Luke sprinted through the forest, heart pounding so hard it drowned out the world—each beat a war drum echoing inside his chest. The cold bit into his skin like shards of glass, trying to slow him down, but the raw heat of adrenaline burned beneath it, forcing him forward. The air was thick with smoke and melting snow, trembling with the wyvern's roar that tore through the heavens above.

Fire streaked across the canopy, lighting the woods in violent flashes. Snow hissed into steam. Trees split and burned, their smoke turning the air sharp and heavy with the stench of scorched wood. Shadows danced across the trunks like wailing ghosts painted red by the fire's glow.

The ground shook with every beat of the creature's wings. Branches cracked overhead, and the stink of sulfur mixed with smoke until it filled his lungs. They'd been scattered when the beast dove. The impact had hit like a meteor, hurling him through the forest. Now, he was alone—surrounded by twisted trees, smoke, and the faint echo of distant screams. Melted snow mixed with mud beneath his boots, and hot vapor rose in waves that stung his eyes.

But an idea began to form. Reckless. Desperate. His only shot.

His gaze flicked through the system interface until it stopped on one of the familiar's skills coiled beneath his clothes.

[Corrosive Venom (Ultra-Rare)]: The Jormungandr releases a controlled venomous fluid from its fangs, capable of coating a target without corroding it immediately. The venom, thick and adhesive in texture, clings to the surface for a few moments before triggering its corrosive effect.

"Coat my arrow with venom," he ordered, already pulling his bow free, his hands trembling from cold and adrenaline.

He drew an ultra-rare arrow from the dimensional necklace, a reinforced shaft with a tip gleaming faintly in the firelight, and held it steady, eyes scanning the sky for movement.

"Come on. Open your damn mouth," he muttered.

Artemis smirked. Hey, it's Mr. Shitpants' first time. That's a little big for him to handle." Artemis quipped in her usual, mocking tone.

Luke ignored her. The sarcasm was a comfort, in a way. Proof that they were still alive. For now. Beneath his collar, the small serpent shifted. Franky lifted his head, eyes glinting wet and dark.

"You want me to… put venom on that?" he asked, hesitant.

"Yes. Now."

"But my venom… it's not that strong—"

"Just do it. Trust me."

The little serpent obeyed. It slithered free from under his clothes, skin cold and slick as it wound its way to the arrow. The tips of its fangs glowed faintly green. A drop of thick, oily fluid gathered there, then fell, spreading over the point. The smell hit instantly—acidic and metallic, like rust and blood.

Luke watched as the liquid coated the arrowhead completely, turning it a wet, luminous green. The venom seemed alive, pulsing faintly, catching the firelight in sickly waves.

He didn't have much time.

Drawing a slow breath, Luke nocked the arrow and raised the bow, every muscle pulled tight. His eyes locked on the direction of the sound—the heavy, wet rumble of a living furnace.

"I thought you said you hated using poison," Artemis whispered in his mind.

"When have I ever not been a hypocrite?" he muttered, teeth clenched as he pulled the string to its limit. "I just don't want to die."

The ground shuddered beneath him.

A torrent of fire ripped through the trail ahead, turning snow to vapor and air to knives. Luke dropped, rolled through the steaming slush, and came up in a single fluid motion. Heat seared his coat, his skin burning beneath it.

He exhaled once, steadying his grip.

The hunt had begun.

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"Besides… that's still acid," he muttered, adjusting his grip on the bow.

The wyvern dove with a roar, its throat pulsing red like molten metal. The next breath scorched everything—trees, stone, even the air seemed to sizzle. Steam rolled across the battlefield, thick enough to swallow the world.

As soon as the fire stopped, Luke triggered Basic Dark Dash.

The world folded in on itself. Shadows warped, and the ground seemed to vanish beneath his feet as if gravity had turned traitor. He burst through the smoke in a blur and reappeared right in front of the creature's face.

"Go to hell!" he shouted, loosing the arrow.

It sliced through the haze, a streak of light cutting through chaos, and struck the beast's eye with a dull crack. A scream split the sky. The poison ignited across its flesh, bubbling violently as the wyvern's living tissue began to melt, releasing dark smoke into the storm.

