"We need to cooperate," Lucas reiterated, his voice firm. Elara looked at him, a fleeting moment of hesitation in her eyes, before she gave a decisive nod. This was no time for doubt or prejudice.
Two invisible shadows lunged forward. Lucas and Elara immediately split up, forcing the Phantom Stalkers to divide their forces.
One Phantom Stalker charged at Lucas. He couldn't see it, but the Shadow Stalker's senses screamed in his mind, pinpointing the enemy's location. Lucas spun, swinging his dull knife.
CLANG!
His knife struck something invisible, producing sparks. He felt a strong force push back, enough to make him stumble. This Phantom Stalker was not only invisible, it also possessed incredible strength. Lucas retreated, his palm burning. He knew the only way to fight them was to rely on his enhanced senses and crystal manipulation.
Elara, on the other other side of the cavern, displayed the skill of a true Crystal Warrior. She didn't need to see to know where the enemy was. From her palm, sharp, silver-white rays of light shot out, tearing through the air. One Phantom Stalker was hit by a beam of light; its transparent skin momentarily became visible, revealing a gaunt, bony body before vanishing again. It shrieked in pain, clearly injured.
Lucas saw it. That was the weakness! They weren't entirely invisible, but capable of bending light. And pure crystal energy could disrupt that camouflage.
"They're not completely invisible!" Lucas shouted to Elara. "Crystal energy can expose them!"
Elara nodded, understanding. She began to move around, creating a network of silver-white light beams, trying to "sweep" the space to force the Stalkers to reveal themselves.
But the Phantom Stalkers were not to be underestimated. They began to attack more strategically, not just with claws but also with chilling energy currents that seemed to drain life. Lucas felt his body tremble as an invisible energy current brushed past him, costing him a small fraction of his vitality.
"They drain energy!" Lucas roared, the Husk-Brute's resilience helping him endure. "Don't let them touch you!"
One Phantom Stalker swiftly bypassed Elara's "light network," lunging at her with terrifying speed. Elara reacted, forming a thin crystal shield on her arm, but the blow was too strong, pushing her back, causing her to hit the Nexus Crystal.
As Elara touched the Nexus Crystal, the central crystal suddenly flared with a blinding purplish-blue light, stronger than any of its previous reactions. The pure energy from the Nexus Crystal acted like a massive electromagnetic wave, completely disrupting the invisibility of all Phantom Stalkers in the cavern.
Six Phantom Stalkers simultaneously became visible, their gaunt bodies, red eyes, and sharp claws exposed. They shrieked in horror, their greatest ability neutralized.
"Now!" Lucas yelled.
This was their chance. Lucas charged, no longer dodging. He channeled all the Husk-Brute's resilience and strength, along with the Shadow Stalker's speed, turning himself into a darting arrow. His knife, now infused with a portion of energy from the scar on his hand, emitted a faint black glow.
He slashed an arc at the nearest Phantom Stalker. It was no longer a phantom, and Lucas's strike was more powerful than any he had ever delivered.
THWACK!
The Phantom Stalker was cut in half, its body disintegrating into tendrils of black smoke. Lucas didn't stop. He spun, kicking another with immense force, sending it flying into a crystal wall, where it cracked and shattered.
Elara also acted. With their invisibility neutralized, the Stalkers were no match for a master Crystal Warrior like her. She drew a short sword made of pure, shimmering silver crystal. With each swing, sharp beams of light flashed, piercing through their weak armor. The shrieks of the Phantom Stalkers echoed through the cavern as they were taken down one by one.
Lucas and Elara fought back-to-back, a chaotic dance of shadows and light. He with brute force and keen senses, she with precision and accurate crystal energy. They were two extremes, yet complemented each other perfectly.
Only one Phantom Stalker remained. It panicked, trying to reactivate its invisibility, but the energy surge from the Nexus Crystal was still too strong, rendering it powerless.
It lunged at Lucas in desperation, its claws aiming directly for his throat. Lucas couldn't dodge in time.
CLANG!
Elara's crystal short sword flashed, blocking the attack. She pushed hard, and the Phantom Stalker was repelled. At the same time, Lucas gripped his knife, channeling all his strength into a final thrust.
SLICE!
The monster shrieked, and completely disintegrated.
The cavern fell silent. Lucas and Elara stood there, panting, drenched in sweat. The light from the Nexus Crystal remained brilliant, illuminating both of them.
Elara looked at Lucas, her gaze no longer one of suspicion or distance, but of profound astonishment and a hint of respect. "You... what did you do to the Nexus Crystal?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "You activated it to that degree... it's unheard of. Even the most seasoned Crystal Warriors would struggle to do so."
Lucas looked at his palm, the star-shaped scar now faintly glowing a pure black. "I... I don't know," he said. "I just did what needed to be done."
Elara approached him, her gaze sweeping over him once more. "Your ability... it's extraordinary. And you've proven you're not a threat, at least not for now." She paused. "But you've attracted too much attention. Not just the Phantom Stalkers. The true seekers of crystal secrets will come."
"Which seekers?" Lucas asked.
Elara didn't answer directly. She looked deeper into the cavern, into the dark passages Lucas hadn't yet explored. "Those who don't want the Great Collapse to be understood. Those who want to keep the crystal's power for themselves. Or those who wish to repeat the mistakes of the past." She turned back to Lucas. "You've proven your worth, Scavenger. But the path ahead is far more dangerous. You cannot go alone."
An unexpected offer. A cooperation between a mysterious Crystal Warrior and a discarded Memory Scavenger. Both were caught in an ancient conspiracy, linked to the fate of the entire world.
Lucas looked at the scar on his hand, then at Elara. He knew her words were true. He couldn't go this journey alone. "So, what do we do next, Crystal Warrior?" Lucas asked, his voice resolute.
Elara smiled faintly, a rare smile. "We find answers. And we ensure the Great Collapse doesn't happen again."