Lilia sauntered forward, her steps relaxed despite the looming monstrosity ahead. Walking beside her, Alistair emitted an eager cackle, his beady eyes glinting with malignant glee at the prospect of battle.

"This should prove most entertaining, Mistress!" the imp chittered. "Let us make this wretched beast regret crossing your path!"

Lilia tilted her head slightly, regarding Alistair with an amused smile. "I'm sure we will," she replied, before turning her attention back to Akari and Collins.

"What do you say we put our differences aside for the time being?" Lilia proposed. "This creature poses a threat to us all. If we work together, we can easily take it down."

Akari's expression remained stony, suspicion still in her eyes. Nevertheless, she gave a curt nod. As much as she loathed the idea of cooperating with Lilia, they faced a greater enemy at the moment.

Agent Collins straightened, adjusting his stance in preparation for combat. "Very well. If we combine our abilities, we may stand a chance," he said, his voice steady, betraying none of the unease he felt confronting such an unnatural horror.

The Hulking Flesh undulated, its multitude of limbs writhing with eager malice. Rows of eyes blinked in unison across its amorphous head as it focused on the newly formed team.

Lilia's eyes narrowed, studying the creature intently. "It will strike at whoever is closest. When it commits to an attack, the rest of us should target any vulnerable spots we can find. Focus your efforts on its limbs to limit its mobility. Alistair you stay back."

Though reluctant, Akari found herself nodding along to Lilia's instructions. Lilia was demonstrating an uncanny understanding of the monster's capabilities.

With a moist slithering sound, the Hulking Flesh dragged itself forward. Agent Collins held his position at the forefront, blade at the ready. As the creature reared up, he deftly rolled aside, slashing at its underside as it crashed down where he had been moments before. Ichor oozed from the gash as the beast recoiled with a hollow hiss.

Seizing the opportunity, Akari sprinted forward, hurling glowing talismans that stuck to the creature's hide. Spiritual energy scorched its rubbery flesh, eliciting an enraged shriek. Lilia danced away from its thrashing limbs and launched a pair of fiery arrows that severed a tentacle, spraying viscous fluid.

The Hulking Flesh paused momentarily, as if reassessing its adversaries. Then, with alarming speed, it whipped a clawed appendage toward Agent Collins. He barely managed to raise his blade in time to deflect the blow, the force of the impact sending him skidding back several feet with a pained grunt.

"It's focusing its efforts on whoever inflicts the most damage!" Lilia shouted. "We need to draw its attacks and create opportunities for each other!"

Akari frowned but heeded the advice. When the creature struck again, she darted in front of Collins and pressed a glowing seal onto its limb. The appendage recoiled with a sizzling sound, partially severed by the spiritual energy. Collins nodded in thanks and plunged his crackling sword deep into the weakened limb, severing it completely.

The beast let out an ear-splitting shriek as its limb dissolved into bubbling ooze. It redoubled its attacks, lashing out with its remaining appendages in a blur of motion. The three combatants nimbly dodged and rolled, avoiding the barrage, though several near misses left stinging cuts on their skin. They countered with a relentless assault of hacks, slashes, and bursts of searing fire, gradually wearing the creature down.

The abomination eventually seemed to realize that its normal attacks were ineffective. It shifted its assault, focusing singularly on Lilia. Caught off guard, she received a glancing blow that sent her sprawling, a bloody gash marring her shoulder.

"Damn, this thing learns..." Lilia muttered through clenched teeth. She sprang to her feet, her fingers dancing in preparation for her next spell.

Sensing an opportunity to eliminate its dangerous adversary, the Hulking Flesh reared up, poised to crush Lilia beneath its mass.

Collins sprinted forward, positioning himself between Lilia and the impending blow. "Brace for impact!" he shouted. Lilia's eyes widened as she hastily wove a sigil. It was her first time using it in combat, but she hoped the barrier spell would suffice.

As the creature descended, a glittering barrier of light encased Collins. The Hulking Flesh collided with the magical shield, which flickered and cracked under the strain but held long enough to absorb the full force of the strike before shattering. Recoiling with an enraged shriek, the beast stumbled back as Lilia helped Collins to his feet.

"Nice save," he said, nodding tightly. Lilia offered a grim smile in response.

"We've got it on the ropes. Give it everything you've got!" she rallied.

Akari lent her spiritual energy to Lilia's fiery assault, while Collins tenaciously exploited every opening. The Hulking Flesh writhed under their relentless attack, its wounded limbs flailing with diminishing strength.

