As soon as the dark energy faded from the area, the creature that had been standing beside the old man vanished.
At that moment, anxiety swept through the old man's heart, yet a deceptive sense of relief crept in as well, as he assumed that Oliver had been crushed under the weight of that devastating blow.
But that reassurance lasted no more than a fraction of a second.
For the instant the last trace of dark energy disappeared, the ground shook and vines burst forth from beneath it with force, and Oliver emerged from deep underground.
His body was covered in dust, his breathing rapid, yet his eyes were steady and sharp.
What had happened an instant before the mythical creature's attack struck him was that he had unleashed the vines beneath himself,
digging a deep pit and hiding inside it, avoiding a strike that would have killed him instantly.
