The two of them reached Mt. Sedan, and a dwarf came running toward them, bowing. "Lord Francis, please help my comrades! They were taken by some mysterious creatures. I don't know what it is; it's the first time I've ever seen it."
"How are you?" Francis asked.
"I'm fine, my lord, but please help them!"
"Alright. You stay here and do not enter the mountain, no matter what happens."
They rushed toward the inner mountain. "Do you feel it?" Ronaldo asked.
"Yes, this immense raw essence is Theta-level."
They continued running deeper, and a light-gold shine appeared ahead. Suddenly, a tentacle hit Francis. It was a close call, but he used his Time Walk to teleport deeper into the cave. Ronaldo kept running.
Francis was too stunned to speak, frozen in his place as he looked up at a huge octopus head with a human face. It had a human body, but with tentacles for hands and two feet. From the right side, a tentacle smashed the mountain wall and came right toward Francis's location. Still, Francis couldn't move due to the powerful aura of the creature, which was called an "Octopien."
The tentacle was about to smash Francis's head when a hammer-like sound clapped the tentacle, making it unable to move.
Ronaldo kicked Francis. "You idiot! Are you planning to die? Wake up!"
Pinned against the wall, Francis came back to his senses. "That's… that's it! We can't defeat it, Ronaldo! We must back up!" Francis yelled.
"Then go back! You coward! Are you letting your miners who made your family rich for centuries just die? You ungrateful brat!" Ronaldo shouted.
"Silent Inferno Paste!"
A transparent, invisible fire attacked the Octopien, which defended itself by covering its body with its tentacle-hands.
"Oh, that's new. I've never seen such strong power, boy," the Octopien said. "Release the miners!"
The Octopien looked back at a vast field of gold, where dwarves were tied up. "Them? They are my food. I came here when I ran out of food in that village," the Octopien said.
Ronaldo was shocked, trembling with anger and fear. "Villa—what are you saying?"
"They taste delicious, the villagers in that place. I covered it with mist first for them to sleep. They were so healthy that it made me crave more. After I ate them, I noticed some twinkle little men working here, so I lured them with these treasures, and now you're interfering with my meal. Die!"
A tentacle-hand rushed toward Ronaldo so fast that he barely managed to avoid it.
Flashback
He copied Francis's power ever since he saw it, but promised not to use it and copy any more of Francis's abilities. He just copied Time Lapse and Time Walk.
End Flashback
Using Time Walk, he managed to dodge the attack, but the Octopien's attacks were getting faster. Then, it stopped for a second and released a dark fluid mist. Ronaldo looked at Francis, who was still frozen in place and would be affected by the mist. He jumped through it.
Ronaldo closed his eyes. "Hey, give me something that I can use to avoid this!"
[Copying fan weapon. You can use it to manipulate the air around you.]
Ronaldo used the fan to absorb the mist and used Silent Inferno to burn it.
"Oh-ho, you're a promising man, but I don't sense any magic on you, boy. What are you?"
"You don't have to know about me!" Ronaldo threw a number of kunai to occupy the tentacles, then rushed toward the Octopien, aiming for its head. A huge, long sword-type cleaver appeared on his left arm, and he gripped it with both hands, launching an attack on its head.
"Ahhhhh, die, you son of—"
But the head was hard, leaving Ronaldo vulnerable mid-air to an attack. A tentacle smashed him, sending him flying through numerous columns of the cave. The Octopien flew toward him.
"That's enough, young boy. You've been very naughty. It's time to end your insolent behavior." The tentacles twirled into a sharp point.
"Oy, get your filthy body away from my friend!"
He turned to look at Francis. As he did, one of the tentacles pierced Ronaldo's left hand. Ronaldo screamed in pain.
Francis clenched his fist. "Clock of Despair!"
A huge clock appeared on Francis's right side, and he drew out the short and long hands of the clock, which turned into two swords. His aura made the cave tremble.
The Octopien laughed. "Oh-ho, this coward is even more worth playing with compared to this weakling!"
Francis instantly flashed toward the Octopien. "Chrono Slash!" He cut off four of the Octopien's tentacles.
"You can't kill me with that swo—what? Why isn't this regenerating?" the Octopien shrieked.
"Sorry to inform you, my sword can stop the time of your regeneration, and you can never regenerate it!"
The Octopien was mad, releasing ink with a mucus-like substance that covered the inside of the cave. Francis used "Chrono Slash" to cut through it and rushed to Ronaldo, moving him to where the tied-up miners were. Francis kept attacking the Octopien, but the creature could dodge his attacks. Every time it dodged, it released more ink, slowing Francis's movements.
"If this continues for a long time, I will run out of raw magic," Francis thought. He looked at Ronaldo. "That bastard dares to sleep! Ronaldo!"
The Octopien kicked Francis, and he flew back. The Octopien then grabbed Francis's body, smashing him against the floor and the wall.
"Lord Francis!" the miners shouted.
Ronaldo awoke, slowly standing up. He touched his left knee to steady himself. "Chain of Prisoner Paste!"
Numerous chains shot out from Ronaldo and quickly held the Octopien, making it lose control of its tentacles. Francis fell. Ronaldo's chains held the Octopien on the ground.
[Notice: Do you want to copy the target's ability?]
[Yes]
[Copying the target's ability…]
[Copying…77%...]
The Octopien shouted, and its head cracked, with a number of thin tentacles coming out. Francis rushed toward it while it was chained and slashed every thin tentacle attacking Ronaldo.
"The tentacles have human heads! It keeps pouring out! Francis, watch out!" Ronaldo yelled.
"It's probably depending on how many humans the monster has eaten," Francis said.
The dwarves saw their comrades' heads on those tentacles, and they were scared and trembling. Francis, at his limit, grew angry when he saw that, too. He rushed toward the monster, slashing everything.
[Copying completed. You can now paste it.]
The chains went back to Ronaldo, and he stood up, shaking. A dark, shadowy tentacle appeared behind him and launched toward the Octopien, gripping it firmly.
"Impossible! How can you copy my ability!" the Octopien screamed.
"Francis, now!" Ronaldo yelled.
Francis Time Walked and sliced the Octopien in half, but it was still moving. He cut it into all pieces, and it vanished into thin air.
"Wait, the tentacles are escaping!"
Both of them chased them and slashed at every last one.
The surroundings became clear and calm, and they untied the miners.