Cole aimed the bow at the monster, the arrow at the point glowing in the moonlight, and released it. The projectile struck the metal of the helmet but was not sufficient. The monster flinched slightly with the impact but continued to walk slowly in their direction.

"We are doomed. Please, God, send help," James pleaded to the skies.

"We are all the help you need," Sun Tie said. "Try to hit the floating crystal, Cole. We'll try to take down the big guy. If other monsters emerge from the pool, you deal with them."

"Right, kid," Cole replied, nocking another arrow.

"We don't know how the enemy fights, so let him make the first move," Sun Tie advised, and James nodded, though the young master could see fear mounting in the man.

They waited as Sun Tie readied his [Blade Mana Flow], eager to see what would happen next. The monster began to pick up pace, heading in James' direction. The man stepped backward.

"Stand firm!" Sun Tie commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos as Cole's arrow whizzed past the monster, striking another zombie in the head that was just emerging from the pool. The larger creature increased its speed, completely ignoring Sun Tie. The young master sidestepped, narrowly avoiding being struck by the massive body. He aimed a blow at the monster's helmet, targeting the eyes, but failed to connect. The monster turned its head, causing the strike to miss its mark.

James found himself in the creature's path as it crashed into him, sending him hurtling against the alley's wall. Sun Tie's sword blazed to life as he swung at the beast's knee, connecting with a section of slightly thinner metal—but not thin enough to make a dent.

The monster lunged at a dazed James, but the priest managed to evade the assault, forcing the monster to slam into the wall instead. The clattering of metal against stone was deafening to Sun Tie's ears.

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James scrambled to his feet, gripping his sword with both hands. Sun Tie charged at the zombie, aiming for a vulnerable spot on its neck. But the monster's arm moved quicker, flinging the young master against the opposite wall, narrowly missing Cole. As Sun Tie passed by Cole, he caught sight of an arrow soaring towards the red crystal suspended in the air.

As soon as the arrow embedded itself in the thing, it writhed and turned in all directions, pulsing with a red light while the pool shrank slightly.

"Nice!" Sun Tie exclaimed, his attention now on a furious James unleashing what seemed to be a [Whirlwind Strike] on the monster. The creature recoiled from the hit, its vulnerability exposed.

A plan crystallized in Sun Tie's mind. Taking his position beside James, he unleashed his [Whirlwind Strike], driving the monster several steps back. Cole continued to shoot arrows at the crystal, but eventually, it ceased to work, leaving the pool's size unchanged.

They kept launching skill after skill until the monster was near enough to the pool that Sun Tie struck its knee joint again, this time sending it toppling under its own weight. The creature fell backward directly into the pool of what Sun Tie now recognized not as blood, but a strange red goo. The head and arms of the monster submerged in the liquid.

Sun Tie could have tried to kill it on the spot, but he was reluctant to plunge his sword into the pool.

"Hold it! Help, Cole!" Sun Tie shouted, noticing another hand emerging from the pool and the body of the first massive monster being hoisted up. More zombies were coming out of the strange portal, aiding the fallen abomination. Cole took up a position next to James, driving the monsters toward the pool. It was now or never.

Sun Tie raised his sword, leaped, and thrust it into the crystal. He exerted all his strength into the blow, driving the blade deeper into the crystal. The pool began to shrink, and at a singular moment, the young master felt the blade meet something soft, and then the crystal shattered into several pieces. The shards flew into the air, and Sun Tie shielded his eyes, yet the fragments did not harm him.

He landed on the ground, gripping his sword firmly thanks to the [Swordsman's Grip]. When he opened his eyes, the ground was just ground, and only half of the gigantic creature lay in the alley, looking as if something incredibly sharp had made a perfect cut through the monster's torso.

They all simply sat on the ground, catching their breath for a few minutes. Sun Tie gasped and then rose to his feet.