Sylvester’s bleeding body was dragged away by Artian and Rossa with Estelle close behind as the four of them tried to distance themselves from the growing singularity of mana that was their opponent. The mana in the area around them was starting to get thick, almost visible to the naked eye as hues of blue can be seen proliferating in the air.

Despite his injuries, Sylvester could not afford to lose focus nor was he allowed to have any reprieve as the situation continued to degrade with each passing second.

“Sylvester!’ Artian shouted as he dragged him by the shoulder. “You’re the one who spent your time as a magical hobo travelling around right?”

“Yes. And to answer your next question, no. I don’t know what we’re looking at.” Sylvester immediately replied.

As they moved farther and farther, they could see their enemy continue to grasp his head in torment, in a continuous downward spiral towards delirium as he began shouting gibberish in between english sentences.

“Who am I? ZzsjiggU? mmk’fGiii? Wh-where aaaaaa?” He screamed as he knelt down down to the ground, his continued screaming giving some much needed time for Rossa to try and tend to Sylvester’s wounds.

Artian then gently laid Sylvester on the ground as Rossa placed her hand over Sylvester’s injured arm.

“Sorry, but I can only do basic healing magic!” Rossa declared. “Hopefully, this will be enough to close your wounds.”

Healing magic is a very useful application of magic and yet it is one of the hardest to come by. While it is fairly easy to learn basic spells that can close shallow wounds, anything further is only doable by a select number of people, and even today, no one seems to know exactly what the criteria is.

As such, those who are capable of healing others are often called into various religions and are recognized in high positions of power, even as far as calling healing magic as a divine gift although there is still a very massive debate on what actually constitutes as “divine”.

But as more blood dripped from Sylvester's arm, Rossa had no choice but to use what meager spell she had in order to help her friend.

“Low blessing!” Rossa yelled as a bright light radiated from her palm, but even here, things will not go their way.

As soon as Rossa used the spell, a violet aura that looked like a veil enveloped Sylvester’s arm and repelled her magic. This sudden turn of events only served to make their tired and distraught faces even more pale.

“What is, what is going on!? Why isn’t this working?” Rossa shouted in a frustrated tone.

“Heal! Heal his wounds please!’ Rossa screamed as she repeated her action over and over to no avail as more dark red liquid dripped from Sylvester’s arm.

However, their attention would soon be drawn to an even bigger problem that was growing still by the second.

A loud and ear piercing shriek can be heard as their opponent could be seen grasping his head while in a fetal position. Suddenly, the thick layer of mana around them converged onto him like a kitchen sink draining water.

Loud and painful screams accompanied this violent and forceful absorption as Sylvester lay on his back unable to do anything but watch.

Soon, a dark violet jet of energy shot from where the man stood as his body started to deform and grow into an unspeakable horror.

His legs grew legs upon legs and buried themselves deep into the soil as new appendages burst out of his skin in a violent and rapid pace. His torso stretching and pulsating like an erratic heart until the stomach area burst open into a large mouth.

His body contorted backward as the new mouth opened wide with a loud groan as numerous hands erupted outward, stretching out as if trying to reach the sky. The reborn Lich transformed into a large tree-like creature made of hands and feet.

As a looming sense of dread rapidly overcame their thoughts, Estelle slumped down on her knees.

“Is this the end? Are we going to die here?” Estelle asked as she was approaching a point of no return, but immediately, a male voice replied with great conviction.

“No.”

The three then suddenly looked and saw Sylvester slowly rise up, using his left hand as a support.

Sylvester pushed all of the foreboding sense of doom and gloom out his figurative mental window and brought himself back up. His arm still paralyzed and in pain, he took off his hat with his functioning extremity and laid it on the ground.

“I’m not letting any of you guys die. Especially since we’ve our jouney has only just begun! Our show is yet to begin.” Sylvester declared.

He then reached deep inside the hat and pulled out the one item that Sylvester hoped could be the key to them surviving this situation; the staff that the headmaster Leonardo Da Vinci gave them. Something that was given to Sylvester should an extreme emergency require him to do extreme measures.

“I think this counts as an emergency right?” Sylvester thought as he stared at the brilliant magical stone resting at the top.

