Thousands of arms shot out from the monster’s body, raining down upon Lucian with terrifying speed. Each arm struck the ground like a missile, shattering the surroundings. The impact raised thick clouds of dust, making it hard to breathe, as though suffocation was imminent.

Lucian dodged between the massive limbs, shouting to the others, his voice tense but determined: "Serenna, get out of here with Arslan, as far as you can!"

But his attention slipped for a moment. As he tried to escape, his foot slipped, and he was trapped between the monster's crashing limbs. His eyes widened in horror as he saw a limb speeding down towards him, leaving no room for escape. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, his body frozen.

Just then, Arslan appeared, slicing through the monster's arm with his massive sword, saving Lucian's life. The severed limbs fell to the ground, causing the earth to tremble with the impact.

"I think I’m going to disobey that order," Arslan said with a faint smile. But the smile didn’t last long; the red aura surrounding his body intensified, growing stronger. His entire body and sword were enveloped in red, making him look like a giant lion.

Lucian, catching his breath, still shaken, managed a stammered, "Thanks..." He noticed something strange about the red aura flickering around Arslan’s body. "His aura’s turned red. He must be in overclock mode," he muttered to himself. "If this monster is pushing him to that point... we’re in deep trouble."

As Lucian and Arslan exchanged glances, they saw another dozen arms descending toward them. The sky was filled with them—there was no escape.

Lucian let out a tense laugh. "I hate to interrupt your deep thoughts, but I think we’re screwed..." His eyes gestured to the arms overhead. "So what does that red aura do anyway? Just slice those things up!"

Arslan groaned in pain and gestured to his abdomen. "Wouldn’t I love to? But... this bastard hit me hard. Most of my energy is going just to stay on my feet." His aura had focused on sealing a massive wound in his stomach, but even that was fading.

Lucian’s concern grew as he saw the blood pouring from Arslan’s abdomen. The gash was deep, dangerously so. Blood was gushing, and Arslan’s face was growing paler by the second.

"How the hell are you still standing with a wound like that?!" Lucian realized that Arslan was holding on through sheer madness. "This guy's really insane."

Just as the arms were about to crash down on them, Serenna swept through the air, moving so fast she was almost a blur. She leaped and raised her sword skyward. In that moment, her blade seemed to merge with the moonlight, shining brilliantly.

Arslan froze at the sight. "What in the world is that?"

Lucian laughed, "That’s my sister’s special sword technique: The Groom Slayer 2000!"

Serenna’s movements with the sword were incredibly graceful, as if performing a dance. Every strike was flawless, like moonlight reflecting gently off a lake. One by one, the arms were severed and fell, but instead of the expected smell of blood, the air was filled with a gentle breeze carrying the scent of flowers. Serenna’s elegance overshadowed the brutality of the battle.

She sheathed her sword and landed softly, as light as a bee. Turning to Lucian with a smile, she said, "I’d prefer you call it the Moonlight Blade, but it’s true I’ve scared off a few men with it."

Serenna, Arslan, and Lucian faced the monster again, more cautious this time.

"What’s the plan?" Arslan asked eagerly.

Lucian looked at him, puzzled. "The plan? Why are you asking me?"

Serenna rolled her eyes. "Haven’t you figured it out yet? You’re our leader, you give the orders!"

Lucian’s mind raced. Am I the leader? They’ve been following my orders all this time, but is giving orders really all it takes to be a leader? He closed his eyes for a moment to think, but the monster’s low, terrifying growls broke his concentration.

Serenna stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We’ll protect you. You come up with a plan."

Serenna and Arslan fought fiercely, holding back the monster’s relentless attacks. It was a true team effort. But the arms kept coming faster, the attacks more intense. They were being pushed back. Lucian struggled to focus on a strategy.

Think, Lucian, think! How can we defeat this monster? Running isn’t an option... The moment we stop defending, we’re done for. This fight is nothing like the others... We’re up against a one-man army. How do we counter these missile-like attacks coming from all directions? As his eyes scanned the area, they landed on a piece of the monster that had fallen.

Mud... Wait a second, is this monster made of mud?

An idea sparked in his mind. Mud isn’t resistant to heat. If they could set it on fire, they might be able to destroy the creature.

Serenna and Arslan were being pushed further back. “Lucian, I hope you’ve got a plan because we’re about to become shish kebab!” Serenna called out, cutting through another arm while glancing toward him.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Just then, a chunk of the monster landed in front of Lucian. He quickly bent down and touched it. Mud. It really was mud.

A cunning smile spread across Lucian’s face as he stood up. "No need to worry anymore. We’re going to take this bastard down with modern science."

Arslan, confused, stared at him. "Okay, let’s do this science thing. But how?"

Lucian’s mind raced, forming a plan as quickly as possible.

"Do you know what the process of burning sludge is?"

Serenna, slicing through another arm, turned with a curious expression. “Burning sludge?”

“Burning sludge is a method typically used to dispose of or reduce the volume of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants. In this process, the sludge is incinerated at high temperatures, burning away organic matter, reducing its volume, and eliminating harmful substances. By the end of it, the sludge turns into a pile of ash.”

Realizing he didn’t have time to explain further, Lucian cut it short: "Basically, it shrinks the mud down and turns it into ashes."

Lucian outlined his plan to them: "You’re going to transfer your auras to me. Give me all your power. I’m going to set this monster on fire."

Arslan protested, "But that could kill you! If you hold that much aura, you’ll explode!"

