Retribution or Obliteration?
WHOOSH!
Tien Ha and Gerald were like a shooting stars flying through the tunnels back to the exit with the fires of a vengeful Calamity on their heels.
"We're almost there!" Gerald shouted.
Suddenly, a massive pillar of liquid fire exploded up before them. They screeched to a halt just inches from the molten inferno.
Thud! Thud!
Emerging from the flames, one massive, hoof at a time, came the imposing form of the Golden Bull Thork.
The heat and the sheer size of the beast washed over the trapped hunters like a tangible entity, leaving no doubt that the escape attempt had failed spectacularly.
"Running away so soon? The fun has just begun." The Golden Bull Thork's thunderous voice reverberated through the tunnel and caused even more terror for the trapped humans.
What would happen to them now? Retribution or… obliteration?
SNORTS!
The Golden Bull Thork, a titan of muscle and rage, stood before them. Its golden body possessed an infernal glow that emanated from the Fire Pool's essence. Its eyes held an ancient wisdom mixed with unbridled fury. Each breath it took sent waves of searing heat through the tunnel that cooked the air with the pungent scent of sulfur.
Tien Ha and Gerald stared at the imposing creature before them with terror trickling down their spines and settling in their sweaty nether regions. Their escape plan had backfired, and they were trapped like mice before a hungry cat.
"What now, Tien Ha?" Gerald's anxious thoughts sounded in Tien Ha's mind via telepathic communication.
"We have no choice. We use 'Crimson Storm', our most powerful combined attack. We'll have to blast our way through the tunnel behind the Calamity," Tien Ha mentally responded. The hardened resolved in his mental voice reflected the gravity of their situation.
Suddenly, their conversation was cut short by a spine-chilling energy spike emanating from the Golden Bull Thork. They glanced upward and saw its two magnificent golden horns crackling with power.
Between the horns, a ball of incandescent energy was forming and growing with alarming speed. It pulsed ominously as energy spiraled up the length of the horns towards the growing ball. Multiple segments along the horns spun rapidly that caused streaks of lighting to illuminate their fear-stricken expressions. The sight of this attack charging caused goosebumps to break out across their skin.
"Oh shit!" Tien Ha was taken aback by the attack's power.
"This… This doesn't look good." Gerald nervously commented.
And then they heard it: "Helios Stream - DIE!"
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, the Golden Bull Thork unleashed the devastating attack that shoot out from between its horn, resembling a giant golden stream that screamed with annihilative intent as it barreled toward the helpless Silver Blood Knights.
Tien Ha and Gerald didn't hesitate as their fight or flight instinct was amplified by the sight of their demise. With gritted teeth, they screamed and called upon every ounce of their bloodline power and Solar Essence reserves. They unleashed multiple overlapping barriers.
"Condensed Blood Barrier! Condensed Blood Barrier! Condensed Blood Barrier! Condensed Blood Barrier! Condensed Blood Barrier!"
BOOM!
Several translucent, crimson walls of solidified blood formed one after the other to stop the beast's attack. Their combined attack would have to break through seven Condensed Blood Barriers before it reached the trapped hunters. Unfortunately, even as they were stacking barriers, they were simultaneously being consumed by the potent heat.
Crack! Crack! Boom!
"Four layers remain! It's not enough!" Gerald was strained to its limits as sweat streamed down his forehead and beard. The barriers were shattering, each impact a bone-jarring blast.
Crack! Crack! Boom!
"Two layers remain! Gerald! Brace yourself!" Tien Ha yelled as another two layers crumbled away like cheap glass. The tunnel behind them continued to rumble, warning them to find another escape route as soon as possible.
When the Golden Bull Thork's attack reached the final barrier, Tien Ha knew their defense wouldn't hold.
"I'm going to use "that". Cover me!" Tien Ha instructed.
"Mhm. I understand." Despite being terrified, Gerald knew what had to be done.
The moment the last barrier began to fracture, Tien Ha leaped backward to put a safe distance between them and the inevitable clash that was going to rock the very foundation of the Blood Forest.
Gerald stepped forward with unyielding conviction and a stoic gaze. As he pushed forth his hands in a defensive posture, he screamed,
"HYAAAAA! MAD LION BOUNTY!"
Gerald's Soul Orbital flared brilliantly, and his fifth Soul Planet in the second orbital, flashed vibrantly for a mere instant as his inner bloodline energy and reserves were drained at an exponential rate, empowering the final act of a desperate gamble. This was his ace. His life.
Out of thin air, a gargantuan spectral lion with ruby fur materialized and unleashed a mighty roar.
BOOM! CRACKLE!
The Golden Helios Stream slammed into the phantom lion, and both attacks exploded with the intensity of multiple exploding stars as a stalemate battle was being waged in such confined space.
Tien Ha took advantage of Gerald's bravery. Using lightning-fast hand gestures as blood-red energy swirled and coalesced between his palms accompanied by an unusual glow and shifting arrays of geometric patterns. Finally, a blood-red needle materialized. Intricate purple streaks and arcane runes danced across its surface with unimaginable power.
"Huh… what's that?" Lin gasped while gawking at Tien Ha with wide, sweat filled eyes. She had never seen him cast such a technique before.
"Our ticket to freedom, I hope." Tien Ha glanced at the crimson needle, then smirked.
He then heard Gerald's exhausted mental scream echoing within his mind.
*Is "that" ready? I can't hold this bastard back any longer. *
"Coming, I won't be long." Tien Ha whispered.
His gaze fixed on the struggling Gerald and the dying phantom lion that was trying its best to keep the Golden Helios Stream from crushing their bones. He leapt forward into the fray. As he did, the needle in his hand grew exponentially in size.
"Life Devouring Needle - Go!" Tien Ha cried out and flung the gigantic crimson needle with every ounce of his might.
The massive needle sailed toward the distracted bull.
"Hmm…?"
The Golden Bull Thork sensed an anomaly and looked around.
A bored and arrogant smile spread across its face upon recognizing a massive red stick in its face, but before it could even react…
POOF!
The needle shrank. It shrank so fast that the bull's eye couldn't keep track of it before its form completely vanish from the world of sight. And before its gargantuan brain could register what just happen, the needle slammed into its forehead, seemingly defying reality and shattering expectations.
"It's a success!" Tien Ha yelled excitedly as he observed the needles vanishing into the bull's forehead.
Instantly, the Golden Helios Stream dissipated.
"Huh…"
The Golden Bull Thork was staggered. A look of confusion momentarily flickered across its ancient eyes as it raised its hoof to rub its aching head.
"Come on! This is our chance!" Tien Ha hollered. They had to escape now while the Calamity was disoriented.
In a coordinated flash of crimson energy, Tien Ha and Gerald scooped up the ladies again. They shot past the stunned bull, leaving its raging inferno behind and escaping into the relative safety of the tunnel before dashing toward the exit with unimaginable speed. They didn't dare to look back as they rocketed out of the cave's exit.
"We made it out!"
The fresh air of the Blood Forest bounced upon them like a gentle welcome after their harrowing journey within the earth's bosom.
"Tsk! I guess the boy was meant to die…" Gerald shook away these unpleasant thoughts. They didn't have a milliseconds to waste on sentiments or a dying slave.
At a safe distance, they looked back at the cave, seeing a hazy glow reflecting against the Grey Sun's beams that illuminated the vast expanse and falling crimson snowflakes before dashing through the sky and eventually, towards home.