"Die, you foul rodent!"
With that, Lysander lunged forward, reciting more incantations as the lightning arcs around his palm intensified.
'He's going for the offensive,' Aurelian thought. 'He's not holding back.'
The Gasoian Bat let out a screech that rattled the windows of the overturned carriage. It pushed off the goat carcass, its massive wings spanning nearly twelve feet. According to the classifications set by the Magi Association, this creature was a Middle-Grade Tier IV monster. In this world, monsters were ranked from Tier I to Tier X, with each tier subdivided into Low, Middle, and High grades. A Tier X monster was a calamity that even SSS-rank Magi struggled to contain.
Conversely, a Tier IV monster was considered a significant threat, usually requiring a C-rank Magi or a highly coordinated squad of soldiers to take down. Lysander was a C-rank Magi, which meant he possessed the raw power to kill the beast, but since the bat was Middle-Grade, the difficulty was skewed against him. One mistake would be fatal.
Lysander didn't seem to care about the math. He pointed his hand at the creature and shouted a final word of power. A bolt of blue lightning shot from his fingertips. The air hissed as the electricity cut through the dark. The bat was fast; it flapped its wings once, catching a draft that hoisted its heavy body upward. The lightning struck the ground where the bat had been, scorching the earth and sending up a cloud of pungent smoke.
Aurelian stayed low, his hand tight on his sword hilt. He watched Lysander's movements closely. The Magi was trying to keep his distance, but his fighting style was flawed. Every time Lysander wanted to fire a spell, he had to stand still and recite a rhythmic sequence of words. This was his incantation speed. While his magic was potent, the time it took to load the spell gave the bat plenty of time to react.
The bat circled overhead, its hundred milky eyes all tracking Lysander's glowing hand. It dived.
"Storm's Reach!" Lysander yelled, his voice cracking slightly.
Another spark flew, but the bat folded its wings and dropped like a stone, passing under the arc of the spell. It landed on the dirt with a heavy thud and immediately lunged at Lysander's legs. Lysander scrambled backward, tripping over a loose rock. He managed to fire a weak burst of kinetic energy that pushed the bat back a few inches, giving him enough time to stand up.
'Should I jump in?' Aurelian wondered as he tightened his grip on his sword, watching Lysander struggle against the monster. According to the system, he could gain EXP and level up not only through daily quests, but also by killing beings designated as enemies. He knew the creature was eligible, proven by the way its body was highlighted in red, like a video game boss.
But more importantly, he and Lysander had never fought together. In a battle involving high-level magic and aerial monsters, an uncoordinated partner was often more of a liability than a help. If Aurelian got in the way of one of Lysander's lightning bolts....
"Stay back!" Lysander shouted between breaths. "Observe the majesty of a true arcane master!"
Lysander began a longer incantation. His hands glowed brighter, and the hair on Aurelian's arms stood up from the static in the air. The bat seemed to sense the buildup of energy. It didn't fly this time. It ran on all fours, using its wing claws to hook into the dirt and propel itself forward with frightening speed.
"In the name of the—" Lysander started, but he stumbled over the next word.
The bat was closing the gap. Lysander's incantation speed was simply too slow for a monster that had evolved for high-speed predatory strikes. The bat hissed, a spray of foul-smelling saliva hitting Lysander's face. Panicked, the Magi cut his chant short and threw a raw, unrefined blast of electricity.
The bolt hit the bat's shoulder, but it wasn't a killing blow. It only made the creature angrier. The bat ignored the pain and leaped. Its body slammed into Lysander, knocking the wind out of him and pinning him against the side of the overturned carriage.
Aurelian moved his feet, ready to spring. He watched as Lysander tried to press his left hand against the bat's face to blast it at point-blank range. It was a desperate move.
The bat was faster. It opened its hinged jaw wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Instead of flinching away from the glowing hand, the creature lunged forward and clamped its jaws shut directly over Lysander's wrist.
A sickening crunch of bone and tearing sinew echoed through the clearing.
"MY HAND! AGH! MY HAND!" Lysander screamed, his voice reaching a pitch that was almost inhuman.
The bat jerked its head back with a violent snap, tearing the limb away at the mid-forearm. Blood sprayed across the white leather of Lysander's clothes. The Magi collapsed to his knees, clutching his stump.
The bat then tossed the severed hand into the air and swallowed it whole, its many eyes blinking in what looked like sadistic satisfaction.
The creature was distracted by its meal for a split second, its head tilted back to swallow the Lysander's arm.
And without wasting a second, Aurelian saw the opening. This was the moment he could jump in. The bat was grounded, its mouth full, and its primary target was neutralized.
Swoosh!!
Aurelian's blade cut through the air in a clean arc toward the bat, but the monster twisted sharply, narrowly dodging before the steel could meet its neck.
When the motion ended, Aurelian stood firmly between the creature and Lysander, his presence now solid. His right hand clenched the hilt of his sword, as his gaze locked onto the beast with unwavering focus.
