In an instant, the vague form had vanished, as if it had melted into the air. But no one thought it was really gone—not even the glow of the Staff of Eternity could dispel the darkness that penetrated deep into the marrow around it, but only darkened the small clearing.

“...... Hades Serpent. Ed spoke softly, and then added cautiously, "Like a serpent...... The one underneath the Brandi Library. ”

Neither Stobel nor Curell had any surprised expressions. They probably knew better about the Branti Library, or about the strange, soul-eater, snake that could not be called a "creature."

Ed was relieved a little by this. He remembered how they had gone to great lengths to get rid of the snake, though it wasn't that big......

He always felt a little weird. But when Stormbell raised his cane and struck the air like a heavy drum, he could only let go of his doubts first.

In the vibrated air, the serpent's body shook and disappeared like a shadow sunk in the water, not very clear, but it was enough for them to see the scales that shimmered like jewels, and the faint faces that appeared when they were dim.

That seemed to prove Ed's guess.

It's clearly bigger again...... But there should be no soul left here for it to devour. They managed to keep the others away from here, whether they were friends or foes, originally fearing that those lives and souls would become sacrifices, but if those souls were already in the carmack's body......

Is that possible?—— is this how the Hades Serpent was born?

Ed kinda regrets not asking Isl more, but who would have thought he would encounter another Hades Serpent?

"The vibration makes it manifest, and the Light makes it disgusting. ”

At the moment, he could only try to say what he knew: "It has a 'nucleus' in its body...... It was very small, and Iss stabbed that point to defeat Beranti's one. ”

The light emitted by the Staff of Eternity is undoubtedly divine. He hoped that the light would trap the Serpent in it, otherwise it wouldn't be so easy to trap it once it burrowed into the rock.

He did not recklessly narrow the scope of the Light. "Disgust" is not the same as harm, but can provoke the other person...... Now doesn't seem to be the right time.

They carefully choose how they attack. The light and the blast of sound made the land seem to be thundering, and the flame of the light fell like a spider's web, dancing wildly in the shadows, and even the shape of a long snake without a head and tail loomed in the fire, writhing wildly trying to get rid of the flames.

The attack seemed to be as effective as Ed remembered...... Except for the growing body.

“...... Wait!"

The elf, who had been hovering on the edge looking for an opportunity, cried out, "Stop casting spells! That's not ......"

Ed didn't hear it at all.

The heavy blow came out of nowhere, slammed into him, and all the defensive eggshells shattered easily. But he wasn't pumped away, his body stiffened in place, and he only felt a buzz in his ears, as if something had crashed out of his head, and as if something had rushed in...... The scepter of eternity burst into a dazzling light, but it was more like a sharp warning.

The surroundings suddenly went dark after a snowy white. For a moment, Ed couldn't react to what was going on...... Or rather, he couldn't believe what had happened—the serpent that was supposed to exist only in the shadows had devoured the light of the Staff of Eternity.

Perhaps, devoured all the magic...... Devoured him.

There were still spots of light left in front of him from the last burst of light from the Staff of Eternity, but it was as if he had been dragged into another world. The thick darkness wriggled like something tangible, squeezing and tearing at him, power and consciousness pulled away in wisps...... But he didn't feel the slightest pain or fear, on the contrary, he was lazy and reassuring, drunk, as if he was wrapped in warm water, and he just wanted to spread his limbs, relax his body and sink down...... Sink into eternal sleep.

He knew that the situation was not good, but even this little recognition was softly curled up in a corner.

He grasped that bit of clarity and tried his best to move, wherever he went...... It's like trying to wake up with a little residual lucidity when you know you're in a nightmare.

I don't know how long I struggled, but I felt an extremely faint feeling in the back of my head. It's not a pain, it's an itch...... But that bit of truth pierced the fog like the morning light, and he suddenly broke free from the chaos.

It was still dark, and it was bitterly cold, not like a valley at noon, but like sinking into the depths of the lightless sea. But he could finally hear the voice...... Corell's voice, the high-pitched bird's cry, was a warning and a call.

Ed put his finger in his mouth and replied with a simple whistle - that's all he could be.

With a soft thud, a faint halo of light fell to his feet, blooming in the darkness, as thin as the sun in the winter mist.

What Correll threw at was a delicate orb of copper, the glow that radiated when it split was not magical, but it didn't last long.

They were well prepared, but they made the wrong judgment under the deliberate misdirection...... They weren't facing the Serpent at all.

In the faint light, Ed saw the real enemy. Having given up on deliberately condensing into a serpentine body, the thing looked like nothing more than a large shapeless black mist - still illuminated by any light, some of it just surging in place, as if it was too heavy to move, and the outstretched part was like countless tentacles, waving and rolling towards Korrell...... Roll up to him too.

The oncoming black shadow did not make a sound of the wind, but was pressed down heavily, at an almost eerie speed.

Ed fell to the ground and dodged the blow with a rolling belt, thanking Norway and Tess for their training, which allowed him to be at least a little more agile than the average weak spellcaster.

More tentacles poured in. When there was no way to avoid it, Ed could only pick up the Staff of Eternity and smash it over, but it was obviously useless.

However, the shadow could have been cut off, at least by Corell's sword, which was thrown by Corell's wave of his hand, and the wind broke through the wind, slicing through the tentacles that were about to slap Ed like butter. The broken part trembled and dispersed as it landed on the ground, and it was unknown whether it would return to the black mist or disappear completely.

Ed pulled out the dagger from his boot, but was snatched by the elf who followed him, slicing it into his arm, cleanly cutting a wound that was neither deep nor shallow.

"Your blood can hurt it. Currell shoved the blood-stained dagger back into his hand in his glazed eyes, "Why don't you think it swallowed you?"

After a moment of fluke, Ed's heart sank - so, has Stobel been swallowed up completely?!