The Silkmind Moths hovered in eerie silence above the clearing, their translucent wings vibrating with a low metallic hum. Below them, the headless corpses of their kin crashed into the blood-soaked earth one after another, splattering glowing ichor across roots and broken stone. The scent of burnt flesh and crushed moss thickened the air.
Then the crystalline eyes of the surviving moths flared.
One of them screeched.
The sound split through the forest like rusted metal tearing apart.
And then—
A spear tore through the air.
It screamed forward like a falling meteor, spinning hard enough to leave a faint distortion in its wake. Oliver's eyes widened as the weapon shot past him.
He hadn't even seen Darius move.
"Wha—"
CLANG!
The spear struck something invisible.
A shimmering barrier rippled into existence around the Silkmind Moth, revealing itself only at the moment of impact. The force bent the spearhead slightly as cracks of pale light spread through the air like fractured glass.
For a heartbeat, the weapon remained suspended there, trembling violently against the resistance.
Then the barrier shattered.
A burst of force exploded outward.
The spear punched through the moth's skull. Its head burst apart like a sack filled with blackened ink and crystal shards. The corpse spiralled downward and slammed into the ground with a wet crunch.
Before Oliver could even process it, another figure moved.
Ronan leapt.
He caught the blood-slick spear midair with one hand, fingers tightening around the shaft as crimson flames erupted along the weapon's length. Heat rolled outward instantly, washing over Oliver's face.
Ronan twisted in midair and hurled the spear again.
The second Silkmind Moth had only just turned toward the first impact when the flaming weapon reached it.
Another barrier shimmered into existence—
—and ruptured instantly.
The spear tore through its skull and embedded itself deep into the earth at a sharp angle, flames still smouldering around the shaft. The moth's corpse dropped beside it, twitching violently.
Oliver stood frozen.
His pulse hammered against his ribs.
A low electric hum suddenly filled the air around him.
He turned sharply.
Blue lightning crackled beneath Darius's boots, arcing wildly across the ground. Every movement released a burst of sparks. Thunder Step.
But this…
This was different.
The air itself distorted around Darius as he blurred forward like living stormlight, leaving flickering afterimages behind him.
Oliver instinctively activated his own Thunder Step.
Lightning surged around his legs—
—but compared to Darius, he felt unbearably slow.
Like dragging chains through mud.
"Same skill…" Oliver muttered under his breath, staring as Darius vanished and reappeared several meters away in a blink. "Then why the hell am I so slow?"
No one answered him.
The battlefield had already erupted again.
Ronan, Rai, and Orin split apart in three directions, weaving through the chaos with terrifying coordination. Wings fell around them in glowing fragments. Steel flashed through the dark like silver rivers.
Rai ducked beneath a descending claw and severed a Moonveil Moth clean across the abdomen.
Orin spun low, his blade carving through fragile wings before driving upward into another creature's throat.
Ronan moved like wildfire itself.
Every swing of his spear left burning arcs in the air.
Darius retrieved his weapon with a sharp pull and launched himself back into the fray without hesitation.
Within moments, the battlefield thinned.
The clearing became littered with twitching corpses, shattered crystal eyes, and glowing violet blood that soaked into the roots beneath them.
Only six monsters remained.
Three Rank-Three Moonveil Moths.
Three Rank-Four Silkmind Moths.
The five youths gathered instinctively at the centre of the clearing.
Rai. Orin. Darius. Oliver. Ronan.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Their breathing gradually synchronised as they stared at the remaining monsters circling above them.
For one brief moment, no one moved.
Then all five lowered their stances simultaneously.
The forest suddenly screamed.
A shrill, unnatural cry tore through the clearing hard enough to make Oliver's spine lock. The sound didn't feel like ordinary noise—it felt invasive, as though icy fingers had slipped directly into his skull.
The three Silkmind Moths hovered ominously overhead, their crystalline wings vibrating with a metallic resonance that pulsed through the air.
Oliver's muscles stiffened instantly.
His fingers stopped responding.
Even breathing became difficult.
Beside him, Orin stumbled backwards, panic flashing across his face as his sword slipped slightly from numb fingers.
"What the hell—?!" Orin choked out. "I can't move!"
The Moonveil Moths descended from the shadows behind them, silent and patient. Their bioluminescent wings glowed faintly blue beneath the trees like drifting funeral lanterns.
Two more Silkminds hovered behind them.
A formation.
Calculated.
Hunting.
Oliver tried forcing his body forward, but his limbs felt submerged in ice water. Even his thoughts slowed beneath that horrible sound.
Then Ronan spoke.
"Let them come closer."
His voice came low and steady despite the strain tightening his jaw.
"They need proximity to devour a soul," he muttered, eyes fixed upward. "They always approach the source."
The creatures closed in.
Closer.
Closer—
A deep purple flame suddenly ignited around Ronan's right foot.
The heat exploded outward so violently that Oliver felt it across his skin.
Ronan stomped.
BOOM!
The ground ruptured beneath them.
A shockwave burst across the clearing like rolling thunder, carrying crackling purple fire through the paralysis field. The invisible pressure shattered instantly.
The advancing moths staggered violently midair.
Oliver gasped as feeling returned to his limbs all at once.
"So that's how it feels…" Rai hissed through clenched teeth, shaking numbness from his arm.
"Now!" Ronan roared.
Everything moved at once.
Steel flashed.
The three Moonveil Moths died first.
