With just a wave of her arm, Delta brought down one of the walls of the laboratory. Her monstrous strength was a problem before, but now, it was as if she were on another level entirely.

  She dusted off the dust and debris that coated her arm like it was nothing. Her fiery gaze fell on us. A powerful aura beamed from beyond her helm, as if lasers would follow any second.

  {Danger}

  {Target has transformed into a powerful new species. Level of difficulty has risen. Chances of success have significantly decreased}

  It was the system's alert that only appeared when I was outclassed or close to dying. Before I had the chance to react, a whip cracked at my side with blinding speed, taking out a chunk of my shoulder.

  What…? It felt as though all of my reactions were taking place in slow motion. I’m hit? How did she move so fast? Ugh–

  My mind went blank as the entire room spun on its side. The last thing I saw before colliding with the ground was Delta’s impending fist buried into my stomach. My body sank into the tiny crater blasted out from under me.

  I rolled over, near dead and broken beyond repair. My vision was hazy, but the only light I clung to was the green wisp that occasionally buzzed past my eyes.

  {Lesser Spirit}

  {A being called upon by the elven race to grant healing and minor status improvements}

  Veyra must have called upon a spirit right before I got hit. It was all that kept me from dying.

  My HP bar teetered at its lowest point, just barely giving any colour to its dull red end. It was the lowest I had ever seen it, to the point that I’d thought it was empty at first. My eyes drifted to Veyra, who held two ends of her bow in either hand.

  Delta pinned her against the wall by her neck. Even behind that helm, I could tell her expression was cold, almost robotic. It wasn’t how she usually acted. It didn’t seem like I was looking at Delta anymore, but rather something else entirely.

  A pillar of energy exploded forth, her grip tightening over Veyra’s neck. The sheer intensity of her mana nearly consumed the room. At its centre, something red pierced through. Possibly a core?

  Is that the conduit she had in her chest? If I recall, she had two, but why is the energy so weak from the old one?

  My eyes narrowed on the faint signature of a second orb, fused to the first. The energy that spewed out of her so largely was, without a doubt, coming from the conduit she slammed into her chest. The second one, however, seemed to be dying down, almost smothered by the second.

  Two conduits, one host. I wonder… My thoughts raced, all coming to one conclusion. We won’t last if we just continue like this. I need to buy time.

  Veyra slammed the ends of her bow at Delta’s face, barely getting a reaction as the wood splintered and shattered against her helm.

  Veyra’s legs flailed about as the restricting grasp over her neck forced her into the wall. Each hit drained the fight out of her. It was only on the third crash into the almost shattered wall that her body fell limp.

  A pillar shot out from the ground and slammed into Delta’s back, forcing her through the cracked wall and outside the room. One of my arms flew out to catch Veyra before she hit the ground. Her HP bar popped up a second later.

  (Veyra! Are you okay? Can you hear me?) I could barely hear her voice, but the words that followed were proof she was alive.

  “At…las?”

  Her forehead was coated in a dark crimson, one of the many injuries I noticed on her.

  {Veyra Lv24}

  {HP: 7/90}

  {Status: Severely injured. Low Mana}

  Her mana’s too low to even summon a spirit. Damn it, I don’t have any healing magic either, so I can’t do anything for her. I clenched my jaw at the thought.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  I breathed out a sigh of relief as I held her in my arms. I already felt Delta’s presence getting back up again, so it wasn’t long before she’d be rearing to fight.

  (Hollow, you’re there, right?)

  “Always, Master.”

  (That’s good to hear, ‘cause I need a huge favour. Think you can use your skill to–)

  A wave of vines and other greenery flooded my view as Hollow was forced to the corner, completely engrossed in her attack. Enraged and slightly desperate, a flicker of light erupted around me as I channelled my magic.

  “No.” Her words halted my counter, and my connection to mana was cut in an instant.

  She’s blocking my skill again! Damn, she’s able to use that ability as long as she attacks without magic.

  I lunged forward, leaving Veyra on the floor and forced my body as fast as it could go. Take this— Bulldoze!! A sudden explosion of speed and force drove my body through her vines as I collided with her chest.

