The Lupinacid landed with devastating force, its impact shaking the ground with a shockwave that raised a cloud of dust and shards of rock. We had barely caught our breath before the creature lunged at us with a chilling roar, its eyes still glowing with that insatiable hunger.
Jack was the first to react. He slid to the left with impressive speed, his bastard sword cutting through the air in an attempt to intercept the monster. But the Lupinacid twisted with unnatural agility, dodging the blade with unsettling precision.—"Damn it!" —Jack growled, leaping back before the monster could strike.Instead of rejoining the fight, he dropped to his knees, clutching his side.—"Shit… it got me!" —he groaned dramatically.
Nao barely spared him a glance before charging forward in a frenzy, his body entering Mode 1. His movements became faster, his spear slicing through the air with growing aggression. Each strike sought to break the Lupinacid's defenses, but the creature, though weakened from earlier attacks, kept dodging with beastlike precision.
Mika, assessing the situation, shifted tactics. She murmured a spell, and thorn-covered vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around the monster to hold it in place. At the same time, she raised a hand and conjured a whip-like wave of fire that lashed out.
The flames clung to the Lupinacid's body, drawing a guttural shriek from it. Mika clenched her teeth and pushed the spell harder. Still, the monster, driven by its survival instinct, tore through the roots with a roar and lunged forward with renewed fury.
It's outmatching us at every turn. We can't keep this up.—"Fall back!" —I shouted, trying to regroup before it was too late.
But then, the Lupinacid changed targets. Its eyes locked on the surviving dragonkin.They didn't have time to react. Its body blurred, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Before the half-dragon could raise his sword, the creature was already upon him.
A sickening impact. A crunch.The Lupinacid's claw pierced through his abdomen like a battering ram, shredding flesh and scale as if they were soaked parchment. The half-dragon grunted, trying to strike back with his free arm—But the beast bit it off.
It didn't end there.The Lupinacid lifted his body with its jaws and slammed it against the ground with inhuman violence. Once. Twice. Three times. Each impact mangled him further, blood and viscera painting the battlefield. When it finally let go, the half-dragon was barely a shadow of what he had been.
The others tried to run.They didn't get far.
The Lupinacid moved like a blur, leaving a trail of slicing wind in its wake. One claw caught a soldier by the head—A dry crack.The other raised his spear—Useless. The beast dodged, impaled his chest with its tail, and tore him in two with a single motion.
Mika felt a chill watching the slaughter. Not just because of the Lupinacid's brutality—But because of the way it moved.It wasn't fighting.It was hunting.
The dying half-dragon tried to crawl away.The Lupinacid noticed.
A guttural roar. A spray of phosphorescent green saliva.The corrosive fluid drenched the dragonkin's body. His skin began to bubble, then peel off in melting strips. Muscle dissolved, bones exposed for a moment—before they too melted into an unrecognizable, steaming puddle.
Nao roared, entering Frenzy.—"We're not letting it keep doing this!"He dashed forward, his speed increasing with every step. His spear glowed with ferocious energy as he aimed for the creature's weak spot.
Mika finished her incantation. Black flames burst from her hands. A magic circle flared beneath her feet, intensifying the heat. With a shout, she unleashed a massive burst of fire, engulfing the Lupinacid.
But the beast didn't stop.The flames scorched its skin, made it writhe—But instead of fleeing, it charged directly at Mika.
Jack moved at the last second, placing himself between her and the monster. With his bastard sword, he blocked the creature's strike—But the force of it sent him skidding back several meters.—"Mika! More fire!" —he growled, his muscles burning from the blow.
Mika inhaled deeply and pushed the spell harder. The flames roared higher, causing cracks to spread across the Lupinacid's flesh.
But instead of falling back...The Lupinacid roared with fury and lunged even faster.
Rowena barely had time to react.The Lupinacid reached her in an instant, raising one limb to cleave her in two—
Then, the air trembled.
A guttural sound rose from the depths of the earth, an ancient, primeval roar that made the ground quake. Flames burst from cracks in the battlefield—And with them, a titanic silhouette rose from the dust and corpses.
