Area: Star Land – Flashing Serpent Encounter (Continued)
The way Rose spoke about her brother's creation—the Red-Eyed Glutton—still lingered in Daran's mind.
She's genuinely afraid of it, he realized.
And that thought made him wonder just how powerful she really was.
He'd only seen a glimpse back in the Crystal Zones. Back when she'd appeared out of nowhere and saved them.
She had split into reflections—multiplying through dimensional mirrors, striking with exact precision. It looked like she had dealt serious damage to the creature.
Until it absorbed more energy…
Until it exploded in a burst of raw force.
I would've died if she hadn't stepped in that day.
As he crouched near the crystalline trees, a quiet hum left his throat—an idea forming in the back of his mind.
"Rose," he called softly. "Can you show me how to fight it… from range?"
She turned her head slightly, one brow raised.
"I'm new to all of this," Daran continued. "Unlike Tristan, I'm not strong—or fast. I want to learn. Please… let me observe your skill in action."
For a moment, she was silent.
Then a slow, excited smile curled across her lips.
"I'm glad you can admit your weaknesses," she said, stepping forward. "Knowing when to ask for guidance means you actually want to grow."
She reached up and pulled her silver-black hair into a ponytail.
"Pay close attention," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Because I'll be holding back. And if I kill it before you manage to learn anything…"
She flashed him a look.
"…Don't complain."
As Rose stepped into position to demonstrate her skills, the scene shifted.
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Elsewhere in the Grove…
Tristan's fight was far from over.
The serpent he faced seemed far more aggressive than the one Daran and Rose were dealing with. Its movements were relentless—razor-edged scales whipping through trees, lightning crackling beneath its surface.
Still, Tristan held his ground.
The Instinct Blade flared in his grip, moving almost on its own. Its ability—Instinct—had saved him more than once already, reacting just fast enough to keep him from being torn apart.
His other weapon, the Twin Rose Sword, pulsed in his hand with newfound energy.
<~~><~~><~~>
Twin Rose Sword – Level Up!
Level: 3 / 20
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He stood breathing heavily, shoulders slumped, chest rising and falling with exhaustion—but his eyes burned with determination.
It hasn't used its lightning yet, he thought, narrowing his gaze.
He tightened his grip and repositioned, watching for any spark.
I've managed to break through its scales using Twin Rose's dimensional strikes, he noted silently. That ability is insanely powerful…
The sword's Twin Rose Slash had let him deal multi-angle damage, bypassing the serpent's typical defense by hitting both body and soul.
But even with those hits, the beast was still standing.
And worse—it was adapting.
The Instinct Blade can pierce into the cracks between its scales, he thought, but the damage is shallow.
He could feel it coming.
The real threat hadn't started yet.
The serpent was still holding back its lightning.
Tristan gritted his teeth, brain racing to find a solution.
The serpent refused to slow down—relentless, feral, and too fast to fully counter. He could only dodge its crushing charges thanks to the Instinct Blade and the forest around him.
But each time it tore through a tree, another burst of water splashed across the ground.
If it releases lightning here… I'm dead.
His eyes narrowed. No more hesitation.
He flung open the system map mid-sprint, fingers racing to mark a new point.
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Waypoint Marked: Rocky Terrain – Outskirts of Star Grove
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He looked up.
The serpent was still locked on him—laser-focused, ignoring everything else.
Good.
Tristan broke into a full sprint, weaving through crystal trees and low brush. The serpent followed like a crashing wave, carving a trail of destruction behind it.
"Ten more meters!" he shouted to himself.
His legs burned, lungs screamed—but he didn't stop.
Then—he reached it.
The trees thinned.
Dirt gave way to rough, stone-covered terrain.
As soon as his foot crossed the threshold, a rumble echoed above.
Clouds began to churn.
Thunder cracked the sky as if in answer.
The serpent's scales suddenly retracted—flattening against its body like blades as sparks of lightning danced across its surface.
Its mouth opened wide, glowing bright.
A ball of radiant light formed at its core—light energy fusing with raw lightning—and the very earth trembled beneath them.
Rocks lifted off the ground around them, suspended by the building force.
Tristan gripped his Twin Rose Sword tightly.
"Twin Rose Sl—"
He never finished the call.
Because it happened again.
The roar.
Not from the serpent—but from something far worse.
The same roar he'd heard once before… in the Crystal Zone.
The moment it echoed, the world froze.
A crushing pressure slammed through the air. The serpent halted mid-charge, its glowing attack extinguished. Tristan dropped to a knee—his body unable to move.
It wasn't fear.
It was something deeper.
Primordial.
His limbs felt as though invisible chains were holding him down.
And then… he saw it.
A beam of crimson light piercing through the darkness of the storm.
A single red eye, staring down at them both.