The cave remained a labyrinth of darkness, with the constant plop of water dripping into unseen puddles and the creaking of rocks echoing as if the place were alive.

Nora's boots slipped against the uneven ground as she ran, Rian still in her arms, his weight making every step a battle.

The hissing ssss of the giant snake behind them grew closer, accompanied by a heavy THUMP! that shook the ground.

Nora's heart was in her throat, pounding so fast she could barely think.

She was exhausted, terrified, and, above all, frustrated.

She didn't want to be here.

This wasn't fun.

This wasn't entertaining.

This was pure, brutal survival!

The snake's ssss intensified, and a sharp HISS! sliced through the air, so close that Nora felt a chill race down her spine.

'Shit!' she thought when, suddenly, something warm and viscous grazed her back, and a searing pain erupted on her skin, like someone had poured acid on her.

"AHH!" Nora screamed, stumbling from the shock and pain.

The snake had tried to bite her but missed, and instead, a spurt of its corrosive saliva had hit her back.

The pain was unbearable, and she felt her tunic disintegrate, along with part of her skin.

'Hurts, hurts, hurts!' was the only thought racing through Nora's mind.

Instinctively, in a desperate move, Nora hurled Rian forward, not gently but with all her strength, hoping he'd land somewhere safe.

"Sorry, Rian!" she exclaimed, spinning around to face the darkness where she knew the creature lurked.

She was done running.

Endless fleeing had led to this.

Would that wound leave a scar?

Was she going to lose part of her back?

Was she really going to die without fighting?

Despite the fear and the burning pain in her back, Nora couldn't stay still.

She'd hesitated before, when her powers failed in the water, but now she had no choice.

She was going to fight.

Nora gritted her teeth, ignoring the searing pain, and raised both hands.

"You damn snake!" she shouted, channeling her magic.

A powerful gust of air burst from her hands with a WHOOSH!, pushing the invisible creature back.

Though she wanted to kill it, this was all she could do—her other attacks required precision, and in total darkness…

It was suicide to try them!

Rian needed time, and if that bastard said he was going to do something, he'd likely keep his word.

Though she couldn't see the creature, the ssss retreated, and the air vibrated with the force of her attack.

'It's working!' Nora thought, a mix of relief and panic.

But she knew she couldn't keep it up for long.

The gust was consuming the cave's limited oxygen, and if she continued, both she and Rian would run out of air to breathe.

Plus, the pain in her back was so intense it was hard to focus.

Each second drained her strength, and the snake's HISS! returned, angrier than before.

"Don't mess with me!" Nora growled, still channeling the air.

Suddenly, the snake let out a piercing SCREECH! that echoed through the cave, making her ears ring.

The sound was so loud that Nora lost her balance for a moment, and her gust of air faltered.

But the snake's scream had an unexpected effect: the air Nora had pushed forced its way into the creature's mouth, making it open wider than it could handle.

A sharp CRACK! rang out in the darkness, like something in the snake's jaw had snapped, and the ssss turned into a pained whimper.

Nora didn't know exactly what had happened, but she couldn't stop to think about it.

The pain in her back was unbearable, and exhaustion was overtaking her.

"Rian…!" she shouted, her voice breaking as she deactivated her ability, unable to sustain it any longer.

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping.

"Rian, please, do something!"

The snake's ssss returned, faster this time, and Nora felt the creature's warm, fetid breath closing in.

She closed her eyes, bracing for the worst, convinced there was no escape this time.

But then, a brilliant blue light flooded the cave, so bright it pierced the darkness.

Nora opened her eyes, stunned, and turned toward the source of the light.

The snake, a massive white creature with glistening scales and glowing red eyes like embers, loomed before her, its mouth open, revealing razor-sharp fangs.

Nora swallowed hard, paralyzed with fear at seeing it for the first time.

But what shocked her more was what she saw beside her: Rian, standing, his body enveloped in unstable blue sparks that illuminated everything around him.

His face bore a confident smile, though he still looked weak.

"The upgrade's done," Rian said, his tone a mix of relief and determination.

The blue sparks danced around his hands, and their light made the cave walls glisten with wet reflections.

Nora blinked, her mouth agape in shock.

"What… what the hell did you say?" she exclaimed, her tone a mix of disbelief and relief. "That's what you were doing? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Rian laughed, though the sound was weaker than he intended.

"Didn't have time," he said, taking a step forward as the blue sparks intensified.

The snake, which had recoiled momentarily from the light, lunged forward with a furious HISS!, but Rian didn't seem fazed.

"Stay back, Nora," he said, his tone more serious. "I'll handle this."

Nora dragged herself backward, still gasping from pain and exhaustion.

"You'd better!" she shouted, her tone trying to be sarcastic but thick with fear. "If you don't kill that thing, I swear I'll haunt you as a ghost!"

Charles ignored the comment, focusing on the snake.

The system's interface flickered in his vision, displaying a message in blue letters:

[Hostile entity detected: Guardian Snake]

Well, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the thing in front of him was a snake, but knowing it was the guardian of this place assured Charles that killing it would yield a hefty reward.

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