The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!" Phoebe's yell echoed in the cavern and echoed in Aeric's head.

He froze for a split second, his breath catching in his chest. The scene stretched out before him, time slowing as his mind raced.

'Do something.' The thought screamed at him. 'I have to do something! But every option seems riddled with risks. I can't summon a blast using my Divinity — not here, not yet. If I tried it, it would draw attention. But even if I did, I haven't mastered it so I'm not even sure it could work.'

His control wasn't honed enough for precision, and he hadn't finished condensing his Essence yet.

He gritted his teeth, his grip on his sword tightening. 'I could throw my sword,' he thought. 'But would it even hit? I don't have enough strength or swordsmanship tuned for throwing, and if I miss, Phoebe's dead.'

A growl rumbled in his throat. The beast was too fast, too close. No time for hesitation.

'I think I'll have to use [Infuse],' he decided. He hadn't used the Skill yet, but it was supposed to be the one he would main after his Declaration. He'd trained for this moment in theory — now was the time to put it into practice.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Aeric's fingers burned as he activated the Skill. Then, he pushed a wave of fire into the blade. Fire coursed along the sword, the steel heating to a glowing red. The weapon pulsed with power, the air around it shimmering with waves of heat.

Aeric launched the sword with a grunt, but he had also strengthened it with wind which turned the weapon into a rocket. The blazing sword streaked through the air, a comet of fire and wind, and struck the Hollow Wolf mid-leap.

The beast yelped, the fiery blade driving deep into its translucent form, and crashed to the ground beside Phoebe in a heap of smoldering fur.

Phoebe's face was pale, her hands trembling as she stared at the beast lying mere inches away from her.

Nyx, wide-eyed, was the first to break the silence. "My my…" she breathed, her voice a mix of surprise and awe. "That is an amazing strike."

"Get me the sword," Aeric ordered sharply, cutting through her reverie.

Snapping out of it, Nyx dashed forward. She knelt by the beast's corpse, gripping the blade's hilt. Grunting a bit, she pulled it free and hurled it back toward Aeric, the weapon spinning once before he caught it deftly.

"We have to start preparing for Plan B" Aeric barked, moving carefully towards Celestia and the beast that was approaching her. "You all know what to do."

The team scrambled, regrouping into a defensive circle. Each member shifted into their designated positions, their backs to one another as they prepared for the next wave. The remaining beasts circled, testing their cohesion, but Aeric's sharp commands kept them grounded.

Celestia held her own as the beast snapped its jagged maw at her, forcing her to use her hand to fend it off. The Cave Lurker kept snarling which made her stagger, but she held.

"Get ready!" Aeric shouted, creeping toward the beast.

The creature snarled, snapping at Aeric now, its attention momentarily shifting. Seeing the opening, Celestia was finally able to free her hand. Opening her palm and letting out a surge of Divinity, she activated [Golden Blast], and in response, the radiant energy slammed out of her hand and into the Cave Lurker, sending it reeling backward.

"I got it!" Nyx yelled, sprinting forward.

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She spun her halberd, shadows coiling around its blade. With a fierce cry, she swung it downward, sending a lance of dark energy hurtling toward the beast. The shadowy blast struck its chest, its spectral form shuddering violently before it collapsed in a heap.

Celestia quickly regained her footing, stepping back into the circle.

"Are you okay?" Aeric asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine."

There was barely any time to check on each other as the other two beasts were already closing in, their snarls echoing through the cavern.

Aeric glanced around, assessing his team. Though their formation had been shattered earlier, they were rallying now, regaining their rhythm. It was commendable, even in the face of chaos.

The game plan now was to take it slow, try to regroup, and attack the beasts sensibly. Coordinated attacks are —

Suddenly, Phoebe stepped forward, her arms outstretched. Aeric frowned. 'What is she doing?'

"What are you doing?" he snapped with urgency.

"I'm trying to get a hold of their core with my palm!" Phoebe replied, her eyes focused. "If I press it hard enough, I can squeeze out their Divinity!"

Nyx frowned. "Wait, you can do that?"

"I think so!" Phoebe replied, her voice tight with concentration. Her hands trembled as she focused on the beasts.

"Give me control over the essence of their power," she whispered. "Skill Activation; Soul Arrest."

Her mind plunged into darkness, and she could see their cores — two glowing orbs of Divinity pulsing with energy. She locked onto one, cupping her hands as though grasping it physically.

"Got it!" she cried. "Now take it down!"

She squeezed hard on the Beast's core and it let out a deafening wail, thrashing violently as its core was manipulated. Nyx didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, her halberd arcing through the air, and struck the beast down with a clean, decisive blow.

The remaining beast roared in fury, its eyes blazing with primal rage as it saw that its cohort had been killed.

Angrily, it lunged at the group, but they were ready. One by one, they attacked. When it came for Misty, she shot flames that seared its hide, Celestia's light blasts staggered it when it turned to her, and as Phoebe tightened around its Beast core, Nyx sent shadow blades that pierced its limbs.

The beast then staggered towards Aeric and he stepped forward proudly, lifting his sword and arcing it in a brilliant slash. The blade carved through the beast's form, silencing it with a final cry and a gruesome beheading.

[Second Lobby cleared successfully]

[Progress into Third Quest Lobby]

After another silence of catching their breath, Phoebe let out a triumphant cheer, throwing her hands in the air. "Yippee! We did it again! That was a close one!" She turned to the group, grinning. "This is fun, right, guys?"

The others exchanged glances, a mix of exhaustion and disbelief written on their faces.

"Yeah," Nyx muttered dryly. "Nothing more fun than almost dying."

~ ~ ~

Back in the observation room, Lady Magda watched the scene unfold with keen interest. She leaned back in her chair, her chin resting thoughtfully on her hand.

'Interesting,' she pondered. 'Even after their formation was shattered, he brought them back together. Coordinated them. Adapted.' Her lips downturned into a thoughtful frown. 'How is he doing this in his first Dungeon Challenge? Is he some kind of dungeon-clearing genius?'

Her eyes narrowed as she studied the young man on the screen. 'You've got me curious now, Son of Starlight.'