Heads spun through the air before their bodies even collapsed. Oliver lunged forward immediately afterwards, driving his spear into a retreating Silkmind Moth. The force pinned the creature violently against a tree trunk.
It shrieked.
Ronan spun and drove his burning spear straight through its chest—
—and suddenly the air shimmered.
Fine glistening dust erupted from the corpses.
The battlefield vanished beneath a cloud of silver particles.
Ronan's eyes widened instantly.
"Fall back!" he shouted. "Don't inhale it!"
But the dust had already spread.
Oliver sucked in a breath by instinct and immediately regretted it.
His lungs burned.
The particles clung unnaturally to the air instead of falling, drifting like cursed ash illuminated by moonlight.
Ronan cursed under his breath, already retreating. "Even if we kill the last Silkmind, this damned dust won't disappear…"
His expression tightened.
"This is going to hurt."
Lightning exploded across the clearing.
Darius vanished.
A thunderclap echoed half a second later as he reappeared beside Ronan, grabbed him roughly by the collar, and accelerated again without slowing.
The force nearly ripped Ronan off his feet.
"Oi—!"
The world blurred around them as Darius dragged him away from the spreading haze.
Behind them, Orin suddenly collapsed to one knee, coughing violently. Rai staggered beside him before crashing hard into the ground, his breathing ragged and shallow.
Oliver's vision blurred slightly.
The dust was affecting him, too.
Darius skidded across the clearing, then hurled Ronan several meters away from the contaminated zone before spinning sharply.
His spear flew from his hand with explosive force.
The weapon slammed into the final Silkmind's invisible barrier—
—and bounced away.
Darius froze.
"What?!"
The single word came out sharp with disbelief.
Then dizziness hit him.
Hard.
His knees buckled instantly as the dust invaded his lungs. His vision darkened around the edges.
And then—
A deep purple wisp surged through the haze.
It slammed directly into Darius's chest.
Purple fire erupted across his body.
Not burning.
Purging.
The flames crawled over his limbs and torso, stripping away the corruption trying to invade him. Darius sucked in a ragged breath as strength returned just enough for him to force himself upright again.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Still, his eyes remained focused on the final moth.
Ronan stared from a distance, breathing heavily. "You idiot…"
Darius raised his left palm.
Lightning gathered instantly.
Sharp arcs of electricity snapped wildly between his fingers as Aether condensed in front of him. Slowly—inch by inch—a spear formed from pure thunder.
Oliver watched with stunned disbelief.
The weapon wasn't stable.
The lightning kept collapsing and reforming violently.
Then Darius raised his other hand.
Wind began to spiral around it.
Ronan's expression changed immediately.
"You're still not ready to wield two elements at once, Darius—"
But Darius roared before he could finish.
The vortex slammed into the spear's tail.
The lightning weapon began spinning.
Faster.
Faster.
The shriek of compressed wind and thunder tore through the clearing until even the remaining Silkmind hesitated.
Veins bulged along Darius's arms. Blood dripped from his trembling fingers.
Then he threw it.
The spinning spear exploded forward as divine wrath was unleashed.
The air itself split apart behind it.
The final Silkmind Moth barely managed to raise its barrier before the spear struck.
The shield shattered instantly.
A flash of white and violet consumed the creature's head.
Then silence.
Its corpse dropped lifelessly onto the scorched earth below.
Darius fell to his knees immediately afterwards.
Blood spilt from his mouth as violent tremors ran through both arms. His breathing came in sharp, ragged gasps, chest heaving as though every inhale scraped glass through his lungs.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Ronan finally walked toward him, exhaustion visible even through the faint grin tugging at his lips.
"My turn."
Nearby, Oliver crouched beside Orin and Rai, checking their breathing while fighting the lingering dizziness clouding his own thoughts.
"I'll carry Orin," Oliver called out hoarsely. "Dispense your clone. Forget the loot—we can't clean this up while that dust is still lingering."
Ronan gave a silent nod.
He pressed a hand against his chest.
Another purple will-o'-wisp drifted from his palm, glowing softly against the dark forest. Oliver felt the sheer density of Aether within it immediately.
Ronan fed nearly two-thirds of his remaining reserves into the flame.
His face visibly paled.
The wisp flared brightly before shooting toward the centre of the battlefield. As it rose, Ronan's hands moved rapidly through an intricate sequence of seals.
A massive magic circle unfolded beneath the dust cloud.
Layer upon layer of glowing runes expanded across the clearing in pale purple light, illuminating shattered wings and corpses beneath them. The entire forest seemed to hum.
Then the purple flames descended.
They fused with the formation instantly.
Purification and fire became one.
The dust vanished.
Not dispersed.
Erased.
Every silver particle burned away in seconds as though judged by something divine.
Oliver stared speechlessly.
The magic circle slowly faded from existence.
The wisp drifted lazily back toward Ronan and sank into his chest once more.
Ronan staggered immediately afterwards.
His legs nearly gave out beneath him.
From nearby, Orin coughed violently and rolled onto his side. Rai groaned and slowly pushed himself upright, still dazed.
Oliver looked toward Ronan with wide eyes.
"Was that…" He swallowed hard. "A purification spell?"
Ronan didn't answer.
He simply dropped to one knee, breathing heavily, shoulders rising and falling beneath the dim moonlight.
The battlefield fell silent.
Only the faint crackle of dying embers and the whisper of wind through broken trees remained.
Around them lay the corpses of monsters strong enough to wipe out entire hunting parties.
And yet the five of them still stood.
Barely.