Ethan Cole furrowed his brows.
"Could it be that physical attacks don't work on this monster? What am I supposed to do now?"
He fell into thought.
"If physical attacks are useless, then we use fire. Water. Chemical methods. But first, we need to trap it."
He turned to Blizzard.
"Blizzard, can your team set up a trap to contain it? I'll keep drawing its attention here and lure it over later."
"No problem!"
She immediately retreated to where Wild Bear and the others were, then said to Eyelash,
"Eyelash, dig a deep pit. We'll lure the acid monster into it."
Eyelash nodded and led the others to get to work.
But Blizzard did not follow.
"Big sis, you're not coming with us?"
"No. I need to help Ethan Cole. How can I leave him alone to deal with that monster?"
"But…"
"Enough! Every second we waste is another second of danger!"
Meanwhile, Ethan Cole was still maneuvering around the acid monster.
When he saw Blizzard return, he asked,
"Why aren't you helping them set up the trap?"
"I'm here to help you!"
"This acid monster is dangerous!"
"It moves slowly. I'm not afraid."
The acid monster watched Ethan Cole and Blizzard whispering to each other, completely ignoring its attacks. Its rage intensified.
It decided to use its ultimate technique.
The acid monster suddenly contracted its body, as if compressing something inside.
Then it spat out a mass of dark green bubbles.
"Secret Technique: Acid Bubble!"
The bubbles floated into the air and drifted toward Ethan Cole and Blizzard.
When they reached above their heads, they burst, turning into a devastating acid rain.
The coverage was too wide. Ethan Cole could not dodge in time.
Blizzard tried to block it.
She formed a psychic barrier that blocked most of the acid rain.
But the rain was too dense.
And the acid monster kept producing more bubbles.
A drop slipped past Blizzard's defenses and was about to land on her face.
Ethan Cole immediately raised his right hand to block it.
Sizzle.
Pain exploded through him.
The burning sensation made him frown.
The skin on his right hand was already being corroded.
"Ethan Cole, your hand…"
"Don't get distracted! We need to get inside that building!"
He pointed at a nearby house.
Then he grabbed Blizzard and rushed into the abandoned building.
Outside, the acid monster lingered. Its movement was slow, but it was intelligent. It did not rush in. Instead, it continued releasing acid bubbles, slowly corroding the structure of the building.
The situation was critical.
The acid monster could break in at any moment.
Blizzard focused all her attention, using her psychic power to block the acid being fired from unknown angles.
Just moments ago, one drop had slipped through her defense due to her carelessness. If Ethan Cole had not helped, her face would have been ruined.
Thinking about this, she looked at him with guilt.
"Sorry. I got you injured."
"It's fine. We should think about how to deal with this monster."
Blizzard stared at him, then suddenly asked,
"You really refuse to join the Blizzard Group? I can make you vice leader."
Ethan Cole's face darkened.
Of all times, she was still thinking about recruitment.
"Is this really the time to talk about that?"
Blizzard turned her face away with a light huff.
"Suit yourself."
Part of the roof collapsed. A wooden beam fell, raising dust that was instantly corroded into sludge by the acid rain.
Ethan Cole took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening.
"We break out. We can't stay trapped here."
He could feel the entire building was about to be dissolved. If they stayed, both of them would die here.
"That monster is definitely watching us outside. The moment we go out, it will attack. So we need to move fast."
"Alright. I'll keep blocking the acid."
"No. Save your psychic energy for the critical moment. I'll carry you out."
"Huh?"
Blizzard hesitated, slightly embarrassed.
"I… I can escape on my own."
"Your physical ability is far weaker than mine, and you're wearing high heels. How are you going to run? This is urgent. If we don't move now, it'll be too late."
Before she could react, Ethan Cole bent down and scooped her into his arms.
"Wha…?"
Blizzard's face turned bright red.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"No time to explain!"
Ethan Cole held her firmly.
"If anything happens, use your psychic power immediately."
He dashed out of the building without hesitation.
His legs exploded with strength. Each step shook the ground slightly. His speed far exceeded normal humans.
The acid monster realized they were breaking out and roared, spitting acid toward them.
But Ethan Cole twisted his body in a sharp zigzag motion, dodging every attack.
Blizzard's psychic barrier blocked the scattered acid rain.
Ethan Cole's arms were tense as he held her tightly.
Through his grip, he could feel her heartbeat racing through her body.
She was lighter than he expected, softer and warmer than she appeared.
Inside his arms, Blizzard felt a strange sense of security.
She looked like a cold, aloof woman, but she was only twenty-five.
She had never dated before.
All she ever did was compete with her sister.
This was the first time she had ever been held by a man.
Her face turned completely red.
A phone ringtone suddenly broke the awkward silence.
Ethan Cole instinctively looked down. Blizzard's slightly open collar revealed pale skin beneath, smooth and delicate, catching the light.
He could even faintly see her collarbone.
"Don't look!"
Blizzard's voice shot up sharply as she covered her collar with one hand, nearly dropping her phone with the other.
Ethan Cole quickly turned away.
"I didn't…"
"Hello?" Blizzard answered the call, trying to steady her breathing. "Good. The pit is ready? We're coming now."
After hanging up, she still avoided his gaze.
"Take the next left. My team is ready."
The acid monster followed behind, slowly but persistently spitting corrosive liquid.
But Ethan Cole was faster. Even while carrying her, he kept a safe distance.
After turning the corner, they saw more than ten people in black uniforms gathered around a massive pit.
When they saw the two of them arrive in that position, everyone froze.
"Boss?!"
Wild Bear's shovel slipped from his hands and clattered to the ground.
His eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Ethan Cole and Blizzard.
"What… is going on here?"
"Put Blizzard down this instant!" one of the subordinates shouted.
Ethan Cole quickly set her down.
Her high heels wobbled slightly on landing, but she steadied herself.
Blizzard took a deep breath and fixed her messy hair and clothes.
Her movements were slow, as if trying to calm her racing heart.