. Catherine fired them toward Dreadmaw one after another.
Dreadmaw tried to defend himself. He shattered some. Dodged others. But the attacks kept coming. Catherine refused to slow down. Her breathing became heavier. Still—She continued.
Until eventually Dreadmaw couldn't keep up. A massive wave of rubble buried him completely. The street disappeared beneath a mountain of stone.
Catherine lowered her hands. She was breathing heavily. Then she jumped down beside me. "Not bad, right?"
I glanced at her. "Yeah, not bad at all."
We both looked toward the rubble. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then A piece of stone moved. He pushed upward from beneath the debris. Slowly. His entire body was covered in wounds.
Blood poured from his body. Blood stained the rubble beneath him. But something was different. His regeneration had slowed. A lot.
He looked toward us. His eyes were filled with hatred.
"You…You're nothing but insects. I'll crush every last one of you."
Catherine laughed. She pointed at him. "You keep saying you're going to crush us." Her grin widened. "But you're the one who just got crushed."
I noticed something. The air around Dreadmaw was changing. It was becoming heavier. The temperature seemed to drop. A strange red mist began rising from the ground.
What is that?
Catherine suddenly grabbed my arm. She coughed. Twice. Then violently. Blood spilled from her mouth. She staggered. She touched her lips and stared at the blood on her fingers.
"I…" She coughed again. "How?" Her breathing became ragged. "I've been poisoned." She looked at Dreadmaw in disbelief. "But how?"
She looked down at her body. "He never touched me." Her knees buckled. She fell to the ground. "Why am I poisoned?"
Red mist surrounded us. It spread through the streets. I took a breath. Immediately, dizziness hit me. My vision blurred slightly. I clenched my teeth. Poison.
Dreadmaw threw his head back and laughed.
"HAHAHAHA!"
His voice echoed through the ruined city.
"Did you really think you defeated me?" He spread his arms. "Did you really think you had won? You're wrong." He raised one bleeding hand. "You have your tricks…" Blood dripped from his fingers. "…and I have mine."
His eyes locked onto me. "You're going to die here." His smile widened. "Slowly." The red mist thickened. "You'll die poisoned by my blood. And when you're on the verge of death…" His tongue ran across his fangs. "I'll take your body."
I looked around. Blood covered the entire battlefield. Not just ordinary blood. It had transformed into the red mist. A corrosive, poisonous fog.
So that's what he was doing. I looked at Dreadmaw's wounds. His regeneration had slowed dramatically. He hadn't been healing himself because he wanted his blood to spread.
He deliberately allowed himself to bleed. The blood was the poison. And the mist was carrying it through the entire battlefield.
I glanced toward Catherine. Her skin was turning red. She was breathing harder. Small patches of her skin looked as if they were burning. She's close to her limit.
I looked at myself. My body was already beginning to heal from the poison. Slowly. But it was working. My regeneration can counter it. Not completely. But enough.
I grabbed Catherine by the back of her collar. She looked up at me weakly. I jumped. The rooftop beneath us cracked as I launched into the air. I jumped from one building to another.
The red mist followed below us like an ocean. I kept moving until we were far outside its range. Finally, I landed on the roof of a tall building.
I placed Catherine gently on the ground. She immediately rolled onto her side and coughed. My body was already beginning to recover. The dizziness was fading.
I looked at her.
"You don't look well."
She gave me an exhausted glare.
"Very observant."
I ignored the sarcasm. "Do you have anything that can remove the poison from your body?"
Catherine shook her head. "I have resistance to most poisons." She coughed lightly. "But…" She looked toward the red mist. "This one is different. I need some time."
She looked at me. "What about you?" Her eyes narrowed. "You don't seem nearly as affected."
"I was poisoned too." I looked down at my hands. "But I recovered faster."
Catherine stared at me for a moment. Then she sighed. "So we can't get close to that monster anymore. What do we do now?"
The red mist covered the streets below. Dreadmaw was still somewhere inside it. Waiting.