"What are you doing?" Lysander shouted, one arm clutching his injured side. His face was pale, sweat beading on his brow from the pain, yet he still forced the words out. "Aurelian, don't be foolish and try to act brave. That thing is a mid-grade Tier IV beast. Only a B-ranked Magi stands a chance against it right now."
Ignoring the rant of Lysander, Aurelian began to adjust his footing and slowly settled into a combat stance.
His feet spread shoulder-width apart, left foot forward, heel slightly raised to allow quick movement. His weight sank low, balanced evenly, ready to shift in any direction at a moment's notice. The sword was held diagonally across his body, tip angled toward the monster's chest, not raised high nor lowered carelessly, but poised in a controlled guard.
He had practiced this stance every day for a month, repeating the motion through exhaustion, refining it through the system's relentless daily quests. Push after push. Thrust after thrust. Step after step. It was a stance designed to conserve stamina, maintain pressure, and punish openings the instant they appeared.
For now, Aurelian judged it the best fit for his fighting style.
"Aren't you listening to me!?" Lysander shouted, his voice cracking as he gasped for air. "The best option for both of us is for you to help me stand up and get going! By your build, you should be able to easily carry me. We can leave the carriage and find a village!"
Aurelian didn't move. He watched the bat's ears twitch, as it savoured the taste of the Magi, but its many eyes were already refocusing on the new threat.
'The fool is just ignoring me,' Lysander thought, his mind racing through the pain. He then watched Aurelian's posture, his irritation momentarily overriding his trauma. 'His initial strike against the monster was swift and almost landed if not for the reactionary speed of the beast, but still... look at him. That weapon is a typical sword. It's basic steel. If it even landed, without it being of divine grade, it would barely make a scratch on a Tier IV beast like that. He's going to get us both eaten, and I haven't even finished the last chapter of my book.'
Closing the distance between himself and the monster, Aurelian began to review his Paladin skills. He knew that with his Mythical-grade [Divine Touch], he could channel divine power into his sword, allowing it to pierce through the monster with ease. And with his [Lay on Hands] skill, he could heal most injuries he might sustain in battle, that's if the monster is capable of penetrating his [Pseudo-Celestial Physique].
Now, looking at the pitiful state of Lysander, Aurelian decided that his condition was the perfect situation to test just how effective [Lay on Hands] truly was. The system stated that the skill was capable of healing severe injuries with a single touch. It was time to see how broad that claim really was.
With slow steps and without letting his guard down, Aurelian backed toward Lysander. The bat hissed, crouched low, waiting for the man to overextend. When Aurelian was within reach, he reached down with his left hand and gripped the bloody stump of Lysander's arm.
"AGGGHHHH! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU PSYCHO?!" Lysander screeched.
The pain was white-hot for a split second, and Lysander squeezed his eyes shut, expecting his remaining arm to be crushed by Aurelian's grip. But then, the heat changed. It was no longer the burning sensation as It became a soothing pulse.
A green light, so bright it erupted from Aurelian's palm.
Lysander felt a strange, itchy sensation that rapidly evolved into a heavy pressure. He forced his eyes open. His jaw dropped. From the jagged edge of his severed forearm, muscle fibers were knitting together at a visible speed. Bone was extending, white and pristine. Skin flowed over the new structure like pouring milk. In less than five seconds, a brand new hand—complete with fingernails and fair skin—emerged from the light.
Lysander stared at his hand. He flexed his fingers. They worked perfectly. He looked up at Aurelian, his mind shattering under the weight of what he had just witnessed.
'What... what is this?' Lysander's thoughts were a chaotic mess of disbelief. 'How did Aurelian use a divine level power? I've spent years in various magi schools. I've studied the many grimoires. A spell to completely restore lost limbs is reserved for the gods only. It's a myth! Even high-tier restorative magic usually leaves scars or requires months of recovery. This was... instant.'
He looked at the calm expression on Aurelian's face.
'What's going on? Can a SSS-ranked Magi even pull this off. Sure they can incinerate cities and bend space, but can they regenerate an arm with such speed and efficiency. Is he a High Priest in disguise? Or a god walking among us? I just told a man who can regrow limbs that he was a "cultureless buffoon." Oh, I'm the idiot who tried to teach anything to this person.'
Aurelian released Lysander's arm and stood up, his focus returning entirely to the bat.
"Stay quiet," Aurelian said, his voice cold and steady. "And try not to lose it again."
The Gasoian Bat, sensing the divine energy radiating from Aurelian, let out a screech of pure hatred. It realized that this wasn't just another meal. This was its natural predator. The creature launched itself into the air, its many eyes glowing with a red light.
Aurelian didn't flinch. He tightened his grip on his sword, and for the first time, a faint, golden aura began to coat the steel blade.
"Now," Aurelian muttered. "Let's see how strong I really am."