Sasha's eyes lit up as she turned back toward the gate. Behind it, bright light cascaded from the sun at its zenith, but here in the ruins, a thin ceiling like a dome—broken in places—barely allowed sunlight to filter through.
Still, enough light penetrated to illuminate their surroundings. She facepalmed. "It is a test," she agreed. "I was told to be careful every step of the way. I only assumed there would be competitions, that's all!"
"Alright, about my rashes and my eyes? I can't see properly in this dim light!" Elias complained after failing to peer deeper into the city's shadows.
"I'm sorry. Now that I think about it, we're not well-equipped. We should have come with facemasks, gloves, and lighting equipment."
Instead of immediately giving him medicine, she wrote these items in her small notebook. She also noted the advice Elias had given her.
"Experience is better than learning!" she said with a smile as she packed everything away, ready to move ahead.
Elias's questioning gaze—reddened eyes in an unevenly swollen face—reminded her of what he had said. "Oh. Sorry."
She pulled out her notebook again and wrote: Always take medicine, disinfectant, and vaccines after every encounter with beasts.
"You've got to be kidding," Elias was almost furious, and she burst into laughter, several vials appearing in her hand.
"Raise your head and let me drop this in your eyes."
Elias raised his face. She carefully administered the drops, and immediately it felt as if some foul mucus was being peeled away from his eyes.
Next, she wet a small towel with another medication and wiped his face. His reddened skin glowed as the rashes began to disappear, though a few expanded into pustules that burst painfully.
"Urgh!" Elias's body trembled in disgust. Sasha recoiled but continued using the towel to wipe away the discharge. The disinfectant stung fiercely, but he endured until she finished.
Now six weeping wounds decorated his face, with blue-tinted cotton plugs inserted to prevent seepage.
"How do you feel?" she asked uncertainly. Seeing how the situation had worsened, she was no longer laughing but filled with guilt.
"I can see now. Well enough," Elias said. She nodded and gave him another medication to drink. Elias jolted as he swallowed and nearly vomited it back up—it felt as if his throat had been stripped raw and dusted with pepper.
His body convulsed, and he groaned, jumping from spot to spot like a madman before finally standing still, gazing skyward like a statue. Even his breathing stopped.
"Elias..." Sasha looked down at the vaccine vial, then back at Elias with mounting concern. She couldn't approach him—what if he went mad or simply died? She'd heard that extreme pain alone could kill.
"Hooo!" He finally drew breath and collapsed onto his backside, his body still trembling intermittently. "What the fuck was that?" he cursed, his voice hoarse and ragged.
"It's the strongest all-round vaccine and antidote," she explained, examining the vial. "Very expensive."
Her brother had told her it was a must-have for every exploration.
"It's... very good," Elias admitted, his voice gradually returning to normal as he sweated profusely. He stood up shakily. "I see better now. My clogged throat and painful tongue are cleared. Those disgusting rashes in my mouth were fried away. It really is effective."
The duo sat close to where Sam was resting. Sasha took the medicine herself, though her reaction wasn't as extreme as Elias's. Nevertheless, she was still reeling from how the substance had burned her throat.
They rested for two hours. Elias returned to optimal condition, more or less. Even the six pustular wounds on his face had fully dried, forming protective scabs. His mouth and throat remained numb, but all rashes had healed well. He simply needed time to recover completely.
"Those foul beasts are truly dangerous," Elias muttered, his voice now back to normal. "We could have died just by being near them. Their foulness is even worse than that Calamity Beast we faced!"
"Calamity Beasts are particularly dangerous because they're so hard to kill. But other beasts can be far deadlier in direct confrontation," Sasha explained.
Having recovered, they prepared to continue their exploration. Before proceeding, however, they retrieved their flat umbrella hats and fastened them securely, adding veils that would purify the air to some degree.
"Here goes nothing!" They walked forward in silence, their focus razor-sharp. Sasha's device pulsed, scanning the weathered rocks surrounding them.
They had walked for only a minute when she stopped abruptly. Facing the left wall with its large carved buildings—still intact despite their age—she stared into the darkness.
Elias stood beside her, seeing and hearing nothing unusual. He leaned closer and whispered, "Wha—"
It sprang at them—the wall bursting open as the creature roared, blasting them with foul air. Both explorers jumped back in terror, but the beast would reach them before Elias could muster a Gravity Force Hard Push.
BANG!
KACHA!
The giant beast yanked backward by a thick black chain wrapped around its neck, pulling it away. Its massive body slammed against the ground before being dragged back, the chains retracting forcefully.
The bodyguard and the explorer remained frozen in shock for half a minute before regaining their senses.
Sasha was behind Elias while his stump sent out a weak gravity push that wouldn't have tumbled even a pebble.
She quickly moved away as Elias stood there, trembling. Just now, he had seen his life flash before his eyes. If he had fists, he would have clenched them in desperation.
Having power, he realized, wasn't everything. You needed to command it instinctively—mastery over that power was what truly mattered. If he had been a veteran with deep experience, using his abilities against beasts like this one—creatures that invoked genuine fear and danger—would have been second nature.
'Damn it!'
His Gravity Barrier would have activated, but it would have been broken with ease, despite the beast not being a Calamity Beast. After all, his barrier had shattered against a barrage of Dice's sword slashes and Green's energy blasts.
ROAR!
The beast stepped out of the building again. It was dinosaur-like, with a long neck, large black eyes, and massive nostrils. Its two legs were wide, with claws that could grip walls and allow it to walk vertically.
Wrapped around its thick neck and body were those same black chains, pulling it back as if some device had been set to keep it in place.
Though they stood at a distance, the beast could still reach them if it broke free. It easily occupied the middle of the street, barring anyone from passing.
In anger, Elias demanded, "Now what?"
"We... kill it!" Sasha's voice trembled, but fire burned in her eyes.
"I can only use my special ability once a day!"
"No. I can kill it," Sasha corrected him. She looked at him, her confidence wavering but her conviction building. "I have two Brand Skills."
"You just awakened less than two weeks ago and you already have Brand Skills? How?" Elias was shocked beyond belief.