Watching Lex Cross charge off without hesitation to lure the octopus monster, Flora Bloom wanted to hold him back or rush forward to fight alongside him. But a hand instinctively went to her stomach, and in the end, she dashed into the nearby Strange Rock Beach, protected by the bubble her water shield had formed.
She slipped into a cave just large enough for her to hide in. After steadying herself and scanning her surroundings to confirm it was safe, she finally looked toward Lex Cross's retreating figure.
He was so fast that to the naked eye, he was little more than a teleporting black shadow. This shadow closed in on the octopus monster, weaving through the gaps between its dozen or so flailing tentacles, deftly dodging every attack.
Each time she saw his figure narrowly evade the thrashing tentacles, Flora Bloom would let out a breath of relief, only to hold it again as she watched Lex Cross cautiously close in on the octopus monster's main body.