“What are you planning to do?” Rossa asked as she held onto his right shoulder.

Despite her serious and focused expression, Sylvester could feel her hand tremble on his skin. He knew that she too was feeling scared and shaken up, something to expect over their current predicament.

Sylvester then gave Rossa and kind and gentle smile before explaining his plans.

“Right now, I still have one hell of a trump card left. Though this trump card of mine is an absolute pain the ass to use.” Sylvester said as he placed the staff in front of him, stabbing it onto the ground. His actions caused Artian’s expression to grow even more serious.

“This spell isn’t something I can use easily as it is something far far far beyond my current level. It requires a ton of mana and has a stupidly long chant. Meaning that at the heat of battle I would have to sit down and wait for a long ass time and that just ain’t possible in a normal scenario.” Sylvester explained.

“However!” Sylvester declared as he began absorbing mana from the surroundings and focused it towards the magic stone.

“Now that our opponent has seemingly lost his sanity, an opportunity arises! He may be leagues above us in power, but right now I don’t think he has the capacity to use it effectively. I mean look at, it isn’t even paying any attention to us!” Sylvester continued as he intensified the mana absorption.

“So, don’t give up everyone! The show isn’t over yet until the fat lady sings!” Sylvester said as his face visibly contorted over the excruciating pain he was now enduring.

The accelerated act of absorbing mana using a capacity refresh in itself was a painful process as Sylvester’s vessel was put under tremendous strain from all the energy flowing into him. It was like his muscles themselves would burst at any moment, while it also amplified the pain he was already experiencing thanks to his wound.

But right now, he can’t falter. He needs to put on a show for his friends, a show of courage and strength so that they will start to believe in the faintest sliver of hope.

“Yo, you look like you’re in pain there.” Artian declared as he once again reactivated his sword and his spectral armor, a slight smirk now present on his face.

“Yeah no shit Sherlock! It feels like I’m going to die! Hurts like hell!” Sylvester replied in a sarcastic and slightly irritated tone. “At this point you should all be knowing what you guys need to right?” Sylvster said with a pained smile.

“But just in case you don’t know. I need all of you to protect me while I am preparing the mana that I need.” Sylvester said as Rossa took off her trembling hand from his shoulder and stood up.

“I see.” Rossa replied as she stood up, an act that Estelle followed.

“It seems likely that that thing is still going to grow even larger if we don't try to trim off the branches huh?" Rossa surmised as she pointed towards the abomination in front of them as it continued to grow more appendages by the second.

“Yup.” Estelle joined in. “I’m guessing you would also be asking us to damage it as much as possible and to keep it away from the civilians we just saved correct?” She said as she poked her hands deep into her brown pouch but for some reason decided against taking out another potion.

“Rossa, Artian. I have enough mana to use exactly one four line spell and a generous amount of one chant spells before I completely run out, how about you guys?” She asked as she psyched herself up.

“I think I have enough for two four line spells and a few really weak ones.” Rossa declared.

“I think my status is the same as Rossa.” Artian declared.

“Alright, let’s beat the crap out of that thing and till Sylvester kills it completely!” Estelle said in a cheerful tone, but soon her new found enthusiasm would be challenged.

The monster in front of them started to grow even larger as more and more hands appeared, rising closer and closer to the sky as more legs and feet continued to bury itself down below. The grotesque tree born from an equally grotesque seed was now growing larger.

It once again let out an ear piercing scream as the mouth on the stomach opened up even wider. They could see that the upper half of the man was now rising higher and higher, like being pushed upwards by numerous hands.

The upper half of a man was now dangling upside down, with his hands pointing downward and succumbing to the pull of gravity. His eyes were stained white and yet purple streaks can be seen streaking down from it towards the forehead as if he was crying.

Despite every single fiber of their being telling them to turn away and run, the three of them bravely faced this daunting task thanks to that little bit of hope they saw in Sylvester’s unyielding eyes.

“He’s right. We are not going to die here!” Rossa thought to herself as she stretched out her trembling hand and gathered mana along with every bit of resolve she has left.

“I will fight, until the very end!”