The dragon inhaled deeply—And with a deafening roar, exhaled a torrent of searing fire. The flames devoured the air, wrapping the Lupinacid in a howling inferno. The beast shrieked, writhing as its charred flesh cracked under the heat.
But it didn't fall.
Still ablaze, the Lupinacid roared in rage and leapt at the dragon, its claws outstretched like black spears. Its body burned, its flesh melting—But its berserker instinct drove it forward.
—"Don't let it recover!" —Mika shouted, raising both hands.
A dark magic circle expanded beneath her feet, and instead of fire—Twisted black vines erupted from the ground. They wrapped around the Crawler's limbs, tightening with inhuman strength. The creature roared, thrashing desperately, but the vines held even against fire.
Mika clenched her teeth. Her control wavered, but she stayed focused.Poison seeped from the vines, spreading through the Lupinacid's open wounds. The beast screamed, its body trembling as paralysis began to set in.
Nao didn't waste the chance.—"Frenzy Mode 2!"
His muscles tensed, his skin glowing red as the air around him pulsed with raw power. He launched himself with such force that the ground cracked beneath him. His spear flashed crimson as he dove toward the beast.
Jack followed immediately.With precise movements, he slid along the Lupinacid's side, his blade flickering with silver light. He wasn't aiming for a killing blow—But strategic cuts: tendons, joints, weak points. Every slash made it harder for the creature to move.
The Lupinacid roared, convulsing—But it didn't flee. It tried to strike back.
Its tail exploded into a whip of black thorns, lashing out at Mika.
Jack reacted instantly, blocking with his sword.The impact rang out like metal on metal, sparks flying. The blow pushed him back again—But he stayed standing.
—"Mika, keep pushing!" —he growled, arms trembling from the force.
Mika shut her eyes for a second and whispered another spell.
The poison.
The air thickened with a sweet, deadly scent. Emerald smoke rose from the vines binding the Lupinacid and seeped into its scorched skin. The spasms grew more violent. Its regeneration slowed.
— Nao! Now!
Nao was already in place.With a fierce cry, his spear pierced the Lupinacid's abdomen, driving through it completely. The creature convulsed, a spray of black blood bursting from the wound.
But it wasn't enough.
It still had the strength to move. To kill.
The dragon raised its head one last time.Its eyes burned with desperate fire, its body shook with exhaustion—But it still held one last breath.
Nao leapt out of range in the final second.
The dragon roared with all its might—And with its final breath, unleashed a point-blank blast of fire at the Lupinacid.
The world turned into a blaze of white and blue.The fire scorched the Lupinacid's flesh down to the bone. Its furious roar twisted into a scream of agony. It writhed, tried to move—But it had no limbs left to obey.
The flames consumed it.Mika's chains held it fast until the last spark of life left its body.
And then, finally...
The Lupinacid stopped moving.
The dragon exhaled deeply and collapsed, exhausted. Its chest rose and fell with effort.
Rowena slowly lowered her weapon, her gaze fixed on the smoldering remains of the Lupinacid.
—Are you... okay?
The dragon turned its head with difficulty and looked at her. Its eyes, though tired, reflected a spark of satisfaction.
—We... won.
It exhaled deeply, closing its eyes for a moment.
Nao dropped her spear and fell to her knees, breathing heavily. Jack sheathed his sword, swaying slightly. Mika lowered her arms, letting the energy of her spells fade away.
They didn't know if they had truly won.
But at the very least, they had survived.
______________________________________________________________________________________
The battlefield still reeked of blood and ash. The night breeze carried a metallic, heavy scent—witness to the brutality we had just endured. The dragon's flames still crackled in the distance, and Mika...
Mika stood in the middle of it all.
Mika was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. At first, I thought it was just exhaustion—the toll of battle. But something was wrong.
Her silhouette... was changing.
I saw her bring a hand to her head, as if something was tormenting her. Then, her stature began to shrink. It wasn't gradual, nor natural. It was sudden, unnatural, as if her body was contracting against her will.
