130. Against 3rd Tier Monster, Elf?
Wood Serpent's golden eyes glowed like molten suns, locking onto John and Tony with primal hatred. Its scales gleamed dark jade, and every breath it exhaled sent green mist rolling like waves across the clearing.
Tony swallowed hard. "Hey, uh, John… that thing looks way above our pay grade."
John's gaze was calm, yet his aura surged around him like a storm ready to break loose. "It's a Tier-3 beast."
Tony went pale. "You're a peak Tier-2. It's—"
"I know."
"Don't tell me?"
John didn't reply and stepped forward.
The Wood Serpent let out a thunderous roar and lunged.
---
BOOOOOM!
The clash shook the clearing.
John met the beast head-on, summoning a wall of solid earth to deflect its jaws. Simultaneously, lightning danced across his arm as he launched a blast of condensed electricity into the serpent's left eye.
CRACK!
Wood Serpent reeled back, hissing.
The earth beneath John's feet melted into molten lava as he launched himself upward, trailing flames and wind behind him like a shooting star. His palm slammed into the serpent's snout, releasing a powerful fire-wind explosion.
WHOOOOOOM!
Tony watched in awe from behind a broken tree trunk. "Okay… never mind. He's a whole damn fireworks show."
---
Bahamut roared and twisted, its tail lashing out with terrifying speed.
John's eyes sharpened. He gathered water vapor in the air, condensing it into a thin, crystalline shield, bracing himself—
SMASH!
The tail hit.
John flew across the field, crashing into a boulder. Dust rose, the air thick with tension.
But he stood again.
His black robe was destroyed, blood trickled from his mouth, but his eyes burned brighter than ever. Elemental forces spiraled around him—fire, water, lightning, earth, and wind swirling in a chaotic dance.
"I'm not done."
---
Wood Serpent dove into the lake again and erupted from another angle, mouth wide.
John raised both hands—one igniting with fire, the other swirling with ice.
"Dual Burst: Flame-Ice Spear!"
A swirling lance of fire and frost launched forward, piercing through the serpent's open mouth and searing its inner throat.
John very early on started to fuse two elements together to form an attack. And this ability is one of the many.
The beast screamed.
Still, it fought on, madness flashing in its eyes. A breath attack charged again, wood energy condensing into a thick beam—
Just as John prepared to intercept it—
Whoosh!
A figure blurred past Tony, leaping high and landing beside John in the heart of the battlefield.
She landed beside him, silent as moonlight on snow.
John turned, and for the first time—he saw her.
She was unlike anyone he had ever encountered.
Her long silver hair flowed like liquid starlight, cascading down her back in soft waves that shimmered faintly with each movement. Not a single strand was out of place, yet it carried a wild, untamed energy—like it belonged to a creature of wind and forest.
Her eyes were a mirror-like silver, deep and ancient, reflecting everything and revealing nothing. They held a calm sharpness, the kind born from surviving too much for too long, yet untouched by bitterness. When they locked onto his, John felt the strange, quiet weight of someone who had walked a thousand lonely paths.
Her skin was snow white, porcelain-pale, almost translucent in the forest light. It wasn't lifeless—it glowed faintly, like frost catching the dawn.
Pointed ears peeked through her silvery locks—delicate but sharp, marking her not quite human.
She wore close-fitting leather armor, black with dark green trims, designed for speed and silence. Twin curved blades hung at her sides, their hilts etched with leaf and wind motifs. As she drew them, they whispered—literally whispered—as if the air and forest recognized her command.
Around her, the air bent just slightly, and leaves fluttered even when there was no wind. The scent of crushed mint, fresh grass, and damp wood trailed in her wake—not perfume, but nature itself responding to her presence.
She moved with inhuman grace, her steps light and silent as if the earth itself carried her.
The mysterious girl had arrived.
She looked at John. "You held your own against a Tier-3 alone. Impressive."
"You're showing yourself now?" John said, but inside he was shocked. Oh my god, a living, breathing elf.
"There's a chance to kill it. I won't miss it," the elf girl said while looking at the Wood Serpent with a cold gaze.
---
Together, they launched their attack.
John charged from the left, flames and lightning coating his arms. The girl dashed right, blades dancing, wind and wood singing with every strike.
Wood Serpent lunged.
They split.
The air surrounding John started vibrating as he launched himself mid-air. "Storm Surge!"
A whirlpool of elements exploded around the serpent's head.
Below, the girl struck with a flurry of blows—"Wind Branch Slash!"—wood vines lashed from her blade, entangling the serpent's lower jaw while sharp gusts flayed its scales.
Wood Serpent screamed in pain, whipping its tail.
John caught it with a wall of solidified wind, sliding backward but staying upright. "NOW!"
The girl leapt, both swords glowing. "Twin Gale Rend!"
She slashed in a cross, leaving glowing green marks across the beast's chest.
"Finish it!" she yelled.
John didn't hesitate.
He raised both arms. All five elements surged into a single massive spiral.
"Elemental Collapse: Judgment Spiral!"
Judgment Spiral is the strongest attack that John can perform at the moment, leaving space and time elements aside. But John believes that this attack is enough to get the job done.
A beam of overwhelming power—flame, water, wind, earth, and lightning—fired directly into Bahamut's heart.
The clearing exploded in color and sound.
---
When the dust settled, the serpent's massive body lay half-submerged in the lake. Its glowing eyes dimmed. Its scales dulled.
One last breath escaped its throat—deep, slow, and final.
Then silence.
---
Tony stood up slowly. "…Holy sh—"
"Don't," John cut him off, breathing heavily, his knees buckling.
The girl caught his arm and steadied him. "You're injured."
"I'm fine." He looked at her. "Thanks."
She gave a small nod, glancing at the serpent's corpse. "You would've survived without me."
"I know."
Her lips curled slightly. "You're not bad."