"Let's calm down, Mr. Asher Eli," Lia suggested, offering him a comforting hug to ease the tension that lingered in the air.
Eli remained silent, his gaze fixed on the two motionless bodies lying on the ground..... their pupils flickering with bluish sparks.
"If we defeat the Overlord, that might lift the curse from them," John proposed solemnly, though his expression shifted when he noticed Lia hugging Eli, a subtle hint of jealousy flitting across his features before he masked it with a composed facade.
"I think we might need to check their bodies..." David pondered aloud, his brows furrowing with concern as he considered the potential implications of their condition, revealing a depth of understanding about the situation. as if he held deep knowledge about it.
Rubbing his hand he was just about to inspect Arlyne and Pearl when,
"sssshhh!!"
Celestria materialized before him, its sharp tips at his neck as Eli warned with a chilling edge to his voice, "Move an inch, and not even your body will remain."
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The air grew tense as David froze, realizing the severity of Eli's warning, while Lia instinctively withdrew from Eli's side, her eyes wide with apprehension.
"Forgive , Mr. Asher Eli. He only wants to help them... He didn't an any--" John began to explain, attempting to diffuse the tension, but Eli's steely gaze silenced him before he could finish his sentence.
"There is no need for him to touch them," Eli stated firmly, his voice brooking no argunt as he settled beside his companions, his protective instincts kicking into overdrive like a hen protecting her chicks.
John, David, and Lia exchanged uncertain glances, recognizing Eli's determination to safeguard his companions. With a shared understanding, they agreed to leave Eli alone for the mont, promising to return later that night to confront the Overlord.
"We will co later" Lia nodded while David just shrugged and was about to leave when,
"Why didn't it curse you?" Eli posed a thought-provoking question that caught them off guard.
"H-Huh?" John stamred, taken aback by the unexpected inquiry, his mind racing to give a correct answer...
With an awkward expression, he attempted to provide an explanation, "I-It was like, you know, it only curses won..." His gaze briefly flickered towards Lia before he corrected himself, realizing the ambiguity of his statent, "I an, I truly don't know... Like, see for yourself, you didn't get cursed, right?"
"Hmm..." Eli nodded before waving his hand.
"Here, so food..." John's voice echoed as he carefully arranged canned foods on the ground, a small act of kindness before he departed to their own cavern.
Left alone with Arlyne and Pearl, Eli's attention returned to them. With gentle hands, he placed his palms on their stomachs, his eyes shimring with a mysterious reddish-black hue as he delved into their soul realm, and just like before.... he consud the bluish-sparking figures before they could even utter a word of inquiry... sa recorded question.
Now seated on the ground, Eli awaited their awakening, his mind consud with thoughts and reflections on the recent events.
He already knew what curse they were talking about, and even in the information that Pearl had indicated, the monster was able to curse anyone. But it wasn't just any curse; it seed to involve a soul invasion...
Anyhow,
That's not important since he could destroy that invasion.... What truly puzzled him was how the monster appeared before he could even see it.
It was as if in an instant... or perhaps the mont his eyelids fluttered open, the monster was already there, looming before him with a deafening screech:
"KKKKKIIIKKKIIII!!"
It scread, but to Eli, it scread like, "Too slow!!"
And then, as quickly as it had arrived, it vanished... Eli wasn't able to even react to it.
It felt like he was humiliated, belittled by the effortless display of power from the monstrous entity. The way it appeared, almost as if materializing out of thin air, and then vanished just as swiftly, left Eli feeling insignificant.
It was as if the creature was toying with them, treating John's team like re playthings in its hands.
"ggrrrr" Hearing that low, ominous sound, Eli snapped out of his thoughts and shifted his focus to Arlyne and Pearl, who were starting to stir.
"E-Eli?"
"E-Eli?"
Their surprised voices pulled Eli from his contemplation, and instinctively, he enveloped them in a tight embrace. They exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions a mixture of confusion and curiosity, silently questioning what had just occurred.
After a mont, Eli gathered himself and began to recount the events in detail,
"W-What? Do you an to say we can't defeat that monster?" The words stumbled out of Pearl's mouth, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she observed Eli's grave deanour.
"Yes... We.. I... aren't fast enough," Eli replied solemnly, his tone heavy with truth.
"Fast enough?" Arlyne's brow furrowed in contemplation, her mind replaying the mont when her body had been rendered powerless in an instant.
They understood the predicant all too well, their minds racing for a solution.
"T-Then what about using a trick to sl--"
"It's able to think like a human..." Eli swiftly interjected, cutting off Arlyne's suggestion.
"We couldn't trust those guys... What else could we do...?" Pearl's brow furrowed as she desperately searched for any possible avenue of escape. Then, an idea sparked in her mind.
"It was a thunder-type dungeon, right? Then why don't you comprehend your arts and tha--"
"I already did," Eli interrupted once more, his tone tinged with frustration.
"Then why don't you--" Pearl began to ask, her voice hopeful, but Eli shut her down again.
"My mind already comprehended the data; however, my human body has its limits," he explained, his frustration evident.
"Oh..." Pearl nodded solemnly, her hope fading.
Arlyne clenched her fists in frustration, feeling the weight of their situation pressing down on her.
"However...."
Hearing that word, both Pearl and Arlyne looked up at Eli.
Eli stared at them, his expression serious, before turning his focus to Arlyne.
Though Arlyne felt a pang of shyness, she knew now was not the ti to hesitate, not when Eli's determination was so palpable.
"Well... hmm..." Eli hesitated, his mind swirling with conflicting thoughts and emotions.
"What?" Arlyne's voice broke through the silence, her curiosity evident.
"...."
"Eli, Ask anything?" Arlyne said with a soft smile, though inwardly, 'Wait! Anything?' she cursed herself for saying sothing so open-ended.
Eli struggled to find the right words to express his inner turmoil. Should he be honest about his intentions or continue to conceal them? The weight of his decision hung heavily upon him.
Finally, he spoke, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "I..... wanted your body enhancent technique."
In truth, this admission had been the primary reason behind his interaction with Arlyne.
Ever since witnessing her remarkable body enhancent technique, Eli had been consud by a desire to acquire it for himself.
He desired her technique... it was a crucial step towards mastering the elusive third form he had been striving to achieve.
Eli was prepared to acquire her technique by any ans necessary, whether through financial ans.... of course, via Adriana's vast resources or...
By leveraging the debt owed to him by Kira and Kyra.... Her Highness. He was willing to do whatever it took to obtain what he desired.
However,
If he had made this request back when they were trapped in the dungeon, Eli might not have felt as guilty about it. But after spending ti with Arlyne, teasing her, and growing closer to her, he began to feel as though he was manipulating her emotions to serve his own ends.
Arlyne, like anyone in her position, would surely question Eli's intentions. "So you are after my technique?" she might ask, prompting Eli to grapple with his own conscience.
If Arlyne were to pose such a question, Eli wasn't sure how he would respond.
Hearing Eli's request, Arlyne hesitated for a mont before awkwardly admitting, "I am sorry, Eli, but that's not a technique... It's a unique trait that runs in my bloodline.
My bloodline ability is called Lioness."
"Hmm?" Eli was taken aback by her revelation.
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