"Damn it, this guy won't let us pass. We only have six hours left before the general's deadline," Drake muttered under his breath as he dodged Geros' relentless attacks. Adia, the mage, deployed a protective barrier to fend off the thousands of tentacles emerging from the massive dark being, whose form constantly shifted. At that moment, it took on the appearance of a knight in gleaming armor, though its tentacles remained as menacing as ever.
Meanwhile, Podbe used his hardening ability to cover Aiden with an improvised layer of armor, shielding him as he stayed perched on Drake's back. Leila, moving with agility, ran alongside them, seeking refuge behind the rubble.
"You come to my quarters and think you can leave already…? Haven't I given you a warm welcome yet?" Geros said with a malicious smile, launching lightning bolts from his tentacles that sliced through the air like streaks of thunder. Adia reacted quickly, creating small magical shields that deflected the bolts with precision.
"Well, well… Not bad, little Adia. Do you not remember who taught you all this?" the dark being asked mockingly, his eyes glowing intensely.
"It can't be… Are you 'GOL'?" Adia said incredulously, maintaining her active defenses.
"Ha, ha! Not just me. The father of Richard Laos, Professor Eros, is also with me," Geros replied with a sinister laugh. "How is that even possible?" Adia murmured, disturbed, as she transformed her shields into magical swords and hurled them directly at Geros.
"Also, I have something that might make you happy or furious, depending on your perspective," Geros continued, ignoring the attacks. "But I'd rather not spoil the mystery. It's a long story, and you don't have much time." With a swift motion, he attacked again, launching his tentacles imbued with various elements: electricity, fire, water, and earth were just some of the powers he unleashed.
"Damn it! How can you do all that?" Adia shouted, struggling to hold her ground against the assault.
"Do you think you're the only one who can wield magic from different specialties? I know you're one in a million. Normally, the stones grant only one power per person, but you're the exception to that rule. And so am I. Just because you're an anomaly that should've died years ago doesn't make you special—don't get too full of yourself, girl."
"Ah! You're wondering how I achieved this, aren't you? Well, I obtained it from the Black Stone, which fulfills the desires of the soul and grants power to whoever merges with it, giving them what they desire."
"But how did you get it? You yourself said a guardian was protecting it!" Adia exclaimed, suddenly recalling that they had defeated Urion, the guardian in question.
"Exactly, girl. Thanks to that guy you defeated, I was finally able to obtain what I wanted. It's mine now," Geros stated in a cold, authoritative voice.
With determination, Adia protected herself and those around her, launching magical whirlwinds toward him.
"I didn't know that," Drake murmured from behind a wall, observing the scene intently. "Now it makes sense why he can do all that. I should've realized it sooner," he reflected quietly.
"So that's why she can use more than one element at a time," Leila thought, analyzing the situation as she watched Adia fight with all her might.
"I hope our lead mage can hold on, but if he defeats her, we're done for. Even more so if we have to face that being ourselves," Drake concluded, looking at Adia with concern as she continued to fend off Geros' relentless attacks.
As the epic battle between Mage Adia and the dark entity Geros raged on, the group moved through the cell area, where they were met by an additional wave of controlled individuals.
"Great, more of these guys," Leila muttered in frustration as she assessed the situation.
"Damn it, I can't fight without risking harm to this child," Drake remarked, referring to Aiden, who remained protected under his care.
Determined to help, Podbe stepped forward and used his Firehead attack to knock out the first wave of controlled ones approaching them. There were five in total, but with Leila's assistance—using her telekinetic powers to slam them against the walls—they quickly cleared the area.
Suddenly, a notification echoed in Podbe's mind:
"You have reached level 14. You receive 1 skill point.
Next level, level 15: Requires 5000 experience points to advance," announced the system's voice, Reia, in its usual mechanical tone.
"What? 5000 points? System, sometimes you're cruel," Podbe thought with frustration as he processed the information.
Before he could continue complaining, another notification appeared:
"Protect your loved one from the hordes approaching. Reward: 2000 points and a mysterious gift."
"What did you mean by that, Reia?" Podbe asked mentally.
"I don't know, but if you want to find out, you need to win. Before, I gave you 1500 points per enemy; now, only 2000 for defending," the Dog responded uncomfortably.
