Suddenly, the tense standoff between Zarkon and Brian was shattered by an abrupt swoosh, followed by silence. The grivaxians, taken aback, scrambled to understand what had happened. The one with turquoise scales had an arrow stuck in his eye. However, it hadn't penetrated deep due to the creature's thick skull. The grivaxian hissed, its breaths heavy with pain and rage.

Looking around, Brian noticed Mandrix, Ilex, Shinmu, and Lana bracing for battle.

"Kill them all!" Zarkon's fury erupted in a guttural screech. At once, the turquoise and red grivaxians vanished from sight, charging towards Mandrix, Lana, Ilex, and Shinmu.

"Mandrix, the green one is after Lana!" Brian’s voice boomed. Seizing the opportunity he pivoted and dashed away from Zarkon.

Zarkon's anger intensified, the monster’s black scales were emanating a visible vapor, and he barked at Sylas to restrain Brian.

Brian darted across the room, taken aback by his own speed. He'd been in top form during his college years as a competitive 100-meter runner, but now he felt even faster. While his speed may not have been supernatural yet, he was certain he could shatter the current world record.

He also realized that his hand, no longer dangling, resembled a swollen piece of ham. While it was far from fully healed and he couldn't move a finger, the pulsating pain was a welcome change from the previous excruciating agony.

Checking over his shoulder, Brian ensured that he was safe from Zarkon. The moment he looked forward again, he slammed into something as hard as steel. He now understood why cartoons depicted stars floating above characters' heads after a hit - he was seeing those stars. He had run straight into Silas, who hadn't even moved an inch. Brian felt his teeth rumble and his nose pulse, and a near-instant headache formed in his forehead.

At the other side of the chamber, Mandrix, heeding Brian's warning, used his impressive speed to lunge towards her. He miraculously landed on top of the invisible grivaxian just as he struck Lana with his tail. The force of the tail strike sent Lana flying into a wall. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Mandrix seemed to float awkwardly in the air, his legs wrapped tightly around the grivaxian's thick, scaly neck. The grivaxian thrashed violently, trying to shake the unwanted rider off, but its short, stumpy arms couldn't reach Mandrix's body, and it struggled to stay upright under the aestari's weight.

Feeling around for the creature's face, Mandrix's attention locked onto a floating arrow with purple blood trickling from its tip – the injury Lana had inflicted.

“I got you, fucker!”

Gripping the arrow, Mandrix yanked it back and forth, attempting to drive it deeper into the creature's brain. The grivaxian recoiled in pain, slamming himself against the wall with Mandrix still on top in a desperate attempt to dislodge him.

Each impact jarred Mandrix's back, aggravating his previous wounds. The grivaxian's camouflage flickered and faded, revealing more of the injury as blood poured from his eye socket.

With one final push, putting his full weight behind it, the arrow burst through the back of the grivaxian's skull with an audible crack as the shaft splintered from the intense pressure, and a spray of reptile blood drenched Mandrix's face. The grivaxian crumpled to the ground, Mandrix still atop him.

You have vanquished [Grivaxian Beta - lvl 16] - Valtite has been distributed amongst your party. You have gained +39 Valtite reserves

‘DING’ Your valtite energy grows to level 8, empowering your stats and increasing your potential. +1 to each stat and +1 untrained point.

‘DING’ Your valtite energy grows to level 9, empowering your stats and increasing your potential. +1 to each stat and +1 untrained point.

Brian immediately saw the notifications assuring him that one enemy was taken down. He noted that the tingling sensation whenever his body was infused with more Valtite felt different this time. He couldn’t put it into words, but he could sense his energy was about to pass a threshold, as if the Valtite within him was on the brink of overflowing. But there was no time to dwell on that feeling, not while his friends were fighting for their lives.

“Shit, everything hurts, I can’t move” Mandrix wailed.

Simultaneously, the red grivaxian, still invisible, rammed his huge, bony head directly into Ilex's stomach with the force of a runaway train, sending him flying backwards and gasping desperately for oxygen as the wind was knocked out of him. He struggled to rise but couldn't draw breath into his paralyzed diaphragm. In a desperate act, Shinmu flung himself at the invisible foe, clinging tightly to the red crocodile's muscular torso just as it elbowed him in the head.

Shinmu let out an agonized scream as the grivaxian's blow connected, then immediately sparks of mystical energy began swirling around the entwined forms of Shinmu and the beast. The two figures flickered in and out of visibility, blurring and phasing unpredictably. After a few seconds of struggling, both Shinmu and the red grivaxian winked out of existence entirely, vanishing before Brian's eyes. He stared in shock, even using his Valtite Vision, but couldn't pick up a single trace of their energy signatures. They were simply gone.

