His current predicament was less challenging than his previous one, although now he was faced with the added difficulty of dealing with several one-star Vylkr vines.
Nonetheless, he couldn't help but notice that their numbers seemed to dwindle gradually.
As he released Saria from his hold, he gently arranged her on the ground, ensuring her comfort against the rocky wall. Then, he sank onto all fours, his breaths coming in ragged gasps, feeling his broken shoulder begin to grow numb.
"HAAAHH!! Hahh!!"
He held that position for a brief moment, exhaling a slow breath, "Haaa…", before seizing his cutlass and lunging into action against the encircling one-star Vylkr vines. With swift slashes, Orion felled a number of them, wasting no time in crouching down to devour them whole.
He consumed and digested their bodies with a haste that matched his speed, then darted off to another section, repeating the cycle.
Ensuring he feasted on the freshly defeated Vylkr vines, he absorbed their energy, replenishing both his Vylkr energy and stamina.
An hour later, Orion descended to where Saria lay, dropping to a knee before her. A sense of relief washed over him as he observed the returning vibrancy in her complexion. "Looks like you're getting better," he murmured to himself with a sigh, carefully lifting her onto his shoulders, and proceeding to resume his march forward.
In intervals of around five to six hours, Orion would carefully lay Saria down and set about clearing away the encroaching Vylkr Vines. Though this dual task helped him replenish his stamina and Vylkr energy, what interested him during these moments of rest was that each time he placed Saria on the ground, her skin seemed to regain a hint of its natural radiance.
He noticed the subtle transformation in the shades of blue and crimson that covered her arms and legs, which provided him with a glimmer of hope.
Of course, he couldn't begin to drag her from the ground because of this, so the best that he could do was prolong the amount of time that he rested, which was helpful, but at the same time detrimental to their journey forward.
Also, after delving deeper into the cave for another eight hours without finding any signs of an exit, he began to notice something else, which was that although he was recovering, his hunger for the Vylkr vines had also increased a lot.
He hadn't eaten anything for a while now, so he thought that it was understandable as the Vylkr vines were the only thing that he could use to nourish his body at the moment.
However, also understanding that he was just an inch away from falling under the warrior's addiction, Orion held back a little to protect his mind and body.
Nonetheless, it was only a matter of time before he realized that he had failed.
The sensation was both powerful and intoxicating, the Vylkr energy coursing through him in a satisfying torrent. However, the thrill soon gave way to agony as the tide turned against him. The Vylkr vines, once his source of sustenance, now threatened to overpower the strange energy within him and destroy him.
The collision of these forces wracked him with pain, contorting his body and triggering uncontrollable spasms that racked his frame.
Amidst this torment, his throat constricted, and he choked on the very vines he'd been consuming. "COUGH! COUGH!" The coughing grew deeper, becoming more intense until Orion forcefully coughed out the Vylkr Vine with a hefty retch. Wiping his mouth with trembling hands, he battled the urge to turn back and rush to Saria's side, planning to hoist her onto his shoulders and continue onwards.
However, he couldn't stop his hand that extended involuntarily, reaching for the Vylkr vines.
"Huhh"
Orion's eyes widened in astonishment as he witnessed the Vylkr vines retracting. For the first time in his life, he found himself doing the opposite of running away or wanting their destruction. He was now consumed by an irresistible urge to capture the retreating Vylkr vines, his hands reaching out to grasp them even as they slipped between the cracks in the walls.
Suddenly, the Vylkr vines became the hunted, and he the hunter. His actions mirrored those of a snake, as he wriggled his hands through the narrow openings, desperation driving him to scratch at the walls to fulfil the addiction that had taken control.
Orion didn't stop until bruises formed around his arm, attempting to force it into the hole. Even then, he didn't concede, using his other arm.
But then, a faint glow emerged, piercing the shadows and infusing the darkness with light. The source was the end of the passage. As Orion noticed the glow emanating from the passage's end, he gritted his teeth, biting his tongue as he stood on his feet to face whatever was approaching their direction.
From the tree nymphs to the Vylkr vines, and even including the village itself, the mysterious caravans, and the beast he had encountered with Stronghold Leader Drakar, Orion had come to realize that this world held numerous enigmas he hadn't yet uncovered.
When the glow at the end of the passage intensified, Orion reacted and capitalized on the element of surprise and the remaining shroud of darkness, propelling himself forward.
After all, whatever was capable of making the Vylkr Vines retreat must be much more capable and more formidable than it was. A four-star Vylkr Vine, a five-star Vylkr vine, or perhaps even a six-star Vylkr vine, Orion didn't know what it was. Therefore, in order to safeguard Saria, the last thing he wanted was a confrontation playing out in her presence.
As such, within the ever-widening expanse of light that slowly brightened up their position, they charged forward - both man and sword.
Blind to what awaited him on the other side, Orion activated his gift, infusing his cutlass with an immense, lightning-forged energy that blazed, seared, and tore through the walls.
Emerging on the brink of the overwhelming brilliance, he found himself instantaneously blinded by its intense radiance. Squinting and shielding his eyes, he struggled to discern the identity of his opponent, yet his grip remained steady, guided by his instincts to stri—
"BOOOM!!!" Orion was sent soaring upward, performing an unintended somersault over the blinding radiance.