"This time, you really overdid it, system," Podbe muttered as he made use of his enhanced abilities to face the enemies still pouring in.
The canine fought ferociously, taking on controlled individuals of varying ages: children, teenagers, and even young adults up to 17 years old, all endowed with dangerous powers.
"There are too many," Billy noted from behind, watching as Podbe and Leila battled hundreds of controlled ones that seemed endless.
"I can't just stand here doing nothing," Drake murmured. He unfastened the pod carrying Aiden and handed him over to Elena, Billy, and Maria. "Take care of him," he ordered, before charging toward a pair of controlled ones, closing in on the group.
Over the speakers, a cold voice resonated: "Bring me the boy." It was Maos. Waves of controlled individuals kept arriving, slowly surrounding them.
The canine fought with determination, but his mana was beginning to run out. "I'm almost at zero. I'll have to rely on my strength and enhanced skills," he decided as he knocked down another enemy.
"There are too many of them," Drake observed, realizing they were completely surrounded.
Meanwhile, Aiden remained unconscious on the ground. His friends were trying desperately to wake him.
"Come on, Aiden, wake up," Elena, Billy, and Maria urged, gently shaking him.
"Come on, Aiden, you can't give up like this," they added, their voices filled with desperation.
Maria, unsure of what to do, accidentally touched Aiden's face while pleading for him to respond. At that instant, a warm, glowing aura emerged from her hands and flowed into Aiden's body, as if something magical was healing him.
Aiden's eyes shot open, his expression renewed, as though he had regained all his health and energy.
"What happened?" he asked, confused.
"I think you're a healing mage," Billy said, pointing at Maria in amazement.
"How do you know that?" she asked, surprised by what she had just done.
"Well, I learned that from the comics and books I read online when Aiden and I used to sneak around the orphanage," Billy explained with a grin.
"That's great," Maria said, but immediately afterward, she collapsed from the effort.
"Awesome, now you've awakened your powers too," Billy commented, looking at Maria with admiration.
"I think she used up all her energy," Drake interjected, observing the unconscious girl. "She's just awakened her abilities. She'll need more practice if she doesn't want them to overwhelm her."
"So we have a healing mage... That could come in handy," Drake reflected. "And another fire mage... I wonder what the four-eyed kid named Billy has," he added, charging at a pair of controlled ones attempting to approach.
"You two already have your powers, and I've got nothing," Billy protested, visibly jealous.
"Are you a mage, Maria?" Aiden asked, surprised.
"Yes, didn't you hear?" Billy replied, but quickly changed his tone as he noticed more enemies approaching. "But this isn't the time. Look, they're all coming to attack us."
"Yeah, I see. Podbe and the girl—I think her name is Leila—are doing their best to protect us," Aiden remarked, looking toward the battle with concern.
"Hey, Aiden!" Elena began, her voice trembling as she tried to apologize. "Well, I wanted… to tell you I'm sorry."
Aiden interrupted her with a calm smile. "With everything that's happened, it's okay. I'll let it go for now. We can talk about it later. It's not a definite 'yes,' but we can discuss it," he responded calmly, showing his willingness to resolve things later.
The girl blushed slightly and nodded. "Alright," she murmured, feeling the weight of guilt lighten somewhat.
"I'm glad Aiden is okay," Podbe commented while defending his position, lunging at a pair of controlled ones trying to approach the group.
"Yes, good," Reia's voice echoed in the canine's mind, adding a reassuring tone to the situation.
"There are so many again... They're surrounding us," Drake noted, watching as more controlled individuals appeared from all directions. The group formed a defensive circle, facing the imminent threat. Even Podbe, who had already depleted his mana, stood firm, barking fiercely at the approaching enemies.
At that moment, a blast of ice emerged from nowhere, trapping some of the controlled ones and freezing them instantly. Then, a giant fox with a lizard-like tail appeared, leaping among the enemies and tossing others into the air with agile and precise movements. Seconds later, familiar energy bullets illuminated the battlefield.
"Gat!" the kids exclaimed, recognizing the technique used by the young man they had met in Italy during Aiden's rescue.
"Not just him," Drake indicated, watching as more familiar figures approached to help.