Chương 70: 070

I gripped Dura weakly, nodding downward.

"Cave." She froze, frowning.

"Cave?" Then her gaze followed me, lips splitting into a wide grin.

"Oh, thank fuck. A cave!" The grin vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"But that thing's not giving up!" It was almost on the ledge. If we wanted a chance, we had to move.

"I'll make a barrier…" I grunted, vision tunneling.

"Hurry."

"Damn it all," she bit out, eyes flicking between the cave below and the monster. Despite the risk, she wrenched her axe free. We dropped. Freefall again, but only for a second. Dura twisted, angling us toward the cave, and hurled us inside. She curled around me, absorbing the impact, rolling until we skidded to a stop deeper within. I focused on breathing, just breathing, as she scrambled up, snatching her axe just as the cave mouth went dark.

"Holy fucking shit," she whispered, eyes landing on the monster. I grunted in agreement, drawing what little mana I had into Bramble's Embrace. It was meant to entangle foes, but magic was imagination, if I pictured it, I could make it shield us. The creature's head whipped to her. Their eyes locked. It shrieked, ear-splitting, glitching, pupils widening like they had with me. Muscles bunched, preparing to strike. Dura didn't hesitate. She charged, axe raised, colliding with the monster in a furious arc.

The impact staggered it, her blade biting deep into the solid substance beneath its shadow-flesh. It screamed, this time in pain.

"You piece of shit!" she snarled, red mist curling from her shoulders as her axe blurred.

"You don't get to touch my cleric!" This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. The monster recoiled, narrowly evading a neck strike. Then the ledge ran out behind it. Dura's axe came down hard. It dodged back, sparking the blade against stone as it tumbled into the spiral below. The mana in my veins pulsed, finally ready. I aimed at the entrance.

"Bramble's Embrace!" Black vines erupted, weaving a dome of tangled thorns, each tipped blood-red, sharp as daggers. Dura eyed it warily, voice low.

"Widow's Thorn…" Distantly, the creature shrieked again, the crunch of it climbing the wall loud in my ears. Through narrow gaps in the barrier, I watched it jump back up, its talons catching in the thorns but failing to tear them. It clawed and thrashed, but the vines held fast. I exhaled, shaky.

"It's holding. For now." Dura nodded, the red haze fading from her shoulders.

"The light outside's still tearing it apart. It'll die or retreat. Either way, handled." Her gaze snapped to me, worry heavy in her eyes. Axe still in hand, she dropped to her knees.

"Shit. I can see bone. Heal yourself before you bleed out!" I nodded and regretted it instantly as white-hot pain detonated through me.

"On it…" Focusing, I forced mana inward, picturing veins and muscle knitting together. A tingling sweep dulled the agony. Moss spread across my shoulder where flesh should've been. But when I checked my side, nothing. The wounds hadn't even been touched. Dura hissed, noticing the same.

"Oi, don't get cheap with healing yourself!" I shook my head, hand clamping over a gash.

"Out of mana." The hollow drain in my core was unmistakable. The staff had devoured most of my reserves, the barrier taking the rest.

"Damn it all," she growled, pressing on another wound herself.

"I don't know how to stitch people up!" Despite myself, I managed a weak chuckle, patting her knee.

"I'll teach you later." She shot me a look.

"Bet your ass you will. Think you could catch a nap? You need to recover mana, but I don't want you dying on me either." I surveyed the injuries.

"Should be fine. Shoulder was worst, bleeding too much. The rest are just lines. Deep, but thin." Most weren't bleeding anymore. Sleep could at least scrape together enough mana for another round of healing.

"If I stop breathing, wake me." She grimaced, easing my head into her lap.

"Will do. Sleep." Darkness closed in again, heavy and irresistible. Just before it claimed me, I heard her whisper:"Nothing's going to hurt you again. Not while I'm here." A spark of warmth cut through the haze of pain. I wanted to answer, but sleep won first.