Casildo slowly opened both of his palms at his sides, causing the wind around him to whistle as it carried tiny grains of beach sand, which gradually gathered beneath his hands.
Using his Terra element control, he manipulated the sand, shaping it into ten medium-sized spheres. Almost instantly, those spheres transformed into ten massive serpents made entirely of beach sand.
The monsters watching this creation growled furiously. One of them, which had been gripping Casildo, became momentarily distracted, loosening its grasp on the young man's neck.
Casildo seized the opportunity, pushing off forcefully with his feet.
With a slow movement of his hand, he pulled a large rock toward him using his magical ability.
As a result, the boulder immediately floated beneath his feet, providing him with a solid foothold for his next move.
Thud!
With a powerful kick, he propelled himself upward, breaking free from the monster's grip.
Finally, Casildo could breathe more easily as he leaped toward Kairav.
"Are you alright?" Kairav asked, patting his companion's back with concern.
Casildo, still coughing violently, couldn't respond. He simply waved his hand dismissively, too occupied with refilling his lungs with oxygen.
Hiss... Hiss... Hiss...
Both young men turned toward the source of the hissing sounds.
The sandy beach split apart as the ten sand serpents, conjured through the Sand Serpent Construction technique, slithered rapidly toward their respective targets.
The serpents advanced with fury, prepared to subdue their enemies through sheer force—either by crushing them with their powerful coils or suffocating them.
"That's not going to work," Kairav remarked as he observed their movements.
Casildo shot him a sharp glare. "A blind man like you has no right to underestimate my creations."
The fair-skinned young man scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "At least my brain still functions."
"Unlike someone who foolishly believes his pet snakes can strangle those things like pythons. Tch! Did you already forget that even a punch can't touch their bodies?"
His smirk widened as his hazel eyes gleamed with amusement, watching the unfortunate fate that awaited the sand serpents. "See? I was right."
Casildo gritted his teeth in frustration as he witnessed his creations meet a miserable end, crushed like worthless worms.
As the enraged sand serpents lunged at the water monsters, the creatures retaliated just as swiftly, their fluid hands grabbing their enemies with terrifying force.
The sand serpents attempted to resist, wrapping around their foes or biting with their sharp fangs.
But, just as Kairav had predicted, their efforts were useless. Their bodies and fangs merely passed through the liquid forms of their enemies, rendering their attacks completely ineffective.
The monsters then retaliated brutally.
Some serpents were stomped on, others were slammed repeatedly, and a few were even torn apart like helpless earthworms.
"Tsk! I told you to just piss on them!" Kairav grumbled in frustration.
"Shut up, or I'll slap you!" Casildo snapped.
"I don't want to piss on them! Why do you keep telling me to piss?! Why don't you do it yourself?!" he shouted in exasperation.
Kairav dragged his hands down his face in frustration. "Their bodies are made of liquid! Attacking them with solid objects is pointless because they'll just pass through!"
"Argh! Then what should I do?!" Casildo demanded.
Kairav pinched the bridge of his nose, racking his brain for a solution. Then, a realization struck him. "I got it! Fire and ice!"
He smacked the back of Casildo's head in excitement. "Use your brain! You can either make them evaporate by boiling them or freeze them solid!"
"Damn it! I'm not some great master who can control every element! I only have terra!" Casildo shouted, rubbing his sore head. "I don't have fire or ice!"
Hope immediately faded. Kairav let out a long sigh, his eyes nervously watching the ten water monsters as they advanced toward them once again. "Should we just run?"
"Do you think they won't chase us?!"
Before either of them could act, the ten monsters suddenly melted into puddles, sinking into the sand as if they had never been there.
The two young men blinked in confusion.
"Huh? Where did they go?" Casildo muttered.
Kairav remained silent, his eyes flashing with alarm. He had a bad feeling about this. "Something's not right! Move!!"
"What's wrong, Failed Product?!" Casildo shouted in confusion, but he still followed Kairav's lead and ran.
Kairav glanced at the sky, where the horizon was now painted in hues of blue and red as the sun began to rise.
Without hesitation, he bolted toward the distant forest, which was now faintly illuminated by the break of dawn.
Ping!
[ System: Analyzing Answer... ]
Analysis: 85%... 95%...100% Completed!
Result: Correct Answer!
[ System: The Blue Jellyfish Monsters / Euntei Iek, Which Possess Liquid Bodies, Are Weak to Fire. You Can Attack Them Using Fire! ]
Kairav scowled at the notification. "Damn it! Do you think I have a lighter with me right now?!"
Unbeknownst to them, beneath the sand, they were desperately running on, silent movements followed their every step.
The ten water monsters, which had seemingly vanished, had actually been lurking beneath the surface, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush their prey.
Their breaths grew ragged as the forest's edge seemed to stretch farther and farther away.
Escape was becoming less and less likely.
Boom! Growl! Growl!!
Both young men froze in horror as ten Euntei Iek suddenly erupted from the sand, attacking them mercilessly.
"Arghhh!" A sharp pain tore through Kairav's body as five monsters latched onto him, their hands crushing him as if they intended to grind his bones into dust.
"Damn it! I couldn't even touch them before! But now they're about to turn me into human paste!" Casildo cursed.
Blood dripped from his broken nose as one of the monsters ruthlessly squeezed his face, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
He struggled, but with his arms and legs restrained by four other creatures, he was completely immobilized.
As his vision darkened and his breaths became weaker, Kairav gathered his remaining strength to call out to his companion.
"Casildo! Think of something!" he shouted, his eyelids growing heavy.
It was as if he had already accepted his fate, watching as one of the water monsters opened its mouth wide in front of him.
Ping!
[ System: As Promised, You Will Receive a Reward for Answering Correctly. Would You Like to Claim It Now? ]
"Argh!! Whatever! I don't care anymore!"
Ping!
[ System: Unlocking Reward... ]
Process: Unlocking Stellar Essence... 85%... 95%... 100%...
The monster's grip tightened around Kairav's neck, causing the red gemstone hanging from his necklace to shatter.
[ Unlocked Attributes: ]
- Stellar Essence: Unlocked
- User's Energy: 1%
- Crimson Sphere Essence Energy: 0%
- Spirit Animal: Connected
[ System: Stellar Essence Unlocked. Congratulations! You Are Now Reconnected With Your Spirit Animal! ]
"Arghhh!"