Brian, restrained by Sylas, struggled to find his words. "Can your kind reason, Sylas, or is violence your only language?"

Sylas responded with a calm hissing sound. "Yes, grivaxians are violent, but I prefer to see our colony thrive without witnessing our brethren die."

Brian looked at Sylas. "Then help me stop this. I can tell the aestari what you need. Convince Zarkon."

Sylas hesitated before replying. "It doesn't matter. Grivaxians always follow the alpha."

Finally catching his breath, Ilex rose to his feet, his face as unreadable as ever. Glancing to his left, he saw Lana unconscious; to his right, Mandrix wincing with every minor move. With steadfastness, Ilex pulled out his spellbook, flipped it to the last page, and dropped it to the floor. Extending his arms to the side, he summoned an enormous acid wave that rushed directly at Zarkon. If Brian had to guess, by the large amount of valtite being released, this was Ilex’s strongest spell.

"So there was one left." Zarkon scratched the ground with his sharp claws, gouging deep furrows into the hard stone floor.

The wave swelled up, almost reaching the ceiling, before surging through the room like a relentless tsunami. Zarkon, however remained calm, he slashed the air with a speed that even Brian's enhanced vision couldn’t track, sending a shockwave that collided with the oncoming acid tide.

The heroes’ resolve shifted to dread at the sight of the monster’s logic defying feat. Zarkon's shockwave reversed the acid wave's momentum, turning it against its creator. Ilex and Mandrix, drained of the will to fight, were resigning to their fates as the monstrous torrent loomed overhead, ready to deliver its relentless, corrosive embrace, threatening to crash down upon Mandrix, Ilex, and Lana's unconscious body.

Stolen story; please report.

Ilex stared at Mandrix, “I can’t stop it, I am out of energy.”

“Fuck.”

An urgent and pulsing rhythm reverberated from the tunnel from which the heroes had emerged moments before. This potent sound, sent a feeling of danger and excitement through Brian. As the rhythm intensified, Serdna heroically strode out of the tunnel, lyre in hand. He played a driving and energetic riff that combined fast-paced, distorted chords with a catchy, repeating melody. He shredded the strings aggressively, the resulting sound waves rippling out and showcasing his skill.

With every chord, Serdna sent a barrage of soundwaves at the acidic deluge, effortlessly stopping it in its wake. The sheer force of the music defied the corrosive torrent, commanding it to submit. The acid fell straight down like a curtain, splashing in the center of the room.

The acid’s wavy surface reflected everything upside down as it spread. The potent stench of the noxious substance filled the room, leaving Brian only imagining the danger that had been so heroically averted by Serdna's timely intervention.

Zarkon grunted furiously, "Another pest invades our home?" Without moving his gaze, he ordered Sylas, "Kill Brian and the other intruder!"

"Alpha, let’s stop. If we do this, others will come." Sylas responded.

Zarkon rumbled, "You defy the alpha? You’re no grivaxian."

Serdna's melody continued like a theme song for the intense encounter. Brian felt his vigor refilling, a byproduct of Serdna’s music. At the same time, he noticed the swelling in his wrist receding in real time.

Zarkon's frustration mounted to new heights when he saw Lana with her bow at the ready, Mandrix standing up and cracking his knuckles, and Ilex dusting off his tome. Serdna had healed them with a soothing melody.

Mandrix glanced at Serdna, "Nice to see you."

Serdna replied, "I can’t deal with you right now, we’ll talk about your lack of basic aestari emotion after we’ve completed the mission."

"No need to apologize–"

Serdna cut him off, "I'm not apologizing– You’re so iconsider–” He sighed, frustrated. “You know what, forget it. Just go charge in like always, I’ll buff you.”

Brian cursed inwardly as Serdna and Mandrix bickered, knowing their chances against the alpha were slim enough without the pointless drama. He could understand Serdna's frustration, but their personal issues had to wait.

Lana interrupted the conversation, "Leave the childish drama for later. Even with Serdna here, taking down the alpha won't be easy."

Zarkon's guttural and screeching cries intensified as his muscles began to ripple under his black, malevolent scales. The more he growled, the more he transformed into a terrifying, dragon-like figure and more steam was released from his body.

Zarkon roared, "You've been breathing for far too long!"

Suddenly, the terrifying creature vanished from view. Mandrix, Serdna, Ilex, and Lana frantically adjusted their Spectrasight goggles, searching for him to no avail.

Almost immediately, a chilling breeze swept through, raising their hair on end. The alpha was clearly using the grivaxian’s iconic camouflage. But Brian, with his Oculus Core, could see every move the creature made.

Lana turned to Brian, "Where’s the alpha?"

