No answer. He was breathing. Moving. But slower now. His blade had landed ten feet away, still upright.
The leviathan didn't wait.
It turned toward Lucen.
Head low. Mouth wide.
Teeth like carved pylons, each taller than Lucen's chest.
And those eyes?
Still tracking him.
'Shit.'
Lucen didn't cast right away. He dropped low, circled left, flared [Threadmask] to scatter a decoy, sent it running wide while he built up [Ignition Burst].
The flame shot forward, nailed the creature's cheek—
And bounced.
No damage.
Not even a mark.
Lucen's breath caught. "Okay. So that's not working."
He pivoted, flicked out [Shockweave Bolt], fast, aimed for the eye.
It hit.
The eye didn't blink.
Didn't even twitch.
Lucen muttered, "You've got to be kidding me."
The leviathan surged forward.