  “Do you think that’ll stop me? You really are pitiful.” She spat the words out. Her hand rose over me, stretched larger than I or her together. “You’re already on the verge of death.”

  (That’s right… I’m pretty much dead already, huh? Well, when a monster gets backed into a corner, what do you think happens to them?)

  My question was met with cold silence as Delta brought the fist down with a merciless fury. My fangs bore down on her chest plate. It was made from a solid wooden texture, no doubt the same material her body morphed into when making vines and the same deadly fist that was headed my way.

  My fangs broke through, ripping apart the flesh and armour locked under my jaw. I tossed my weight to the side and diverted the attack, flinging both of us to the side. Her enlarged fist crashed into the wall, as debris dropped over us.

  I tore through and gouged out much flesh and protective layers of purple armour I could reach. With relentless chomps from my maw, I dug deeper and deeper until the purple shine of the conduits lit up my eyes.

  (There’s no hiding it from me, Delta! I’m an Oblivion Wraith, remember?! A monster, through and through!)

  A rich aura of mana pulsed from her body as she grabbed me by the neck, “No, get off of me!” The monstrous strength flew me through the air. My body slammed against the roof of the laboratory, sending cracks along its surface.

  {-12 HP}

  {1 HP remaining}

  {Any further damage will result in death}

  Dangling by her stretched out hand, I was barely able to move. I watched helplessly as her wound sealed itself back up, and the conduits disappeared behind her armoured chest once again.

  (Stop this, Delta! Why do all of this? Why serve a master who’s not even here anymore?)

  The fury in her eyes burned brighter, almost consuming her face. She brought me down to the floor with an aching crash, but the chunk of me she grabbed onto had already crumbled away. I was left with only my head and part of my chest-piece.

  Delta wrapped her vines across my throat and brought me up to eye level with her. The cracks in her mask hadn’t healed. In fact, her chest wasn’t completely whole either. There was something wrong with her healing factor.

  “Don’t…” The words escaped her half-revealed lips. “Don’t speak about my master, ever again!!” She roared out, ready to throw me.

  Mana basically flooded out from her, deepening the cracks along her body until the armour peeled off as if she were shedding a husk. The vines that held down Hollow retracted back to her grip, morphing into long-bladed claws.

  Her armour weakened? I guess she really is working against a time limit here… I’d want to fight, but realistically, she’d wipe the floor with me even at her weakest. I need to stall for time.

  I wasn’t sure what else to do. Quite honestly, I didn’t see it ending well for me in any situation, but it was all I could think to do without the others getting hurt. I steeled my resolve and extended my telepathy to Delta.

  (I took a look around before you got here, but all this damage… it was you, wasn’t it?)

  “...?!” Delta’s eyes widened, completely breaking the last chunks of her helm and revealing the monstrosity she had been reduced to.

  (Most of his notes talk about his failures, and yet he failed to mention the biggest failure of them all. The walking maniac he left behind in these ruins. That’s you, right, Delta?)

  The veins on her forehead pulsed angrily, arching like lightning across her pale skin. She brought me back, prepared to drive me into the wall with another shove. My HP dangled next to zero, but I continued my attack. It was time to deliver the killing blow after all.

  (I’m sure you realized it too.)

  “What…” She brought me closer, hanging on my every word. Rage seethed through her clenched teeth as she waited for the conclusion.

  (He’s been gone all this time, and hasn’t even come back for you. He must have succeeded. You only slowed him down. What use could he have for something that didn’t do him any good?)

  I dropped my head back with a forced grin and bellowed out a laugh, “Guahahahahaha!”

  Our eyes locked, and I could feel the heat of her rage radiate from her body. Even after all the pain she inflicted on us, all the times she nearly killed us in this fight, I hated those words. I hated everything about this attack on her mind, and yet, I’d do it again to save my friends.

  I’m sorry, Delta. I’m sure you really did love your master with everything you have, but… You don’t have a heart. I won’t let you kill my friends.

  I brought my cheek against hers and rested it gently on her skin.

  (Your master will never accept you. You’re his greatest failure. He. Hates. You.)

  ?