In an instant, the cold breeze became a hurricane-force wind that made it difficult to stand. Mandrix and Ilex were hit from unexpected angles and brought to their knees. The vortex continued to ensnare them, seemingly pulling them toward the center of the room and into the active acid pool. As they were being sucked into the middle of the room, Zarkon kept attacking their blind spots, leaving them with no chance for respite.

"He's everywhere. It's impossible to warn you in time," Brian’s voice quivered. “Zarkon is running around in circles.”

[Energy Level: Medium]

How can we survive this… monster? Is this the end? No! I will thrive in this world. At that moment, Brian realized that if they were going to defeat Zarkon, it would take all of them. It didn’t matter how miniscule his contribution was, every single action mattered and he had a plan. It wasn’t much, but it was something only he could do.

Summoning all of his strength, Brian pushed Sylas away. The alligator's claws were clasped tightly around Brian's arms, and as he slipped from Sylas's grasp, part of his flesh tore away, leaving him with three deep, blood-dripping cuts on each arm. Sylas could have easily restrained Brian again, but he remained in place, calmly waiting to see how the scene unfolded.

Brian received a notification that some of his free points had been converted into constitution, most likely as a response to the injury from Sylas's claws. He dismissed the messages, however, as his focus was entirely on tracking Zarkon's movements. He fought against the pull of the tornado and the dizziness from his blood loss, turning his head rapidly back and forth in his effort to keep tabs on the elusive creature.

"SIT!" Zarkon's tail flew like a whip, as he zoomed past Brian. His Chronal Gaze tracked the tail's movement, but his body couldn't match its speed. The tail smashed into his thigh with immense force, leaving a deep, narrow groove in his flesh. For a brief moment there was no blood, just the imprint of the devastating impact. Then, the injury began to redden as pinpricks of blood emerged from the pores and trickled down his leg.

At last, Brian spotted an opening – a chance to act. But as he attempted to move, his injured leg gave out, dropping him to his knees. His vitality points were plummeting alarmingly fast.

Determined, he stood up again. Using his Chronal Gaze again, he timed the leap perfectly, he transferred all his weight onto his uninjured leg and leaped onto the monstrous figure as it whizzed past him.

[Energy Level: Low]

With desperation in his voice, Brian yelled, "He's here, he's here!" summoning every ounce of strength to remain latched onto the speeding, invisible, enemy. He looked like a banner flapping in a strong gale, his body whipped about by the rapid movement.

Brian could feel his grip weakening as blood continued to pour from his wounds. “Serdna! They are sensitive to sound!”

The decimators instantly understood what Brian was doing.

Mandrix's foot made contact with the acid. It ate through his boot and started burning his skin. With a deep breath and all his power, he struck his sword into the stone floor. He used it to brace himself from falling into the acid. Mandrix then grabbed Ilex, helping him stabilize while they used the opportunity that Brian created to fight back.

Mandrix shouted across the chaos, "Serdna, now!"

He strummed his lyre, infusing all of his valtite energy. The sound echoed across the domed room like the resounding peal of a colossal bell. This powerful reverberation halted Zarkon in his tracks. Sylas crumbled and clutched his head. Even Brian and the decimators winced a little at the intense sound.

The relentless vortex came to an abrupt stop, causing everyone to stumble as they adjusted their footing.

"Serdna, keep playing! We've got this fucker on the ropes!"

Serdna continued his virtuoso performance on his lyre despite the storm of sound. The deafening music filled the underground chamber, yet Lana and Ilex managed to rise. They showered the stunned Zarkon with arrows and acid, but the attacks merely bounced off his thick scales, leaving him unscathed.

Brian wanted to take his hands to his ears, but he fought through the urge clinging tightly to the camouflaged grivaxian.

Zarkon snarled as he struggled to stand up, fighting against the roar of the song. He set his sights on Serdna, advancing slowly. Arrows and acid kept raining down on him, but they merely ricocheted off his skin, causing no harm.

"Stay strong, everyone!” Lana called out as she notched another arrow.

“Yeah,” Ilex remarked

Serdna's expression turned grave, and he played even faster notes, empowering Lana and Ilex with a yellow aura that fused his valtite energy with their own. Lana's next arrow found its mark, piercing Zarkon's chest. Unfazed, Zarkon continued to approach. Ilex unleashed continuous streams of acid from each hand, finally inflicting damage as they burned holes in Zarkon's body.

Focused on his lyre, Serdna shouted, "One more blast! We'll survive this."

“Oh, Ok,” Ilex said.

[Energy Level: Depleted]

Brian, however, had reached his limit. A notification popped up, signaling his remaining free points had converted into endurance. This bought him a moment longer, but his fingers finally slipped from their grip on Zarkon's scales. He tumbled through the air, colliding painfully with the stone floor. The impact knocked the remaining air from his lungs before he fell limp, losing consciousness.