Chapter 35: This is not fair at all!

Aphrosia didn’t dare let her guard down. Though smaller than the orphanage’s giant, standing just over two meters, this abyssal demon was no less menacing—its agility was astonishing, its intelligence far surpassing the humanoid beasts. Its lightning-fast strikes pushed even her assassin-trained reflexes to the limit, not just due to the power gap but its cunning, ruthless attacks.

She leaped into the air, spear aimed at the demon’s eye socket, thrusting repeatedly. But it reacted swiftly, deflecting with a casual claw swipe before counterattacking. Its claws, sharp as tempered ice, tore through the air with a piercing shriek, each strike targeting vitals. Its punches carried the weight of a thousand pounds, blasting craters into the ground—barehanded yet as brutal as an axe. Aphrosia’s heart sank; one hit would shatter her.

Forced to retreat, the demon pursued relentlessly. As she vaulted upward, its truck-like claw smashed the tree behind her, snapping it in half with a crash. The ground where she’d stood caved into a pit, dirt flying.

The intense fight drained her already wounded body, her breathing erratic, gasps growing frantic. Pain slowed her legs, but she couldn’t stop—one misstep, and she’d be pulped.

Outlast it? Obvious answer. A wounded girl couldn’t outlast a tireless monster. Aphrosia swapped her spear for her staff, leaping to a branch to buy time weaving through the forest. But the demon was fast, snapping trees in half, closing in as cover dwindled. Her brows furrowed: at this rate, the forest would be razed, her attacks mere scratches, while one blow from it could end her.

Thankfully, though smarter than typical beasts, the demon fought on instinct, not strategy. Skilled adventurers could slay stronger foes by reading patterns, provided their execution was flawless. Aphrosia’s skill and agility were top-notch, but as a wounded girl, she wasn’t at the level to grind down a level-100 boss with level-1 strength.

Darting through the trees, her fingers grazed bark, snatching dewy leaves. Using her staff to vault, she drew a silver arc in the air, crushing the leaves into emerald powder and scattering it at the demon. This was the advantage of borrowing Flo’s skills—blending nature’s power with Radiance magic.

“Try this!” She bit her tongue, spitting blood. The powder, meeting blood, swelled into purple-glowing thorny vines, binding the demon’s ankles. She saw human-like fear flash in its bloodshot eyes—an ancient rage lurked in its corpse-forged body.

“Not good…” She staggered against a tree, blood dripping from her lips onto her staff. As the demon roared, she noticed an odd scale pattern on its neck, glinting gold under moonlight.

“There!” Fighting dizziness, she loaded a magic bullet into her staff, chanting silently. Radiance power surged, platinum lightning gathering at the tip. Her trembling fingers moved in a strange rhythm—her body was adapting to both Radiance and nature’s forces.

“Fall to the abyss!” She stabbed her staff into the tree, lightning spreading through its grain, enveloping the area. As the demon’s claws nearly tore through her barrier, the surrounding trees erupted in blinding light, hundreds of vines snaring the demon, dragging it underground amid its terrified shrieks.

Aphrosia collapsed on scorched earth, watching the ground settle. Her shadow twisted eerily under moonlight: first a wolf, then a giant bird, finally a scythe-wielding skeleton—a sight she’d never seen, chilling her.

The shadow turned solid, its scythe slashing at her head.

“A second phase?” Unable to stand, she braced. Raising her arm, she chanted silently, golden magic particles forming a hemispherical shield.

Wall of Light

She didn’t expect the holy shield to fully block the attack, only to buy time. The black scythe struck, shattering it like glass. Seizing the moment, Aphrosia marked the reappeared demon and teleported behind it—another of Flo’s skills.

Her staff, now a spear again, aimed for its back.

“Damn it…” she cursed inwardly. “Why can’t I use Radiance magic as Flo, and nature magic’s down to thirty percent? So unfair!”

The spear, with the force of breaking wind, stabbed at the odd scales.