Draven bounded off the ledge, just a fraction earlier before—
BANG!
The boulder smashed into the ledge like a meteor, exploding it into flying shards.
Fragments ricocheted off his armor, the impacts dull thuds against the metal.
Dangling mid-air, Draven clutched his bow, Soul Vitalis anchoring it like a lifeline. He quickly lowered his head just in time to see the monster wrenching another boulder, grimacing at the sight.
But before it could hurl its next attack, Vera and Selene instantly lunged from both sides in a pincer attack, forcing it into defense.
Draven snapped his head upward, eyes roaming, searching for a vantage point as the girls kept the monster distracted.
He found a wide crevice in a short search and soared higher with his bow before the Soul Vitalis exhausted. Swinging himself into the crevice just as the Soul Vitalis drained, Draven positioned himself and looked downward. The rugged crevice wasn't as spacious and comfortable as the ledge, though.
Gazing below, Draven saw an intense showdown between the monkey and the girls.
Swords clashed against its palms relentlessly but echoed like metal against metal.
The girls bombarded it relentlessly, never giving it a moment to recover. Selene struck and darted back, but before it could retaliate, Vera slashed from another angle. Every connected slash drew blood—except its palms.
It was locked in total defense, retaliating only in brief, dangerous bursts—but Selene's vines snatched just enough respite for the girls to seize back the momentum.
'How do I assist them?'
He squinted and studied the battle to spot important details.
'Key moment!'
Standing, he nocked his arrow, still glinting with a blue hue, his eyes narrowing with rapt attention as he locked onto the monster.
'It shouldn't understand my words, right?'
"Girls!" he shouted. "I'll slow it when you are about to strike—just don't let it hurl another damn boulder at me!"
The girls pressed on as if they didn't hear him.
Selene had just withdrawn when Vera struck from the opposite side. The monster pivoted with terrifying speed—but Draven's arrow was already in flight.
It found its mark, halting it for a second.
Vera didn't waste the opening. She lunged, her blue blade carving a deep gash across its thigh.
It snapped awake and looked up at Draven, roaring as its hand reached for a boulder.
But Selene was faster—her black blade slashing downward in a vicious diagonal strike. The monster jerked back, but not fast enough. A line of dark blood carved along its ribs.
It retaliated with a backhanded swing, claws glinting. Selene barely dodged, the wind of the blow ruffling her hair as she danced out of range.
It was about to chase, but Vera had vaulted from behind, blades flashing toward its skull.
'Reckless!'
Draven cursed and loosed another arrow.
The beast had barely turned when the shot struck, staggering it mid-motion. Vera's twin swords lashed out, carving deep in the side of its face. It reeled, and Selene didn't miss the opportunity. Her black blade hissed through the air, splitting its chest open wider.
The monster roared, shaking off the daze, but Draven's shot struck it on its back. Vera's blades followed, slicing twin furrows across its flesh.
Draven's hand was already drawing the next shot.
They assaulted it from all sides. Though he'd stopped using Soul Vitalis, every one of the monster's counterattacks faltered under his precision. Every arrow Draven loosed, every slash from the girls, every failed retaliation, only fed its rage. Rage twisted its features and blood matted its fur. Its movements grew erratic, wilder, and desperate.
With a guttural snarl, the monster whirled like a cyclone, its outstretched arms slicing through the air.
Vera barely dodged. The monster's claws raked her shoulder with devastating power that sent her tumbling. Draven's breath seized, but she rolled clear, ignoring her bleeding shoulder, and scrambled out of its reach.
They watched it warily. Draven stared at the monster, his heart hammering in his chest as he couldn't predict its next move.
It abruptly halted and unleashed a deafening roar.
The monster's roar wasn't just loud—it was a physical pressure, rattling teeth and shaking pebbles loose from the cavern ceiling. Draven's fingers instinctively tightened around his bowstring.
The monkey suddenly turned and bolted for the entrance, making Draven's jaw drop.
But vines erupted from the cavern walls, weaving into a thick net across the exit. The monster slashed, snapping a few strands, but the barrier held.
"Draven!" Vera roared, charging at it.
Draven focused sharply and released a shot infused with Soul Vitalis. The arrow punched into the beast's skull. The monster slowed, and Vera's sword hacked into its leg, dropping it to one knee.
Draven recalled and fired another shot. The monster had just opened its mouth when another arrow buried itself in its nape, freezing it again.
Vera slashed again, and Selene joined her. The creature growled, muscles straining to rise, but Draven's arrows rained down, and the girls' blades became a blur.
With Draven pinning it skillfully, the girls relentlessly slashed and battered its body into a bloody mess. In fifteen seconds, it received more wounds than it had during the entire battle.
The monster's bloodshot eyes dimmed, its body buckling under the assault.
"Stop!" Selene called out, but Draven had already released his shot. The arrow ran through the monkey's skull.
The monster toppled sidewards, shaking the cavern when it hit the floor.
[Third Order Transient rank killed: Tree Monkey.]
[+1 Soul Vitalis.]
[+1 Gear Received.]
Draven froze as he realized he broke the deal. Since he had collected the arrow as payment, he was also anxious not to let the monster escape, to fulfill his end of the bargain. Unfortunately, he was too far to see the state of the monkey and ended up delivering the final shot… and he received the gear.
He quickly checked the description, and his jaw dropped at what he read.
'Damn! Should I give it to her? Or just lie that I didn't receive it? This is what I want.'