The Transmigrated Author-Chapter 187: Teamwork (2)

[Paris, The Museum Louvre - First Floor | Central Entrance]

"Behold my true self!" it boomed, its voice echoing with newfound power.

"Thank you for allowing me to reach a height I could not achieve before. I was once like you, a mere human, but now... I am so much more!"

Its skin darkened and hardened into a chitinous armour, its flesh a mottled patchwork of deep purple and sickly green.

Its bloodshot eyes narrowed into slits, glowing with a sinister red light.

The tentacles, now longer and thicker, pulsed with dark energy, their tips morphing into wickedly sharp barbs that leaked with venom.

"You may try! But in the end, you will die!"

RAHHHHHHHHHH!

With a terrifying roar, the transformed creature lunged at Jan and Valencia, its movements faster and more erratic than before.

Its newly hardened skin deflected its attacks with sickening thuds, the once-effective blows now barely leaving a mark.

Jan and Valencia, their initial confidence shaken, struggled to keep up with the monster's enhanced speed and power.

WACK!!! WACK!!! WACK!!!

The tentacles lashed out with blurring speed, each strike infused with crackling electricity, forcing the two to constantly dodge and parry.

"Damn it!" Jan cursed as he narrowly avoided a lightning-charged barb that singed his hair.

"This thing just got a whole lot tougher!"

Valencia, her movements growing more frantic, grunted in agreement.

"It's like our attacks aren't even phasing it!"

"BRAVO 6 GOING DARKKKK..."

WHOOOSSH!

Suddenly, the octopus vanished, disappearing into the shadows of the gallery.

"...!"

Jan and Valencia, their hearts pounding, spun around, their weapons held high in anticipation.

"Where did it go?!"

Valencia whispered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own heart.

"I don't know," Jan replied, his eyes scanning the room. "But I can still feel its presence."

A cold shiver ran down his spine as he remembered his trump card, the Eyes of Adaptation.

It was a powerful ability, capable of granting him instant understanding and adaptation to any situation, but it came at a steep cost.

Using it would deplete half his mana reserves and render the ability unusable for a full week.

Jan hesitated. He wanted to believe that he and Valencia could defeat this monster without resorting to such drastic measures.

But as the seconds ticked by, and the octopus remained hidden, a sense of dread began to creep in.

A chilling voice hissed from behind them, "Behind you."

Jan and Valencia reacted instantly, splitting apart just as a blur of tentacles descended where they had been standing a moment ago.

The floor cracked beneath the force of the impact, sending shards of marble flying.

The octopus, its bloodshot eyes followed through with speed appearing before Valencia.

"You will be the first!"

"...!"

"No!" Jan screamed as he rushed on fourth towards Valencia.

Everything in his body was urging him to use all of his abilities.

But he knew in the end that he was way out of reach.

A figure clad in black drew back the string of a gleaming recurve bow.

Rel, his eyes narrowed in concentration, aimed at the writhing octopus.

His arrow, tipped with a swirling vortex of dark aura, pulsed with sinister energy, crackling with black lightning.

TAK!

With a silent release, the arrow shot forward, its trajectory a blur in the dim light.

The octopus, focused on its prey below, didn't even register the incoming threat.

The arrow struck true, piercing the creature's remaining eye with a sickening CRACK.

"AHHHHH!!! THE PAIN!"

The monster let out a deafening scream, its body convulsing as the dark aura coursed through its veins.

Stunned and disoriented, it stumbled backwards, its tentacles flailing wildly.

TAK!, TAK!, TAK!,

Rel, seizing the opportunity, fired three more arrows in rapid succession.

Each one found its mark, pinning three of the creature's tentacles to the floor, immobilizing it in a web of searing pain and dark energy.

SHAAAAAAAAAAA!

Jan, witnessing this sudden turn of events, felt a surge of hope ignite within him.

This was his chance, his moment to finish it all.

He knew, deep down, that those consumed by demonic power were beyond redemption.

There was only one way to end this.

[Lost Archives: Divine Conqueror Has Been Activated...]

A blinding golden light erupted from Jan's body, enveloping his longsword in an otherworldly glow.

He charged forward, his eyes blazing with absolute conviction.

"I missed once..."

He declared, his voice echoing with a power to strike fear.

"... Never miss twice."

He leapt high into the air, sword raised, channeling every ounce of his strength and will into the blade.

"Formless Technique: Worldsplitting Strike!"

