Celia stepped back, satisfied that her master had seen her strength, while Linda kept firing arrows. The orc was closing the distance fast, its massive bat raised high. Before she could land a shot, it charged, swinging the enormous weapon and slamming it into the ground. The impact cracked the earth, sending dirt flying.
Linda leapt aside, narrowly dodging as the bat smashed down again. Each swing carried enough force to flatten her if it connected.
It kept repeating the attack, relentless. Linda’s chest tightened. What’s going on? Who am I anymore? Celia just defeated her opponent so easily. She unlocked her power. But me... I can’t even keep up. Am I the one who won’t be able to stand beside Master?
Still, she refused to give up. Linda dodged another crushing swing and fired, but her arrows bounced uselessly against the orc’s thick hide.
"Linda, should we help?" Celia shouted, concern flickering in her voice.
"No, I’m fine! Don’t worry, I can do this!" Linda called back, determination blazing in her eyes. "I have to put everything I’ve trained for into this. Everything. Wind affinity alone isn’t enough... its skin is too thick. Then... I’ll use everything I’ve got."
She steadied herself, whispering under her breath. "This is what elves usually do... Stage Elven Reach. I shouldn’t be capable of it, but... I’ll try."
The orc roared and swung the massive bat again. Linda’s eyes widened. Suddenly, the world slowed. She could see everything—the club cutting through the air, the dust spiraling around it, even the ripple of the orc’s muscles.
Time itself felt sluggish. With clarity sharper than ever before, she raised her bow. The wind affinity flared around her arrow. She scanned the orc’s body and saw it—an opening. A red point glowed faintly at its wrist.
Linda smiled. "Found it."
She released the arrow. It struck the orc’s wrist, making it drop the massive bat with a howl of pain. Without hesitation, she nocked two more arrows, releasing them in quick succession. One pierced its left eye. The other, its right. The orc staggered back, screaming in agony.
The orc thrashed wildly, blinded and screaming in agony.
"It’s time to end your pain," Linda whispered. Her eyes sharpened as her vision expanded, searching deeper. Where is it... the core?
She drew back her bow, steadying her breath. A faint red glow appeared within the monster’s stomach—its life source.
"This time, no matter how thick your hide is... I’ll pierce it," she vowed.
Wind affinity surged around her arrow, wrapping it in a fierce current. She loosed. The arrow tore through the air, faster than lightning, slamming into the orc’s stomach. The thick skin ripped open, and the shot pierced the glowing core.
The beast froze, let out a final, guttural cry, and collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Celia turned immediately. "Master... I did it!" Linda gasped, lowering her bow.
Nolan stepped forward, pride in his eyes. "I’m proud of you. Both of you. But Linda—let me ask. For a moment, you moved faster than even Celia’s eyes could follow. What was that?"
"I... I don’t know," Linda admitted, still catching her breath. "My senses felt... sharper. Everything around me slowed down, like time itself bent. It wasn’t normal."
Nolan then turned to Celia. "And you. What about that crest? I saw it glow on your arm. A phoenix... wasn’t it?"
Celia looked down, hesitating, then nodded. "Yes. The crest of the White Phoenix, queen of all phoenixes. I don’t understand why it appeared. The elders in my village used to tell stories—that when the Archangel Michael, savior of both humans and demons, left this world during the great war, he sent a white phoenix to protect it. They say that whoever received its blessing would bear its crest."
Her fingers brushed the faint, glowing mark on her skin. "I always thought it was just a myth... but in that moment, I felt it. A burning flame within me. I reached for it... and it answered."
Nolan’s eyes softened with awe. "Wonderful. Truly... I’ve never seen anything . The both of you fought well. But for now, you should rest. Power like that takes a toll."
"Master, you worry too much," Celia said with a bright smile. "Don’t. We can keep moving. We have to get stronger, and our bodies can handle it."
"Yes, she’s right. I can keep going too," Linda added, determination in her voice.
Nolan sighed, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "If that’s so... then let’s keep moving."
They pressed deeper into the dungeon. Nolan slowed his steps for a moment, recalling. The last time I entered this place, I never came through this path... what lies ahead?
"Be careful," he murmured.
As they turned a corner, their eyes widened. A vast chamber opened before them, its walls glittering with crystal. At the center stretched a wide lake, its waters glowing faintly as if reflecting the crystals’ light.
"Wow... this is beautiful!" Celia and Linda exclaimed together, their voices echoing across the chamber.
Before Nolan could respond, both girls ran forward, rushing toward the shimmering water with excitement.
"It’s so beautiful..." Celia whispered as she cupped water in her palms, sprinkling it across her face. Linda followed, laughing softly. "Look at this, Master. It’s glowing. The lake is breathtaking."
Nolan watched them quietly, but then his eyes narrowed. The glow in the water shifted. Something stirred.
"You two, move back. Now!" Nolan’s tone snapped sharp, commanding.
"What? Master, what’s wrong?" Celia asked, confused.
Before she could take another step, the water exploded upward. A massive, scaled head burst out, mouth gaping wide enough to swallow them whole. Waves surged, spraying across the cavern.
Nolan reacted instantly. He dashed forward, faster than the eye could follow, scooping Celia and Linda away to the far side of the chamber. The ground trembled as the creature emerged fully.
Its many heads rose one after another, hissing and shrieking. A hydra.
"Stay behind me," Nolan said, his voice low but firm. He clenched his fists, fire swirling around his knuckles, heat distorting the air. "Don’t worry. You’re safe now. All I need is one punch."