Finally, as Lilia unleashed another roaring fireball, the creature's amorphous head burst open from within. Ichor spewed forth, and an orange glow shone from the gaping wound.

"The core! Strike it now!" Lilia commanded.

With his blade crackling with energy, Collins charged, driving his sword into the exposed orb. It exploded in a burst of light, propelling him backward. The Hulking Flesh emitted a deathly wail before dissolving into a spreading pool of foul liquid.

Panting, Akari observed the remains evaporate. Despite her initial reluctance, she conceded that they could not have succeeded alone. As much as it pained her to admit, Lilia had been pivotal in turning the tide of the battle.

After catching her breath, Akari approached Lilia, who was tending to her shoulder wound. Lilia regarded her with an impassive gaze.

"Alright, we defeated the creature together," Akari stated bluntly. "Now, how did you know so much about it? Have you encountered one of these before?"

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Lilia hesitated. Revealing the truth might bring more problems than solutions. Yet, refusing to answer could fracture their tentative alliance. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, a deafening rumble shook the hallway.

"What's happening?" Collins yelled over the growing tremors.

"Hurry!" Lilia urged. "We must reach the Sanity Devourer before this entire place collapses on us!"

Without time for explanations, Lilia dashed down the hallway, not pausing to see if Akari and Collins were in tow. The underground facility trembled ominously, with chunks of concrete raining down around them.

Akari and Collins hastened to catch up. "What is this Sanity Devourer you speak of?" Collins inquired, panting.

Lilia's expression turned grave. "It's an abomination that erodes the minds of those who lay eyes upon it. The Hulking Flesh we just vanquished was merely its guardian."

Alistair chimed in, keeping pace with Lilia effortlessly. "Indeed, the Sanity Devourer wields power not through strength, but through madness! A mere glance can reduce you to a gibbering wreck."

Lilia nodded in agreement. "Ordinarily, even a brief encounter induces confusion and delirium. However, if we collaborate, I believe we can overcome it."

Collins appeared uneasy. "And how do you propose we combat something that steals our sanity?"

"My mental defences are strong," Lilia responded. "I should be able to ward off its maddening effects long enough to vanquish it."

Lilia's confidence was not unfounded; in the game, her resistances were high enough to withstand such effects. Reflecting on this, she wondered if her unnatural calmness and absence of fear were a result of her avatar's attributes. In the game, Lilia had boasted extraordinarily high mental stats. Perhaps these had carried over, enabling her to confront these horrors without faltering.

Sensing Collins' scepticism, Akari chimed in. "I can erect spiritual barriers to shield our minds. My abilities should guard us against external corruption."

Collins, reassured, gave a firm nod. "Alright. We'll rely on your skills, Akari."

The passageway terminated abruptly, revealing a vast chamber. Lilia, Collins, and Akari slowed their frantic rush, proceeding with caution into the immense space.

At the centre stood a pulsating, amorphous mass. Tentacles writhed erratically from its viscous form. The entity exuded an aura of unnatural malevolence that assailed their sanity.

"The Sanity Devourer," Lilia whispered, her voice barely audible.

Lilia, Collins, and Akari cautiously edged into the vast chamber, their eyes drawn to the pulsating mass at its centre. Countless tendrils writhed from the Sanity Devourer's amorphous form, exuding an overwhelming miasma of madness that gnawed at the edges of their sanity.

Surrounding the central abomination were legions of misshapen creatures—the Devourer's minions, forged from those it had claimed. Hordes of flesh walkers shambled mindlessly about.

Steeling themselves, the trio began their desperate push through the throngs of minions, slowly carving a path toward the Devourer itself. Lilia's fingers danced as flaming sigils materialized, immolating clusters of flesh walkers. Beside her, Agent Collins' blade flashed in practiced strokes, felling any that drew near. Akari deftly wove between shambling forms, pressing glyphs that sundered them with bursts of spiritual energy.

As they neared the Devourer, the assault intensified tenfold. Endless tides of malformed flesh surged forth, threatening to overwhelm them. Lilia clenched her fists as she focused her will, mana coalescing rapidly. With a guttural shout, she slammed her palms down. The ground ruptured as fireballs erupted in a blazing web, incinerating swathes of minions.

Beside her, Collins grunted as his blade cleaved through a hulking abomination. Ichor sprayed as he withdrew the dripping sword, whirling to decapitate the flesh walker lunging at his back. Despite the growing ache in his limbs, he maintained his stance, buying precious time for Lilia and Akari to push forward.

