The ruins were now being filled with the purple smoke. I felt my heart racing; my lungs burned as my thoughts slowed down. The eerie red eyes of the malevolent serpent didn''t waver.


    In the never-ending smoke, my eyes saw a green, lush light. Anny, who was bleeding profoundly, like everyone, had somehow managed to maintain her calm and use her ability on herself.


    She ran toward the Liber, whose eyes were bleeding, his breathing quick.


    "Liber!"


    Putting her hand on his back, the greenish glow intensified, and Liber''s complexion, which had been deteriorating, started recovering.


    "Huff" Releasing a puff of purplish smoke from his nostril, he looked at the serpent.


    In the purple smoke a new color was added, a black smoke that smelled of ashes.


    "It''s coming," Liber murmured, his voice strained. His eyes were back to normal, but the serpent''s gaze was unsettling. The smoke grew thicker, obscuring the serpent''s body until only its head was visible.


    The purple smoke and the black smoke began to swirl and clash, creating a chaotic dance in the chamber. The sound grew from a murmur to a crescendo, echoing through the ancient stone walls. The smoke formed tendrils that lashed out like whips, each trying to overpower the other. The air grew heavy with tension, and the very ground beneath them seemed to tremble.


    Anny''s eyes widened as she sensed a sudden shift in the energy around them. The black smoke grew denser, and the purple began to recoil. The serpent''s eyes narrowed, and its hiss grew louder, a sign of its frustration. It was clear that the creature was not used to resistance, not here in the heart of its domain.


    *Boom*


    With a deafening clap, the smoke dissipated, leaving the chamber eerily silent. The purple and black vapors had cancelled each other out, leaving no trace behind. The serpent''s head was now visible in its entirety, the rest of its massive body coiled and waiting in the shadows. Its eyes searched the room, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.


    "Anny, heal others."


    Liber is now better than before, he said as he took out his sword.


    Anny, looking at him, nodded, her face looking pale.


    My mind raced, trying to keep up. Anny, her face pale and strained, poured her energy into Liber. Please, let it be enough, I thought, my heart hammering against my ribs. Then, the clash of smokes—a swirling chaos that mirrored the turmoil inside me. What''s happening?


    My limbs felt like lead, unresponsive. I had to move, had to help, but my body wouldn''t obey. Come on, Asher, move! I screamed internally, panic rising in my throat. It was like being trapped in a nightmare, watching helplessly.


    Everyone just like me either lay on the ground, their body twitching as their body continued bleeding.


    With whatever semblance of rationality was left in me, I bit my tongue; a metallic taste soon came. It was not unwelcoming but an essential need to not lose consciousness.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Anny had already started healing Seth and others; her priority could be seen in her desperate act of survival.


    The serpent was still waiting; it was probably waiting for a challenge from the lowly bugs he thought he could crush anytime.


    "Asher, are you awake?" Soon my turn came as well.


    "Yeah, *cough. Breathing is still hard.


    "Good, hold on." Anny said with a strain in her voice, her hand on my shoulder, the green light from her hand began to spread across my body. The pain started to lessen; my body felt stronger, the smoke''s effect weakening.


    "Have you detoxified the smoke?" I asked, hoping she would say yes.


    "No," she replied with a grimace, "I''ve just bought us some time. The serpent''s venom is potent. I need more power to neutralize it completely."


    "I see. Thank you."


    Not much time left. I have to do something. But what? I was still weak, recovering. Was I more of a liability than a help? The thought gnawed at me.


    Standing up, my legs shook down uncontrollably.


    Calming myself with deep breaths, I looked at the serpent, its gaze filled with toxic radiance.


    "Is that serpent an Avenger rank?" I asked, hoping that stars have not abandoned us yet.


    "No, it''s a high-level beast, the pinnacle of beast rank. Just some steps away from becoming an Avenger."


    The words hit me like a ton of bricks. My heart was racing again, but this time it was fear that fueled me.


    Everyone has already stood up from the ground except Kena, who was even after getting healed, shaking in fear and had curled himself in a ball-like shape.


    The purple serpent, sensing the shift in our strength, reared its head high, scales glistening under the dim light as it stretched its neck, making it look like a towering monolith that could swallow the entire sky. The chamber, which once seemed vast, now felt claustrophobic with the beast''s formidable presence. The serpent''s muscles tensed as it prepared to strike, its jaws unhinging to reveal a mouth lined with teeth sharper than the finest swords.


    A purple glow started to appear on the serpent''s jaw, the same color as the smoke it had exhaled earlier. The light grew brighter, pulsing in time with the creature''s sinister heartbeat. The air around the glow began to warp and distort, like heat rising off a scorching desert floor. It was clear that something terrible was about to happen.


    "Every Runnn!!!"


    A shout filled with despair came; the jaw released the ball of light as it flowed forward.


    "Ugh."


    Asher groaned in pain as he held Anny and dodged to the side; everyone seemed to have done the same as well.


    In the far corner of my eyesight, I saw Sam holding Kena, who still refused to stand.


    The serpent''s attack had hit the ground, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The smell of acid burned my nostrils as the stone around us melted into a bubbling, molten river that sizzled and spat. The once solid floor had been transformed into a deadly obstacle, a testament to the creature''s power.


    The serpent was already a never-ending despair, but fate was still not on their side; the wall broken by the force of the serpent attack made a path of misery for them; monsters still left in the ruins had started to come as well.


    "This is not good." My breathing still felt like it was on fire, my mind sluggish as well.


    Seth pushed the ground under his feet; a wave of muddy water was created, spreading everywhere at a fast speed, slowing the new wave of monsters.


    "Liber, we need to deal with this creature quickly before we''re overwhelmed." Seth''s voice was firm but had a hint of amazement in it.


    Liber nodded gravely. The serpent''s power was unlike anything they had encountered before.


    The swamp Seth conjured was incredible – a swirling mass of mud and power. Rank 2, I thought, impressed despite the danger. So that''s what true power looks like. A small, analytical part of my brain was already trying to figure out how he''d done it.


    "He had been holding back all this time."


    I looked at the new wave of monsters, fear gripping my heart.


    "Let''s take you to a safer place first."


    I looked at Anny, still in my arms, her face looking most tired.


    "Yes."


    ****


    On the other side of the battlefield, Liber has started his fight with the serpent.


    Black smoke again emerged as it covered his legs and body.


    This was his second ability, the smoke of observance.


    Not only did it give him an almost omniscient look under its range but also gave him the power to control it at his will.


    It has another property of becoming denser, heavier, and even poisonous as well.


    The price was manageable as long as he used it sparingly. It was not good for group combats along with teammates, but the situation desired it right now.


    Seth took a deep breath and stepped forward. He closed his eyes and concentrated, his hand touching the ground. The earth began to tremble and shift under the weight of his will. The stone beneath the serpent''s coils cracked and split open, revealing a deep chasm filled with thick, black mud that bubbled and churned with malevolent intent.


    "Good work."


    The serpent roared in fury as it felt the ground shift beneath it. It turned to face Liber, who was now charging with blazing speed. The flaming sword in his hand was a stark contrast to the purple scales of the serpent, which had begun to steam and sizzle as the heat approached.


    But the creature wasn''t going to be taken down so easily. It raised its tail, a massive whip-like appendage that could easily sweep across the chamber and crush them all. However, Seth, anticipating the attack, focused his energy into the swamp he had created. The mud churned and thickened, rising up like a living wall to meet the serpent''s tail.


    Liber raised his sword. The burning serpents wrapped in it also let out screeching of their own as the sword clashed with the serpent''s scales.


    The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, knocking loose stones and dust into the air, obscuring the battle for a brief moment.