However, she continued. But this time, before she could utter another word, she collapsed to the ground, kneeling in disbelief. Witnessing her stunned state, Orion felt a sense of relief that she had finally stopped speaking, recognizing that she was in no condition to continue.
Moreover, although what he had agreed to, was originally a favour, the circumstances and conditions had transformed it into something much more serious.
If he had simply left her alone to carry out her work, she wouldn't be in this perilous situation. In the end, it became a promise he had failed to keep, and now it was his responsibility to face the consequences. With the Vylkr vines inching closer, Orion controlled the net to extend itself further, enveloping him and creating a protective barrier.
"CRACKLE!" Positioned at the forefront of the lightning dome, it became obvious to Orion that if the Vylkr vines were to breach the net or even attempt to force their way through, he would be the first to face their wrath. Nonetheless, he understood that his primary objective was to buy precious time for the village chief to come to their rescue.
'How ironic?' Orion couldn't help but smile at that thought.
"BOOMM!!" "BBOOOOMMM!!!"
As the Vylkr vines pressed against his net, creating echoes as the lightning repulsed them backwards, Orion exerted all his strength to hold them in place. He channelled the strange energy within him, alongside the stubborn and chaotic Vylkr energy, pushing his gift to its limits. More and more lightning surged from his hands, intertwining and strengthening the lightning dome net. The strain consumed his stamina, causing a pounding headache that grew increasingly intense.
The consequences grew increasingly significant as the strain on his body and mind increased.
"RRRROOOOAAAAARRRR!!!"
Orion's attention was momentarily interrupted as he swiftly turned his head towards the direction of the beastly scream. His eyes widened in astonishment as he took in the new scene stretching out before him. The Village Chief, who had previously been in his large owl form, had now transformed into yet another formidable form.
Having witnessed Grim's multiple forms, Orion was aware that shapeshifters possessed more than one transformation. However, seeing the Village Chief's additional form, he couldn't help but think that this was a bit too much.
In his field of vision stood a magnificent creature that could easily be mistaken for a Komodo dragon, if not for its jawline adorned with menacing rows of perpetually open razor-sharp teeth. Its impressive size and robust physique, accompanied by the striking array of brown, white, and orange feathers resembling bird-like wings, created a breathtaking yet solemn sight.
Orion found himself questioning whether those wings alone would be sufficient to lift what he could now undoubtedly call a dragon, especially considering that the wings weren't even twice the size of its own body.
Regardless, as the monstrous beast lunged at the three-star Vylkr vine, its jaws clamping down with a bone-crushing force, tearing off a section of the Vylkr vine's body and devouring it in one swift motion, it became evident that the battle, which had been fiercely raging for several minutes, would be over within seconds. And all Orion needed to do was hold on for a little longer.
"BOOOMM!!" "BBBOOOMMM!!!" However, Orion found it increasingly difficult to hold on as the one-star and two-star Vylkr vines began to engulf and slither on top of his net. Despite being repulsed and scorched, causing them to be thrown backwards, a wall of several lifeless Vylkr vines soon formed around him.
Whether the Vylkr vines were charred by his lightning net or not, the other incoming vines pressed against the barrier, piling on top of the lifeless vines, exerting immense pressure on Orion. His gift had already been pushed to the limit, and the only thing that kept him standing was the remaining Vylkr energy. However, even that was about to be depleted as Orion could feel it growing fainter and fainter.
"...Or...rion...." Fiona's voice reached his ears, sounding weaker and more strained. Time seemed to slow down as the Vylkr vines closed in, enveloping them in darkness. Their surroundings transformed into a tower of several Vylkr vines, obscuring their view of the outside world.
They could only catch fleeting glimpses of flickering light from the diminishing lightning net, compelling Fiona to crawl towards Orion's position despite her mounting fatigue.
"I..... can't hold it..... any... longer," Orion's voice shook, his body weakening under the strain. The once-powerful lightning net began to falter, crackling and flickering with each passing second. His hands fell limp at his sides, and just as a sense of defeat threatened to consume him, he felt a pair of arms wrap softly yet tightly around his injured leg. Orion looked down and saw Fiona clutching him tightly, her voice trembling as she pleaded, "Orion... run..."
And as the lightning retracted back into his hands, Orion shifted his attention upwards. Just when the slithering Vylkr vines collapsed upon them, he struggled to respond, his voice strained, "....Haaaa! I... can't..."
"BAAAMMMM!!!".
…...
"... should be alright... Although I don't think that his feet would be..."
Voices and murmurs echoed in Orion's head as he slowly regained consciousness. With a weary effort, he opened his eyelids, but in an instant, his eyes widened with a surge of shock. Startled, he sat up abruptly and leapt backwards, his lower body still grounded on the floor.
"Haaaaaaa!!!!" "Haaaaaaa!!!!!" Orion exhaled deeply, his breath carrying exhaustion and relief, as he tried to calm his racing body and understand the events that followed after the wall of Vylkr vines had collapsed upon them.
"If you're wondering how you managed to survive, you owe your thanks to the Village Chief and the Village Chieftess," Greta explained, her gaze fixed on Orion as she observed his pupils dilating and contracting before returning to their normal state.
"Aunt Greta," Orion finally spoke up, his eyes scanning the room only to realize that it was filled with numerous young men and women whose exact count eluded him.