With deft movements, Akari wove between attacks, striking her foes with an enchanted dagger. Though fatigue threatened to slow her steps, she forced herself onward. They had come too far to falter now. Planting her feet, she slammed a charged glyph onto the ground, releasing a concussive blast that hurled back the advancing horrors.

At long last, the trio carved through the final line of defenders. Lilia stood mere feet from the Devourer, its writhing tendrils probing tentatively.

The Devourer lurched forward, eager to feast upon this insolent mortal. Lilia's eyes blazed with azure light as she faced the cosmic horror. She screamed with all her strength, unleashing the pent-up tidal wave of energy. "Your madness ends here!"

The chamber lit up with blinding intensity as the concentrated blast of fire magic impacted the Devourer head-on. The detonation of mana incinerated its amorphous form instantly, burning away the corrupting insanity that had tainted the place.

As the scouring flames dissipated, Lilia fell to her knees, utterly spent. Around her, the warped flesh of the chamber reverted to mundane brick and plaster. The remains of the Devourer's minions collapsed into inert husks.

They had done it. The Devourer's hold on this place was broken. But as the haze of battle faded, the gravity of Lilia's reckless actions dawned on her. She had channelled far more mana than her body could spare. Even now, she could feel her thoughts growing hazy as her instincts threatened to take over.

Desperately, she searched for anything to replenish her depleted reserves before it was too late. But she had nothing. Her vision reddened at the edges as she battled against the mana starvation.

As Lilia knelt on the floor, the encroaching hunger gnawed at her insides. The sound of approaching footsteps broke through her struggle. Squinting through blurred vision, she saw Akari towering above her, a furrow etched between her brows.

"How?" Akari demanded. "How did you know so much about those creatures? The Flesh Walker, the Devourer—you knew their weaknesses. There was no data on such monsters in our database, how did you know of them?"

Lilia grimaced, finding the effort to speak increasingly burdensome. "I've battled them before... in Endless Fantasy," she rasped.

Akari's eyes narrowed with confusion. "What are you talking about? Explain yourself!"

Drawing a ragged breath, Lilia replied, "There's no time... I'm starving." She clutched at her chest, her control waning.

Comprehension dawned on Akari's face. "I see... you need to feed." Her hand drifted towards the talismans at her belt.

Lilia held up a pleading hand. "Please... just leave me be. I cannot hold back the hunger much longer..." She doubled over, groaning through gritted teeth as her instincts threatened to override her dwindling self-control.

Akari stood, conflicted. Every instinct urged her to wait, to let Lilia succumb to her feral state, providing an opportunity to eliminate this creature without any repercussions from her superiors. Yet, Lilia had proven herself trustworthy, never betraying their group and even coming to Akari's aid twice. Could she, in good conscience, betray her now?

With her mind racing, Akari made her decision. Kneeling beside Lilia, she withdrew a glowing talisman. "This should help sate your hunger," she said.

Before Lilia could do anything, Akari pressed the charm to her own chest. A vibrant green aura enveloped her, suffused with an abundance of life and spiritual energy. Grasping Lilia's shoulders, Akari locked eyes with her, their violet gazes meeting. Then, she pulled Lilia into a kiss, their lips meeting.

Lilia's eyes widened in shock. She was about to pull away, but then her instincts took over, hungrily absorbing the offered energy. She found herself responding to Akari's kiss with a growing intensity she hadn't expected. Surprised by this sudden assault, Akari moaned softly against Lilia's lips.

The life force Akari offered was unlike anything Lilia had ever experienced. It was pure, raw, and invigorating. Lilia could feel the effects of the kiss; her body revitalized, and her mind clearer.

Finally, after several long moments, Akari gently broke the kiss. Their faces were flushed, and their breathing was heavy and erratic.

"What is wrong with her?" Lilia thought, giving Akari a look of confusion. Didn't she know that Lilia had the ability to absorb vitality through touch?

Seeing Lilia's confusion, Akari spoke, still slightly panting but without her usual hostility. "It doesn't change anything between us. Think of it as compensation for your help."

"You're aware that a touch would have sufficed," Lilia replied awkwardly. Admittedly, she was unsure of how to use the skill herself, but with her intense hunger, she believed her instincts would have guided her.

"Huh?" Akari uttered, taken aback as her cheeks began to flush with colour once again.