Dungeon Raider System-Chapter 762: Merman king Part 2
Just like Uriel had taken his time learning about the merman weaknesses, their attack patterns and their way of thinking, the merman king had done the same thing and came up with a strategy that resulted in Uriel's defeat.
Uriel dropped on the shallow water with expressionless eyes, his face already pale from the blood loss ended up completely submerged beneath the surface of the water and due to the merman king's skill, no matter how hard Nika attempted to pull him up it was impossible.
Luna cranked up her level of brightness to the equivalent of a hunter grade flashbang and managed to blind the merman king leaving him stunned for a few seconds, but that was the extent of her power and it caused no damage to the vicious cryptid.
"Can you use shadow blink?" Asked Luna, to which Nika replied by shaking head. Despite the water level being shallow enough to only reach Luna's knee, it rendered them immobile and unable to dodge the water projectiles being cast by the merman cryptids by the beach.
Realizing it was a life or death situation, Bella rushed in to help Nika pull Uriel out of the water and although they managed to move him a couple centimeters, it still wasn't enough for Uriel to be able to breathe.
"I'll keep him distracted." Bella announced as she threw a powerful wind slash at the merman king to push him away. It earned them a few seconds, but the aquatic cryptid was able to swim back into the fight at an inconceivable speed and attempted to pierce Bella with his fishing spear which she dodged by hovering around.
"Don't touch the water, there's something off about it." Nika warned Bella who was focused on the fight against the merman king and water was the least of her worries. She didn't know if the jagged spear would be able to pierce through her wind barrier, but that was something she would rather not find out.
"I won't be able to hold him off for long." Bella said with a jagged breath as she was forced to channel a vast amount of flux energy just to keep dodging the unsightly creature.
"Luna, can you transform into your werewolf form? Luna?" Nika stretched her hand to reach the tiny huntress that was unconscious in her standing position. "Luna, are you hurt somewhere!?"
Nika had no means to know it, but her actions were risking Luna's trump card as she was in the dreamscape attempting to summon the island of Atlantis to their location. In her dreams she saw herself in a third person and relived the darkest passages of her life like usual.
She saw the stones being thrown at her by the townsmen, Cassandra crying while hugging her, them running away and even the first time she had to kill someone to protect themselves.
"You've had a rough life, my friend." The island of Atlantis said.
"I... need help." Luna muttered as the landscape shifted into a projection of what just transpired in the real world.
"I'm afraid I can't be of help because, if I did, you passing the trial would be meaningless." Atlantis responded.
"I don't care, I don't want my friends to die." Contrary to real life, in her dreams Luna was able to speak with emotion and show any expression she so desired since it was her own imagination.
Whether or not Luna's begging caused the island to feel sympathy or if Luna declaring she didn't want her friends to die made the island believe the tiny huntress would also fight to protect it when needed, it didn't really matter. For whatever reason, the island gave in and spoke the following words.
"Help is on the way." The island then used its ability to wake Luna up in the exact moment the merman king was drawing near.
"Help is on the way." Luna muttered with confidence as she shapeshifted into her werewolf form and parried the fishing spear with her claws. The merman king then attempted to pull it away, but Nika joined in her effort and grabbed the spear with shadow tendrils that came from the faint shadows cast by the gas lanterns on her face.
It looked eerie, but it was exactly what they needed as in spites of its overwhelming strength the merman king couldn't pull back its weapon due to Luna's orichalcum claws getting hooked on the jagged spear and also, due to the solid foothold the merman king's ability gave them.
The same force that rendered immobile turned out to give them the advantage they needed and Bella took the chance to strike at the merman king with a wind blade as powerful as the one she once used against Uriel figuring that if she once was able to cut a deep crevasse into a mountain then the same would happen to the cryptid.
The air moved so suddenly it caused a vacuum in the surroundings that caused soft circular waves beneath Bella and the wind slash hit the creature in full managing to split it in half. Such elemental power could only be wielded by someone truly loved by the wind element itself as it was able to overpower the cryptid's ability and the hunters were finally able to pull Uriel out of the water.
"He's not breathing." Luna informed.
"Then do CPR or whatever!"
"He... uhm... is missing a lung. It won't work." Luna's emotionless expression became even colder, but at the same time her eyes got teary.
"Step aside," Bella pushed Luna with a soft wind breeze and used her skill to introduce some air into Uriel's mangled body. She needed extreme focus to perform her task without hurting Uriel more than she was helping him. A single slip on her end would end in destroying his remaining lung and she knew it.
"Come on, don't you die on us." Bella said when Uriel started convulsing, but then became completely still.
"Time of death..." Luna muttered ever so slowly, but before she could announce the grim news a flash of light flew past them and directly on top of Uriel covering his wounded figure with a beautiful pair of golden wings.
"I'm back, brother." A soft voice echoed in the darkness.
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