The creature flailed, thrashing blindly, the sheer force of its wings hurling Luke backward. He slammed into the ground hard, the snow cushioning the impact but not the pain. He rolled, gasping, already pulling another arrow.

"Generate more poison!" he yelled at Franky, still on one knee.

Through the shifting fog, he could see the wyvern's silhouette—a massive shape writhing in the vapor, wings beating like thunder trapped in a stormcloud. Luke planted his feet in the snow, drew his bow, and steadied his breathing. The cold gnawed at his fingers, biting through the gloves. Franky poked his head out from Luke's collar, dripping another stream of venom. The thick green liquid oozed across the arrowhead, glistening with a slick, oily sheen under the glow of distant fire.

Luke lifted the bow. He fired. The arrow struck the wyvern's neck—right where he'd landed the Acid Blood Arrow earlier. The flesh there was half-melted, and the new shot drove deep, pushing the venom further in.

He didn't stop. Another shot. Then another. Each rare arrow tore through the air, hitting the same spot, over and over. A relentless rhythm of impact and poison, carving deeper into the monster's hide.

The wyvern's roar shook the earth, the sound rolling through the forest like an earthquake. Trees bowed, branches snapping under the vibration. Even wounded, the beast surged forward, crushing trunks and roots beneath its claws.

Luke backed up, heart pounding in his chest, breath fogging in the freezing air. The creature lunged, jaws wide, fangs dripping fire. Luke dove aside, rolling across the snow just as the wyvern bit down on empty ground. The roar that followed shattered the air itself, splitting the silence into jagged pieces.

Then—something tore through the mist like lightning.

Charlie appeared, her entire form surrounded by a living storm of flame and ash. The vapor twisted around her, drawn into the inferno that pulsed from her armor. The berserker mode had awakened—wild, furious, and impossibly alive, warping the air and bending the light around her.

The temperature spiked instantly. Snow melted before it even touched her boots, vanishing into spirals of steam that rose in blazing curtains around her.

[Berserker Ashen Flames I (Ultra-Rare)]: When activated, a scorching burst of fire and ash erupts outward, wrapped in a roar of heat and fury. The flames burn fiercely, blending with living embers that swirl around and carve glowing trails through the air. Every movement spreads a suffocating haze that sears the atmosphere and clouds the vision of nearby enemies. During the effect, strength and speed increase drastically, while the body grows tougher, fueled by both the fire and the ashes born from it.

Without hesitation, she charged forward.

The first punch cracked across the creature's snout. The second smashed into its jaw. Each hit landed with the blunt, thunderous weight of a cannon blast—short, brutal, final. Charlie flooded her fists with stamina. Power surged through her body, every strike heavier, faster, more destructive. Fire and ash swirled around her like living sparks caught in her orbit.

The wyvern staggered back, its head jerking violently with each blow. She didn't let up. A roar erupted from within her as she activated another skill.

[Battle Roar (Uncommon)]: Let out a powerful shout that temporarily boosts physical strength, amplifying melee attack damage and enhancing actions that require brute force.

The air itself trembled.

She spun midair, launched upward, and came crashing down from above. Her fist, wrapped in red energy, collided with the creature's skull in an explosion of sound. Shards of ice and stone burst outward like shrapnel. The wyvern reacted. Its chest ignited from within, scales glowing like molten iron. A flash—and fire erupted.

The blast struck Charlie head-on, flinging her across the field like a comet. Her body tore through the air, crashing hard among the shattered remains of trees and snow. A trail of smoke and steam marked her descent.

Before the wyvern could strike again, Jack appeared. The healer raised his wand, and a dome of light materialized—translucent gold, gleaming like molten glass. The inferno hit it with a deafening roar. Flames cascaded across the barrier, washing over it in violent waves of red and gold.

Jack stood firm in the storm, the heat threatening to melt the barrier with every second. But he didn't flinch. He held the spell, body trembling, until the last trace of fire died away. Luke was already moving again, sprinting through the burning forest. The bow in his hands was hot to the touch, the air thick with the stench of ash and scorched pine.

And somewhere ahead, the monster roared again—daring them to come closer.

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