____________________________

SLASHHHHH!

____________________________

With a deafening roar, he unleashed a cataclysmic slash.

The room turned into a blinding flash of black and white as he cleaved through the air.

The attack, a perfect fusion of light and aura, ripped through the octopus, slicing it in two from head to tail.

...

...

...

The remains of the octopus twitched and spasmed, its once-menacing form rapidly shrinking and decaying.

Its eyes, once filled with rage, dulled into lifeless orbs.

"Impossible..." he gurgled, its voice a raspy whisper. "I was supposed to be... stronger..."

whooosh...

The words trailed off as the creature's body dissolved into a puddle of black sludge, leaving behind only the lingering scent of decay.

Jan, his grip still tight on his longsword, stared at the scene in disbelief.

"Those arrows..." he muttered, his eyes following the trajectory of the projectiles.

He turned his head, scanning the surrounding galleries.

In the distance, a figure emerged from the shadows, their black sweater and grey pants starkly contrasting the vibrant colours of the museum's artwork.

"...!"

Their eyes met Jan's across the vast hall.

Jan raised a hand in an excited wave, a questioning look on his face.

"Hey, that was some impressive archery!" he called out.

The figure sighed, realizing he'd been caught trying to slip away unnoticed.

"haah...I can't believe he saw me."

Rel stepped into the light, his usual calm demeanour masking the adrenaline that still coursed through his veins.

"Thanks," he replied calmly.

Jan smiled as he watched Rel walk out, the curved bow hanging on his back

Valencia remained silent, her gaze fixed on Rel as he approached.

A flicker of recognition crossed her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it, her expression returning to normal.

tap...tap...tap...

"...!"

As Rel's figure drew closer, something in her heart quickened.

Her eyes widened as his gaze seemed to lock onto her.

She looked to either side, realizing he couldn't be looking at anyone else.

Then, as Rel came closer...

"W-wha-"

Rel walked past her, barely acknowledging her presence.

He continued on, his attention drawn to something else.

"huh?"

Valencia nearly lost her balance, but her rapier saved her from falling.

"That...idiot...screw him... shit... bastard... stupid"

A soft whimper drew his attention to a nearby overturned display case. Peering over the edge, he saw the little girl from earlier, huddled behind a counter, her eyes wide with terror.

As she saw Rel approaching, she backed away, trying to hide again.

"Hey..." Rel peeked his head over the counter.

The girl's tiny hands clutched a tattered teddy bear, her only comfort in this terrifying situation.

"Are you alright?" Rel asked, his voice gentle, offering a reassuring smile.

The girl, her eyes welling with tears, nodded silently, her small body trembling.

The little girl clung to Rel's leg, her tiny body shaking with sobs.

Her eyes, wide and fearful, darted around the room, taking in the shattered glass, the overturned displays, and the lingering scent of burnt flesh.

Rel, his usual calmness momentarily faltered and knelt beside her.

He gently pried her fingers from his pant leg and lifted her into his arms.

The girl buried her face in his chest, her sobs muffled by the black fabric of his sweater.

"It's okay," Rel murmured, his voice surprisingly soft. "You're safe now."

He stroked her hair, a rare gesture of tenderness that even surprised himself.

But something about the child's vulnerability, her innocence in the face of such horror, tugged at a hidden chord within him.

Valencia, who had been watching the exchange in silent astonishment, lowered her rapier, disregarding all the thoughts she just uttered under her breath.

"He's still an idiot."

Apart from one...

This was a side of Rel she had never seen before, a softer, more caring side that differed with his usual cold demeanor.

It seemed she was always discovering something new about him.

Jan clutched his chest and feigned a swoon.

"Well, look at you!" he exclaimed, a teasing grin spreading across his face.

"A man after my own heart!"

Rel rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he put the girl down and took her hand.

"Whatever... we need to deactivate the lockdown on the barriers," he said, his voice returning to its usual flat tone.

"They're made of an anti-magic material, and that's what's keeping everyone inside."

He turned towards the shimmering barrier where Camila's face peeked through a small opening.

"Hey, Camila," he called out, "the fight's over."

Camila peeking over her little wall took in the aftermath of the battle, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Haah... Finally,"

SNAP!

She murmured, a wave of exhaustion washing over her as the barrier flickered and dissolved.

________

Authors Notes:

- The barrier lockdown in the Louvre was created by the Starcasters.