—Mika...? —I took a step toward her, but her stifled gasp stopped me.
Her bones cracked, shrinking abruptly. Her build, once robust and powerful, became more agile, lighter. Then I saw her touch her forehead with an alarmed expression. Something was there.
Horns.
Black as the night, curving slightly backward, as if they had always belonged to her.
My chest tightened with a mix of awe and fear. Her hair, once golden and vibrant, began to lose its color, fading into a pale, almost unreal tone under the moonlight.
But that wasn't all.
Something emerged from her lower back.
At first, it was just a small movement under her clothes, but within seconds, a long, slender tail burst forth, instinctively swaying in the air.
—What... —the words caught in my throat.
Mika didn't stop. Her transformation kept advancing, as if something greater inside her was awakening. Her ears elongated, taking on a more refined, elegant shape—those of an Elf.
She was... unrecognizable.
Mika, in her new form, remained silent. She looked at her hands, flexing her fingers as if testing her own strength. Jack drew his sword and held it up so she could see her reflection. Her eyes scanned her face in the blade, analyzing every change.
There was no panic in her expression.
Only... acceptance.
Then, she pulled her hood over her head, hiding her ears—as if she had already made a decision about what to do with this new form.And then, she smiled.
—I guess... this is me now.
My breath caught.
I didn't understand what had just happened. I didn't know what this change meant, or if Mika was still the same person I knew. But I did know one thing: this transformation wasn't just physical.
Something inside her had changed too.
Nao and I stood frozen. Nao had used her Frenzy skill, and from what I remembered, that would leave her drained. She had been a whirlwind on the battlefield, a storm of steel that gave the beast no room to react.
But we didn't have time to process what was happening with Mika.
From the still-smoldering embers, something moved.
The Lupinacid—that terrifying monster we had fought so hard to defeat—emerged from the flames. Its body, charred and torn, barely held itself upright. Its blackened exoskeleton cracked open, revealing scorched flesh and dark fluids spilling with each step. But its gaze... its gaze still clung to life, filled with rage and a primal instinct that refused to die.
I felt a chill crawl down my spine as the creature lifted its head to the sky. Its torn throat vibrated with a deep sound—a guttural, drawn-out roar, as if its very pain had turned into a cry for death.
A scream of despair.
DING!
🔷 Rowena has leveled up 🔷🔸 Level 1 → Level 16Materials obtained:— Resentful Fang of the Lupinacid— Poison Gland of the Lupinacid— Carapace of the Lupinacid
🔸 New abilities acquired:▪ Battle Vision 🦅 – Enhances perception and analytical ability in combat, allowing anticipation of enemy moves.▪ Agile Step ⚡ – Increases speed and evasion capability through smoother movement.
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🔷 Rowena has leveled up! 🔷🔸 Level 1 → Level 16
📦 Materials Obtained:• Resentful Lupinacid Fang• Lupinacid Venom Gland• Lupinacid Carapace
✨ New Skills Unlocked:▪ Battle Vision 🦅Sharpens the senses in the heat of combat, increasing perception and analytical ability. Allows for instinctive anticipation of enemy movements.
▪ Agile Step ⚡Enhances fluidity and speed of movement, enabling quick dodges and evasive maneuvers against incoming attacks.
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My breath hitched.There was no time to check for more details.
At first, I didn't understand it.It was a tragic sound—unlike any other threat we had faced.Mika, in her new form, stood still, tension rippling through her muscles.
Then something clicked in my mind.It was a call.
Cornered animals do that.When a wolf is overwhelmed, it howls to summon its pack.When a deer faces its end, it releases one final cry to warn its kin.
And the Lupinacid…The Lupinacid wasn't a solitary beast.
—Mika! —my throat tightened with panic—. It's a pack-hunting Beast…!
A roar shattered my words.
In the distance, shadows began to move through the underbrush—fast.
Tiny glimmers of eyes caught the reflection of the lingering flames.
It wasn't just one.
There were many.
And they were coming straight for us.