Riven hit the ground hard, dirt and leaves scattering as he rolled to a stop. The Zeltrick spun at the sound, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto him like twin lanterns in the dark. For a heartbeat, neither moved—predator and prey locked in a silent standoff. The forest itself seemed to still, every rustle and chirp fading beneath the weight of their tension.
Then, with a guttural snarl, the beast lunged—a blur of red fur and lethal intent.
This time, Riven was ready. Pink mana surged through his veins, sharp and electric, sharpening his reflexes and flooding his limbs with speed. He threw himself sideways, the air behind him tearing as a wall of spikes ripped through where he'd just stood.
Gasping, he barely caught the hiss of air before a storm of needle-like projectiles shot toward him. "Shit—!" He vanished mid-step, blinking out just as the deadly barrage shredded the space he'd been in.
When he reappeared a few feet away, the sight that greeted him made his stomach twist. The ground was skewered with hundreds of spikes—some as thin as needles, others jagged and fist-sized. He shivered involuntarily, his eyes flicking back to the Zeltrick. A patch of fur along its left side was missing—bare and raw.
An opening.
Riven seized the chance, blinking to the exposed flank. His right fist flared with dense amber mana before it slammed into the beast's side. The impact cracked like thunder, pain lancing up his arm as bone met bone. The Zeltrick roared, the sound rattling through his chest, and twisted violently—its spikes lashing out to tear him apart.
"Not this time," he muttered through gritted teeth, driving his left fist into its hide before blinking away again. He reappeared a short distance off, chest heaving, a wild grin splitting his face despite the pain throbbing through his knuckles.
The Zeltrick staggered, its massive form trembling from the dual assault. Its breathing grew ragged, movements uneven. Nyla noticed instantly.
Before rejoining the fight, she glanced toward her beast bond—the grayhound. It lay several meters away, still bleeding from the earlier spike impact but breathing steadily. Its natural regeneration was already knitting some of the smaller wounds closed. "Stay down, boy," she whispered, her hand briefly glowing with gentle mana as she calmed it. The grayhound growled weakly but obeyed, sinking low into the brush.
Nyla turned back just as the Zeltrick recovered from Riven's assault. Gripping her spear, she darted forward with renewed focus, moving to flank while Jack thundered in from the opposite side.
The ground trembled beneath his steps as he charged, his body glowing faintly blue—the mark of reinforcement magic coursing through his limbs. His massive two-handed hammer hummed with mana as he swung it in a wide arc, colliding with the Zeltrick's side. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, forcing the beast to stumble backward with a guttural snarl.
"Hit it again!" Jack roared.
Riven and Nyla didn't hesitate—Riven blinked to strike, Nyla thrust with her spear in tandem. The beast howled in fury, its spikes rattling like steel against steel.
But then the Zeltrick's fur began to bristle again. The hairs along its back elongated, hardening into thousands of razor-edged spikes. Nyla's eyes widened. "Back!"
They leapt aside just as the beast released another deadly spray. The grayhound, even from the sidelines, growled and tried to rise—but Nyla snapped an order, her mana pulsing to keep it down. She couldn't risk it taking another hit.
Jack blocked several of the spikes with his hammer, the impact ringing through his arms. "This thing's insane!" he shouted.
"Just keep it busy!" Riven replied, blinking behind the creature and striking once more.
The Zeltrick twisted, its spiked tail slamming into the ground with enough force to split the soil. Jack ducked low, sliding under the swing before countering—his hammer glowing brighter, the mana within it surging. He met the beast's incoming claw strike head-on, the collision erupting in a blast of light and raw energy.
The shockwave launched him backward, sending him crashing through brush and rock. He hit the ground hard, sliding to a stop but miraculously unharmed. Gritting his teeth, he tried to rise, but the distance between him and the fight had widened too much.
Now it was just Riven and Nyla.
