Impaled by a sword that barely missed her heart, Hannah's pristine white vestment turned deep red, soaked and gushing with blood.
"Hannah!"
Before Alex could pull his sword, Liz rushed in, bashing him away with her shield and shoving him aside from Hannah, who lost consciousness from the shock and pain.
Alex stumbled to the ground and let out a tortured scream, as if something was taking control of his body.
Blood still dripped from his many wounds. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face twisted in agony. The refined, handsome appearance he once had was gone. Crawling on all fours, he now looked more like a savage beast—or simply, a monster.
As soon as he got back on his feet, Alex resumed his rampage, charging straight at Liz, who had become defenseless while tending to Hannah in a panic.
But Arezu was faster. He rushed in to shield Liz and Hannah.
Whatever had caused Alex's sudden transformation—whatever made him attack his supposed friends—Arezu couldn't simply strike him down. Holding firm to his halberd, he blocked Alex's charge.
They were about the same height and build, though Arezu believed he was physically stronger. Yet Alex slowly overpowered him, forcing Arezu down while gripping his weapon.
Alex pinned him to the ground, straddling him. Arezu remained defensive, hoping to give Alex a chance to regain control. But when he felt Alex's strange movements, he let go of the halberd in panic and punched Alex square in the face.
Arezu didn't hold back. He poured everything into that punch, launching Alex into the cave wall with crushing force.
"What the heck is wrong with you?…" Arezu grumbled, quickly scrambling to his feet to assess the situation.
Lynn stood frozen, stunned, staring at Alex as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The giant goblin was gone. Arezu assumed it had fled, frightened after somehow losing its ability to use magic.
Liz remained panicked, pouring healing potion into Hannah's wounds, desperate to keep her alive.
Meanwhile, Alex had already recovered from the blow and was crawling again, low and beastlike.
—ROAR!—
A screech erupted from Alex—inhuman and bloodcurdling. No human voice should be able to produce that sound.
Then came the tremor, shaking the entire cave, followed by the eruption of jagged rock spikes—from the ground, the walls, the ceiling—all spiraling toward Arezu and the others.
Alex had used the mystic spell Obelisk. His control was poor—worse than the giant goblin's—but the destructive force was just as terrifying. That much, Arezu could tell as he prepared to counter.
His options were limited. What he was about to do might save them—but it could also bring the cave down on all their heads.
Either way, standing still meant death.
Let's bet on the slightest chance of surviving, Arezu thought, raising his halberd and preparing to activate his combat skill.
But before he could act, Lynn finally made her move.
"Freeze"
The shaking stopped as a burst of cold surged through the tunnel. Ice spread instantly across the ground, walls, and ceiling, freezing everything in front of Arezu—right up to Alex, who became encased in jagged ice.
Arezu remained safe, though trembling and breath misting from the intense cold.
Guess that's why she avoids using this spell in enclosed spaces, he thought, glancing back at Lynn.
"Well, this basic ice spell has a short range," Lynn said, clearly reading his thoughts.
"This deadly spell is basic?" Arezu replied, turning to look at the frozen Alex.
"For your information, I haven't killed him—yet. I was hoping to leave that dirty work to you, Mr. Arezu."
Lynn's usual mischievous grin hinted she wasn't serious. But her ragged breathing and the way she leaned against the cave wall betrayed how close she was to her limit.
"So what do we do with him now?" Arezu asked, walking over to support her.
"If you can't knock him out, then I suggest we leave him here and retreat."
The fact that Alex had survived Arezu's full-force punch was alarming. Knocking him out without causing serious harm seemed impossible.
Still, abandoning him in a goblin-infested cave… it didn't sit well.
"Either way," Lynn began, "You need—"
She was cut off by a sudden, alarming sound.
"See, Mr. Arezu?... He's totally not dead."
The ice encasing Alex glowed red, then orange—engulfed in fire, melting away bit by bit.
"You need to decide fast, Mr. Arezu."
"Why me?... Wait, you're not just trying to put the blame on me, are you?"
Lynn responded with her most innocent smile, and Arezu understood what she meant.
It's him or all of us, huh. Strapping his halberd to his back, Arezu rushed to Liz and the unconscious Hannah.
With the sword still lodged in her chest, he gently lifted Hannah in both arms.
Liz looked up at him, confused and frantic.
"We're retreating. Without him," Arezu said, gesturing toward the fire-and-ice-covered Alex.
Since Liz, Hannah, and Alex were originally been a party of three, Arezu expected some protest—some refusal to abandon Alex. But Liz didn't hesitate. She chose to save Hannah without question.
"Please take care of Hannah. I'll support Lynn instead," she said, getting to her feet. She strapped her shield to her back, sheathed her longsword, and helped Lynn stand.
"Tremor"
With the ice almost gone, Lynn cast another spell. A massive rock wall erupted, sealing off the tunnel to buy them time.
"We're leaving. Let's go!"