“Be careful, she is coming out.” Miles warned them. The purple cocoon weakened over the duration of 30 minutes, and now it looked almost transparent. But because two giant wings were covering her body, Miles couldn’t see the monster’s new form..

“Boom!”

With an exaggerated sound cocoon exploded and from within came out the monster. She didn’t look humanoid anymore and looked like a regular oversized moth. Her wings were much larger, and her body now looked like a furry worm.

Her two ominous eyes were locked on Miles and her mouth was twitching in rhythm.

“Now you die!” She shouted in anger and flapped her wings. She vanished from where she was standing and appeared before the already prepared trio. Zall raised his shield hastily to counter the incoming attack, although he couldn’t see.

Xavic was holding a pair of lightning bolts in his two hands, empowered to move faster than normal. Miles was still holding his sword, ready to counterattack. He also removed a maroon orb from his bag to don the armor when necessary.

Moth-woman, nay, moth monster appeared in front of the trio and attacked with one of the claws. The attack was so fast, Zall hardly intercepted. Still, the force reeled him back. Didn’t miss the chance, the moth monster attacked with another claw towards Miles, but two incoming lightning bolts stopped her advance. She flapped her wings once again and vanished from where she was standing.

“Fucking too fas—” Xavic cussed, but couldn’t finish as he felt the wind behind himself. Miles hastily rushed to intercept the attack, aiming at his friend’s waist. If landed, Xavic would be cut into two.

“Damn it!” Miles shouted as his arms felt numb from the attack. He successfully stopped the claw but the sword in his hand cracked, about to be broken and his arms were numb from the force. Why is she so strong? ‘She was supposed to be a Psychic/Poison elemental monster.’

‘Must be the evolution. She must have sacrificed her elements to increase her bodily strength.’ Miles thought to himself.

“I will deal with these nuances first, then kill you slowly!” Moth monster shouted and appeared behind Xavic once again.

This time, Miles didn’t attack with his swords but sprayed with a glass tube he fished out from his pocket. When the claw was about to reach Xavic, it clashed with the green liquid, and the moth monster retreated in pain.

“ARRRGHHH! What is that?”

“Zall, protect Xavic at all cost,” Miles said while keeping an eye on the monster. He held the glass tube in front of him. “Xavic, try to land an attack.”

“Got it, Bro.” Zall hastily answered and raised his shield while falling back towards the wall with Xavic beside him.

“You three. Planning to attack or are you going to watch?” Miles turned to Maria and her friends.

“Monster is targeting you, so we shall stay out of it,” Maria answered. Miles’s face darkened. He was expecting their betrayal. “Don’t get us wrong, we won’t attack you or anything, it is just that it is too strong, and we get nothing in exchange.”

“You will get the orb from her and rest on Chanter. While we will divide 30 to 70 anything else we find.” Miles said, gritting his teeth. Moth monster was clearing her claw from the acid, so he could still talk freely. Now that he had a chance, he had to deal with three.

“20 to 80 in our favor,” Maria said after thinking.

“Deal. But you have to battle with me and protect my friends” Miles added.

“Deal.” Maria nodded and moved towards Zall. While Carlo and Dorian stood beside Miles.

“Bro, catch.” Xavic threw an orb, and Miles charged it. It was the sword Xavic looted from Ivo. It was still a Lightning element but this was one pinnacle-tier. Sadly, it didn’t have the ranged lightning slash ability.

“Heh! I can still let you go if you stop fighting. I just want the mask and kill that son of the bitch.” Moth monster said with a grin, looking creepy with her new face.

“Yeah, no. I will not trust a monster.” Maria said and fired her pistols. Two bullets reached the monster in a second but with her new speed, the monster dodged easily.

“As you wish.”

She flapped her wings and appeared behind Carlo. Her only intact claw moved toward the neck of the oblivious man but a timely lightning bolt saved his life. Followed by a sword slash at the monster's waist and a wind sword at her neck, but they were still too slow to catch the monster.

‘I am too slow, too predictable.’ Xavic looked at his hands in shame. Over a few minutes in battle, he was saved by Miles and Zall several times and still needed to be protected while they were risking their lives. ‘I still hadn’t paid Miles, and he saved me again.’

Xavic stopped attacking while foolishly staring at his hands. ‘I can do it.’ He swore in his heart and raised both of his hands. Blue currents swam in his open palms. Previously it looked like a bolt and he could only change its shape to straight or more twisted. This time, he lengthened.

Zall stepped back in astonishment. The lightning was washing over Xavic, and the currents overflowing from his friend were pricking his skin. Maria too took a step back. She looked at Xavic in disbelief.

Xavic was oblivious to their behavior. His hands were faced up and his eyes were locked on his palms. The giant bolt slithering in his hands was cracking with purple lights. In the next second the lights got even brighter and the voice was even louder. The strength of the attack was so devastating, Xavic’s sleeves were destroyed by it.

“Pinnacle-tier!” Maria looked dumbfounded.

Xavic looked at the monster and his friends while holding the giant bolt. Miles was still battling and he had a deep wound on his back. He gritted his teeth and watched. He locked on the monster and tried to guess where it would be in the next second, and just as it flapped its wings, Xavic attacked.

The bolt vanished and appeared at the same time the moth monster vanished and appeared. When it was about to attack Dorian from behind, the purple light landed on the monster. And needless to say, the beast was stunned. A whip-crack of lightning went its whippy tail.

And the beast was done.

Miles looked at the stunned monster and Xavic. His back hurt like a bitch, but he was still smiling. “Nicely done, Xavic. Be you angel? Haha!”

“Stop fooling around and kill the monster. Gee.” Xavic shook his head.

“Ai ai.” Miles swung his sword and the head flew into the air. The stunned body convulsed as the red blood washed the ground while the dissipated head fell with a thud. “Fuck, I was nearly a goner.”

“Why didn’t you use the armor, idiot? Is your secret more important than your life?” Coin berated but Miles ignored. He was holding the armor orb in his sleeve, but he didn’t use it.

‘I really am an idiot.’ Miles shook his head with a sigh as he walked to the head and cut it open. Inside, laid a crimson orb with a pair of wings floating.