Lucian’s eyes gleamed with determination. "Trust me," he said. "I’m not planning on dying today."

After a moment of silence, Arslan and Serenna exchanged glances and nodded. Without wasting another second, they slashed through the attacking arms simultaneously, creating an opening around Lucian. This brief moment was their one and only chance.

Serenna and Arslan began channeling all their energy into Lucian. Their auras, thick and fiery, flowed into him like a wave of energy, and Lucian’s body struggled under the weight of it. Yet his face remained steadfast.

As Arslan gave the last of his strength, he gasped, "It’s up to you now..." Before he could finish, he passed out from exhaustion and collapsed. The red aura had completely left his body.

Lucian could feel the incredible power coursing through him. His body was on the verge of bursting. Every muscle, every vein trembled under the strain of holding this power. The combined force of Serenna’s and Arslan’s auras mixed with his own, boiling and churning within him like a volcano.

Serenna, watching with concern, shouted, "This is too much, Lucian! Your body can’t handle it!"

But Lucian’s determined expression didn’t waver.

For a moment, he closed his eyes, concentrating all the energy within himself, compressing it as much as he could. He was focusing, condensing the aura, shaping it. His thoughts cleared, and his body came under control. He was at the peak of his power. Flames began to cover his hands, then quickly spread up his arms.

"Ignite," he whispered.

Lucian’s right arm became engulfed in flames. But these weren’t ordinary flames; they were bright and brilliant, as if the sun itself had descended to Earth. The flames were so intense they pierced the darkness of the night, illuminating the entire forest. In fact, the flames were so powerful that they lit up the clouds in the sky. The spectacle of power surrounding Lucian’s arm was so grand that this attack would later be remembered as the Fire That Tore the Heavens.

Lucian, eyes filled with resolve, glanced one last time at the monster. It was still thrashing its enormous limbs around, continuing its deadly assault. But this time, Lucian felt no fear. Only the desire for a decisive victory.

Taking a deep breath, he gathered his strength. He directed all the aura and flame into his right arm. Then, he took his stance for a right hook. Every muscle tensed, every vein filled with fire.

"FIRE PUNCH!"

Lucian's fist swung as if it were piercing the sky. The massive flame that erupted from his punch shot toward the monster at an incredible speed. It was so intense that it vaporized everything in its path. The flame flowed like a river through the air and struck the creature. The force of the impact shook the entire area. The monster began to burn in the flames. Steam rose from its skin, and screams echoed from all around it.

The monster's voice was so terrifying that the forest resonated with its agonizing cries. Its sound carried a weight that penetrated the bones of anyone who heard it. The monster had never suffered this much before. Its many limbs flailed wildly, tearing up the ground, but there was nowhere left to escape. The flames consumed every cell of its body, burning it alive.

Serenna shuddered at the sound of the creature’s cries. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the flames. Even as the creature’s death screams deafened her, she watched Lucian’s fist in awe of its power.

As the monster continued to scream, it slowly began to melt. Its muddy body liquefied, dissolving, and finally turning to ash. At last, the screams grew weaker… weaker… and then completely vanished.

The monster was gone. All that remained was a scorched ground and ashes scattered around. Lucian’s attack had utterly consumed the enemy.

Lucian lowered his arm and took a deep breath. The flames on his arm gradually began to extinguish, leaving burn marks on his hands. However, he had released the aura that should have entered his body just in time, minimizing his own damage. His body was drained of aura, but he had survived without sustaining fatal injuries.

Gathering his strength, Lucian quickly ran to Arslan’s side. Arslan was still unconscious. His wounds were serious and deep. Lucian knelt down, pressing his hands over the wound on Arslan’s abdomen.

“I’m not a priest... I can’t perform a holy healing spell for you, but I’ll do what I can. And this is going to hurt,” he said in a voice that was both worried and resolute. He summoned his flame magic again, but this time created a smaller, more controlled fire.

“Serenna, hold him steady. If he moves, it’ll make this a lot harder.”

Serenna knelt beside Lucian and nodded, holding Arslan tightly. She understood what her brother was trying to do. The determination in Lucian’s eyes was Arslan’s only chance.

Lucian counted down from three and pressed the fire into Arslan’s wound. As the fire began to seal the wound, Arslan’s eyes snapped open from the unbearable pain. His body trembled, and he gritted his teeth to keep from screaming. But the pain was so intense that tears began to flow from his eyes. His body convulsed in agony, and Serenna struggled to keep him still.

“Hold on, it’s almost done!” Lucian shouted, his hands trembling as he watched the flames close the wound, but he didn’t hesitate for even a second. At the peak of the pain, Arslan passed out again.

Finally, Lucian had completely sealed the wound. His hands shaking, he extinguished the flames. Taking a deep breath, he wiped the sweat from his brow and slowly stood up. Arslan was no longer in danger, but he still needed to rest. Lucian turned his gaze to Serenna.

Serenna looked Lucian up and down, her expression flickering between admiration and concern. “If I ask how you did that, you won’t tell me, will you?” she said with a smile.

Lucian only shook his head. He couldn’t explain to her the knowledge and combat techniques that came from another world. He couldn’t tell her anything about the secrets or his different past.

He paused for a moment, then turned to Serenna with a serious expression and asked, “By the way... there's something I’m curious about.”

Serenna noticed the serious tone in Lucian’s voice and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Lucian blinked and glanced around. “Where’s the coachman?”