The Zeltrick's aura flared once more—eyes burning brighter, fur shifting like molten metal. Its claws and fangs elongated, pulsing with energy. The air grew thick, oppressive.
"Run!" Riven shouted, fear bleeding into his voice. He'd seen this before—an awakening, just like the Fangleon.
But his warning came too late.
The Zeltrick vanished, reappearing before Nyla in a blink. She barely had time to gasp before one of its glowing fangs pierced through her shoulder. Her scream tore through the clearing, raw and gut-wrenching. Blood poured freely, her spear clattering to the ground.
Riven's pulse spiked. Rage overtook fear. In two rapid blinks, he appeared right before the creature's snarling face, amber mana roaring through him. His right fist shot upward in a crushing uppercut, the blow snapping the Zeltrick's head back with a sickening crack. The beast reeled, releasing Nyla as it stumbled.
Without wasting a breath, Riven grabbed her and tried to blink—but his mana faltered. "Damn it!" He gritted his teeth, realizing he couldn't teleport others. So instead, he slung her over his back and sprinted, every step burning.
After gaining distance, he set her down gently against a tree trunk. Her shoulder was mangled—a gaping wound of torn flesh and exposed bone. Blood soaked the ground beneath them. Riven's stomach churned, his hands shaking as he pressed them against the wound, utterly lost. "Stay with me, Nyla," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Don't you dare fade out on me."
A piercing howl shattered the silence. Riven's head jerked up—the Zeltrick still stood, eyes blazing, its body trembling but unbroken. Despite its wounds, it pawed the ground, readying for another charge.
I can't blink her out… and I'm empty. Panic clawed at him. Logic screamed to run, but his body refused.
"Come on," he muttered, trying to summon amber mana again—nothing. His soul core was dry.
The beast tensed, coiling for the final leap.
"Die, you beast!"
The shout rang through the forest, followed by a sharp metallic screech. Riven's eyes widened as a glowing arrow streaked through the air and pierced straight into the Zeltrick's skull.
The creature froze mid-step. Its eyes dimmed. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, it collapsed—dead before it hit the ground.
A pulse of energy rippled outward, surging into Riven. The world blurred, and for a brief instant, he found himself in his soul space—gray mist swirling around him. He watched as energy from the beast streamed into the space, condensing into a denser, brighter form.
But then, strangely, the flow split—dividing into two distinct portions, for each core.
Riven blinked in shock, the realization hit him—his essence was being divided evenly, neither core gaining full strength. The implications twisted in his mind, but there was no time to dwell. Nyla was hurt.
He forced himself out of the soul space, the gray mist fading into reality once again.
Jack and the others burst from the trees, pale and panting. "What happened?" Jack demanded, eyes darting between Riven and Nyla.
"That thing had one last burst," Riven replied, still catching his breath. "She couldn't dodge in time."
Wendy was already at Nyla's side, pulling out a red vial that shimmered like molten rubies. She poured it carefully into Nyla's mouth. For a tense moment—nothing.
Then Nyla twitched. The bleeding slowed, her wounds knitting together just enough to stop the flow. Wendy worked quickly, bandaging the shoulder with practiced precision.
Silence settled again, the air heavy but calm this time.
A sudden gasp drew everyone's eyes—Nyla had woken. She tried to sit, wincing, but Wendy gently pressed her back down. "Easy. Don't move yet."
"What about… the beast?" Nyla asked weakly.
"We handled it," Wendy assured her, tone firm but soft.
Riven exhaled, finally standing. He approached the corpse of the beast, examining the clean hole through its skull. "Good shot," he murmured.
Tim walked up beside him, managing a weary smile. "You kept it off us long enough for me to line it up. You did your part."
Riven returned the smile, faint but genuine. "Thanks."
As Tim turned back to check on the others, Riven's gaze drifted once more to the Zeltrick's remains. A faint flicker of light caught his eye as shards of glowing light flickered into existence above the creature's body.
Riven's body stiffened, not sure what to expect.