The explosive attack unleashed by Erik and the twins kicked up an enormous wave of dust, blanketing the battlefield in a murky haze. Visibility dropped to near zero, and no one could see the beasts clearly… no one except Chuck, thanks to his God Eyes.
Kaiden looked down just long enough to notice the enormous pool of blood spreading beneath her. Before she could turn to face the beast that had carved the gaping hole in her abdomen, her body gave out and she collapsed, completely unconscious.
"Kaiden!!!" Chuck yelled, sprinting across the field of beasts and weaving through their attacks, desperate to reach her before the monster finished her off.
He ducked, swerved, and slipped past incoming strikes as the beast raised its bladed leg again, preparing to cleave Kaiden in half. Chuck arrived just in time. The infernal shroud still roared around him, its fiery glow immediately drawing the monster's attention. He reached Kaiden's side just as the beast fixed its menacing gaze directly on him.
The creature swung. The whistle of the blade cutting through the air rippled across the field. Chuck raised his golden flaming shield, bracing himself as the massive blade crashed down. Cracks spider-webbed across the shield. A heartbeat later, it exploded into glittering fragments. The infernal shield was gone.
The momentum of the strike continued, slamming into Chuck and launching him several meters through the air before he hit the sand hard. He looked to his shoulder and saw a deep, allowing blood to gush freely without resistance.
"Oh no… Chuck is injured," Lance said, struggling against another beast. "We have to find a way to get to…"
He stopped mid speech as he noticed something else. The deep cut on Chuck's shoulder began to glow with a golden hue. Then, in an instant, it vanished completely, as if it had never existed.
"He never fails to amaze me," Lance muttered with a relieved smile.
"Will you stop worrying about Chuck and face the beast that is about to kill us all?" Xin yelled, her body was covered with a white glow as she unleashed a fury of spells towards a beast heading for Lance.
Chuck pushed himself up, fully healed by the infernal shroud. He noticed that part of the beast's bladed leg had been scorched.
"That's what you get for touching a flaming shield. I need something stronger," Chuck thought.
[ Infernal craft has been activated ]
[ Weapon crafted: Sword ]
[ Harelm Energy: 35/150 ]
"I used a lot of energy creating this second sword. It better be enough to take this thing down."
Seeing Kaiden still bleeding out and unmoving, Chuck dashed forward again. The beast attacked the same way as before, swinging wildly, but Chuck was ready. He slashed with his newly crafted sword with a swift movement, leaving a golden trail following its arc.
The blade met the beast's leg, and this time, the monster's blade split cleanly in half. The creature shrieked, writhing in absolute pain and agony as its blade cleaved off cleanly. Chuck did not slow. He sprinted straight toward it, then hurled the sword with deadly precision. It pierced the beast's eye, unleashing a spray of black blood.
The beast staggered, but it was still standing.
Chuck threw his second sword, aiming to hit the other eye. The sword flew with speed, striking the other eye, though not as deeply as the initial sword he threw. Both blades erupted with golden flames, burning through the creature's eye sockets and everything within. The fire from the blades consumed everything it came in contact with. After a few agonizing seconds, the beast collapsed and died.
[ Beast defeated ]
[ Exp: 90/400 ]
Chuck climbed over the fallen monster, retrieved his dual swords before they could disperse, and rushed back to Kaiden. The pool of blood around her had grown larger—far too large. If he didn't act now, she would die. Taking her back to the shelter wasn't an option, because there was no time.
"Think, Chuck… think," he muttered as panic clawed at his thoughts. Then, suddenly, an idea struck.
"If the infernal shroud can heal me… can I focus its energy to heal someone else?"
"But the flames burn everything they touch," he countered. "So I can't use the flames, I just have to use the energy emiting from the flames."
He decided to try. Chuck held his glowing hand above Kaiden's wound, keeping enough distance to avoid burning her. The golden light reflected off her silver hair, making her look ethereal even in her unconscious state.
Slowly, the gaping hole in her abdomen began to close.
Chuck could hear the soft, unsettling sound of flesh knitting itself back together. A few seconds later, the wound sealed completely. Kaiden's pulse was faint, but steady. She was alive.
A gentle breath escaped her lips as the mild wind brushed her hair. Chuck stared at her, unable to help himself. Her pale skin paired perfectly with her silver hair, her body's soft curves illuminated by the shroud's glow. He stood there, almost entranced.
His entralled state was abruptly dismissed by a sharp feeling under his legs, then he felt something warm beneath his feet. He looked down. The sand under him had melted into glass.
"Damn it. I really need to avoid sandy areas…"
Another loud crash echoed behind him. Chuck spun around and saw a beast lying on the ground, a massive hole blown into its chest.
"A little help here?" Erik called, his arms wrapped in swirling flame.
Chuck rose carefully. "Oh…right."
"Let's finish off the remaining beasts."